A random update!

There are 3 more weeks left in my semester! I am excited that school will be over for a couple weeks but I am also incredibly nervous about my upcoming final exams. 

With the Canada Post disputes, I closed my shop for two weeks at the beginning of this month. Due to uncertainty of mail being processed, I did not want to put my customers in a spot where they are waiting many weeks for their orders.

Now that my shop is open again, I've been really enjoying making new items and new custom orders! I've also been working on a bunch of videos simultaneously. I hope to become more consistent with my uploading, and strive to get videos up once a week. Hopefully having this in writing will hold me to that!

Here is my most recent video. It ended up being quite long, but I really wanted to make sure the viewer was not left confused.

Here is my newest tutorial! It is on how to make a flat braided bracelet:

DIY: Pura Vida Bracelet Tutorial!

My semester is becoming a sprint to the finish. I have one more assignment for my computer graphics course to finish before I can officially begin to cram for finals. I am starting to panic a bit, but we must move forward! The weather is unusually warm here in Vancouver, BC, with temperatures of 20 degrees Celsius and clear blue skies. It is too good to be true!

Last week I posted a video on how to make Pura Vida Bracelets! I am a huge fan of these bracelets and naturally, I wanted to figure out how to make them myself. Here is a link to my tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLqGhepBxlQ.

Thumbnail for my newest tutorial!

I had a lot of fun making the video, so I hope you like it! I gave the one I made in the tutorial to my mom, because she loves these bracelets too!

I hope everyone is fairing well as March comes to a quick end. Best wishes for April!

Now go create stuff!

-Aly

30 more days of school?!

What?! How did this semester fly by so quickly?!

I hope you all are doing well! I am been working hard this semester. I am enrolled in a computer graphics class, a computer ethics class, as well as 2 geography class which have kept me quite busy. Business has been slow lately, and I've been slow making new products whilst staying on top of schoolwork.

I've been trying to focus on improving my branding and photography this year. I want to create jewelry that reflects the style and colours of the Pacific Northwest. My short term goal is to update my product photos before summer!

In terms of school, I am hoping to enroll in a Geographic Information Systems class for the summer, along with a technical writing class that is required for my degree. I'm not sure if I'll take more than 2 classes in the upcoming semester, as I really want to focus on working on some personal projects. Namely, some web development projects and new products for my shop!

I am also currently editing several videos. My problem is, is that I spend more time thinking about doing things, rather than actually doing things! I want to really try to be more of a doer! Another thing that I've learned is that if you announce your goals to others, then it makes you already feel accomplished, making you less likely to achieve your goals. Additionally, this is something I need to improve on!

Hope everyone is having a great March so far!

Happy creating,

-Aly

https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/193950089/wish-bracelet

11 Days Till Christmas!

Hello all!

I have one more exam left for the semester! Hooray! My exam is for my artificial intelligence class, which I have really enjoyed this semester. I'm quite excited to start my new classes in the spring though.

I have been quite busy with orders this month, which has been fantastic. I love making bracelets for you guys :) I'm hoping to launch some new products in the next week or so and start preparing some summer collections! Stay tuned ;)

I also have to thank you all for 50 subscribers on my YouTube channel!!! I was awestruck to see that so many of you were interested in my tutorials! I have tons of ideas and footage to edit and voice-over to record, so more coming on that over the Christmas holidays :) A goal of mine is to improve on my video quality, in both the voice-overs, explanations, footage, and overall content. If you have any ideas as to what you'd like to see next, I'm always up for suggestions!

Thanks for all your love and support, everyone :) It is extremely appreciated. Hope you are all enjoying the Christmas season :)

Happy knotting!

-Aly

Happy October! :)

I cannot believe it's already October. I have hardly made any Halloween friendship bracelets and I feel far from ready for this month. Perhaps I'll have to just get started on Christmas friendship bracelets instead LOL!

Anyway, I've been making some new videos lately, and hoping to post some more in the upcoming weeks. I love making videos for you guys, so if you guys have any feedback as to what I can do better, or what you would like to make, let me know! :)

Have a great weekend, and happy knotting!

Newest video here!

September feels...

The start of one of my biggest orders ever!

August seemed to disappear in a heartbeat. Not only did I finish my summer semester, but I also went to Oregon with my family. Last month was super busy, but equally wonderful. I had the most orders I've ever had in one month in my whole 3 years of selling online! So I feel super good about that, and I hope everyone liked their bracelets!


As I start school again in less than a week, I have to buckle down and accomplish the last of my summer goals! I have met a lot more people through Etsy this past month and have been really enjoying the community aspect. It's nice to meet so many people with the same interests as me, as I find myself with few crafting companions these days, especially being 20 years old and such.

And completed!

Anyway, I'm hoping to get some new listings up before the end of the weekend! I've been doing some research on local craft fairs, so I'm hoping that I might be able to rent a table at one closer to Christmas! I just worry that I don't have enough stock to fill a table, so I asked one of my best friends if she'd like to share a table with me! Her Etsy is https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/AlannasArtStudio, so be sure to check it out!

Another thing I am trying to get more consistent with is making tutorial videos! I really want to help people make these bracelets, since I love making them and have been making them for so long. It has helped me through many times in my life, and I want to share this with others. In regards to a posting schedule, I'll update you on that later. I have absolutely no idea, but I guess I should just pick a day!

Wishing everyone all the best this fall semester!

-Aly

Update August 5th 2015 - Bracelet Tutorial Videos!!!

I am officially done my summer semester in 12 days! This semester went by so fast, surprisingly so, since it is summer and all. I have almost finalized my course schedule for the fall, which has been somewhat stressful.

School aside, I have been extremely excited about my Etsy shop lately! I have been connecting with more and more people in the Etsy community and have been learning a lot on how to improve my products and shop in general.

Another goal that I had this semester was to make bracelet tutorial videos, and I actually posted my first one today! Watch it here!! Let me know what you think, by the way! I am looking for suggestions on which bracelet tutorial to make next, otherwise I have a few ideas of my own :) I am hoping that this can become a regular thing as I improve on making videos. I know I have a long way to go haha...

Hoping that everyone is having a fantastic summer!

Best wishes for peace, love, and lots of adventures,

-Aly