20 posts tagged “beaded banners”
Just wanted to write a note to let everyone know about all the sales I have going on right now.
I have recently added brand new PLASTIC CANVAS KITS to my store and as an introductory offer have discounted them 20% until March 31st. You can find them here:
All the PONY BEADS that I have in the store currently are on sale at 10% off as a “Bead Away Winter” sale until the end of winter on 3/20. They can be found here:
I hope to also be adding some new beads to the store this week or next. As always, if there are colors you need that aren’t posted, just email me at fyremonksgal@msn.com and I can see if I have them in stock or add them my next bead order.
All BOOKS are on sale also until 3/20 for my “Read Away Winter” sale which includes Early Americana books and Steeler books. The books on sale can be found here at 20% off my regular price:
To celebrate the Pittsburgh Steelers 6th Super Bowl victory I have many STEELER ITEMS on sale at 10% off until 3/31. Find these items in the Steeler section of my store here:
I have a bunch more Steeler items including Super Bowl items to post when I find the time so stay tuned for more items to be posted!
Many completed BEADED BANNERS that are currently in my store have been reduced 10% until 3/31 and will be found by clicking here:
And last but not least, I have a 10% off SPRING CLEANING SALE on a bunch of stuff that I just want to move on out to make room for all the other stuff that I have ready to be posted. Get great deals on Christmas merchandise, beaded banner patterns, and much more by checking out the 10% items and all the other items mentioned above by viewing all sale items in my store here:
Thank you for checking out Beaded Banners by Bonnie and please feel free to email me with any questions about any items!
Bonnie Matthews
Beaded Banners by Bonnie
MY CURRENT WEBSITE:
www.bannersbybonnie.com
MY UNDER CONSTRUCTION NEW WEBSITE:
www.beadedbannersbybonnie.com
MY EBAY STORE:
http://stores.ebay.com/Beaded-Banners-by-Bonnie-and-More?refid=store
MY BLOGS:
Wordpress: http://beadedbannersbybonnie.wordpress.com
Vox: http://beadedbannersbybonnie.vox.com
Ebay: http://blogs.ebay.com/dougbonnie
ABOUT ME:
Facebook - Add Me: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=559709463
Ebay: http://myworld.ebay.com/dougbonnie
An eBay Store maintained by: dougbonnie
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Customer service has been in the forefront of my mind lately, mainly because customers keep putting it there, so I thought I would share some thoughts. I know, you probably are thinking this is going to be a negative post but it’s not, it is very positive.
I am being told over and over again about how great my customer service is and people thank me all the time for “going out of my way” for them. Maybe it is because I am just a small business, one person operation type thing. Maybe it is because for years I worked in doctor’s offices and no matter how I felt, most of the time the patients felt worse and I knew that so I went out of my way to treat them nice. Maybe it is because I treat others like I would like to be treated. Maybe it is because I have had such rotten customer service from various businesses over the years. Maybe it is because I don’t know any better. Maybe it is because I am just trying to do what it is right. Maybe it is because all I am doing is helping someone else.
Or maybe it is all of the above?
Recently a gentleman emailed me and said he doesn’t like to pay online, he likes to send money orders. No problem I told him. I have several customers like that. He was surprised. The more we emailed I found out he was disabled and unable to get out much and he made beaded banners as gifts for people. Long story short, because he placed a fairly good sized pattern order, I cut him a little break on the patterns and postage. Then he placed a good size beaded banner rods and end caps order and I threw in a free spool of thread. He was again surprised. I told him I knew he was going to be a good customer and I knew he had troubles and what I was doing wasn’t much really, but just wanted to help him out a little. He emailed to me:
“Thank you. You have been so patient and I appreciate that you will go out of your way in what you do especially for people who are at a disadvantage of being disabled who can’t get out much.”
I really didn’t do that much but it meant a lot to him.
I recently had another customer who was from Canada. No matter what I tried doing, the shipping was so much compared to shipping within the U.S. She knew I made a couple trips to the Post Office trying to figure out the best way and then also checked about shipping UPS for her. I couldn’t see her having to pay so much for shipping and in the end I saved her a total of $2 on her order of rods and beads. She wrote:
It's been a pleasure...I look forward to doing more business with you. You are the first that has ever gone out of their way to find the cheapest rate for me and for that I am grateful.....Thanks again!”
Again, not much extra work from my end and nothing more than what I would want someone to do for me, but it meant a lot to her.
The best part with both of these people is that I have gained customers who will be ordering quite a bit more (they have both told me this) as well as email buddies (I email with both of them on a regular basis now).
These aren’t the only customers that have commented on my customer service nor are they the only ones that have become friends as well as customers. I have a gal in Massachusetts who found me on a craft site I first sold on and she and I have become good friends. She as well as a few other customers are disabled or senior citizens and their checks come once a month. I understand that and have worked with several of them concerning their orders and payments. Why not? I am going to be there some day and I hope businesses afford me the same courtesy.
I had another lady that found my website because she was unhappy with the service she was receiving from another site. After a couple orders from me for beads and patterns she wrote:
“About a year ago I sent a check to ***** to join the pattern club, I included a copy of the order from the site. I never heard from them and emailed to see if they received my check, I NEVER heard back from them. I emailed them 3 times, they never had the courtesy to write back. I was going to send another check if they would tear up the first one if they ever did receive it. That is very bad business ethics! I really appreciate your friendliness and excellent business know how!!”
Again, this customer and I email often now. All of these customers were anxious for updates regarding my recent surgery and I also inquire about their lives and how things are going. And from a business aspect, the great thing is that they keep ordering from me. These customers are just a few examples of many in the short time I have been in business and I guess that is why Beaded Banners by Bonnie keeps growing.
I just don’t understand why companies don’t want to give good customer service because it is obvious that just doing what is right with your customers comes back to you in many good ways.
I will end this with some of my recent Ebay feedback which shows again that providing good customer service whether it be answering questions, shipping promptly, good quality products, or going out of your way to help a customer is the best way to do business!
Reduced: 99% of original size [ 641 x 786 ] - Click to view full image
Beaded Banners by Bonnie……and more……
Just wanted to give some updates on Beaded Banners by Bonnie and what I have available and what is new.
PONY BEADS:
I posted some pony beads on Ebay and on my website a while ago just to see how they would sell. It was slow at first but now I am selling them pretty consistently. Because of that I have started ordering in extra bags of beads when I place orders for ones I need and am building up a nice stock of beads so they are available for customers. The beads can be found here:
http://stores.ebay.com/Beaded-Banners-by-B...1QQftidZ2QQtZkm
There are many, many colors of beads I can order so please feel free to contact me if you need certain colors. I don’t always get the extra bags posted right away and I can place an order for ones that you need and have them within just a couple days usually. I am also working on charts with colors and prices and sizes of beads that will soon be posted on my website. I can order opaque, transparent, matte, and glitter in many various colors.
THREAD:
I also began posting thread in my Ebay store and customers have also started showing interest in the thread. This thread is available in many colors and lasts long because it has 125 yards on a spool. The beaded banner thread is available here:
http://stores.ebay.com/Beaded-Banners-by-B...1QQftidZ2QQtZkm
BEADED BANNER RODS & END CAPS:
I continue to sell a lot of the very hard to find beaded banner rods and end caps. Here is the information regarding the rods and end caps:
RODS & END CAP SETS:
All Rods come with caps on both ends. Rods are a minimum of 13 inches long and can be up to 14 inches in length and are approximately 1/8 inch in diameter. The rods fit through the 6x9mm pony beads. They do not fit through the mini pony beads (see below). The end caps are removable so that you can cut the rod to a shorter length, however they do not fall off easily and will stay on a completed banner.
Rods are available here:
http://stores.ebay.com/Beaded-Banners-by-B...7QQftidZ2QQtZkm
SPECIAL ORDER RODS:
If you need rods cut to a certain length I can do that for you. The price will be the same. Just order the number of rods that you want and then EMAIL ME immediately at fyremonksgal@msn.com what size you want them cut to. They can be cut in any combination (for instance 5 at 7 inches and 5 at 11 inches OR 3 at one size, 3 at another, and 4 at another). Just be specific in your email. DO NOT PUT YOUR MESSAGE IN PAYPAL.....for some reason we do not always get those messages.
SMALLER RODS:
I have some rods that are thinner than the usual ones and will fit in the mini pony beads. They will have a little bit different looking end cap on it because the ones pictured will not stay on them. Again, if you want the thinner rods, place your order and immediately email me at fyremonksgal@msn.com and tell me you want the smaller ones. DO NOT PUT YOUR MESSAGE IN PAYPAL or you will get the larger diameter rods because I may not get the message.
END CAPS:
The inside diameter of the end caps are 1/8".
End caps are available here:
http://stores.ebay.com/Beaded-Banners-by-B...2QQftidZ2QQtZkm
BEADED BANNER PATTERNS & KITS:
I started posting kits on Ebay. Some of the kits are from patterns I have designed and sometimes I have an extra kit that I purchased that I will post. Regarding the patterns I have designed, I will make up kits for any of those so if you see a banner or pattern that I designed and you want a complete kit of that pattern, just ask.
I still haven’t posted the patterns I have designed on Ebay but they are available by contacting me at fyremonksgal@msn.com. If you go to my website at www.bannersbybonnie.com you can sell most of the patterns I designed in the first slideshow. If you see something you want, just email me for prices. The prices are anywhere from $3 to $8 with most of them being $4 and $5. The $3 ones are small ones with the more expensive ones being the larger ones that need personalization of names or dates. Those prices are for me printing them out and then shipping is extra. I can email them in a pdf file instead of printing and mailing them to you, BUT they will NOT be true to size in most cases. In other words, if you build your banners over the pattern like I do they will not work and you will need for me to print them out and mail them. However, if you work with the pattern to the side of the banner and size of the pattern isn't important, then I can email the patterns as a pdf file for you to print out and the cost per pattern is less and obviously there is no shipping.
I have posted some patterns on Ebay that I did not design. They are extra copies I have of patterns that I bought either in assortments or duplicate kits. If I have bought a kit for the second time I don't need a second (or third) pattern, so I post the extra pattern on Ebay because I only need one copy myself. In addition, I have purchased pattern assortments a few times from Herschners I think. The first time I did it I got two different assortments and they were all different patterns. The second time I did I ordered three assortments but it was three exact same sets of patterns plus a couple were in the that first order I got! So that is why I have the extra copyrighted patterns to post on Ebay. Please do not ask me to make copies of patterns and sell them to you. If I have an extra that I purchased it will be posted. If I don’t have an extra I won’t make a copy of it to sell you. I don’t want people doing that with my patterns and I won’t do that with someone else’s patterns. Thanks for your understanding!
Here are where the patterns are posted:
http://stores.ebay.com/Beaded-Banners-by-B...5QQftidZ2QQtZkm
Here are where the kits are posted:
http://stores.ebay.com/Beaded-Banners-by-B...1QQftidZ2QQtZkm
I am working on some ideas for my own website and a shopping cart on there so that you can buy direct from my website. Stay tuned for more news on that in the future!
One last thing I wanted to mention is that I accept payments by Paypal or money order, so please do not feel that you have to use Paypal if you are not comfortable with that. I am also working on a way for my customers to pay by credit card without using Paypal. I personally use Paypal all the time for many things, but I know there are people that prefer to pay a different way and I am working on alternatives.
Happy Beading!
Bonnie Matthews
Beaded Banners by Bonnie
Email: fyremonksgal@msn.com
My Website: http://www.bannersbybonnie.com
My Ebay Store: http://stores.ebay.com/Beaded-Banners-by-B...ore?refid=store
Well the bad news is the back pain I was having was NOT from my gallbladder after all. I had been having back pain in my shoulder area for quite some time which I attributed to working on beaded banners, sitting on the couch all evening, watching TV, and concentrating on the banners and not stretching, etc. But then when I was reading up about gallbladder problems I read in every article that most of the time there is back pain in that area from gallbladder problems. I had never mentioned the pain to any of my doctors because I just assumed it was from my poor posture while beading. I mentioned it to the surgeon at the appointment before my surgery and he said he was confident it WAS from my gallbladder and it would disappear. Well it DID disappear for about 3 weeks after my surgery, but apparently only because I wasn’t working on banners! LOL I started working on banners last week and it appeared again. Oh well. That’s okay because the nausea is totally all gone and that was the extremely bothersome thing I experienced from gallbladder disease for over 2 years. Now I just have to concentrate on my posture!
Okay so the leaves are falling everywhere and they are beautiful and the ground is covered with all these leaves, right? And down the street from us in a yard that is not only filled with huge trees but that also borders the park we live in (we are the caretakers in a 160-acre municipal park for those of you who don’t know that), there was someone raking leaves. Are they nuts? Isn’t that useless this time of the year? I mean won’t they all just blow away over the winter and the ones that don’t can be ground up using a mulching lawnmower in the spring? Waste of time to me, but what do I know?
Anyone out there watch Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe? We do……….and the shows seem to be getting grosser and grosser! Last week there was one episode where he was helping out in a poop plant……….and they just kept showing poop and more poop and other “things” that people put down their toilets. I was about gagging watching it and I couldn’t even smell what he was having to smell, although a few times I almost thought I could! So then in another episode he was on a sheep farm learning how to shear sheep and then also how to do other things to them, such as cutting their tails off (I think that was a sign that they did the next thing to them!) and then castrating them and they ummmm………..used their teeth to do it! Mike Rowe actually did it! I really hope the guy gets paid REALLY good to do that show! YIKES!
So while watching these shows lately, I am having trouble with gross things, even things like body parts and all the stuff that I used to love to watch and not bother me at all like autopsies (I have actually assisted at a few of those) and surgeries and bad accidents, etc. Is it possible that the part that made it so those things didn’t bother me was in my gallbladder and now it’s gone and things gross me out? I hope not! LOL
So speaking of my gallbladder removal, I am eating just about everything again and am no longer following a low fat diet. Not bad for only 4 weeks after my surgery, huh? The doctor and a dietician friend said 5-6 weeks or even 3-4 months for my body to adjust. I read horror stories online from people who had their gallbladders removed 10-15 years ago and still couldn’t eat a lot of stuff. But nope, I am eating just about everything and occasionally things go through me within maybe an hour or two, but usually just once, not 3-4 times like the week after surgery. Needless to say I am thrilled!
Sad Pittsburgh sports weekend. Pittsburgh Steelers and Pittsburgh Penguins both lost and both had it within their reach. Oh well. Can't win all the time. Oh...........we finally got a Direct TV HD DVR. We have a DVR in our room with the regular TV but we record things and never watch them because all we want to do is watch our big screen HD TV anymore! So since two of the Penguins games this week are on late (10:00 is late when we have to get up early the next day for work) and knowing that if we record it on the other TV we won't want to watch it because it won't be in HD, we broke down and got the HD DVR. There have been other shows we have wanted to record so this will be a really good thing to have.
The Steelers posted an apology by Santonio Holmes for his behavior last week so maybe I was wrong and they AREN'T going to get rid of him after all. Hmmmm.......
Let’s see, what else is going on? Busy with selling on Ebay and needing to post more on Ebay and designing banners and such but I am going to put all that stuff in a separate post about Beaded Banners by Bonnie.
I guess that’s about it for now. Catch ya later in my next blog!
I haven’t blogged in a while so thought I should catch up! Actually a lot has happened since I blogged yet….nothing exciting really……..but between trying to go back to work and trying to keep up with orders and still not feeling 100%, I didn’t have time to blog. So here goes………..LOL!
Regarding my recovery from my 9/29 gallbladder removal, I am getting there. In fact this afternoon I have my follow up with the surgeon. Poor hubby has to take off work to take me because I have no clue how to get to Shadyside! I’ve been there twice…..once to visit someone and the other time the morning my of my surgery when it was 5:30 a.m. and I wasn’t thinking about WHERE we were going but WHAT was going to be happening to me! So yeah, poor hubby has to take off work early to take me.
I am anxious to hear what the doc has to say about my pain. In the area where my gallbladder used to be still hurts some. I really think it is because they had to cut so many adhesions away and it takes longer to heal inside than outside, but I want to hear that from the surgeon and not just assume that is the case. Food-wise I am eating most things. I still have to stay away from really fatty things or I have problems, but it has only been 3 weeks since my surgery and already “things” have adjusted and I am able to eat almost anything. For that I am truly grateful! I still want bacon and a greasy cheeseburger from McDonalds, but that might happen this week because we went to the Penguins game on Saturday night and because of that we won a free Big Mac because of one of the power play goals! Just gotta make sure a bathroom is close by when I eat it, that’s all. Okay, enough of that………TMI! LOL My energy level is still down, but the surgeon told me I would be tired for 4-5 weeks due to surgery and the general anesthesia. I’m inpatient though and want to feel better NOW. I worked 2 or 3 hours a day starting a week after my surgery and then 6 hours a day last week. This week I am planning on a full 8 after today. I would rather be part time because of all my orders and requests for pattern designs, but don’t think that will happen because I hear my boss doesn’t want me to do that, even though I don’t have much to do at work.
My business is going well. I have been selling quite a bit on Ebay………not TONS, but consistent. I am still selling quite a few beaded banner rods and end caps, but as far as I know there is only one other place beaders can purchase those. I started posting pony beads online and they have been taking off so I am building up my stock and have many more to post. I still need to post my own pattern designs on Ebay but I have had people that have been finding me through www.bannersbybonnie.com and emailing me and ordering through me so that works for now. I also posted some other non-craft things on Ebay (both new and used) and those have been selling. I have boxes of stuff to post and more crafts and my mom’s crafts and my mother-in-law’s crafts and well I need time! I so wish that first week after surgery when I was home 24/7 I had felt like being on the laptop 24/7 like I had planned! Oh well, like they say, the best laid plans of mice and men………!!!!
So one of my favorite shows is Extreme Home Makeover. I love it and have NEVER once watched it without getting teary eyed……….and I don’t cry very easily! They are in town this week. GO FIGURE! If I had not just had surgery and had to miss so much work, trust me I would be there volunteering at least one shift! I am hoping that we can drive by at least once, just to say I was there. I am VERY tempted to take Friday afternoon off so I can yell “BUSDRIVER, MOVE THAT BUS” and watch the family when they come home! But at least the news is keeping us updated regularly and that helps…………a little.
The election……….ARGH. I hate it…………I hate all the commercials……….I hate all the signs everywhere littering the scenery. And I have no clue who to vote for because, well no one is a very good candidate in my humble opinion. I heard a good one on the radio the other day and if you are from Pittsburgh you will truly understand this. They said forget the election………..just be a STEELERS FAN! HAHAHAHA
Our kids……….let’s see. My daughter Stacey and her friend Denise have settled in quite well here in the Pittsburgh area after moving here from Tennessee mid-September. We haven’t been over since they got all settled, mainly because of my surgery. Last time I was there things were starting to look good and from what Stacey says they are all settled in. Stacey loves her job as a paralegal at Edgar Snyder’s office. She says everyone is really nice and she and her boss get along good. She takes the bus from right outside her apartment to about 4 blocks from her building. When the weather gets bad she can drive a short distance to a park and ride and then take the T (subway/trolley thing) in and get off at the basement of her building. We can’t email like we used to, but she generally text messages with me on the bus on the way to and from work so that is good. Thank goodness for 21st century technology, huh? LOL Denise transferred to a Sears here in the area and is happy there. She has a little drive to work but not too bad………I think they said 6 miles. We don’t see them often because they are probably about 45 minutes away and across the river(s) but it’s nice to know they are close by. Stacey has made a couple trips to Erie for geneology stuff and to help my Mom with cleaning and Denise has been working some long hours and weekends, so that’s one reason……..but again, my surgery has prevented seeing them, too. We have some places we want to show them and things we want to do together and that will happen soon. Denise isn’t liking the cold weather too much I don’t think since she spent a good portion of her life in the south, but at least Pittsburgh doesn’t get as much snow as Erie does! I told her to not go by all the winter horror stories she has heard from Stacey because Pittsburgh is so much more mild in the winters than Erie was and that’s all that Stacey knows is Erie winters! LOL
My son Craig and his wife Mary took their vacation in California to celebrate their first wedding anniversary. I can’t believe it was a year ago today they got married! CONGRATULATIONS CRAIG AND MARY! I have heard a couple things about their trip but can’t wait to see pictures. They were going to San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego and have visited the Walk of Fame and Beverly Hills as well as many other places. I am so happy they were able to get away and see California and they are having a good time.
Doug’s son Travis is working at an insulation place and busy with his friends and his new (used but new to him) vehicle. We don’t see him much, but he is happy so that’s all that matters!
After not doing much for a few weeks it was nice to get out Saturday. We went to the Pittsburgh Good Eats Food Expo. It was incredible! We didn’t stay as long as we would have liked because I didn’t want to get too tired because of our plans that night, but talk about FOOD! The admission price was $15 per person and we had $3 off coupons so we spent $12 to get in. Not only did we have more samples of great food to eat while we were there, we took home lots of samples and tons of coupons! If we had eaten ALL the samples offered while we were there, it would have been enough for two meals! I was a little nervous eating some of the things because I hadn’t tried those items since my surgery, but I figured might as well and I really didn’t have too much trouble because of it. Had to run to the bathroom once after we got home but that’s it.
We went home and rested for a few hours and then headed to Mellon Arena to watch the Pittsburgh Penguins BEAT the Toronto Maple Leafs! It was awesome. We spent a little more and parked right by the Arena so I wouldn’t have to walk as much. We won the tickets on Ebay in the last few minutes of an auction Friday afternoon and the seats were tremendous and the best thing is we basically got both for about the price of one ticket! I will be posting pictures in the next couple days hopefully. (I am behind on posting pictures as well as behind on blogging!) I was tired when it was over but I spent all day yesterday at home on the couch working on paperwork and organizing more for my business while watching the Pittsburgh Steelers BEAT the Cincinnati Bengals and other football games all day.
So I think all my paperwork is finally organized enough that I can keep posting away on Ebay and start updating my site. I have a lot of banner patterns I need to design for customers and I think I may be feeling good enough that I can be creative again so need to start on that this week. So the plans this week are designing and posting. I have some beaded banner orders but the customers are out of town for a couple weeks so those can wait a little, except for one smaller one I need to get done.
Okay so this is what happens when I don’t blog for a while………..I have to write a book! LOL No one probably reads these anyway so what am I worried about? HAHAHAHA
Have a good one. I’m off to see the surgeon soon!
Don't forget to check out my website www.bannersbybonnie.com for your free beaded banners instructions as well as free patterns all of which are available as immediate downloads for you.
It’s been a little while since I posted anything about Beaded Banners by Bonnie so I thought I would take a moment today and do just that.
Not only does Beaded Banners by Bonnie sell completed beaded banners, I am now your one stop shop for beaded banner supplies to make your own beaded banners.
BEADED BANNER PATTERNS DESIGNED BY ME: Any of the patterns I have designed are for sale. I don’t have them posted on Ebay yet nor is my website set up so you can purchase from there (yet!). However, if you go to my website www.bannersbybonnie.com and look at the first slideshow, all those banners/patterns are ones I have designed and are for sale.
The patterns range in price from $3 to $7 each plus shipping, however the majority of them are $4 plus shipping. The price includes a color printed pattern which is full size so you can put the banner together on top of the pattern as well as a bead list with colors and quantity of beads needed per color. I only charge exact shipping, not any extra handling charges.
Until I get the patterns posted on Ebay or have my site set up with a shopping cart, just email me the patterns you are interested in purchasing and your zip code and I will let you know the exact cost and shipping. Once you decide exactly what you want to purchase I can invoice you through Paypal or you can send me a money order.
OTHER BEADED BANNER PATTERNS: I have a few extra beaded banner patterns that I did not design that I plan to sell. These are patterns from duplicate kits I have purchased or pattern assortments I have purchased and received duplicate patterns. A word to the wise from someone who made the mistake, if a company offers a pattern assortment, for instance 10 patterns for $9.95, don’t order 3 sets because you will end up with 3 of each pattern! Make sure you find out if you can get a different variety with each set you order.
In regards to these other patterns, please do not ask me to make a copy of a pattern and sell it to you. If it isn’t my own design or if it isn’t an extra copy I have, I will not make copies of other people’s designs. That is unethical and I won’t do it. You are welcome to ask if I happen to have an EXTRA copy of a pattern to sell, but if I don’t I cannot in good conscience get a copy made for you. Thanks for your understanding on this matter.
BEADED BANNER RODS & END CAPS: I sell the very hard to find rods and end caps for making beaded banners. The rods I sell are white vinyl coated metal. They come approximately 13 inches long. The minimum they will be is 13 inches but they may be up to 14 inches in length. Each rod comes with a removable end cap on each end. The caps are snug enough to not fall off but they are removable for putting through the beads of the beaded banner or for cutting the banner to a smaller size.
As I said, the beaded banner rods are approximately 13 inches longs. They can be cut with bolt cutters, however if you have specific sizes that you want other than the 13 inch length, I would be happy to cut them for you. Please notify me by email at fyremonksgal@msn.com as soon as you place your order because my usual turnaround time for shipping out orders is same day. You can mix and match sizes with your order, such as an order of 20 rods and caps has 10 cut to 8 inches, 5 to 6 inches, and 5 to 12 inches. Whatever sizes you need I can provide, but again please email me as soon as you place the order. DO NOT put the message regarding sizes or other specifics in the area for messages on Paypal because for some reason we do not always get these messages.
Rods and end caps can be purchased at my Ebay store using this link:
http://stores.ebay.com/Beaded-Banners-by-Bonnie-and-More?refid=store
BEADED BANNER END CAPS: If you have your own rods but don’t have a source for the end caps, I also sell end caps by themselves in various quantities. If you want to make sure that the caps I sell work on the rods that you have, please send a self addressed stamped envelope to me and I will send you 2 end caps free of charge. Send your request and SASE to:
Beaded Banners by Bonnie
130 Townsend Park Court
Murrysville, PA 15668
If you want to go ahead and purchase the end caps you can find them here in various quantities:
http://stores.ebay.com/Beaded-Banners-by-Bonnie-and-More?refid=store
BEADED BANNER THREAD: I have various colors of thread for making beaded banners in my Ebay store, also. The spools are 125 yards and I can’t tell you exactly how many banners you can get out of a spool but I know I can get several out one. You can find the thread at this link:
http://stores.ebay.com/Beaded-Banners-by-Bonnie-and-More?refid=store
BEADED BANNER BLANK GRAPH PAPER: Interested in designing your own beaded banner? I sell blank graph paper in two sizes (regular banner size and bell pull size) and they come in regular paper or card stock paper and in various quantities. The beaded banner grids are true to size and all you need is colored pencils, crayons, or Sharpies and color in the beads for your pattern. The graph paper can be found here:
http://stores.ebay.com/Beaded-Banners-by-Bonnie-and-More?refid=store
BEADED BANNER PONY BEADS: I have pony beads for sale in various colors. The pony beads I have listed in my Ebay store are the ones I actually have in stock, however I can get any color and type that you need if you don’t need them immediately. Beads are available in opaque, transparent, and matte in many colors. If you need a color you don’t see, just ask. The beads that are currently for sale and ready to ship with no wait are listed here:
http://stores.ebay.com/Beaded-Banners-by-Bonnie-and-More?refid=store
If you have any questions at all about any of the beaded banner supplies or you have a special request for colors of beads or thread, please feel free to email me at fyremonksgal@msn.com .
Thank you!
Bonnie Matthews
Beaded Banners by Bonnie
I got myself in a predicament this week.
As most of you know that would be reading this blog, I design and sell beaded banner patterns and supplies and also completed beaded banners. I am always on the lookout for new patterns and sometimes kits (if the price is right). Because of that I have a search set up on Ebay for “beaded banners” and I get an email on a daily basis of any new beaded banner items listed on Ebay.
I am always wanting to add to my collection of patterns which at this time is up to 120 that I have designed and over 100 that I have obtained from kits or patterns purchases from other places. When I find a kit cheap on Ebay I buy it and also there are some kits I have purchased just because I love the pattern and want it bad enough that I will buy a whole kit even though I have thousands of beads at home and all the supplies to make banners without needing a kit. In addition, I have made purchases from a couple places online when they have offered 10 or 20 pattern assortments and even kit assortments.
Because of purchasing assortments of patterns as well as assortments of kits a few times and also because I have purchased duplicates of kits several times if the price is right and kit is cheaper than what the supplies would be, I have extra patterns that I have not designed that I have sold. I don’t need more than one of a pattern so I have sold the extra patterns a couple times just to get rid of the duplicate.
I have noticed that other people have also done this on Ebay occasionally. So when my Ebay search the other day showed up a bunch of patterns for sale that I didn’t have, I jumped on it and bought them. So this is where my predicament started. The next day I wanted to update my list/spreadsheet of the patterns that I have and I went back and looked closer at the pictures and I realized that a few of them had markings on them indicating every row number. MY HEART SANK…………I FELT THIS AWFUL PIT DEEP DOWN………you know that UH-OH feeling you get when you know you screwed up? I knew that the only place I have seen patterns like that was at Beadshak, so I proceeded to log on to their site and see if they were their patterns. They were. My heart sank more.
Why you ask? Beadshak is owned by a gal that designs patterns like myself. I purchased patterns from her in the past when I first started making banners. Beadshak is actually the reason I started designing my own patterns. Because of their policy, I was unable to sell banners made from the patterns I purchased from them so I decided to invest in software and start designing my own patterns so that I could sell the completed banners. Soon I had people who wanted to buy my patterns and thus the start of Beaded Banners by Bonnie. However, I respect Beadshak and their designs and have never sold banners made from their patterns per their policy. In fact when Beadshak requested that I take some completed items I had made from their patterns off the previous site that I was selling my products on I obliged.
I used to check out Beadshak’s site regularly just to see what the competition was doing and also to make sure that I wasn’t designing anything that was too close to what she was designing. However, I have been so busy lately with processing orders for patterns and supplies and also making banners for orders that I haven’t checked out their site for quite some time. Because of this I did not recognize that some of the patterns I had purchased were from Beadshak or I never would have purchased them. I figured they were extra patterns someone had from duplicate kits or assortment pattern purchases.
I contemplated what I should do to make this right between Beaded Banners by Bonnie and Beadshak and I decided to wait for the patterns to arrive to see if I could determine if they were duplicates or extras before I contacted Beadshak to tell them what had happened. I felt bad that it happened, but if there was a way I could determine that they had purchased the patterns from Beadshak and used them and then decided to get rid of it because they weren’t going to use it again then I wouldn’t feel quite as bad and would just let Beadshak know it happened. However, when yesterday’s Ebay search for “beaded banners” came my heart sank again………..only lower this time. All of the patterns were reposted for sale on Ebay which meant that copies were being made and sold. I knew that for sure I needed to let Beadshak know what happened and what a huge mistake I had made, although it was not intentional.
I emailed Beadshak this morning to let them know what happened and that there was nothing I could do because I had already made the purchase and the patterns were being shipped. However, I assured them that I would only use the patterns for personal use and I assured them that I will not make any banners to sell from the patterns that I purchased since that is their policy.
I share this with all of you for a couple reasons. First, I wanted to make a public apology to Beadshak and let them and anyone else that may see or hear that I purchased the patterns on Ebay know that had I known these were not extra patterns from kits that I would NOT have even considered purchasing them. Secondly, I am writing this to ask all beaders out there to respect the designers such as Beadshak, Beaded Banners by Bonnie, and others and not make copies of the patterns you purchase. If someone else wants a pattern, refer them to the source and let them purchase the patterns direct from the designers. It’s not like any of us ask that much for our patterns. Thirdly, I am asking that the seller of these patterns stop making copies of patterns and selling them at their own profit. It’s not fair. Think about what it would feel like if YOU designed patterns, sold them, and then saw someone making copies of them and selling them on Ebay. If you have a pattern left from a kit you no longer want that is one thing, but to make copies and sell them is unfair to the designer.
Do my patterns that I sell get copied and shared? I would be stupid if I thought they weren’t. I’m sure that Jane Doe purchases one for herself and then her friend wants a copy and yeah, she probably makes her one. Is this right? No. I don’t have a policy as such specified on my website. However each pattern goes out with the note “Pattern designed by and property of Beaded Banners by Bonnie” and also with “Pattern not to be copied or sold” on it. But to think that Jane doesn’t make a copy for her friend Mary would be ignorant on my part. Hopefully most people are honest enough to not even share it with a friend, but I’m sure it happens. But for someone to make copies of patterns designed by others and blatantly sell them to anyone, let alone on Ebay, is so totally wrong.
I’ve said enough. You get the point. People have policies. Follow them please. And if you want to share an occasional pattern of mine with a friend that can’t afford to purchase their own from me at the reasonable price I charge, that’s your choice. But don’t make copies of my patterns or Beadshak’s or anyone elses for that matter because we WILL find out.
