Integrate multiple emails and forward to your main Yahoo address

I have two separate email addresses for my two Etsy shops. It's required. It's very frustrating for me because I hate logging in to all my emails! (I have 2 business emails and one personal, lol)

If you would like to have two emails linked together, here is what I did to roll my two business emails together. You might find this useful. I only had Yahoo until today, so I don't know how this would work with other email services. I think this can be done with Outlook and MSN, but I didn't check because I don't have email through them.

Only Gmail will forward to Yahoo. If you want Yahoo to forward to Yahoo or Gmail you have to buy an account.

I have my yahoo email as my main email service, it's on all my business cards and communications. But online venues require different email addresses for each shop. And, as I said, Yahoo requires a paid account to forward email.

1. I created a GMail account and used this as my contact email for notifications of messages and purchases for my secondary Etsy shop.

2. In GMail, you can go here to learn how forward your Gmail to your Yahoo.

Now, all my emails will automatically be forwarded from my Gmail to my Yahoo address, and no more logging into a second email account. Now I can close my other email down, and I only need to log into my one business email. Although I would suggest you log in at least once a week and make sure it is forwarding.

Hope this helps!

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Help Wanted

Sorry, I don't have a job for you, so to speak. But I do have a favor. Everyone is so very helpful, and I know you'll enjoy this favor, because it's so easy!

Numerous people have said that your shop banner should represent what you sell and who you are. But I have always thought that if you have a nice banner with your shop name, your items should represent you.

Yesterday I was in an ArtFire forum where they were having an Ugliest Banner contest and someone said that they were surprised my banner did not have any of my beads in it. Or something like that. I have virtually no short term memory, lol :)

So, if you would be so kind, please vote on which banner you like. Each banner is in Flickr, so you can click on them and comment on the one you like.

Now, keep in mind, I made the Aquarium banner myself. And I am not very digitally or graphically savvy.

Aquarium banner. I kinda like it, but I could just be biased! lol. (the banners look fuzzy below, but if you click on them they will bring you to my flickr page for nice clear pics, and you can comment to vote, or you can comment here, too.)

And this is my Butterfly Banner I had made by a really awesome designer, BearCengic. I love this one, it's my favorite one ever!!

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I Am A GLUTTON For Punishment!!

UPDATED ON 7/2/09: COMMENTING IS CLOSED. A DECISION HAS BEEN MADE! THANKS EVERYONE.

I am. Do you remember, just a couple of posts ago I was whining about having too many websites? Well, wouldn't you think then, that I'd get rid of some of them, and NOT sign up for any new ones?

Yeah, I would think that would be what that meant. But NOOOOO! I had to go and follow the crowd. I'm such a lemur.

I had a couple days off from work to sand and stain my handmade by me kitchen cabinets (do not try that at home. Seriously, my hubbs and I wanted to kill each other) but it was so doggone cold out that I sat in front of my computer all morning wondering what I could do to get myself into trouble.

So, here it is. What I did on my Monday off, or-Stupid me, like I have time for these shenanigans!

Now seriously, what are you waiting for. Click on that link and go buy some of my awesomeness! Go!

PS. Remember, I was wondering where I wanted my new home to be. Since Etsy has lost all it's attraction for me. Take my poll to the right there ==> and help me decide.

Post a comment for a chance to win one of these fabulous prizes!! Woohoo! ( I reserve the right to substitute the prizes. Especially if someone buys it before it's won! But either way, I'll make sure you are happy, or close to it.)

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THE TIMES, THEY ARE A CHANGING....

I have been poking around the Internet and trying to decide where I want to be. More is better, from what I've heard. But it is also time consuming, and stressful.

Etsy was enough for me when I was first starting out. It kept me busy and happy. But as it grew so did the amount of sellers, and so did the egos and tempers and attitude. Chatting in the forums brought a lot of visitors to my shop. But the volume of people joining Etsy also brought with it a huge attitude that was far from friendly. Also, it's hard to keep your items on top unless you have the ability to list an item every 2-3 hours. Which I don't.

A once restful place to chat and ask questions became a playground for bullies and queen bees. Snobbery and snipping was (is) everywhere. People became afraid to ask a question or make a comment. It was like high school all over again! I kept out of the forums, and that, along with my inability to make and list beads during the winter months, brought on a sort of withdrawal and depression as my shop sat lonely with few visitors and buyers.

To fill the void I started a web search for new homes for my goodies. I've found a couple, and have some new favorites. Now I have to decide what it is that I'd like to do. So far, my plan is to sell my completed jewelry pieces and pendants on www.glasstastictreasures.1000marktes.com.

My beads and A la Carte pendants/necklaces are still on Etsy. I've tried to switch over to Handmade Fuzion, but they just don't have the traffic they did when they first started. And the economy isn't helping at all. I also have a shop on Shophandmade.com, sold one item and was ecstatic, but I don't see that venue as being the place for me, so I will close that one down as well.

Coming soon: Artfire? Still thinking about this one.

So, in short, I am on the hunt for a new home to share my bead and A la Carte goodies with everyone. I'd love to hear all comments and suggestions!

:)

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What can you do with a handful of beads?

Oh, you totally asked the right person!! Do you know that's the same exact thing I said to my friend Sarah when she asked me to take a lampwork class? Cuz really, at the time, what the heck would I do with them?

Well, she bugged me forever! Finally she just brainwashed me into thinking it would be totally cool to do, because next thing I knew I was signing up and handing over all my hard earned cash for a lampwork class at Peachie's!

Well, it was so much fun that I was hooked. Her brainwashing really worked, too. Because I forked over about $120.00 for my very first kit for bead making! Except my kit was way better and Gretchen gave us an awesome deal on a book by Cindy Jenkins, who is totally awesome and REALLY good at lampworking.

Alright, enough blabbering about others, and back to me. So, anyways....I took my little kit home and practiced my little heart out. Then, I ended up with a HUGE pile of beads. And then I was really saying, "now what am I going to do with these things?" I think Sarah's brainwashing was wearing off.

So I brought the beads to work to show off, and my other friend, Rosy, she starts talking about jewelry making and how fun it would be to work with my beads, and she got me all excited about making jewelry and totally brainwashed me into thinking I wanted to do that too!! My god, now that I think about it, what kind of friends are they??

I really do enjoy making my beads, brainwashing or not. And I enjoy being able to offer them to others. Designers buy my beads and make some really cool items. Like my friend Verna who owns Dammas. Hi Verna! I love what she did with Nemo, he's blowing bubbles. He's so cute!!

But what if you wanted to create something of your own? And you just don't know what to do? Oh, have I got something to show you!!

My Etsy shop is chuck full of great items which are sold A la Carte. That means you buy the components separately, and you save $$! How cool is that?

Here is my absolute favorite find. A changeable pendant post. It screws apart, and you can stack beads and large hole findings to create your very own one-of-a-kind pendants. Just this little post and some of your cool beads, which you can buy from me, lol, and you are styling and ready to hit the town! Or the shopping mall, or my shop! Either one is fine, but my shop is best ;)

So, how does this work? Easy, buy the pendant post (hint, hint) and some beads (even bigger hint). Unscrew the top ball of the post, stack on your awesome goodies that I sent you cuz you love my stuff so much (subliminal brainwashing, please stand buy...) and add to your favorite necklace, or you can get the whole shebang all ready to go!

Here are the instructions for great jewelry at an affordable price:

1. Buy
2. Stack
3. Wear

Three easy steps, really great prices. You can't beat that! Oh, and buy (more subliminal brainwashing) the way, for today only you can get this awesome black and white heart for 50% off. So if you are lucky enough to read this blog on 4/18/09, get on over to my shop before it's too late!

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Ah, the good ole days!

I don't know about you, but I'm still of the mind frame where man-made materials make me cringe. Yeah, sure, you can make some really cool things with them, things that you couldn't make with other materials. But I still can't get past it! And every time I think of plastic, I see milk cartons. No matter what is being described, even a plastic valve for your heart. Milk cartons!

Plastic: my least favorite product in the world! I use it very rarely. To me plastic is a pollutant, and it completely turns me off when I see it used in a high price item. I prefer natural materials, like cotton and leather.

I know, I know! Leather, the poor animals, save the animals! Are you screeching "save the animals" when you're biting into that juicy hamburger? If so, good for you. If not, stop being a hypocrite.

You know what's really weird? I find that it's actually more affordable to buy leather now. Cotton cording is almost as much as my leather cording. And the faux suede I buy is just as expensive as real suede.

For some reason our trends have turned back to the 50s when plastic was cool. It was new back then, but now it's just old stuff to me. Remember to vinyl covered chairs! And vinyl covered car seats? I can still feel the back of my thighs burning because the sun turned it into a frying pan. Or the tearing sound when you thighs tried to release the hold on the seats. lol Ah, yes, the good ole days! I remember them, and I hated that plastic!

It was everywhere! Melamine dishes, plastic glasses (which I still refuse to drink out of), the bright red vinyl kitchen chairs. You know the ones I'm talking about. They were just as bad as the car seats! lol

Just in case you wanted to know...below is my normal work-out attire. Pretty sexy, eh? I pretty much dress like this all the time, especially when I'm aiding some helpless warrior princess named Zenon! And yeah, it's leather!

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Custom Orders Welcome?

Do you often wonder? Are they welcome? Well, for me, that's kinda my middle name! I specialize in customizing purchases at the local craft and art shows I attend.

I take all my supplies with me (that will be a challenge after the stock I've amassed over this last winter!), but I do that so that I can make exactly what you are looking for!

Ever want a long necklace, something to wear over a turtle neck sweater or dress? Something long and dramatic? Have a hard time finding it? Well, guess what? If you find me, you found your best source. I can make you just about anything you want.

Want leather or suede? Want brown or black? I also have faux suede and waxed cotton cording for you vegans too!

Sterling silver is my favorite. But if you need something a little less pricey, I have some base metal supplies too.

I always say, it's a woman's prerogative to changer her mind. And it's also our prerogative to want choices. I offer color, material, and style choices, along with size choices.

Plus size gals like me get very frustrated with the small items found in great quantities. I'm tired of seeing all the tiny little chains and necklaces. Where's my size?? I have it for you! Whether big or small, I can get you what you want.

Just remember, Glasstastic Customized Treasures. After all-it's my middle name!

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