Friday, June 10, 2011

Garage sale!













Been a bit busy prepping for it, what a crazy weekend! We have the garage sale today & tomorrow morning, a friend's b-day party, my mom's coming over tonight & helping w/the garage sale in the morning, I have my part-time job tonight & tomorrow morning helping out my friend who's disabled & on Sunday we have my family reunion to go to! >_<

This was the weekend for Etsy meet-ups, too, but it was at the same time as the neighborhood garage sale.

Also fell behind again on my listing a day, but I'm not going to beat myself up about it!

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Contest!

I can't decide what to call this Convertible Necklace/Bracelet (w/Earrings) Set. Whoever comes up with the name I like best wins a 25% off coupon good on anything in my shop!



Edit: Also... today's listing!
Citron Necklace, Bracelet & Earrings Set

Monday, June 6, 2011

Challenging Challenge!

I'm not doing so great with my challenge... I've only listed three things over the last week. :/
Well, and I have re-listed a few things, but that doesn't count. ;)
I had one all ready to go, but I noticed that it should really be re-strung, so I don't want to list it until I get that done.
Here are the other two new things I've listed:
Strawberry Lemonade necklace


Spring Fling Bling - Teal & Yellow Bracelet


I'm working on a new listing now. A sort of companion necklace to the strawberry lemonade necklace. They both have the lozenge-shaped beads & were made the same day. :)

Edit: Here's today's listing! Patriotic Candy Necklace in Red, White & Blue

Monday, May 30, 2011

Challenge!

I'm going to challenge myself... I have over 30 items ready to list on Etsy, so for the next month or so, I'm challenging myself to list at least one item every day!

Today's: Retro-style pale pink polka dot on black necklace & bracelet


I also re-listed a few of my expired listings that are still available. :)

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Announcement!

Well, I went for it! The decision I referred to in my last post was whether or not to step up to fill the team captain & co-leader position for the Central Illinois Etsians and I did!

I know I've been quite negligent of my own shop, but that's mainly b/c I haven't been responsible with it to anyone but myself. When I'm responsible to somebody else, it's a way different picture!

So, I will be stepping up my game, and being more productive... as soon as my daughter takes a nap! :P

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Swap time & updates!

It's time for another summer swap! :D


In other news... new haircut!

BEFORE:



AFTER!




In other, other news... I'm considering a big decision & think I've made up my mind, but I'm not entirely sure what all I'm getting myself into & I'm kinda scared. I dunno that I need to be vague about it... Just not sure about much of anything! :/

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Spring Craft Show Wrap Up














I think the Craft Show went decently. With some more preparation & advertising, I think the next one will be even better! :)

Our group leader, Beth's, photos on Flikr: LINK

Friday, April 15, 2011

Getting crafty again

I know I've been awful about posting anything business-y/crafty on here lately & just as/more awful about posting new listings on my Etsy site, but I have been making a few things in anticipation of the upcoming craft show!

Another flyer made by one of hte other CIE members:

I've also been trying to get the house cleaned up for Paul's birthday this weekend... er, tomorrow! He's turning the big 3-0!
I kinda worked against that goal the other day, though, when a friend's facebook post reminded me that I have a self-portrait I drew using my toes (yes, I have some really... odd... talents!) and I went in search of said portrait. I couldn't find it. I think I might have given it to my professor/adviser in college. I'm sure I have a photo of it somewhere, but the search continues... I did, however, find just about every other piece I had in my senior art show and then-some.... so I'm thinking about putting some of them back up for sale.
So, I've been trying to decide how to go about doing so... use my existing Etsy? Make a new Etsy site? Try to figure out E-Bay? Just post on facebook & accept cash or check? Some combination of the above...?
I put a poll up on facebook and even without that input I was leaning towards making a new Etsy... I'm just hesitant to try to maintain two active & one inactive Etsy sites when I'm already doing so poorly with the others. :P (The inactive one is Erdbeerkuche... the name was unique, but too hard for non-German-speakers to remember!)
So, moral of the story... after Paul's party I'm going to be in full-blown business mode to prep for the show & maybe start listing my college art.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Need to vent

Disregard this unless you like living others' misery vicariously....


Ugh! I just got a brand new comforter set with decorative pillows, shams & bed skirt b/c our sheets were fine, but some of the other things, esp. the comforters were getting worn. I have very sensitive skin, so I try to wash everything new in my dye & fragrance-free detergent before I wear/use it. Well, the washer clearly couldn't handle the comforter & pillows at the same time. I should have known better!
So, yeah, my whole laundry room got flooded, the comforter & one of the pillows are sporting new rips & everything but the shams & bed skirt wiped out all the gunk that was in the top of my washer... so the washer's cleaner than it's been in a while, but my brand new stuff now is in dire need of washing & I'm afraid to wash them, mostly because the water splashed on the plugs for the washer & dryer. Hopefully, once everything dries, I can try again... one at a time... and it'll just be that it was overfull & not an actual leak or anything like that... because we can't begin to afford a new washer. We just replaced our back doors & not long ago, our fridge, and didn't really have the extra money for those...
I've been seeing a number of doctors for various things... I'm thinking I need to put off some of them now until we actually have money for them. At least my glasses Rx didn't change so I can cont. to get as much use as I can out of my current glasses.
I am so not feeling ready for this craft show coming up... Idk... I'm going to quit whining & go get a shower.

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Spring Swap!

Yay!
Sorry I haven't updated, but I do have news... not only the spring swaperoo (pics further down!) but also a spring craft show with my Central IL Etsians group. Fellow Etsy sellers will be gathering in the clubhouse in MY neighborhood to sell their (our) wares! April 30th, 10:30-3:45. It's kinda exciting (and nerve-wracking) to be one of the organizers for such an event. I've made a few new pieces, but I plan to make a bunch more before the show!



Now for the swap!
Christine in ID sent me a (handmade, I assume) dolly for Amber that smells like Cinnamon! & a big wooden letter A, super soft green hand towels, an Easter plate, a bunny cookie cutter & sugar cookie mix & a little organizer container of natural stone beads! Yay! :D

Here's everything!



Amber loving on her dolly;







Amber checking out everything else in the package;







She tried to open the package!






Amber wanted to check it all out again... then she started pulling out & pulling apart the tissue paper! :P



Beads!



Amber's reaction when I said we would make the cookies later...

Monday, January 3, 2011

Dream

The most notable part of the dream I woke from about a half hour or so ago, was my (maternal) grandma coming to visit me and telling me my grandpa had passed.
In real life, my grandma passed, after a long battle with Alzheimer's, last July. In the dream, she had come out of a coma-like state and was lucid and ambulatory again, only to find Grandpa deteriorating in dementia.
I was in a place that was an amalgam of a shopping mall and a school (everything from elementary to college) when Grandma came to me. She was dressed in a brightly colored jacket with a rose brooch on the lapel. She came and found me coming out of a room (class?) and pulled me out of the stream of students saying she had to tell me something. She put her hand comfortingly on my shoulder & said "Monica, your grandfather has passed." As tears came to my eyes she drew me in for a hug. After a while, I said "I'm sorry you didn't have more time with him... really." referring to the Alzheimer's & dementia. She said "Me too." Then she said she had to go for some reason and it was just me, tears in my eyes, wandering down the hall. I found a friend (loosely based on a few different real-life people) and tried to tell her, but she wanted to tell me about her own problems. I found a teacher/professor I felt close to (similar to the friend; not anyone in particular, but familiar)and she, too was distracted and changed the subject. I moved on through a crowd of younger kids & started trying to pull myself together to not alarm them. I went left around a corner and the hall opened into sets of stairs & escalators & the more mall-like part of the setting. I went around and up some stairs & then realized I'd gone the wrong way. When I passed the same teacher again I commented "I went the wrong way, I always forget & go up instead of down." and I went down a different set of stairs, which brought me to the main floor. I went across & realized I didn't have my backpack or any school supplies on me. I remembered that i had a locker off to my right and decided to go check to see if they were in there (crossing my fingers in hope that I didn't leave them in my car or at home), but I was worried I'd be late for my class and debated for a minute before deciding to check the locker first. During this time I had noticed, in passing, a table display to my left before the hallway to the classes. A guy (who was a cross between a couple of my best friends' husbands) bumped into it. There had been a little vase of flowers that looked rather like a milk bottle. It fell to the floor and shattered. There had also been a stand of cards (roughly postcard sized), presumably advertising something. A male professor stopped to help the guy up and said something about not worrying about the glass, but to go ahead & get to class, but as he picked up the card he marveled at it. In the dream, I had seen it before. It had a little panel in the middle that was holographic & changed scenes, one gorgeous landscape fading into the next. The professor said, rather choked up, "What a beau-tiful pink forest. The other guy said, reverently,"I like the blue & purple and gold sunset." I visualized what I remembered of the card & tried to remember the scenes each was referring to and some others, maybe to think about which would be my favorite, though I wasn't as impressed with it as they were. I figured they were stock photos, like the screen savers/example photos that come on every computer and that the card was just an ad, though I couldn't remember what for. I think it was about this time that I woke up shivering. It wasn't until a few minutes later, after I'd warmed up/calmed down that I remembered the part about my grandparents. I realized at some point that I had a Smashing Pumpkins song from the Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness album. I just looked it up, it's 1979.
Since then, I haven't been able to sleep. It was about 3:15 then. Now it's 4.