Going for Gold

I have been designing a new range of items with 24ct gold inlay, and I'm really pleased with them.  I have got some of them on my website but not all up yet. Here are the rings:

heart of gold - 24ct gold and fine silver

Leaf of Gold - 24ct gold and fine silver

Simple heart of gold - 24ct gold and fine silver

Love Ring - 24ct gold and fine silver

There is some controversy with fine silver and rings.  I follow Kate McKinnons method - full fire at warp speed and then work hardening with a hammer (in the old time honoured tradition) and - works a treat, rock solid!

And for the Mother in Laws!

You may recall my very dear friends got engaged earlier in the year and I was asked to make the engagement rings (as a surprise).(Here is the story).
  Well they didn't hang around and were married a couple of weeks back.  I was very touched to be asked to make brooches for the mums. And here they are.  What I really like about these is the way the two different patterns are joined together as one (symbolic ;-).  Took ages to get it right and to not get the patina onto the leaf section, but eventually got there.

What is Social about Social Networking

Am I in the wrong place?

I have recently noticed that facebook ads are being targeted at me from loads of other jewellery sellers. I pointed out on a random post that this was a bit like sending flyers to McDonalds trying to sell them burgers. Got me to thinking.

I know why they are on my newsfeed / page, but in a way it shows me that facebook maybe isn't targeting very well, so that's knocked my faith a little in facebook ads but it showed a wider activity that I constantly see, and of course at the start I was part of.

Please like my page and I will like yours!

Follow me and I'll follow you!

What? what on earth is the use in that? If you have a page that is trying to promote that you sell cars, is there really much point in asking to see everyone else's car promotions? You know sure as eggs is eggs that they aren't interested in your car just want everyone to see their car.

Obviously there are exceptions, and for teams and things I get that there is a cross pollination, and help, and of course we all like a pat on the back.

But on Etsy, on Folksy, on Linkedin I constantly see the 'please like/follow me' posts and other than getting numbers I really am at a loss as to what people feel the point is, other than having a ton of not your style stuff delivered to your news feed and twitter feed. In fact I went through and unfollowed about 500 people on twitter a few months ago, because all I could ever see in my twitter feed was 'new listing on etsy' x 100 a day. Seriously, there is rarely anything like that that I click on. I will click on a friends', I will click on something totally different, or something very similar to see the competition, but not to buy.

So, am slowly getting very disillusioned with the whole 'social networking' thing, and honestly - who ever called it that, since when was shoving promos in my face social networking?



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