An update!

I haven't updated in forever. Work has been crazy but I think things are starting to settle down. From January something to last week we were working up to 60 hours a week. It was nice pay but left me exhausted, literally sick, and not a lot of free time to blog, nor that much to create but I have worked some creating in to my busy schedule as if I didn't have that I think I totally would of lost it.

Since I don't have any pictures to show of any of my new work I thought I'd feature some of my favortie things on etsy!

My hairstylist is pretty crafty!

So I found me a hairstylist. I had one awesome hair cut in TN. It's been 7 months in Florida and no haircut cause I didn't know who to trust and no friends who were crafty with the scissors (on hair that is anyway). My boyfriend went and got all spruced up yesterday at the haircuttery. I asked who did his hair and he said he wanted Brook who was cutting our friend heather's hair. So she was busy. I was like, brook huh? So I made an appointment today with Brook and she did an awesome job. Very please. I thought it was funny though cause yesterday Andy got his hair cut and Heather was there. Today I was getting my hair cut, and who shows up, Heather's husband! How funny is that?

So I don't have a before pic. It was long, wavey, and frizzy. Remember no hair cut in over 7 months. But here it is now:

My first treasury on etsy!

No, not my first treasury I am in. Haven't hit that mark yet. But, I did create my first one. Now I know many people talk about how they spend hours waiting for the opening... me, I just happened to pop in and notice it was at like 335 and I was like oh my gosh I could possibly get a treasury quick come up with something! So it's kind of a cliche at this season as it is dealing with hearts and you know valentines day but I was put on the spot. I titled it after a Chuck Palahnuik quote, "Your heart is my pinata." Not really romantic ha, but it's about hearts my treasury has hearts it works. A lot of the items included are already popular items on Etsy but not everything. I tried to have a mix media of items. So necklace, shirt, tie, earrings, belt buckle, pottery, card, photograph, soap, and a trivet. I'll post a link but remember treasuries expire so if the link is no longer good it's because it's expired. I don't know how to do screen shots. If someone knows leave me a comment with advice on how to do it. Until then, take a look, and leave a comment: http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=25928

Shrinky Dinkys

So I've never ever played with shrinky dinks until this past weekend. I know it has the potential for awesomeness... I'm just not there with it. My first attempt was using the ruff and ready kind. My first pieces just curled up and stuck to itself. I waited and waited for it to come uncurled. I opened up the stove and tried to "help it". Nope. Second attempt they went flat but I didn't do the straightest cutting lines so I was unhappy with them. I decided to cut circles and once I started doing circle designs they went well. Except I was putting them on a piece of cardboard and the cardboard had lines on it which then branded itself to the shrinky dinks. I tried parchment paper but that didn't work either. Next day tried again, and this time I got 1 piece I was semi pleased with and this time I used a paper bag, here is my best result:



I tried the inkjet printer type too and those went horribly horribly horribly wrong. They say to lighten it so I did, but they never got darker and they shriveled up on themselves and I kept waiting and waiting and waiting for them to shrivel. It seems like circles are the only ones that don't do this. I'm starting to wonder if it is because I'm using a conventional oven. So I'm going to try and find my toaster oven and see if I get better results there.

Here is my shrinky dink necklace paired with a pair of my wet felt earrings:

Cage necklace filled with felt

Have you seen those metal cage necklaces usually filled with stones? Sometimes it is one big stone, sometimes lots of tiny ones? I've been looking at them and looking at them and finally I was like, hmm I bet felt would look in them. So I tried it. I put it on a hoop necklace and really like the look of it. I made another cage pendant with a different color center. The magic is, it can be any color center or changeable! So what do you think? Make more for my shop?

Update on my plastic flowers

So I receive my plastic flowers I purchased. I was expecting more bigger ones but I'm still satisfied. So I pulled out two matching flowers, some pretty wool, my felting needle, felted me a pretty center to put in the plastic flowers and turn them into nice little hair clips. Next on the agenda a ring! I know you want to see results so here they are:

Do I look like wal-mart?

Why do people expect my handmade items to be at wal-mart prices? Do I look like I buy in bulk and have child labor make my items oversea and pay small wages to people to sell my items? Do I? I don't get it. I think what I charge for my handmade items are way more than fair. I usually make my cost and I'm lucky if I make a small profit. I realize that I am underselling myself. But I feel if I go too much higher then my items won't sell. I now understand why my dad doesn't do stain glass anymore. Yeah he's brilliant at it but he said you can't make money off it because people are use to buying the cheap fake stuff at next to nothing prices so they expect your one of a kind hand made thing to be the price of the plastic mass produce tiffany lamp replica.

This rant was brought on because a co-worker keeps complimenting my rings I've been making. Like this one:



and this one:



I have other designs like squirrels, elephants, and apples and what nots. She asked me to bring all the different ones in and I thought yay to buy right? Well she looks at them, tries one on. Ask how much I tell her $8. And think she doesn't have to pay shipping and handling so it is a flat out 8 bucks. She tells me she doesn't have any cash on her. Well every day since she still compliments my rings but yet still hasn't bought one. I am assuming it's because of the price? I will assume the best in people and that maybe when she has a spare 8 bucks she might buy one from me.

But this is not the only example. I did a craft fair in November and had a drying rack full of scarves. Price ranged all the way from $8 to the highest one being $20. So many people made comments about the $20 scarf and would walk away without looking at the others. Now I think my prices on my scarves are insainly low. It takes a lot of time to knit one. I am not a machine.

Ok so I might not sell $8 scarves like walmart (oh wait, I do have some at that price) but it cost me that alone to buy the yarn! Yet I've seen the acrylic things they sell for 20 bucks or more at places like Old Navy, and Abercrombie , people don't have a problem paying that. And maybe those wooden rings might sell for 6 bucks at Wal-mart or Claires but was it handmade? Is it mass produced? I wish I could explain this to every price gawker but unfortantly you can't.

Promotional time

I shortly did roller derby though I think I am going to attempt to get back into it this year. It all depends on the time I can devote to it. I am still friends with everyone and go to all the events. Well right before Christmas they were doing a fundraiser for one of the roller derby sponsors died in a motorcycle accident, so they were raising money for his children. They held a "Chinese" auction. I've never heard it called that before but it was one of those auctions where you buy raffle tickets and then place it on the items you want and then they pick a ticket if they pick yours, you win the item. I donated a little basket of my handmade goodies. I figured this would be a win, win situation. I get my etsy shop name out, and any tickets people bought and placed for the item would go to the trust fund for the kids. I was unable to attend but I heard it got a few tickets and hopefully I got a little promotions out of it. I sent along a bunch of business cards that hopefully were picked up! I haven't really seen an increase in sales or views on etsy but sometimes it takes awhile for someone to look up a business card they received. Or at least I know it does for me.



So that is what the gift basket looked like. I included a flier for etsy, some business cards, a scarf, a felt necklace, and felt earrings. This picture is poor in quality but it was taken indoors with hardly any light source.



This is what the necklace looks like that was included in the basket. I made two or 3 of them. Different lengths, and different clasp but basically the same design.

I am thinking of maybe having my shop sponsor roller derby so that I can have an ad in the program. I'm still debating it though.

I hope everyone had a happy new year and merry Christmas. I was mega busy and didn't get a chance to update until now. I enjoyed the holidays but glad they are over. And so is my bank account, money just didn't seem to stay in it at all. Here is to a happy, healthy and prosperous year!