Product Review: Earrings from The Tiny Bee

Time for something new on this blog! Time for my first product review! If you love jewelery (and especially handmade jewelry) then you are going to L-O-V-E  love this review. Melissa, of The Tiny Bee, kindly sent me a pair of her yellow Chrysanthemum Earrings to review and I must say - these earrings get a big thumbs up from me! Read on for details on why I love these earrings so much.

First let me say that I sometimes have trouble with earrings. I gauged my ears when I was younger and have saggy holes as a result. These saggy holes tend to droop when I wear heavy earrings. Seeing as the earrings from The Tiny Bee are polymer clay I was a bit worried my ears might droop when I wore them but they didn't! I put a larger back on them and they held firmly against my ears all night. The backs that came with the earrings would work wonderfully if you didn't stretch your ears like I used to - that's my own fault.

The second problem I sometimes have with earrings is when my hair gets caught in them. No one likes the pain that comes from brushing your hair and ripping out an earring. These earrings did not catch my hair once and I wore them to a concert with a mosh pit! I'm surprised at this since I have very fine long hair. It gives me confidence to wear these lovely earrings more often for sure.

The final thing I would like to look at with these earrings is design. Are they beautiful? Check. Are they professional quality? Check. Do I love the color and composition? Double Check! Did I get complimented while wearing them? Check! Will I be wearing them again? YES - and soon!

In summary, I love these earrings. At around $8.00 a pair I think I know one of the stores I'll be looking at during the holiday season. The factors that make these earrings so wonderful in my opinion are that they are affordable, beautiful, made with quality craftsmanship, and of course that they are handmade. I would absolutely recommend The Tiny Bee to all my friends and family.

If you would like to win a pair of these earrings from The Tiny Bee you can enter the giveaway here. Easy entry for everyone! Open Worldwide until September 30th, 2013.

Thanks for reading!

Tiny Tipis LLC makes and sells Artisan Quality Canvas Products. Would you like to see your shop featured or sponsor a giveaway on this blog? Contact me here for details.

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Real or Fake?

While mindlessly poking around on the internet today I saw an article about the number of resellers crashing Etsy's Economy and killing to mood for handmade sellers. Stories of handmade artists having their designs and product photos stolen by Chinese Factories can sure make you shudder - especially if you create and sell your items through this online marketplace!

Etsy claims to be a site that fosters handmade. They have thrived on the ideal that everything sold on their site comes from an individual, a person that makes each item with love and care. Yet they have had to create teams of people to police their site for "resellers." If you ask me, I'm positive the Etsy police can't patrol the rip-offs as fast as the Chinese factories can make them.

Alibaba is a wholesale site selling items manufactured in Asian countries. Alibaba is well known among Etsy sellers as a site that fosters resellers and rip-offs. Most stories of Etsy products being mass produced without permission from the artist are linked to an Alibaba listing or twenty. (For those of you wondering what you are supposed to do when intellectual property is stolen by Alibaba, I would direct you to their complaint form. I can't personally speak to the effectiveness of using this form but I would love to hear from anyone who has had experience with this.) Occasionally I make a point to surf the massive site for my items being pawned off at a discount rate. A simple "teepee" search reveals... Alibaba sellers still can't make a real tipi. Let's do a quick comparison.



A Real Tipi Tepee Teepee:

• Has 13 to14 poles total depending on the tribe making it.
• Has 3 to 4 poles (again depending on the tribe making it) called "lift poles" that form the base upon which the other poles are added.
• Is cone shaped with a round footprint. 

The pole structure of an 18 foot Sioux-Cheyenne Tipi. Photo thanks to my wonderful friend M.

• Is held together with small wooden sticks called lacing pins.  

Lacing Pins being put in during a tipi setup. Photo thanks to M.

• Is sewn together from very long strips of canvas resulting in beautiful seam lines on the inside. (When laid a flat tipi looks like an imperfect half circle.)

See all the lines? Only a real teepee has awe-inspiring lines like that. Photo thanks to my friend M.

• Has smoke flaps on the upper front to control the airflow inside the Tipi. These are controlled by two additional poles and secured with ropes from the lower corners to the ground.

Many Thanks to Little Joe of Ahki Tipi for use of this photo.

 Now lets look at a wannabe tepee:

For sale here if you happen to need 50 or more at a time.

•  No smoke flaps. A strange cap instead...
• Only 1 steel pole in the center, not 13 or 14 poles. The sides are staked down.
• No lacing pins.
• Is Technically a TENT, not a Tipi Tepee Teepee.

What does it have in common with a Tepee though? It is cone shaped and round. It is made from canvas. That's about it.


The problem with these wannabe Teepees (or Cheepie Tipis as a friend of mine calls them) is that they don't have all the strengthening features that a real tepee does making them vulnerable in many ways. Authentic Teepees have reinforcement patches, a time tested structure that is erected and bound in a way that resists strong winds and heavy snow, openings at the top to allow a fire inside without smoking out the people inside, and most importantly - tradition. To me, a real tipi is made by someone who has a great love and appreciation for the history of the tipi and it's people.

This brings me to my closing thoughts. I am proud to make real tipis and pleased that the imitation tipis are so inaccurate and (personal opinion) ugly. I am thankful to have been able to learn my craft despite all the challenges I encountered. Most importantly I am grateful for the friends I have made along this path. Many thanks go out to Maria (the Spanish speaking lady who taught me to sew my first tipi front), Linda Holley (who wrote the most amazing book about Tepees and aided me in producing a historically accurate pattern), Little Joe of Ahki Tipis (who constantly inspires me by making tipis the traditional way taught to him by his grandmother), Marian (who lives and dreams in one of the first Tipis I made and is always the source of a good smile), and my husband (who pushes me to keep reaching for the sky.)  Much love to you all, wado.

A Rare Level of Care

I purchased some LEDs from eBay the other day and they just arrived. Nicely wrapped around the bag of lights inside the box was a little comic strip about why leaving feedback is so important. It got me thinking about my own feedback for my online store and I came to the conclusion that I don't mind when people don't leave feedback.

Most sellers are anal about getting that positive feedback. They print notes to send with each package and try to find polite ways to say "give me good marks." If you don't leave feedback right away some give you neutral reviews. They get their undies in a bundle over a couple mouse clicks and stars!

There are times when I make an online purchase and, even though it arrives at it's destination, it takes me an extra week to pick it up. I'm not trying to procrastinate in leaving feedback. I'm simply busy. I'm just as excited to open that package as the seller is to get their positive review. I also like to take the time to really evaluate the product so I know my review is accurate. Times like these I get really bothered by sellers who nag about giving scores. My approach as a seller is a little different.

When I sell an item, custom orders especially, I know that my buyer is looking for something specific. They took the time to converse with me about the most minute details to ensure they get what they want and I put forth every effort to honor that request by sending them the best product I can offer. (Note: I'm a perfectionist almost to a fault.) I take the time to write them a personal note about the item and include it in the shipment. I give them multiple ways to contact me for any reason they might need to. Most importantly, I do not pester them about scores, feedback, stars, or positive reviews. I send them a message online asking to let me know their product arrived safely and that they are pleased. I let them know that if they are in any way unsatisfied to let me know so I can do everything in my power to fix the situation. I really do care that they are happy with their purchase and everything I need to know can be summed up in an email. It would seem almost rude to me to ask my customer to log into a website, click such-and-such link, write a few blah-blahs, and click some stars. That is their choice and I do not feel I have a right (or need) to nag.

I feel my approach is more personal. I think it shows a level of caring that many online shoppers never experience. I take the time to ask them personally if they are happy, not ask them to boast my stats with a silly score. When I do get a positive review (no negative reviews yet!) I see it as a bonus. That customer was so happy with their purchase they took the time from their busy schedule to leave me a good review. If I email a customer inquiring about a purchase and never hear back from them I take it as a sign that they are satisfied and may not have the time to reply, that is perfectly acceptable in my opinion. Yes, I have made many sales online. No, my stores do not show a lot of reviews. If you could see my email though, it tells a different story.

I don't mind when you don't leave feedback - but it makes my day to get a happy email. :)

Thanks for reading!

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One Day She Will Fly

The things I have learned this year:

- When I tell myself 5 minute limit on the computer it ends up being 15. Maybe I should start aiming for 1 minute...

- Laundry doesn't do itself.

- Listen.

- Good enough is an excuse for a crappy job.

- There is never a "right time" to quit.

- Being the dumbest in the room is a good thing. It means you are the smartest in the room to surround yourself with those who would lift you up.

- Telling myself to "just do it" gets more done than "I need another cup of coffee for that."

- Baby gates only work for babies, not toddlers.

- I would rather buy a toy for my son that buy myself anything.

- Every second counts. Ever minute is precious. Every day is a gift. Every year is a giant opportunity to succeed.

- Eat well to live well.

- The sooner I get dressed the more I will accomplish.

- No matter how high up you hide the sharpies the child will find them.

- Fashionably Late is a lame excuse for "I didn't care enough to be on time."

- I have control issues.

- There is always room for improvement.

- If you are not moving forward you are moving backward or stagnating - either way is not good.

- The ability to accept help does not show weakness. The ability and willingness to return the help is where you show strength.

- Be Organized.

- Show others you appreciate them every day.

Not bad for a year... I'm only that much more determined to make next year even better now. 

Haters

This morning my husband and I started discussing Westboro Baptist Church over our coffee. The members of WBC are fond of protesting (pretty much everything) in highly inappropriate situations. Our discussion took a turn for the sarcastic when we decided to Google "Westboro Baptists Church Fail." The following is a collection from this search that my husband and I found most entertaining.


To Clarify:  I do not hate these people. I disagree with their views, values, and the scandalous manner in which they protest. The title Haters refers to the view I feel WBC projects in their protests. I encourage opinions and philosophic discussion in the comments but I do reserve the right to delete comments that are hurtful, threatening, unrelated to the topic, spam, or bashing any group without a point. This is, after all, my blog.

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Fred Phelps is the pastor of Westboro Baptist Church...

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As for the Pastor's Wife...

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One of my favorite directors, Kevin Smith, protesting the protestors.

A great shirt for those who WBC hates... well that's pretty much everyone.

Buy It Here

Normally I would link to the homepage of the party I am talking about but I don't want a link to the God Hates Fags site anywhere on my blog. For those interested in my own opinion it is as simple as this: Love All... or least give it a good try.

Where Do You Sleep

It's hard to explain being poor to someone who has never wanted for anything. I wouldn't even know where to begin. Priorities change as one gains wealth. Children suffer from poverty silently. They lack the ability to change many things about their life and depend on others for nearly everything. They tend to make the best of every situation because they don't have the life experience to know that there is something better out there. I've slowly been evolving as a person as I see poverty and grief all around, not just in America but everywhere. Today, I share this photo series by James Mollison called Where Children Sleep. Open your eyes for a moment.

Kaya, 4, Tokyo Japan

Indira, 7, Kathmandu, Nepal

 Alex, 9, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

 Alyssa, 8, Harlan County, USA

Ahkohxet, 8, Amazonia, Brazil

Lewis, 10, Barnsley, England

 Lamine, 12, Bounkiling Village, Senegal

 Prena, 14, Kathmandu, Nepal

Nantio, 15, Lisamis, Northern Kenya

Risa, 15, Kyoto, Japan

Kana,16, Tokyo, Japan

 Bilal, 6, Wadi Abu Hindi, The West Bank 

 Joey, 11, Kentucky, USA

 Dong, 9, Yunnan, China

All Photos in this post are from here.

The Waldo Canyon Fire

From http://www.guardian.co.uk/news

The air in Colorado Springs is feeling more like soup than something breathable this week. As a west side resident I've been keeping an eye on the Waldo Canyon Fire progress. It doesn't look good. Evacuations and notices currently extend from Woodland Park to Monument and into the Colorado Springs City Limits. I find my own home a mere half a block outside of a pre-evacuation area.

From http://www.gazette.com/

While my home is still a few miles away from the actual front line of the fire I admit my stomach is twisted in knots. I've already left once due to the smoke. Thankfully the wind changed and I am now home again. The situation is so surreal. People have already lost homes and places I used to hike are now consumed by flames. The mountains I used to love so much are now an inferno fueled by years of collected pine needles and dead brush. I can't help but think about how long it will be before I'm allowed to walk through beautiful William's Canyon and drive on Rampart Range Road again. In my head it is still unreal.

I wait with my ears turned toward the TV all day to see if anything will change. The meager 5% containment and the ever growing fingers of the Waldo Canyon Fire threaten more communities as each day passes. I can only wonder if, or maybe when, I will have to leave my home again too. My heart goes out to those who have lost their home. There are no words strong enough to comfort their losses.

From http://www.gazette.com