If you've been following our holiday newsletter series, you've probably noticed there's been an interruption. For the past two weeks, we've been reworking our pricing structure in response not only to the fall of precious metals prices but also to recent production improvements we've made that have brought our costs down. We want to pass those savings on to you in time for Christmas so Tuesday and Wednesday we'll be updating the entire site with new pricing. If you've been waiting to stock up, Thanksgiving weekend will be a great time to do so. I'll post here to let you know when all the changes have been made... and then we'll resume our Christmas newsletter series with an idea you're going to love.

I haven't tried it yet but I think this might make a really nice chain for a pendant and one or two units, maybe with a dangle at the bottom, will definitely make fabulous earrings. I can't wait to see what you do with it. *s*

After you view the tour, if you can think of anything I should have included but didn't, please leave a comment and let me know. Thanks... and I hope you're having a good weekend. *s*

First, I did a software upgrade and some tweaking in the News section and the result is a look that's the same but a little more crisp and some enhanced functionality that isn't obvious but is working nicely.

Secondly, I've added a menu bar with pulldowns across the top of the page here in the News section. This is in preparation for changing it to the News and Information section. The site has so much information now that navigation has become cumbersome so I'm moving all the information pages to what was the News (but will soon be News & Information) and listing the information categories across the top of the page with pulldowns to make it easy to get right to what you need. The only information section there now is How to... but all the other sections will appear there, one by one, over the next few weeks. The old pages will forward you to the new pages but when you see that happen, you'll want to change your bookmark if you have one set.

Thirdly, The Guild has changed completely... and this requires a bit more explanation. The original intention of The Guild was to provide a place for those delving more deeply into chainwork while keeping the News focused on day to day scheduling notices, new product announcements and other things of general interest to people planning orders. That was good but it turned out not to be enough because we actually have three different needs to address, rather than just two.

People still need to be able to find their notices and scheduling information quickly and easily so we've kept the News as it was. The News comes up by default when you click the icon in the left menu and you can always get back to it by clicking News in the bar across the top of the page.

The second need is for specific information regarding chainwork such as resources, tumbling, how to put WallFlowers together, etc. If you look to the right of the main text, below the calendar, you'll see a menu called Information. That used to be within The Guild area, which meant people had to register and login to access it. That caused so much confusion and so many questions that I couldn't keep up with my email. So I've moved all that information out into the light and I look forward to being able to answer my much reduced volume of email with lightning speed. *s*

The third need is a place for information and discussions related to running a business. To those of us building small businesses, nothing is more interesting; to everyone else, business talk is a yawnfest. So The Guild has now become the strictly business portion of the site. This is where it gets complicated so please bear with me while I explain.

In order to keep spam off the site, we can't allow comments to be posted by anonymous visitors. So everyone who was registered for The (old) Guild now has a News Membership. This means you can still post comments, you still have your registered name and you can still subscribe to posts and/or journals.

The (new) Guild, as of the time I'm posting this, has no members at all. Because it wasn't just for business before, the membership roster has to change. Also, because The Guild is now solely a business group, it can't have open membership like it did before but must be limited strictly to business owners. This is partly because business issues are often sensitive and discussions of those issues are best held among people with the same concerns, and partly because some of our future development will rely on better understanding the needs of those of our customers who are running businesses, so we need a way to speak with them as a group.

Some of the first discussions in The Guild will be related to the questions on The Guild Membership Application. Yes, there is an application and no, it's not a quick thing... but the reasons for all those questions are explained on the application form and the perks of membership will surely help to deaden the pain of filling it out. Names and individual answers will be kept private but aggregate information, such as "75% of The Guild membership said this..." will be used as fodder for discussion within The Guild. Please click the Members pulldown in the top bar menu and choose About The Guild for an overview of what to expect. If that describes you, I hope you'll fill out the application. *s*

Thanks for your time. I'm sorry to go on so long explaining it all but I hope you find the new arrangement of information intuitive to use and easy to access. And there's more to come... just wait til you see the Magic 8 Ball. *s*

We don't get a lot of summer at this altitude but it's finally arrived and we're enjoying every moment of it. I hope you are, too. Happy 4th. *s*