Here Comes Fall

Just wanted to share this photo I took on a walk today.

Awesome Etsians!

I've just added a bunch of artists from the Seattle area to my "blogs to check out" section. We're all a part of a group we call Etsy Rain (Seattle, get it? Ha ha). This is a wonderful group of people with a wide range of talents. Etsy Rain serves as a brainstorming group, a support group, a social group (although I aparently missed a very fun art walk recently), a promotional group, and a great way to find a person to share a table with at the many craft fairs coming up! I'm very psyched to have become involved with these creative folks. Check out their blogs and their shops- you won't be disappointed.

Cat Rhymes

I took some pictures of the kitties for my daughter this week. They remind me of some songs we made up about them because we are rather odd.

Paula's song: Paula the cat, she's not very skinny she's fat.

Maddie's song: Maddie the cat, she's angry and looks like a bat.

We don't have a song for Cinders yet. The tune is hauntingly similar to "three blind mice".

Consignment, part 2, and other things

Well, last week I sent 5 pieces of jewelry across the country to be sold on consignment through an online store. The business, http://www.digital-scrapbooking.org/, is primarily just what it sounds like. Sorry, I didn't even know what digital scrapbooks were until a week ago. Anyway, her customers have been asking if she'll sell some crafts online as well so she created a "crafts" category and featured my jewelry. Within 2 days my first bracelet sold! And, she said she wanted more in that style. Obviously this made my day. Nothing else has sold from that site this week but I'm excited anyway.

Today, with my confidence higher than usual, I decided to contact a bunch of boutiques in my area to see if they'd like to offer my pieces as well. Yes, I was immediately rejected from one but I'm still waiting on the others. I'm still not quite ready to visit the ones which require a face to face appointment. Maybe next month.

I also thought I'd post some of my photography today. People on etsy seem to like it more than the jewelry...

Back to School (and other things)

Well, my kids have gone back to school today and I'm alone in the house. Ahh. I actually had a pretty fun summer- sleeping in, doing everything slowly, eating lunch whenever we felt like it- but it's still nice to get back to a routine. And, I have 6 hours to take pictures and list new items in my shop and create!

I've gotten back into wire wrapping lately so I've made a few new pieces. I've also designed new earrings and I can't decide if I should sell them or wear them. That's the problem with those flashes of creativity- you get attached to the final product.

Home Improvement?

All the properties on my block look very similar. As that does not suit me at all, I finally got up my nerve and did something about it. I now have a bright purple mailbox and , as my daughter says, we are the only ones on the block! Perfect.

In other, more disturbing, news, I've planted my first vegetable garden ever and it has been ransacked by raccoons! I know I'm the only adult out there who's never done this. I'll blame it on growing up in a city. It's actually fear of failure. Anyone who's ever put in a garden knows how much time it takes. I've watered and weeded and mulched and was really hoping for the best. My serrano pepper plants have no peppers. My very large pumpkin vine is growing no pumpkins. My corn stalks- they were looking good! Then yesterday I paid my garden a little visit, only to discover that our nocturnal friends have been enjoying corn on the cob. They actually peeled back the husks, ate the corn and then put the husk back! This may not be news to anyone but me but I was pretty bummed. Next year, chicken wire....