How to Ship an Etsy Order to Mexico

Posted in animals, bead embroidery, dogs, etsy, Mexico by The Lone Beader

Tiny black Great Dane beaded Pendant beadwork bead embroidery etsy artist amazon handmade dogs jewelry

Last month, a customer from Mexico City purchased 2 of my Etsy items. One was the above custom beaded Great Dane pendant. I purchased a USPS Priority Mail International Flat Rate shipping label. I requested tracking updates on the USPS website and received email notifications the entire way. A delivery attempt was made on the morning of the Sept. 19, 2017, but my customer was not home to receive it.

Just hours later, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck the Greater Mexico City area.

I was very worried, and and didn’t hear from my customer for nearly two days..(Thankfully she is okay!) I also didn’t receive any tracking updates for an entire week. I sent a tweet to the Mexican postal service with my tracking# and they responded telling me that their offices were closed so they could inspect their buildings. They also reassured me that the package would be delivered but they weren’t sure when… So, I relayed that info to my customer, and the very next day she was able to go to her local Post office to pick up her package! I also received another tweet from the postal service telling me that the package had been picked up..

Jimmy the Great Dane in Mexico City - Custom Beaded Jewelry Dog Pendant Etsy Earthquake 2017

Now, that customer is a repeat customer! She placed another order for 3 more custom beaded Great Dane pendants, and I have just shipped them the other day.

Tiny black Great Dane beaded Pendant beadwork bead embroidery etsy artist amazon handmade dogs jewelry

So, to those who haven’t shipped to Mexico yet, I say, why not give it a try? My only hope is that Etsy will make some modifications to their shipping settings. I would like to see the option to select only ONE shipping preference for certain countries. For example, I prefer NOT to offer shipping to Mexico via regular First Class International, because I have no idea how long it will take to arrive, or if it will arrive at all. Priority seems like the best way to go. If you have had trouble shipping to certain countries, please mention your experience in the comments below.

AKC Family Dog Magazine Sept./ Oct. 2017 The Lone Beader Boston Bead Artist Dogs Jewelry Canine Art Gallery

Also, if you are a dog owner, be sure to look for the latest copy of AKC Family Dog Magazine at your local veterinarian’s office. You will see my ad on page 13 with a special coupon code which can be used in my Etsy shop from now through January 31, 2018. You can also check out the digital issue HERE. Thank you for your interest in my beadwork!

30Aug2017

Labor Day Weekend Tree Hugger

Posted in bead embroidery, etsy, Kits, Patterns by The Lone Beader

Sadly summer is coming to and end, but there is still a lot to look forward to! I am currently running another huge 20%-off sale on Etsy. Sale runs now through Sept. 5, 2017. Most ready-to-ship beaded dog pins, jewelry, beading kits, patterns, and artwork will be on sale. No coupon code needed!

Also, here is a quick peek at a small beaded tree I just finished. It was created by first doing bead embroidery around a P-shaped piece of felt using several different shades of green seed beads. I did several rows of freeform peyote-stitch across the center of the P. This tree will eventually be stitched to a canvas just a bit behind the larger tree. If you would like to see more progress on my Russian bead-painting, please check out my Facebook photo album. Next, I need to work on the relief aspect of these trees, but I do have a plan..We’ll see if it works.. Stay tuned!

21Aug2017

This Wire-Haired Pointing Griffon Gets a New Coat

Posted in animals, bead embroidery, dogs, etsy, pendants by The Lone Beader

Ever since I began creating custom beaded dog pins and pendants, I have learned about many dog breeds which I had never heard of before. One of them is the Wire-Haired Pointing Griffon. A customer had sent me a photo of her dog and I immediately began working on a sketch. Once we agreed on the design, I cut out a felt foundation and stitched on the dog’s tiny glass nose.

Then, I went back to the photo to observe all of the dog’s colors. I learned that one of the color names used to describe the Griffon is ‘liver’. Liver is a dark brown usually referring to the color of said organ. This particular dog has a whitish coat with a liver-brown head and patches throughout. Some of these dogs have larger brown patches, but this one just has a few small brown patches peaking through her white wiry coat.

Next, I looked through my bead stash and found the colors I needed. I used a mix of Japanese size 15 matte gray, transparent crystal, white, and a few different browns. I stitched short rows of beads in the direction of the dog’s hair until the entire piece of felt was covered. I alternated colors and remembered to include those brown spots.

For the second layer of beadwork, I alternated between clear and crystal lustre AB using a khaki colored thread. (Thread color makes all the difference here.) I carefully spaced out my tiny layered fringes so that you can still see some of the undercoat peaking through. I also used a couple of different browns for the fringe on the dogs head as well as the ear. After I finished the second layer of beadwork, I stitched on the Ultrasuede backing and my piece was complete. Now this dog has a glass bead embroidered coat! 🙂

If you have a Wire-Haired Pointing Griffon, please feel free to share a photo on my Facebook page! Back to beading! 🙂

18Aug2017

Expressing Gratitude through Bead Embroidery

Posted in Amazon, bead embroidery, beadwork, dogs, etsy, Patterns by The Lone Beader

Dear friends, I have been thinking about the subject of gratitude lately. I often stay up late doing bead embroidery feeling incredibly grateful that I have discovered a craft which brings me so much joy. I am also grateful for all of the amazing friends I have met along my creative journey, all of the places I have traveled, and for each and every opportunity that has come my way.

So, to express gratitude, I have decided to provide FREE access to my Intro to Extreme Bead Embroidery tutorial when you sign up for my e-newsletter. Shortly after sign-up, you will receive a link to view the PDF file in the Final Welcome Email. I hope this tutorial will inspire you to try the art of bead embroidery!

I have also decided to lower prices on all beading patterns and kits on Etsy, Amazon, and Google Books. Beading patterns are now priced at $0.99 and $1.99 across the board, in English and Spanish. Now you can learn how to create some of my most popular beaded dog pins and pendants for a fraction of the original price!

If you have just stumbled upon this post and would like to learn more about me, please check out this recent feature on the Caravan Beads blog. Someday I will make it up to Maine to check out their shop..

What are you grateful for and what are some ways you express gratitude? 🙂

28Jul2017

Love These Beaded American Eskimo Dog Earrings!

Posted in Amazon, animals, bead embroidery, beadwork, dogs, earrings, etsy by The Lone Beader

Dear friends, just a quick post to show you my latest design – beaded American Eskimo earrings! I just love how these turned out! These dangly Eskie dog earrings were created by stitching layers of tiny glass seed beads to tiny pieces of felt. Beadwork was backed with Ultrasuede. Earrings hang from sterling silver ear wires fearing a tiny black Onyx bead.

This item was originally a custom order request, but since they match my beaded American Eskimo pin pendant, I have decided to list them as made-to-order on Etsy and Amazon. Also, if you’d like to see beadwork progress photos or a photo of me trying on this pair, please check my Facebook or Instagram pages and/or the product listing. Thank you for your interest! Back to beading! 🙂

29Jun2017

Christmas in July Sale Event on Etsy & Amazon!

Posted in Amazon, animals, bead embroidery, beads, beadwork, etsy by The Lone Beader

Dear friends, I am back to working on my Russian bead painting. Here is the latest progress – I have finished beading a large tree. The tree was created by first sewing together a felt foundation with several holes in it. I used a combination of bead embroidery and freeform peyote stitch to create a leafy texture which can be seen through when you move them around. Below is a sneak peak of what it might look like in the finished piece. This portion of the beadwork (tree + cathedral) measures approx. 12″x 15″. If you would like to see more photos of the progress of this piece, please visit this Facebook photo album.

Also, I am running a Christmas in July Sale Event on Etsy and Amazon Handmade. Save 25% on every purchase in my shop now thru July 23, 2017. This sale is my biggest sale ever as it also includes made-order-items and custom orders, as well! No coupon code needed! Please click the image above to visit my Etsy shop. Thanks for looking and have a safe and happy Fourth of July! 🙂

9Jun2017

Pink Beaded Pomeranian Pet Portrait

Posted in Amazon, animals, bead embroidery, dogs, etsy, pet portrait by The Lone Beader

Dear friends, a new bead- embroidered pet portrait is now available for sale on Etsy – a pink Pomeranian! Or perhaps it looks like an American Eskimo dog to you?

A customer suggested this color to me awhile back and I liked the idea because I’m sure there is someone out there who has dyed their Pomeranian’s hair pink.. Whether you like that idea or not, I think it looks great in beads! I used tiny Japanese glass seed beads and layered beaded fringe to create this dog’s texture. I like it so much that I have added this color option for anyone who would like a pink Pomeranian pin pendant or earrings! It would definitely be a conversation piece! Please check my Etsy and Amazon shops for more details. Thanks for looking!