CAT | B3 customers
We recently took the plunge and adopted Facebook’s new Timeline for our page. We’re still adjusting to the changes and while some features have already been super fun and useful (like the cover photo and the ability to direct message with fans) others are things we hope Facebook will eventually change (like the fact that all our fan posts are shrunken down to fit in a little box in the upper right-hand corner – no more big fans posts and pictures when you come to the page – we do NOT like that!)
But back to the positives. Another neat thing about Timeline for businesses is that it allows you to go back and add company milestones to your page, essentially painting a picture of the company history. This is something we’ve starting playing with (see our 9th Birthday Milestone below) and will be adding more fun B3 facts over the next couple of weeks.
While we were brainstorming moments to add however, we realized that a huge part of our company history and our journey is closely intertwined with our customers. So many of you have watched us grow over the years and been really the biggest part of why we have succeeded and grown as we have.
It’s for this reason that we ask you to submit your favorite B3 memories to be added as company milestones to our Timeline. These could be anything from the first class you took with Rebeca to your first order, a great customer service interaction or conquering that weave you struggled with for so long. It could also be the first time you made a chainmaille jewelry sale or were inspired to teach your own class using what you learned as a B3 community member.
To submit your memory, send an email to community@bluebuddhaboutique.com with…
- Your first and last name; for privacy’s sake you can choose to just use your last initial instead of your full last name
- The date of the memory (or your closest estimate)
- A description of the memory in a nutshell (200 words or less)
- An image that can accompany the memory if you have one.
We’ll add our favorite submissions to our Timeline. We look forward to traveling down memory lane with you!
Mailler and B3 community member, Tracy K.B., posted this photo to our wall on Facebook a few days ago and we just had to share with everyone here on our blog. She and a bunch of mailler friends get together to work on chainmaille projects and enjoy some yummy food, so she thought she’d make jump rings – out of jello!
We love extra detail of labeling the bags with the size and stats. Just such a cute and creative idea, Tracy!
chainmaille · funny · jello jigglers · jump rings · snacks
It’s (almost) Thanksgiving – what better time to let you all know how thankful we are for you?! The truth is, we’re really thankful for our awesome customers every day of the year. Not only are you literally the reason we are able to do everything we do, but you are a continuous source of inspiration, community, and learning.
Thank You.
Thank you for your constant words of encouragement and appreciation.
Thank you for believing in what we do as much as we do.
Thank you for having patience when we don’t get something right the first time or you have to wait on an order.
Thank you for recommending us to friends.
Thank you for keeping things exciting for us.
Thank you for reminding us why what we do matters.
Thank you for honest feedback.
Thank you for your creativity.
Most of all, thank you for contributing to the success of our small business.
Rebeca, myself, and everyone at B3 are working hard in preparation for the release of her first book, Chained (and all the goodies that go along with it!) I had the great pleasure to be the photographer for the book and as such, had a great view of the countless tips and tricks Rebeca has up her sleeve when it comes to chainmailling. The good news for you is that when she wrote her book, she made sure to include as many tips and tricks as she could possibly cram in there. Inspired by this, I asked our fans on Facebook to share some of the best tips and tricks they have learned from others or discovered on their own. The answers ranged from the practical to the poetic and I have deemed them totally worth sharing. Enjoy.
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Aimee Berger: Wait until the kids (mine are 6 and 3 1/2) go to bed.
Teri Williams: Take it easy on the coffee before starting.
Dion Brodeur: Never put the piece down, unless you have to visit the loo. If you’re just starting out, never give up. Just take a break, if you get frustrated, go outside get some fresh air, count to 10 then dive back in.
Danielle Chase: I always have in mind what I’m going to play with and I only play with it for a couple of hours. That way I don’t get tired of playing with chain maille. I’m always looking for the next challenge.
Tania Moody Kitchin: Dip your tools before starting.
JoAnn Brallier Johnson: Take breaks, drink water, flex your hands, follow directions (I’m a beginner)…
Christa Krasneck: READ THE DIRECTIONS THOROUGHLY; several times, if necessary. But the newest trick I learned with Dragonscale (besides rule #1) was use the piece of wire included in the kit to nudge the rings into place. Worked like a charm!
Danielle Chase: Here’s a suggestion to learn how to do a pattern. Go buy you some shower rings from the dollar store and use the rings as jump rings and teach yourself the pattern before you use rings. I find this very helpful in learning new patterns and helping some one to learn how to do chain maille.
Diana Ferguson: Invest in ergonomic pliers; e.g. Lindstrom RX. Don’t give up, ever. In addition to sight, your sense of touch can tell you a lot about whether you’ve achieved a clean, invisible closure on a ring. Don’t forget to PLAY!
Frann Ramales: Remember to BREATHE…. If you can’t ‘get’ a weave right away, set it aside and come back to it when you don’t have so many distractions or stress. Maille with stress and/or distractions leads to holes in the wall from thrown pliers. LOVE your pliers and love yourself… just BREATHE 
Dylon Whyte: Hmmm, well, I guess to me, the most important thing never being afraid to experiment. There are no mistakes, just new opportunities for learning. What I really like to do is pin my experiments to… the wall, so I can regard them over time. All my best ideas have come from the process of experimentation, examination and (when ready) refinement or (if appropriate and more often) evolution into something completely different.
Leayn Tabili: Make and use a starter chain for HP4-in-1.
Curtis Rondeau: 1) I must also echo the never give up part. 2) Get good with your closures before you get quick. Proper closures are key to a quality product. 3) Don’t be afraid to try to copy what you see but give credit where it’s due. And lastly 4) Mistakes are nothing more than an experiment gone in a different direction.
Paul Madchatr: Best trick I have found so far is to be friends with B3 they always rescue me thanks always Reb and Kat
(*Blush* Thanks Paul!)
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Thanks to everyone who contributed a tip or trick and who made us smile. What are your favorite tips and tricks?
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Felt rings – gift from a customer
5 Comments · Posted by Rebeca in B3 customers, Jewelry, Other Artists
One of our goody bag winners was so excited about her swag, that she made some nifty felt rings for Jen, Kat & Rebeca. So fun! Thanks, Aniela, we love ‘em, and we’re touched that you spent the time to make them for us. Definitely the coolest thing we got in the mail last week!
