Yay me!

I'm starting a new job Monday, whoohoo. After taking a year off from a real job and then working part-time for the past 5 months, it's back to the real world. I wasn't really looking for anything but this position just kind of came out of nowhere. It sounded like something intriguing although I didn't think my interest in it would be taken seriously. Surprise, surprise.

I still don't think I'll catch many sunrises but I will miss sitting with my coffee, Etsy, blogging, etc. all morning, and leisurely lunching with Mom or my RCA gals but a real paycheck is going to be a good thing! So, when (not if) you see me hanging around the forums at 1:00a.m. tell me to go to bed.

Critique...

...my blog. I'd love to know what you think, I'm pretty sure I would, about the content, the look and overall feel. What would you add? Subtract?

Love to hear from you.

Charmed

-adjective
Marked by good fortune or privilege.

Color Practice

Anyone that knows me knows I am all about cool colors. I surround myself with green, blue and purple- preferably all three at once. So, I've set myself a little goal to step outside my color comfort zone and try something new, starting with this little Etsy favorites collection. Links to individual listings are below.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=5669141

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=10711209

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8147183

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9759992

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=6550834

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=6937416

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=10695774

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=7747146

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8113452

Craft Fairs

Have I mentioned my mixed feelings about doing craft fairs and boutiques? Today was my first in a long time and I did okay. Made back my table money and some for my pocket. Did I make enough to be worthwhile? Yes and no. I made enough to be worth the time I spent there- setting up, selling, packing up, etc. When I think about the prep time before the event- getting displays put together, pricing things, making signs, the actual inventory (although I'd be creating it anyway)- probably not worth what I made.

Will I be doing it again? Yep, no doubt, for several reasons. Meeting my fellow crafters and artisans is always great, I met a fellow Etsian today, that was cool. Sharing upcoming events is informative, grumbling about the current crumby market reminds me I'm not the only one. Meeting my customers face-to-face is the best. I love what I do and I love sharing it. I don't hoard my skills and knowledge, I love explaining how I created something and encouraging someone to try it. So yeah, this one is done, I'll have an early night tonight and a day of rest tomorrow, then start gearing up for the next one. Maybe I'll see you there!

Treasury West

Wow, I was gathering Etsy favorites thinking it would be nice, albeit unlikely, to get hold of a Treasury spot. I finished my gathering, popped over to look at the Treasuries, then went about doing something elsewhere in the house. I came back to my computer about an hour later and VOILA it was waiting for me to assign a name to my Treasury! I am thrilled with how it turned out.

Sedona

I was honored to have my Sedona necklace pictured in the Fall 2006 issue of Belle Armoire magazine. Once this weekend's craft faire is passed and I get caught up with half a dozen custom outfit orders, I am going to run a tutorial on this piece. I'm going to be working it up in my signature color palette of blue, green and purple. Pick your colors and check back soon to follow along.

Puppy Love

I was peeking through Fuzzy Logic's blog, admiring her beautiful Mastiffs and figured I should share some puppy love. I went to the shelter a few years ago looking for a male lab-mix and came home with Blue. Not a lab, not a male. About three months old at the time, she leaned up against the bars of the pen and turned her goofy blue eye on me and I fell in love. She's not the smartest dog in the park but she makes up for it in character, personality and love. Blue loves strawberries-n-cream frapuccino, riding in the car, hogging the bed, and her daddy.

This is Blue's everyday collar, I made it for her a couple years ago. It's the one she always wears with her tags. She's about due for a new one, which I'll finish up sometime soon, but this one has held up remarkably well.

Stoked

Woohoo! I am lovin' my third column even if it's naked right now! Thanks so much to Amanda at Blogger Buster for the great tutorial, she made it sooo simple.
Now that I have my nifty left column I'm thinking I'll offer up some ad space- free for now since this is a wee fledgling of a blog. Details to come...

Karma

Argh! So I was playing with my blog trying to add meta tags without fully understanding what I was doing. Suddenly it was gone! Not all of it, my posts were still there. But my colors (which I agonize over) my links, all of my little widgets... everything except the actual posts and archives just poofed. I am so un-savvy about all e-things that every step of my blog has been one forward and two back. I was torn between crying and throwing up but as I was at work I could do neither.
I managed eventually to get it all back, except my lovely colors. I have no more understanding of how and why it came back than I do of how and why it went away, but I am sooo glad it did.
Lesson learned: Blogging at work = Bad Karma.