Today is The Beading Gem's Journal's 7th blogging anniversary!   It's a gem of a date.  So naturally, I just had to feature this edible "gem" of a tutorial by Handmade Charlotte! Somewhat self-congratulatory but after nearly 3000 posts,  I think I deserve a cookie pendant or two!


I started this blog 7 years ago simply because I didn't have a website.  In the beginning, I thought a blog was a good place to not only share my workshop schedule but to show off the finished designs of my beginner students.  But it slowly developed into an informative and entertaining place where I could share my finds and record my own jewelry making life.

What began as a place to write about a passion created yet another love - the writing itself. Like jewelry making, it is a skill constantly being improved upon.  I confess I am a fantastic editor but only after I hit the "Publish"  button!

It's been a long journey but I couldn't have done it without you - the patient readers who kept up with my journal through the years and who also generously overlooked typos!  I am grateful for those of you who let me know about broken links and for sharing your great tips and ideas in emails and in the comments. Some also took the time from busy schedules to drop me a line or a comment just to let me know how much you appreciated my efforts.  I know many referred The Beading Gem's Journal to others, too. So a big thank you to you all - the feedback keeps me going especially when the going is tough. 

I am also grateful for the thousands of jewelry designers who freely shared their techniques over the years so we may all benefit from their experience and creativity. What do they call it? Paying it forward. Similarly, the featured designers who wowed us all with their inspirational designs deserve another round of applause!

I've been asked many, many times how I find the time to curate a whole ton of jewelry stuff and write a daily blog.  It is sometimes a challenge and a continual exercise in self discipline! But I do enjoy what I do and readers like you make it worthwhile.   My biggest issue though is always about balance. Time taken for blogging means less time to bead!

Time was one of the reasons why 2013 was a farewell year for regular historical mini-biographies - my personal favorites were Jane Austen's Ring and Cleopatra's Jewels.  Many of you really enjoyed them so rest assured that I might occasionally post more when time permits.

Sure there are some rewards but this image, which I found and shared last year, really puts things into perspective about what bloggers do.   I may get free stuff but product reviews typically take me days to complete.

Picture source
I should again disclose to new readers that ads and affiliate programs help support my blog so it continues to grow and remain free for all to read. Readers who purchase on Amazon and Modahaus after clicking on my links reward me with a very small commission each time.

From your perspective, reading a daily blog also takes time! So if you are currently a daily email subscriber but prefer to receive a weekly newsletter instead, then unsubscribe and resubscribe with the weekly option.  Some ISPs do not like you to receive daily emails because they think they're spam.  So switch to weekly if that is the case.  I am also active on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ if you hang out there a lot.

Wondering what happened to iGoogle?  Google got rid of it in November just as they killed Google Reader back in July.  So switch out to an alternative if you like personal start pages.  Or consider either email or feed subscription. 

The ever popular tutorial posts are gathered here : Jewelry Making Tips,  Wire Jewelry Tips and Jewelry Business Tips.

Just as I've done for the last few years, I kept a lookout for interesting search terms in my blog stats over the past year.  It is astonishing what people want to know and how they talk to a search engine!   Google has noticed and is working on being able to handle more conversational and voice search queries.

  • tattoos on the inside of your lip
  • what is the name of the gemstone bead that looks like a chocolate kiss?
  • at what age should men stop wearing earrings?
  • how do i measure the size of a bead using a vernier caliper-tutorial please
  • Oprah Winfrey gold toilet
  • addicted to beads is psychological
  • What do ladies think of earrings on men
  • super hero beads 

Don't want Google to track what you search for?  Use the DuckDuckGo search engine for anonymous searching. This novel search engine's use soared after media reported on NSA surveillance.

    Please join me for another year of fun jewelry making! Maybe with a bit of geekiness thrown in here and there!

    Before You Go:
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    Original Post by THE BEADING GEM
    Jewelry Making Tips - Jewelry Business Tips