Martfire and Oo.

So here's some annoying news: Artfire is phasing out their free basic accounts. I had planned on stocking my shop there more fully over the next few months, and if I got enough sales to justify it, possibly subscribing. I wish they hadn't chosen to do it this way - if anything they could limit the number of items a free seller could have, like a lot of other sites do...but instead they're phasing them out, and I'm not hardwired to spring for something like that when I haven't had any luck with it yet at all. It's probably entirely my fault that I haven't had luck with it, since I never kept up with that shop, but it WAS my plan for the summer to get that shop running. Oh, well. It's a shame. Less work for me, less exposure too. That's how it goes. I can't afford a monthly subscription right now even if I don't limit myself to the money I've made from selling jewelry. I'm pretty broke. It's a shame, Artfire no longer wants to make that better for me. *siiigh*


In better news, I'm ordering some business cards. Right now, all my advertising consists of sitting in public places making tiny paper cranes and waiting for people to ask me what I'm doing so intently with my hands surrounded by all those starburst wrappers. It's actually surprisingly effective, and I get a lot of people asking me where to find my site, but I don't have anything to give them yet to make them remember where it is. Soon I will! And a card holder to protect them.
Here's an unpaid endorsement for you: moo.com has some awesome business cards, I've gotten their free trials already and I've been poking holes in them and using them as earring holders...they say you should send a reminder of your company in your package. I was skeptical because I always throw them out, but I always keep the original earring holders...if those earring holders include a link to my website, and that link stays around in customers' houses attached to the earrings they like...well, I think this is a good strategy. But I still need things to give to people who just ask.

Hull, MA has a beautiful beach, even when it's covered with people.

This is very probably the best summer I have ever had. Life is beautiful.