Death of a Cemetery

Can you believe a home owner's association knocked down tombstones over 300 years old (without permission) just because?

The Hendricks-Hendrickson Family Cemetery
Holmdel, NJ

Featured Artist - Elly's Creations

 

This weeks Featured Artisan is Elly's Creations! Beautiful creations!

You can find Elly's Creations at:

 

Artfire

Facebook

Twitter

Zibbet

Featured Artist - Tina's Treasures

This weeks Featured Artisan is Tina's Treasures! Tina has a wide

variety of handmade creations in her shop! Stop by and see them all!

You can find Tina's Treasures on:

Etsy

Blog

Facebook

Featured Artist - My Helping Hands

 

This weeks Featured Shop is My Helping Hands Graphic Design. Custom Avatars, Banners and Ads!

You can find My Helping Hands Graphic Design at:

 

Website

 

Artfire Shop

 

Blog

 

Facebook

 

Twitter

Featured Artist - KP Designs

 

This weeks Featured Artisan on Share the Love.. Blogger's Unite is KP Designs! Kathy has wonderful creations. You can find KP Designs at:

 

Madeitmyself

 

The">http://thegiftshophandmade.com/JewerlyTheGiftShopHandmadeDirectory.aspx">The Gift Shop Handmade

 

Facebook

 

Twitter

 

On">http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=114453101935100">On Fire for Handmade

 

Blog

Featured Artist - Dean Designs

This weeks Featured Artisan is Deans Designs.

Beautiful creations by a very talented artisan! You can find Deans Designs at:

Etsy

Facebook

Blog

Artist Feature - Gabs Bags

Beautiful One of a Kind bags to Jazz up your wardrobe with!You can find Gabs Bags at
Shop URL
http://www.gabsbags.artfire.com/


2nd Shop URL
http://www.gabsbags.etsy.com/


Website URL
http://www.gabsbags.net/


Twitter Page
http://www.twitter.com/gabsbags


Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Austin-TX/GabsBags/194470116610?ref=ts

Blog
http://www.gabsbags.net/category/news
The Gift Shop Handmade http://thegiftshophandmade.com/FashionShopsonTheGiftShopHandmadeDirectory.aspx

Featured Artist - Moonsong Ranch

 

 

This weeks Featured Artisan is MoonSong Ranch! Beautiful Creations by a very talented Artisan!

Moonsong Ranch Handmade Alpaca Fashion products include felt nuno scarves, western style hats, purses, cases, knitted scarves and many other unique gift items

 

 

 

You can Find MoonSong Ranch at:

 

Shops:

http://www.MoonsongRanch.Etsy.com
http://www.CreationsbyMoonlight.Etsy.com

Facebook Page:

http://www.facebook.com/MoonsongRanch

Time Flies

I don't know if you've noticed...but it's already nearing the end of August. Yup, take a look at your calendar. It'll show I speak the truth. Here it is, almost 8 months complete in 2010, 4 months to go.

But where did the time go? I'm pretty sure I must have missed most of the year, because I haven't accomplished nearly as much as I had planned. I wanted to finish my kitchen, but well that doesn't seem to be working out. Though we did replace the floor and get it painted...I doubt we're going to get the counter top replaced by the end of the year, cause let's face it...by the end of the week, after working like crazy, me and the hubby don't feel like working on the house (which btw, we bought a fixer upper...that was probably a bad idea). We'd rather be laying around with the cats watching tv...or stuffing our faces. yeah we like to eat...no...we LOVE to eat.

(my new kitchen floor)

I also wanted to have my christmas shopping started...that has also not worked out so well. I'm still working on buying all of the presents for my family members who were born in August. Seriously, we have one huge party to cover everybody who was born in August so we don't have to go party hopping all month long.

I had thought by now I'd have lost more weight (i'm down 13.5 lbs though), but with it being a rough year, I'm now surprised I lost anything. I just can't seem to fit in as much exercise as I probably should be getting.

So what have I done this year, you ask. I have done a lot of soul searching, and I think I'm finally figuring out what I WANT. yay! it's been really difficult these past few years walking around with no clue of what i want to do with myself. it's still a bit of a ways away yet, but i at least have an idea.....

xoxo,
bb

Artist Feature - Julia Hutchins

 

This weeks featured artisan is Julia Hutchins Designs

You can find Julia at:

 

 

Shop URL:
http://www.juliahutchins.com

2nd Shop URL:
http://www.artfire.com/users/juhutch

Website URL:
http://www.juliahutchins.com

Twitter Page:
http://www.twitter.com/juliahutchins

Facebook :
http://www.facebook.com/juliahutchinsdesigns

Blog:
http://www.juliahutchins.com/blog1/

Behind the Camera

{Kyra}

It seems as I get older, there are more and more things to do, and less and less time left in the day (or in this case, weekend) for anything fun or relaxing. With my grammy having been sick for months and going between the hospital and rehab, my family and I had even less time to go out and have a good time. But since her passing a month ago (today), I can say I have finally gotten a chance to go out and have a lil fun.

Tessie (my gram) always did tell me to stop working so hard and make sure to take some time out for fun. I can remember her telling me when I was younger to make sure to take a few minutes out of the day and just sit outside in the fresh air. Well, since her stroke in April, I've actually consciously been making the effort to do just that. I take one evening a week (usually whatever day I choose to come home from the office early) and sit outside waiting for my hubby to get home from work. I sit and think, possibly meditating, and breathe in the fresh air. I don't do anything else, until the hubby gets home and it's time for us to make dinner. :)

This past (okay, it's sunday, so i'll say current) weekend, my niece (technically my second cousin, but she calls me "aunt beth") stayed with my aunt for the whole weekend. Kyra, her sister Danielle (my god baby) and their parents live in south jersey, while the rest of us live in central jersey, so we don't see them very often. So since she was having this sleepover at my aunt's, we all got together for a fun day of Kyra time...and boy, did we have a blast. We had a nice little cook out then the whole crew went over to Keansburg (an amusement park on the shore) to play games, ride the rides, walk the beach, etc. I can honestly say, I thought I grew out of going to Keansburg as, Darryl and I haven't been there since 2002, but having a kid with us made all the difference in the world. I have not smiled so much or laughed so hard in I don't know how long. And if Tessie were still here, she would have been there with us having a ball (and probably having more energy than any of us) and showing us what fun you can have at any age. I know she was there in spirit with us...looking down...loving how much fun we were having together as a family....family means everything to her. :)

RIP my beautiful Tessbabe, I miss you every day.

xoxo,
bb

Trials and Tribulations of an "Artist"

Sorry to those who feel like I'm a whiner... but I'm having an issue that I'm hoping putting down on "paper" will finally go away (well, at the very least will leave my head).

I recently started signing up for some local events, to sell my photography, stationery, invitations, and clothing made from my graphic designs. I got in contact with an art gallery in South Jersey who was thrilled to have me at one of their events, as they had mostly jewelers contact them, so my work was completely different for them. My mom then suggested, why not trying to get a table at our home town's special community day. Though I don't still live there, she does, and she goes to the event every year. So I thought, what the heck, let's do it. Maybe I'll see some people I know.

I got in contact with the director of the event. I explained that I'm originally from the town, am trying to really get my art career off the ground, yada yada, and would love to participate in the event, if she could possibly guide me in the right direction as to how to become involved, it'd be wonderful. The director emailed over an application along with due dates for the application, payment, etc. A few hours later, she sends me a one line email, "Oh, and by the way, you do not count as an artist or crafter," meaning I had to pay $60 for a corporate table if I wanted to participate, rather than the $25 they charge artists/crafters.

So I inquire, why is my photography and hand crafted stationery not considered an art/craft. The reply, "it's not handmade." So I reiterate...though I do not make the actual paper or ink used to create my pieces, I do design everything myself, I hand cut each card as most are custom sizes, I hand print everything myself, as well as package everything myself (yes, this includes photography and stationery), so I don't understand why I'm being considered corporate, when it's little ol me doing everything by hand. (isn't that the definition of handmade?) Her response...."sorry, you just don't qualify."

So I'm confused here. Isn't my purchasing paper and ink the same as a crocheter, knitter, or needleworker, purchasing the yarn/wool/floss to make their products? And since when is photography considered to NOT be an art? Am I wrong here? Did I just miss something? My personal feeling is that she wants to charge me more since I'm not a resident of the town. And if she had said that non-residents pay a higher fee, I could live with that, as I've done other events where that was a stipulation.

In some ways I'd like to write her a nice little letter (maybe on my "not" handmade stationery) telling her where she can put that space where my table would be...yup, right up her keester. Or that the next time her town comes to me in desperate need of work to be done...but on a budget, that they will no longer be receiving a discount for me having grown up in that town, being as they could not return the favor.

I don't know...any thoughts out there?

Featured Artist - NaLa

This weeks Featured Artisan is Jewelry by NaLa!

Unique, handmade fashion jewelry featuring Czech glass, Swarovski crystals, semiprecious stones, freshwater pearls, antiqued metals, sterling silver and other fine materials. Enjoy browsing, and stop by her Etsy Shop often ... new designs are being added all the time.

You can Find Jewelry by NaLa @:

Shop URL:
http://jewelrybyNaLa.etsy.com

2nd Shop URL:
http://jewelrybyNaLa.artfire.com

Website URL:
http://NaLa.goods.officelive.com

Twitter Page:
http://www.twitter.com/jewelrybyNaLa

Facebook :
http://www.facebook.com/jewelrybyNaLa

Blog:
http://jewelrybyNaLa.blogspot.com

Artist Feature - Little Sistah

This weeks featured artisan is Little Sistah Studio!

Little Sistah Studio makes the paper, makes the adornments, makes the cards! She creates the art! Welcome to Her world of creativity!

You can find Little Sistah Studio@

Website

Etsy

Facebook">http://www.facebook.com/LittleSistahStudio">Facebook Fan Page

Blog

Click HERE for code

Artist Feature - VA Beach Quilter

 

 

This weeks featured artisan is Va Beach Quilter! 

Kim makes lovely quilts, table runners, coupon organizers, wallets, purses and more! A truly talented

lady offering a wide variety of creations! All make wonderful gifts!

You can find Va Beach Quilter @

 

 

 Artfire

 Etsy

 MadeitMyself 

Twitter

Facebook Fan Page">Facebook'>Facebook

Blognull ">http://vabeachquilter.blogspot.com">Blog ~ With monthly giveaaways!

Click HERE for code

On the Other Side of the Camera

So i spend all this time behind the camera.....i rarely get in front of one. Well, I went out shooting with my assistant on Friday to get the last batch of pictures for my upcoming exhibit, and he helped me out by taking a picture of me, doing what i do best. :) So here it is...meet the girl behind the camera...


*Photo taken by Skyler Lutz

Busy Little Bee

Hi Everybody! I've been so so busy lately. Firstly, I'm sad to say, my Grammy Tessie passed away last week, so I spent a great deal of time working on a photo montage for her funeral, as well as attending services. I'm part of a huge Italian family (you wouldn't know it by my honey colored hair and green eyes, but it's true), so when someone dies, we eat for like five days straight, as well as have multiple days of viewings before the actual funeral.

Anyway, that was a bit off topic, except for the fact that that alone kept me busy for over a week. I'm now currently working on a leather custom photo book for a couple that lives in Uptown Manhatten, as well as designing some business cards for some new clients on Etsy. Thought maybe you'd like to take a little peek at them. :)



Those two cards are samples I just sent over to SassySoaps1184. Hope she likes them. :)

Here's another I've been working on. This one is actually a double sided one (front-top, back-bottom)

The Silver Lining

Sorry I've been so absent. Things have been...well...insane around here. My 86 year old grandma (Tessie) had a stroke back in April. She was healthier than a horse up to that point, so it was a complete shock. The stroke occurred in her cerebellum (the back part) the part that controls movement. She was in a coma for 3.5 weeks and is very slowly coming out of it. She now moves most of the right side of her body, but she has a trache in, so she can't talk. She's going to need extensive rehab, and still the possibility of her returning home looks very grim right now. So i've been visiting her a lot.

Well then, i got sick. Not once, not twice, but three times in a six week period of time. First a sinus infection, then strep throat, then an upper respiratory infection. I'm hoping I'm finally done with being sick.

Two weeks ago, my dad, stepmom and half sister came out for a visit and stayed with us for a few days. They helped us do some major renovations on our house. Our yucky kitchen floor is no more, and we're 3/4 of the way done with the brand new one.

No sooner did my family leave, when my best friend and her daughter arrived to stay with us for several days.

And the most recent of devastating news...my beloved Psycho had to be put to sleep this past Thursday. I came home from work to her barely breathing. I rushed her to the closest vet, they did everything they could, but it turns out after x-rays and ultrasounds...she had cancer on her heart (causing it to begin to fail) and stomach, and possibly her pancreas which caused her diabetes. Sadly, she is now in kitty heaven. :(

So the past two months, I've really taken a beating...physically and emotionally. But there is a silver lining....some good news...I was asked to display my photography at a gallery in Scotch Plains. :) So i need to get my act together, and get 9 more flower shots to bring with me...oh yeah and i need to get them framed. I will be posting the event to my blog wall shortly for anyone who would like to attend.

until later....

xoxo and thanks for listening...

bb

Jules Jewelry

So as you probably already know (even if you've only taken a little peek at my etsy shop, www.bbdesigns.etsy.com) that I enjoy helping other shops/small businesses spread the word about their great products. I help them with branding, marketing, you name it, i probably do it. My most recent addition to helping these small businesses is for a nominal fee, tweeting about their store and their fabulous products (sales too, if they ask).

This has seriously become my number one service in the past few weeks! :) And i'm glad, cause it has helped me find some really great shops!

That's where Jules Jewelry comes in. If you're looking for some fab (and affordable) mother's day gifts (let's face it, with this economy, who isn't looking for a steal?) Jules Jewelry is THE place to go. This fab little online store offers great jewelry any mom would look great in. They carry all kinds of cool earrings, necklaces, necklaces, and more that you can personalize with your name, as well as those of your siblings, or even your birthstones. What mom wouldn't want to wear their babies close to their heart? I know mine sure would like it. :)

Best of all, Jules is offering 10% off to my readers who use promo code BBD! Can't beat that, now can ya? Check her out! http://www.julesjewelry.com/


Here are some images of some of my personal faves on the site:

A little birdie told me.....

A little birdie told me that you don't have much time. You want to advertise and market your product, but there is only 24 hours in the day. Let me help!

I have a large following on twitter...some people tweet about their products and get 2 or 3 new views...i get upwards of 50 in one tweet. Can you imagine what 50 new views of your product could do for your business? Now multiply that by 24 (1 tweet per hour) and there are 1200 potential views in one day!

Want to buy this service? Go here!

Meet the Kitties!

I have four cats...I simply adore them.

The oldest is Psycho (left). Darryl (that's the hubby)'s sister had had a baby who didn't get along with Psycho, so instead of her going to a shelter, we took her in. Psycho is 10 now (her birthday is in May) and is a diabetic...always fun giving her insulin injections...let me tell ya (she's not named Psycho for nothin, oh and btw, we did not name her). As you can see, she's very photogenic and has become accustomed to my camera always being in her face.
Then there's Dumbledore (right)...or as we usually refer to him Dumbles, or The Boy. He's our only male. Dumbles is 22lbs of fluff...seriously he weighs 22lbs and he's not fat...he's a Norwegian Forest cat...and apparently they get REALLY big. He's the biggest marshmellow...loves to cuddle, is afraid of everything from oven mitts to the doorbell, to a vase of flowers...don't know why, but he's just so darn cute. We found him abandoned on the side of the road at about 15 weeks old. So we took him in.

And here's Minerva (left), also referred to as Moo, or Moo Moo. We found her in the same place as Dumbles 2 weeks to the day. And the vet estimated her to be 17 weeks old. She and Dumbles have the same birthmark and look rather similar, so we're pretty sure they came from the same litter. Moo was starving when we picked her up, she looked horrible, but I completely fell in love with her, and we ended up keeping her too. :) Moo is an awesome little huntress...when we play she's not fooled by my tactics of making the little fishie on the fishing pole disappear, no sir. She catches that fish every time. And look at those bright eyes, so pretty...love her eyes, they're always so bright and vibrant.





And last, but certainly not least, is our youngest, Brandy (on the right) aka The Devil Kitty...she's the devil wrapped up in a cute fuzzy little package. :) I found Brandy two months after Darryl and I got married, in 2007 (got her 7-7-07, it was fate) at a pet store. She was there with some girls from an animal shelter. Apparently her family had abandoned her and her littler of kittens when they moved...they left her locked in a basement with no food. :( Her kittens had all been adopted and she was the only one left, but since she had been there for almost a year, she was going to be put to sleep if she wasn't adopted in the next 2 months. Well, she wouldn't come out of her cage for anybody except me...so I came back day after day to visit, and just fell in love, so I adopted her and brought her home....it's a good thing the hubby loves me. :) She's very snuggly and lovable with people, but not too fond of the other cats....we're working on that though.

So these are my babies, a rather large part of my life. I'd be lost without them.

xoxo,
BB

No More Dragon Breath

So I told you I started a publishing company back in August. Well, I'm putting the finishing touches on my very first children's book! Yippy!

It's called No More Dragon Breath. Here's the description:

A charming story about a boy named Christopher and the big purple dragon
he befriends. Together they have fun and ultimately make a surprising
discovery!

No More Dragon Breath is a clever way to teach your children the importance
of brushing their teeth.

check it out and order copies at www.ultramediapublications.com/shop

it will be appearing on Amazon very shortly!

xoxo,
BB

Little Known About da Beffers

Useless knowledge about me, but hey you get to know who the writer/photographer is. :)

*Yep, I'm da Beffers. That's my nickname. I always wanted to start a company called Beffertography (obviously selling my photography). Silly, I know, but I'm a fan of the nickname since those nearest and dearest to my heart are the ones that call me that. and i find photography as a way to get myself to relax...so thought the name would be perfect, two things i love combined into one word :)

*I worked in a photo lab from age 16 to 21. It started as a holiday job, ended up being pretty permanent. I went from being a lowly counter person, to printing the photos, to tinkering with a computer to learn how to restore photos (a service which the company had not offered until my tinkering), to collections agent...crazy right? was i the manager, assistant manager? i'll never know, but they were like a second family to me.

*I started my first company at age 10..my friends and i sold friendship bracelets..that's the same year i met my best friend, kristen (aka the sweetpea - you'll probably know her as well as i do by the time i'm done with ya) - that picture is of me and the sweetpea

*After leaving the photo lab, i began working for the company that i currently own (well one of them)...and after a year and a half of working there....i bought it...check it out www.ultramedialabs.com. i transfer home movies to dvd

*Last August, I expanded the company...that's right....I now offer Print on Demand Publishing...another story in itself on how that came about. So i have a separate website for that....www.ultramediapublications.com

*more to come :)

What's some of the fascinating info about you? I'd love to learn more about my online friends :)

xoxo,
BB

Did you know???

I offer basically all kinds of marketing material for your etsy shop. If you're a jewelry maker/designer you want to build your brand with earring and necklace cards, especially at shows. You might not have a buyer at the show (or they might buy one of your inexpensive items) but if you have a business card or contact info on your jewelry, it will help the buyer (potential buyer) find you again. And at Christmas/Hanukah or Mother's Day time, that could make or break your sales.

I also offer gift cards that you can sell not only in your shop, but also at your shows. Maybe someone isn't sure about which item they'd like to buy. They have two items they just can't decide between (hey, i'm indecisive...i know how it goes) so maybe the purchase of a gift certificate at the show, will help bring that person to your shop when they finally pick which one...and hey, maybe you'll luck out and they'll just buy both...i know i've done that multiple times. I figure well, i can't decide between them so i'll just get them both (i like them both anyway right?).

What i'm saying is, in a world of big businesses like Walmart, you need to make a name for yourself, you have to build your brand (or nobody is gonna know who you are). Your logo should be on EVERYTHING. And it is helpful for everything to match, your stationary, your address labels, your business cards, jewelry cards, your shop banner and avatar...EVERYTHING. If it all matches, people will recognize the logo when they see it again. It makes a huge difference....so go out there and make your little business look big!

xoxo,
BB

New Card for my First Show

So as we all know....I will be doing my very first show tomorrow. :) I thought that perhaps for the occasion, I should make a new card. Above is the blue poppies personalized card (the card is just the white part, i made a green frame so you could see where the card begins and where the background ends). I looked up the most popular female names and made a set of cards for each of the top ten to bring with me.

Boy, I hope they sell...I have no idea what to do with notecards that say "lisa" on them. tee hee :) I also made up a set that "hello" and another set that say "thank you" and i think, if my memory serves me correctly a set that says "just a note"...same picture, just different words...you get the idea.

So, what do you think of the new card for the first show? Silly to make a new card for an event I've never tried? Clever? Weird?

xoxo,
BB

Oak Tree Elementary School Craft Fair

This Saturday, I'll be selling my cards at Oak Tree Elementary School in Monroe Township (NJ), alongside my brother who will be selling copies of his books, The Heritage of Terra: The Endeavor and The Heritage of Terra: The Obligation: Shadows of a Threat. I'm so excited! It's my first show selling my cards. Anybody have any advice for a craft fair newbie? I always book Daniel for events like this, but none for myself...so as much as I'd like to say I know what to expect, I really don't. I'm never the seller, just the promoter. :)

Anywho, hope to see you all there. You can contact me at info@bblonskidesigns.com, if you'd like the address of the event.

xoxo,
BB

Up and Running

Well, here we go...welcome! I've had this page so long and have done absolutely nothing with it. Doh! But I'm up and running, learning how to use blogger, for one uber important reason. Yep...I've started designing graphics for other Etsy Seller Blogs. Well, how am I supposed to know the specs if I don't know how to use the blogger myself? So here I am tinkering away...learning as I go.

My first mission was to create button to link the World Wide Etsy Sellers blog. Hubby taught me the ropes, and we (more him than me) successfully created a button. Take a look over there on the right, you'll see it. And check out the page too, you'll find some great artists there. Well, I must get back to designing..but I shall return!

xoxo,
BB