When In Rome,...or Venice!

So, the vacation has come to an end.

 

The little village of Sommocolonia, near Barga, Italy in Tuscany where we stayed.

 

 

The sights, sounds, smells (except for all the cigarette smoking) and photo opportunities were amazing!!

 

Colosseum - Rome, Italy. Photo by Michelle Buettner

 

 

I will be posting some great window displays every now and then over the next few months as inspiration with everything from jewelry, shoes, purses, fashion trends - the awesome ways they display products - you name it!

 

Yes, I found the Swarovski Store in Venice, Italy!!

 

 

I'm not really jet-lagged. I thought I would be but luckily I think I figured out how to program my body and brain.

 

Italy really is this beautiful.
Sommacolonia, Italy  (near Barga in Tuscany)

 

 

I'll have my Etsy shops back up the 1st week of October is all goes well. I don't have all of the new designs I wanted to have finished done yet, but hopefully I'll have a few for you.

 

Pretty Blue Turquoise in One of the Shops in Venice.
I felt right at home!! ;-)

 

 

What have you been up to in September?  Have you transitioned into Autumn yet?  Do you enjoy this season and all it's fascinating colors and jewelry styles?

 

 

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Returning Home!

Cheers,

~Shel~

In a blog slump? Get over that hump!

Hey gang, instead of beads on my bench today I've got
Lori Anderson's new eBook,
Follow The Path, ideas and inspiration for the creative blogger,
on my bead table!

It's packed full of gorgeous photos to inspire you alright, but what's really great is how Lori shares all sorts of ideas and topics to spark your creativity so you can perk up your blog!

One of the things I like most about Lori's eBook are the lists of words she uses to jump start your thoughts.
Powerful words that really make you think. 

I can't give away any more details. 

You'll just have to hop on over to Lori's blog and get yourself a copy!

I want to give Lori a big hug for using one of my photos in her eBook. 

I couldn't believe it when I started reading and came across my corks photo!

Thank you so much Lori - you're the best!

I plan on using several ideas Lori shares in her eBook
here on my blog this year!

Head on over and check out Lori's eBook and get some inspiration flowing through your blog!!

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Great Ideas and Inspiration!!

Cheers,

~Shel~

Learning From Others: Blog Spotlight

Today I'd like to give a shout out to a blogger I follow regularly and look to for awesome color inspiration, business knowledge and tons of other fun stuff, too.

Brandi Girl Blog written by Brandi Hussey hasn't been on my radar nearly long enough, possibly a year or so, but in the short time that I've followed Brandi and gotten to know her a bit, she's become an invaluable resource that I turn to again and again.

And she's a real sweetie, too!

There are so many things Brandi does well and she's so generous with everything she shares that it's hard to know where to start. 

She's one of these rare people who have the ability to make you think about some pretty deep things all the while inspiring you to push yourself to try new things or to see the world a bit differently that you did when you woke up this morning.

 She has these amazing color palettes she shares with her readers which help trigger your creative side. At least they do mine.

Here's one of my favorites from Brandi.

Thunderstorm Color Palette #104 by Brandi Hussey

I was amazed at how few colors I actually saw in a picture until I started looking over the color palettes she would post with her photos. Then, when I followed her tutorial and did a couple of my own - wow - I had no idea all those colors were in the pictures I was snapping!

Color Paletter #98 - January Color by Brandi Hussey

She also offers up some great e-Books. She has one on pricing your designs. You should see the jewelry she used to create - luscious doesn't even begin to describe it!  Her eBook really helps those of use who sell our jewelry creations over some tough hurdles in regards to this topic.

Brandi's eBook - It's Free - Check It Out!

She also just came out with her fabulous Editing with Elements course to help people who are new to, or a bit techno-challenged (as in my case), with editing photos and working in Photoshop Elements.

I'm diving into this one right now and

will let you all know how I do!

Brandi's Editing With Elements Course

One of the things Brandi is outstanding at, in my opinion any way, is her teaching ability. In her video tutorials, she has a calm way of teaching and she speaks to you in a way that is upbeat and easily understood. And I think she has a great 'voice', too - that's hard to do sometimes on camera and Brandi just does it naturally.

I was really honored several weeks back when Brandi emailed me and asked if she could do a spotlight on me one day this month over on her blog. "Me?"  "Seriously?"  "Wow!" You can check out her post here.  And thanks so much for doing this Brandi - it's really special!

So, if you're in need of some inspiration, whether it be for your business or just some personal inspiration to lift your spirits or get you thinking about new things, Brandi Girl Blog is definitely worth checking out - you will not be disappointed. Honestly.   I think you'll come away with a whole new favorite!

Color Palette #89 - Quiet Moments by Brandi Hussey

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Gratitude!

Cheers,

~Shel~