nisse.works

2010-12-01T09:26:00.001-06:00

Hi!

I've moved - check out my new home @ nisseworks.com.

Changing the address

2010-10-09T00:07:00.000-05:00

I finally took the plunge tonight and moved all the posts on this website onto my new one - nisseworks.com. And it was much less painful than I expected... I was convinced posts would go missing, photos would end up bungled or I would break the internet somehow.

But it all went smoothly. Yay!

And from now on, that's my new home. So change bookmarks, redirect links, do whatever you have to.

See you there :)

On the move

2010-10-07T08:34:00.000-05:00

Within the next week, this blog will be moving to it's new home - nisseworks.com. I will try to keep this as painless - for everyone - as possible. I will keep this blog running for as long as I'm moving posts & comments, but in the new year, it will no longer be my home.

I'm starting a new venture - a shop. My own shop. I will list pieces and products there that aren't available in my ArtFire and Cargoh shops. I need a home for the stationery/design work I'm creating and this seemed like the best solution. I'll probably list a few special pieces, too, like handmade felt toys and such... it's also where I hope to showcase my custom work.

Things are going in a very different - but happily different - direction than I had planned when I started this little handmade adventure earlier this year. I know where I want to end up and the path I was on was not going to help me get there. I'm happy I've made the decisions I have and hope that things keep progressing. Even if it's at a snail's pace.

(and yes, I did mention this previously. this time, it's a definite go.)

Customized creations

2010-10-06T15:00:00.000-05:00

This is how my head feels today. Ugh.

I'm sick - again, 3 time in 6 weeks - but thanks to my iPod Touch, I can keep on top of emails and read some pretty fantastic blogs (scoutiegirl - seriously wonderful. Same with design*sponge).

And it's a good thing I can check my emails from under a pile of blankets on the couch. I sold this wallet a few weeks back to a customer in Austin, TX. It was one of my favourites to do - I love the argyle print on this oh-so-soft material and business card holders are a must-have in my life. I've gone through 4 since I started carrying my own earlier this year (3 were 'just because'; 1 ended up being a victim of spilled apple juice in my purse).

This morning, I had an email from the wallet's buyer to do a custom order. This will be the first custom order I've had from someone that I isn't a friend; this will also bring the number of custom orders I've had since mid-August to 6.

I've been very interested in doing custom orders since I started doing this earlier this year. I've tried to research exactly how to do it, how to promote the availability of doing custom work, and the only thing I can come up with is to just say I'll do it. Make sure it's mentioned somewhere, everywhere, I can. Especially with the holidays coming up, custom work should be in demand. Handmade should equal custom; custom should equal one-of-a-kind. And who doesn't want one-of-a-kind pieces? Individuality is a good thing :)

So here's my first official statement & promotion: I do custom work. I can't sew a wedding dress, but if you take a look at one of my shops - ArtFire or Cargoh - or my Facebook page, there may be something that strikes your fancy (even poke around on this blog - I've posted some things I've done for Maddy that might be of interest). I will be totally honest and upfront about what materials I have access to and time frames for completion.

If you would like some info on custom orders, just email me: nisse.works{at}gmail{dot}com. I'll try to get a more 'official' posting up this week for custom orders and what I can offer.

More frugality

2010-10-04T14:22:00.000-05:00

I've been looking for leather to use for various projects for months now. Buying leather wholesale is just way too expensive - and the only choices I can find for sizes is either small (8x11") or HUGE (a whole hide). So I've been on the lookout for a decent leather jacket that I could use to make handles and possibly even bags with. Every time I go to the second-hand shops in town, I've found jackets that were ok, but not great. I wanted something that had been taken care of, not scratched and tattered beyond use.

I've been finding a lot of unique and quite useful pieces at our local MCC Thrift Store. This jacket was one of them. It's in incredibly good shape, with a couple of small tears along seams and worn bits here and there, but it's a decent size and is such a lovely, rich reddish-brown that I couldn't turn it down.

The $8 price tag didn't hurt, either.

The extra-wonderful bonus to this jacket is the lining - it's got a zip-in vest lining, made with 100% wool felt and polyester, both of which are in incredible shape. I'm really excited about the possibilities that this piece can bring to my work.

I may even have time in the next couple of days to start taking it apart to get working on making handles and such soon... glee!

Changing it up

2010-10-02T09:05:00.000-05:00

There's a very unmistakable chill in the air these days... yes, fall is here, but around here, it also means winter is right on it's heels. There's frost on the car's windshield this morning and the furnace has been on since yesterday.

I still haven't tidied up my gardens and don't know if I'll be able to do the full-on tear-up-and-roto-til I wanted to this year. We've got a fair bit of compost and a lot of leaves in the yard, all perfect for a winter mulch, but ever since I went off my thyroid meds last week, I've got no energy to do anything physical. The good news is I get to go back on my meds in 3 weeks, right after my second (in 10 months) radioisotopes scan... hopefully I'll get some of that energy back and the snow stays away for me to get the much-needed yardwork done.

October 1 was a big turning point in my business. I closed my Etsy shop and opened my ArtFire shop. I'm staying away from reading forums of any kind, as much as possible. I can't deal with the overall negativity they breed and I really don't have time to waste on them, anyway. I have much more important things to do, like build up connections and network with other crafty/handmade folks.

I made a 3-month to-do list last night and was kind of surprised at how little I've got on it. There's the usual 'make stuff, sell stuff' on it, but beyond that... I didn't include anything extremely challenging or too far out of the ordinary. I don't know if that's a good thing or not. I'm sure challenges will pop up along the way, but have I purposely put any in place? I don't think so. I may have to rectify that.

Close door, open windows

2010-10-01T09:23:00.000-05:00

I closed my Etsy shop this morning and moved most of my pieces over to ArtFire. I'll be listing a few bags from Etsy in my Cargoh shop later, too.

I'm feeling good about this. Within the month, I'll hopefully have my shop open on my soon-to-be new website, and with the move to ArtFire and more focus on Cargoh, things are looking up.

Or, at least, I'm saying they are. A little positivity can't hurt, right?

A rose by any other name

2010-09-28T12:32:00.000-05:00

I've had this purse sitting in my bag o'things to finish for probably 2 months now. It's the same basic design as this purse in my Cargoh shop (and will be listed for the same price later today... hopefully) but in keeping with putting different finishing touches on this line of purses, I had no idea what I was going to do to make this one 'special'.

Wow, that's a long, awkward sentence.

Anyhoo, I didn't want to just slap something on and be done with it. So I figured, why not try to do something that goes with the interior? The lining is a very unique floral print, mostly abstract (or what I call abstract) but not easy to replicate. The flowers in the print are roses and I've been thinking about trying my hand at making fabric flowers for a few weeks now... perfect opportunity, right?

Wrong. Oh, looking at it, it looks like it's a very rough rose, kinda tattered, unique. Pick it up and it falls apart. Maddy took it apart once all by herself. I tried to stitch it together as I went (the second time) but it just wouldn't work for me. I know there are people who can do this, no problem... I can't. I don't know why, it may be the size of my hands (they're fairly big) or not being able to comprehend how to hold the piece properly so I could sew it together... it just didn't work.

So I decided to try felt. I've been working with felt a lot more lately - mostly as appliqués on the pouches I've been making - and feel really comfortable using it.

I think it looks great. The colour of the photograph doesn't do it justice - it was taken at a weird time in the morning where I couldn't get good light anywhere... but compared to the first flower, a vast improvement.

That's not to say I won't try fabric flowers again. I will, but I'll have to work out a method to do it that I can work with. I do like the concept of a tattered, messy-looking flower for some of my pieces, but for the time being, I'll stick with felt.

Starting the week off right

2010-09-26T21:39:00.000-05:00

Two things:

First, I was chosen as one of Cargoh's Things we love today.

More specifically, my tan cotton slim case was chosen. Thanks to the awesome folks at Cargoh for that :)

And today, I made this:

This is the best picture I could get before Maddy whisked it away. She's named him 'Lellow'... it's how she says 'yellow', which is the only colour she wanted him to be. He's (I think he's a 'he') made out of cotton, eco fi felt, and is filled with scrap fabric and polyfill batting. He's mostly handstitched, with the exception of the two pieces of cotton. I'm debating offering this up for custom order - would there be interest? Drop me a line in the comments if you are interested and if you have any other suggestions.

My Etsy shop stock is still 15% off until Thursday. As of Friday, that shop will close and I will move most of whatever remains (I'm hoping there won't be a lot) to ArtFire and Cargoh. Some of it I will remove from sale completely and make it available only via craft sales and possibly by special request. I'll try to make sure I post updates frequently. It's going to be a busy week with all the hubbub of closing the shop, stocking another, getting the website up, setting up a shop there...and it's still 90 or so days until Christmas. Yay.

Guide to the unknown

2010-09-25T17:55:00.000-05:00

For years, I've usually worked whenever the local MCC Relief sale was taking place. I've heard about the wonderful pies and cookies and other delicious treats; the unique crafts and products available from Ten Thousand Villages there. This year, I finally made it.

And it's a good thing I did, too... I remember my mom having this book around a lot when I was younger, but she says she never actually owned it - she just borrowed it from the library a lot. I knew the second I saw it hidden on one of the tables that not only did I need it, I had to have it.

The sticker on the cover says $6. By the time we had reached the books, the prices had all been slashed in half.

I paid $3 for this book. Three dollars.

Do I think it was worth it?

Um, perhaps.

Yeah, I guess.

I have a small booklet outlining some of the same stitches that are in the one I picked up today, but not with the detailed instructions like the new one has.

I've been interested in learning new needlecrafts since I started doing more embroidery. Smocking is one of the techniques I've seen finished a thousand times; and it seems way easier than I thought. Like simple. I say that now, but wait until I actually try it and cry in frustration every five minutes.

I really like the tips and tricks that are included for people like me, who have been clipping corners very badly for months now. A pin to keep from clipping the threads? Genius!

The book covers embroidery, needlepoint, knitting, appliqué, quilting, patchwork, macramé, crochet, rug-making and lacework; each section goes beyond just those, like the lace section...

Goes into tatting. Like smocking, tatting is one of those techniques I've seen and admired but never thought about how one would go about creating it. My mom apparently knows how to do tatting, something I never knew. Huh.

That's Maddy's hand, helpfully pointing something out. She likes my new book, too... she keeps crying whenever I take it away from her.

One of the things I'm most excited about in this book is the section on weaving. I know the basic weaving techniques - back and forth, over and under, etc, etc, etc - but I've never quite understood how different colours are introduced or how patterns are made. Now, apparently, I can find out.

I've been doing a lot of embroidery lately, and this book is going to hopefully help me expand on my stitch repertoire. I can see doing a sampler in the near future so I can at least try out the stitches and narrow down which ones are doable and which ones turn out looking like rat's nests.

Just a reminder that all stock in my shop is still 15% off. Be sure to check it out if you're looking for early holiday gifts.

It's gotta go

2010-09-24T16:57:00.000-05:00

This is the last week for my Etsy shop to have stock in it, so if you've had your eye on a piece, pick it up now. If you live in Brandon and would like to save yourself the shipping costs, drop me a line (same if you live in the surrounding 50kms or so).

Next Friday, I'll have a new shop to open and hopefully a new website to launch, as well as new stock in my Cargoh shop. Keep checking in to see what else I might be getting off the ground.

Fresh coat of paint

2010-09-24T13:01:00.000-05:00

I've just redesigned my Twitter background to something a little less in-your-face (I hope). I'm not sure if it'll work with the new Twitter layout that's slowly coming out, but I like the geometric lines so much I'll probably use it somewhere else if it doesn't.

Rain, rain...

2010-09-22T14:02:00.000-05:00

First day of fall and I could see my breath outside when I popped out a half hour ago - at 1pm - to take this photo. It's raining and cold and just ugh. We never really had a summer, but it looks like it might warm up this weekend to a whole 19˚C. Sad when we get all giddy over a high like that, but it's been a pretty ugly year in terms of weather around here, especially for the farmers. Too much rain, no warmth, late harvest, if any at all... ugly.

But onto happier news. Or somewhat happier... I'm still planning to close out my Etsy shop within the week. I've signed on to upgrade my ArtFire account and plan on listing some pieces in my very neglected Cargoh shop. And then there's the new website - nisseworks.com.

My website is being designed by my supertalented brother-in-law (his website's here). I've decided to include a 'shop' feature on my website. I've done a lot of research into e-commerce and shopping carts, trying to find one that a borderline web design Luddite, like myself, can use and not crash the entire internet. I checked out what a lot of the blogs I read use for their shop sections and read a lot of reviews, and have decided to go with Ecwid. One of the first things I noticed about Ecwid was that their website is easy to use - very straightforward, uncomplicated, something I could move around quite easily. And they're free and a lot of crafty-types use them, so win all the way.

I didn't expect to have to step out on my own so soon... I was hoping to spend a few years on Etsy, build up a customer base and then move onto my own site so I could control stock & orders. I'm not mad that I'm moving on so much sooner, I'm mad at how it happened. I'm more than a little scared at going out on my own, but I don't think that anyone would be cool, calm & collected if they were in my position. And really, the upcoming holiday season is the perfect time to launch something like this... fingers crossed, I end up being busy with orders & requests. Heck, I'll cross my toes, too, if it'll help :)

Making it up

2010-09-21T15:12:00.000-05:00

This is my primary workspace, outside of my desk. It's our kitchen table, theoritically seats 4 when it's not covered in my sewing stuff and also isn't in our tiny war-time house kitchen. (We can't open the apartment-sized oven if someone's sitting at the table. That's how small our kitchen is.)

Yes, it's disorganized. Some would say mess. Others would say, 'Oh, wow. That's a disaster'. I seem to work best when my workspace looks like this. Can I find everything I need at the drop of a hat? Heck, no, but I can't do that when it's nice and tidy, so what's the difference.

I also clear everything off the table every 2 weeks to make bread. It's quite the challenge when you have no storage space, except under the table itself. That's something I'm going to have to rectify soon because there's a furnace vent that is on the verge of being covered and in a house with crap for insulation, we need all the vents to be as clear as possible.

But back to my work. That tote bag is the first piece I've made that wasn't done for a craft show in a month. And I love it. The lining, the duck cotton exterior, the eco-felt flower that I embroidered on the outside... it's the perfect tote for any occasion. I'm hoping to have it listed in my Cargoh shop by the end of the week. First, though, I need to build a light tent.

I've been trying to come up with designs for a few new pieces lately that (a) are within my skill range; and (b) within my price range. We've got some pretty amazing thrift shops here, as I've mentioned before, and there have been some pretty killer finds beyond the scarves I wrote about before.

Like these. Lovely pieces of soft corduroy, beautiful wools and whatever-the-blue-plaid-is (I think it's a cotton/wool blend)... I'm excited to be moving beyond cottons, especially into wools. I have a lot of it, all in suitweights and all in dark hues, but I'm trying to be as stingy with it as possible right now. It's too nice to just hack up for any project under the sun or cut for something I never intend to make. Right now, I've cut a few pieces to use in a iPod/iPhone sleeve design I've come up with.

Progress is being made. Decisions are being made. Pieces are being made. I want to have as much as I can in place for October 1 - what is essentially going to be the beginning of holiday shopping for me and my shops - but I don't want to be making things for the sake of making them to sell. Quality in my work - and workmanship - is something I need to focus on right now. And I think it'll show in the pieces I've got planned.

Closing the door

2010-09-20T13:23:00.000-05:00

photo via sxc.hu

I've mentioned before that I wasn't happy about some things that go on with Etsy, specifically their treatment of the sellers themselves and the actual operation of the site in terms of ease of use.

Well, today, thanks to a glitch in the system, every seller who had been included in every treasury made had their full name displayed. Not just shop name - oh, no - their full theoretically-legal name.

Which goes against their own privacy policy.

There's going to be some pretty ugly results from this. There are a lot of unhappy sellers there now, and a lot have left, disgusted with a variety of issues.

I'm done. I am so done with Etsy. This wasn't just the straw that broke the camel's back; it's the one that buried it in the sand... much like the heads of Etsy's admins.

That said, for the next 24 hours - from 1:30pm CDT Monday, Sept 20 to 1:30pm CDT Tuesday, Sept 21 - everything in my shop is 10% off. EVERYTHING. And because Etsy doesn't have the ability to adjust prices without going into every single item and change them, I'll refund the 10% at the PayPal checkout.

Happy shopping :)

(I'm still at Cargoh, though... and likely moving to ArtFire soon. Like by the end of the week.)

Frugal finds

2010-09-17T18:42:00.000-05:00

Four scarves, $2.25 at the local MCC today. One wool, one hand-screened, one typical 70s design, one thin. The photo - with it's not-so-great lighting - doesn't do the colours justice.

As I mentioned on Twitter a few hours ago, I'm really getting into this 'being thrifty' business. I'm going to start looking at the second-hand/thrift/restores more and more now... there's no way I could ever hope to find anything like these scarves in a big box store, even at what might pass for a normal retail price. Even the small bundles of material I keep coming across are incredibly unique and totally worth more than their price (usually between 50¢ & $1).

I'm working on starting a few new lines of product in the coming weeks and I'm hoping to do one made completely out of material and fabrics I've found the thrifty way. I'm always intrigued when I come across a piece made of repurposed fabric, and I hope others are too.

Packing up

2010-09-16T12:05:00.000-05:00

At some point in the next few weeks, I'll be moving this blog - and hopefully everything contained within - to my new website nisseworks.com. I've wanted to have everything - my blog, an online shop, portfolio - in one place for a while, and I managed to catch an awesome deal with Netfirms for hosting last week. I'm in the midst of doing some research on what will be the best shopping cart for what I plan to do (Ecwid's leading the pack so far, but the WordPress widget looks good too).

Once this blog has completely moved, there will be a post letting visitors know to head to the new site. I'm hoping it all goes smoothly and that eventually, I'll have an online shop that I can be proud of (I'll still keep my Cargoh shop, but my Etsy shop will be closing by Jan 1/11).

So, apologies in advance if something randomly goes missing or there's no blog here at all one day. I'll try to do this without messing everything up, but I'm a borderline Luddite when it comes to this type of thing.

On a quest

2010-09-14T11:16:00.000-05:00

I'm trying to get back into the work groove as smoothly as possible - it's only 10:45 am and I've already made 9 loaves of bread (including 2 cinnamon & 1 raisin). Next on my list o'things to do today: organize myself for the next 3.5 months.

The holiday season is the prime money making time for crafters and artisans. I need to get in on that like there's no tomorrow. The question is, how to do that most effectively. I've been reading a lot of online articles and how-to's over the last week or so (when I wasn't embroidering or stuffing tiny pin cushions) about what the experts claim to be the 'best' methods. This business is still fairly new - not even a year old yet - and I feel like it's not quite at the point it should be at yet.

On one hand, I worry that things are never going to pick up and that I'll have to go find a 'real' job in the new year; on the other hand, I want to be a success, but don't want to sacrifice my goals and aims to please the market. I've heard and read so many times that in order to be a successful crafter/artisan (and I don't use those two titles interchangeably, but as a complementary pair), you have to produce what the people want. Well, that's fine and dandy, but what if it means changing what I do? Where does the creativity of the crafter/artisan come into play? Or is that the point where you say 'Am I doing this to make money or to be creative?'.

It's a fine line crafters and artisans tread... I know that if I go back to work at a 'real' job, I won't continue doing what I have been for the last year. Creativity, for me, will take a backseat to bringing home a paycheque... bills need to be paid and I really don't think the bank will accept a purse in lieu of a mortgage payment.

And now, here's a question for my readers: what types of bags, pouches, cases - all handmade - do you like? I'm trying to figure out where to focus my attention next, and I've had some decent ideas and suggestions so far, but I'm always open to new ones. If you want to be specific and have a link to something that you really like, feel free to pop it into the comments, too. Thanks :)

Learning lessons

2010-09-13T15:59:00.000-05:00

So.

My first craft sale this weekend.

On the up side, I learned A LOT.

On the down side, I didn't even sell enough product to cover my table fee of $25.

I'm not terribly upset or distraught... I needed to find out how sales actually worked, especially in this rural-based, primarily-middle-class region. I have an idea now of what works and what doesn't - but I also know that what didn't work at this sale may be the absolute killer at the next.

A brief list of the big lessons learned this weekend:

Just because you're selling something no one else at the sale is, doesn't mean you'll have no problems selling your product. Anyone who sews has pin cushions coming out their ears; needlebooks, while 'cute' and 'smart', are a great idea, perhaps not the best execution.
Having an eye-pleasing display is important, especially if it includes various kinds of baking. Baking always sells fastest and first. The table next to ours was completely sold out one hour & 20 minutes into the sale.
While my parents have lived in Carberry for almost 14 years, I never did. Most of the people I know there are either friends of my parents or my younger sister. Probably the best thing I did for this sale was ask my mom to help me at the table. She knows EVERYONE in town and is much more outgoing than me...she brought in all three of my sales.
Don't be saddened that the older couple across the way can sell homemade underwear; take their approach to selling, sift through it and see what might apply to you. Their table was overloaded with product - and not just homemade underwear - to the point where customers had to go through piles of tea towels and knitting and blankets just to get to what they wanted. More often than not, they'd find more than what they were looking for at the bottom of the pile, because something they had to sort through to get there caught their eye. That doesn't mean I'm going to haphazardly pile my product on my next table, hoping that people will go through it to find what they want; it does mean, however, that I need to work out a display that makes the customers go from one product to the next without losing their focus.
Signage is so important, more important than I thought. I made up a couple of placecards with my business name on them, but that was it... until I got frustrated trying to explain to my mom - my helper for the day - which product was which. Then I made handwritten signs that I just kind of slid into the baskets. Next sale, signs and perhaps even a brief description on the signs will be accompanying the products. Also, a pronunciation guide for nisse (niss-eh) and a little historical background to what the word actually means.

Yeah, I only made $17 and had 3 sales, but quite a few people did pick up the postcards I made up and there was some interest in doing some custom work in the near future. But more people know my name now than did on Friday and that's what I see as the biggest achievement from the sale. There aren't enough articles or tutorials in the world to learn these lessons.

A sale here, in rural southwestern Manitoba, will not be the same type of sale as one in Florida. Or even Winnipeg. There are very few - if any - craft sales held in the spring or summer around here. Craft sales and fall suppers go hand in hand for us, and everyone in the crafting/artisan world here knows when the big sales are and where the best ones are. It was an interesting and eye-opening experience, to say the least... and one that I'm sure I'll repeat over and over again, but with slight variations, for years to come.

I hope.

PSA or plea?

2010-09-09T11:58:00.000-05:00

I'm waist-deep in unfilled pin cushions for this weekend's sale, but I had to post this:

This Is Handmade.

If you think this messenger bag is overpriced, or that this purse isn't worth $24, especially after watching those clips... then there's no hope in changing your mind. And if you think that my work - or any other independent handmade artisan's work - is worth the price we ask, then please, remember us this holiday season.

On the radar

2010-09-03T14:44:00.002-05:00

We assume people like shopping at Walmart or Target and so don’t offer an alternative. We assume people like showing up at a party wearing the same thing as three other people and so we don’t offer to help them shop for some vintage clothes. We assume people don’t mind having the same coffee table from Ikea as 20,000 other people and so we don’t tell them about the woman down the street who makes coffee tables from recycled wood.

-'don't write them off', by Tara Gentile (scoutiegirl)

I'm still quite sick today, but when I read that article from Tara Gentile (scoutiegirl) this morning, I knew I had to step up and start promoting the world of handmade more than I have been. There's a whole argument about why handmade should be the preferred choice, but getting that through to the vast majority of the public is an impossible challenge for one person, never mind a small handful of vocal handmade 'activists'.

So here's what I plan on doing. I plan on encouraging my friends and family to look to handmade and small independent artisans for their Christmas gifts this year. I plan on only giving handmade gifts, even if they are my own. I plan on promoting the world - and the benefits - of handmade products to everyone who visits my table at the craft sale next week. I plan on trying to purchase more independent and handmade products, including visiting more farmer's markets. I live in a very Wal-mart-based city, so finding a wide variety of handmade/independent work can be a problem, but there has been a massive influx of immigrants from around the world to our city in the last few years; their influence continues to grow in the community, from restaurants to a monthly women's fair.

I want to be able to have a viable alternative to purchasing everything at a big box store with underpaid (and underappreciated) staff. I would much rather pay a few dollars extra, knowing that money would go into the pocket of the artisan who took the time to put their own effort into creating something I would enjoy.

And now I'm going to go back to my embroidery and attempt to get better.

Handled well

2010-09-02T17:03:00.000-05:00

The local Habitat for Humanity Restore has officially become my favourite place to shop. The bag and linen in the photo above cost a whole $5.50 today. And based on the brief bit of research I've done, I walked away with quite a steal.

Unfortunately, there are no identifying marks on the bag, beyond the I.D. tag, and the only clue that it was vintage was the phone number and penmanship. Rather than a seven digit phone number, it was only four...and the handwriting screams pre-1950s. But the well-worn handles and scratches and creases on the body of the bag prove that this bag is not only vintage, but well taken care of.

I don't care about the paint spots on the bag... I'd rather have something that showed it was used and used well. Pristine pieces are for collectors and museums; I'm just someone who wanted this bag. I'm still not sure what I'm going to use it for, but I'll use it. Hopefully as well as the previous owner.

And yes, that lock does say 'Cheney'. No relation to the former V.P., as far as I can tell.

Aside from the handles of the bag, the lining is my favourite part. It's a soft, light material that has held up well over the years... no stains or tears, not even in the small pockets that line one side. The zipper works well and the lock looks to be in good shape... no key, though.

The linen... oh, the linen. I had a lot more vintage linen in my hands that I could have bought for anywhere between 50¢ and $2, but I went with only $8.75 in change and spent all of it (not pictured: simple woven basket, bamboo picnic case and heavy shower curtain that I plan on using as a table cloth for my table next week). But this linen was something I had to have. The colour in this photo isn't quite how it looks in real life... it's more mustard than shown, but I bought it more for the stripe that runs through it. It's a decent size - 4'x4' or so - and will make a few nice bags, once I find a design that I think would work well with it.

I've become a big fan of finding the hidden deals, especially on vintage/retro pieces. I don't know if that's the budget-conscious mom in me or the Scottish blood in my mom's family coming through... either way, it could make for some interesting purchases. Much to Keith's chagrin :)

Hack... hack...

2010-09-01T12:38:00.000-05:00

I'm getting sick - chest cold, head cold, etc, etc, etc - so I'm just going to post a few pics of stuff I've been working on and then I'm going to lounge on the couch until my head explodes.

New business cards, with my Cargoh shop address. I'm handing these ones out at the craft sale next week, so I figured I may as well try to get as much info on them as I could. I know keeping the info as minimal as possible is a better idea, but hey...I'm not one to follow the crowd. Printed on Epson Premium Presentation Paper Matte, using my Epson 50 Artisan. Cut using my Cricut Trimmer.

Now, this is not a good photo of this particular piece, but it's the best of the bunch. This is also the first time the receiver will be seeing this iPad sleeve (tada, Bruce!). I'll have more info on the sleeve - and the challenges of working with such a large piece of faux suede - in a few days when I can sit up for more than 10 minutes without falling over.

And I've finally gotten around to making labels for my pieces... I know, I've already sold 5 pieces and sent them out without any identifying marks and that's just dumb. So I've got 6 yards of off-white twill tape and my logo & website printed onto a sheet of Avery T-Shirt transfer paper. It's much easier to put them together than I expected... now all I have to do is figure out how to put them on my already-finished and listed pieces without destroying them.

With that, I'm going to go wrap up in a warm blanket, attempt to do some embroidery and try to get healthy... *sniff*

Purposefully repurposing

2010-08-29T14:04:00.000-05:00

My parents, Maddy and I went into Winnipeg yesterday to visit my sister and her husband. We haven't seen my sister or her husband since the end of June when she left to go work up north on a couple of archaeological digs, so it was nice to have a chance to hang out and do some shopping.

I have been looking for vintage luggage - specifically, train sets (although, hat boxes would be awesome, too) - for a while now for the craft sales I'm in. I want to use them to display my wares in a more unique fashion and as transport/storage. I want to stand out in a crowd at a sale and as I'm not a very extroverted person and am pretty unlikely to obviously seek people out to talk to, having an eyecatching - and memorable - display is the best way to bring people to my table.

I went to Value Village in hopes of finding some luggage. I've seen a few online classified ads selling them here in town, too, but wanted to make sure that I wasn't going to end up paying through the nose for them. I didn't find any luggage, but managed to pick up a few random grab-bags of sewing notions, a bag of Fisher Price toys for Maddy - including a camera - and a few sturdy belts I'm going to use as straps on future bags.

And then I found what could be the turning point in my bag business. That coat in the photo? That coat that's 50% lamb wool, 50% camel hair? That coat that is so soft and well cared for that it's a shame it was in a second-hand shop?

$7.99.

I know there are other bag makers out there who only use repurposed materials and they make some pretty amazing stuff. I like working with the materials I have on hand now - mostly cottons and poly-cotton blends - but trying to make something with this, a beautiful and elegant material... well, it scares me.

I have no immediate plans for the coat. When a plan starts to formulate, there's going to be a lot of research put into it. I may have only paid $7.99 for it, but the coat is worth far more than that. I certainly don't want to be butchering it up like a Sunday roast.

Or maybe I'll keep it for special requests. It may come in handy as a nice incentive to get shoppers to sign up for some custom work.

sigh

2010-08-26T14:56:00.000-05:00

Some of the work I've been doing this week, including a custom iPad sleeve
(photos & details to follow in a few days) and the many, many needlebooks I wanted to make.
Not needed to, but wanted to. Silly me.

I've been busier this week than I had expected, and as such haven't had time to update here or really post any new pieces in either of my shops. On the plus side, I do have quite a pile of almost-finished needlebooks and pin cushions that have to be done in 2 weeks (if you live in Westman and want to start your Christmas and holiday shopping early, kick off your fall craft sale tour with the Carberry Arts Council's 'Harvest of Hobbies', September 11 at the Community Hall, located right behind the high school on Main St, from 10-3, silver collection...there, I promoted it:) ). And there's a growing list of custom orders I'm working on, too. August, for all of my derision, has turned out to be a pretty damn good month.

The downside to being so busy prepping for this craft sale is that, as I mentioned, my Cargoh and Etsy shops are both suffering. Maddy and I are heading to my parent's for a couple of days (and also to Winnipeg to visit my sister & her husband), so I should *hopefully* have a decent chunk of time to get through the rest of the embroidery/detail work that needs to be done on 2 custom pieces and the many needlebooks that seem to multiply even further when I'm not looking.

Long story, short... sorry I haven't posted much. I've been busy either developing one hell of a callous on my index finger or chasing a very stubborn and active almost-20 month old for the last 6 days. Monday, I want my life back to normal. Please :)

Forethought... not my forté

2010-08-22T22:31:00.000-05:00

This is how I work on new designs that I haven't really dummied out prior to starting: taking inspiration from somewhere (in this case, my coupon envelope, one of those accordion deals), I'll start cutting material without measuring. Then I'll start sewing it, without a plan or consistent use of seam allowances. Inevitably, I hit a brick wall about 80% of the way through the project and either 'set it aside' to finish later (aka, put it into a very full bag I've got under the table, full of similar projects that will eventually be taken apart to reuse the material), or I'll look at the incomplete project with a critical mind and try to figure out if I can finish it.

This particular design for a travel sewing kit that I plan on selling at the two craft sales I'm in this fall can and will be finished, thanks to my mom's serger. And liberal use of either bias tape or binding, neither of which I like nor can do well. Of course, I didn't actually ask my mom if I could use her serger - a Christmas present from my dad 4 or 5 years ago that she only started using seriously when making receiving blankets for Maddy - until I'd made half a dozen of these. And I haven't told her she's putting on the bias/binding tape...mwahahahahahah. Ha.

It's shaping up to be a busy week, but not because I have a lot of work to do. Keith's been at Clear Lake since early yesterday, so it's just Maddy and I at home... so far, it's been pretty good. She's can play by herself no problem, but if no one checks on her every so often, she'll try climbing the dresser in her room or eating whatever she finds on the floor (lately, it's been a lot of thread... yay, me). Tomorrow is the first of two baking days for me so I picked up a new colouring book and crayons for her, so that should help keep her busy. And there's always the Sesame Street 40th Anniversary DVD if she gets restless. I'm not a fan of using technology to babysit my kid, but Sesame Street will at least teach her something. And she loves Bert & Ernie. LOVES them.

In between the baking and taking care of Maddy, there's always work to be done to get ready for the craft sale on Sept 11. Displays, posters, signage, business cards... so much work to do and I'll probably still be working on something right up to the start of the sale, if not during. I'm using this blog post from Mermaid's Closet as a guideline for prepping/running my table, although I have a feeling that at the first sale, I may be the youngest vendor there.

This is not the week to try structuring a work schedule that includes spending time reading blogs or checking websites for inspiration, but I've got plans to set up a specific time each week to do that, as well as a series of posts on a somewhat unrelated topic here. In due time, though.. in due time.

Stacking the deck

2010-08-19T22:30:00.000-05:00

It's been a busier-than-expected week, but quite productive. I managed to get a whole bunch of pieces finally finished - mostly cutting hanging threads, putting buttons on, that kind of thing; also updated nisseworks' Facebook page with photos and some links to my work so it's not quite so blank; and ventured full steam ahead into the world of custom work.

Taking on four custom orders in the last week has opened a new venue for revenue (ooh, rhyming), one that I had considered, but decided against because I thought it would just lead to headaches. Well, after almost 6 months of my Etsy shop being open and only selling 3 pieces, it's probably time to start looking at other ways to use my creative skills to help pay the bills.

Hence, my Cargoh shop. Let me just say that Cargoh is awesome. Just awesome. Sure there were a few hiccups earlier this month with the jurying and eliminating sellers and all that, but they've come out ahead. I like being part of Cargoh and hope that it succeeds, and I'd think that even if I wasn't a seller there. It's got a very close-knit feeling to it, unlike some other online venues that make the seller feel like they're just a cash cow for the owners.

Then there's the request for a quote to do up some wedding invitations which came right out of the blue. Back in January, I had given Keith a stack of flyers to post up around town and pass on to people he thought might be interested. He dropped by a small wedding boutique here and they were quite happy to take 200 smaller flyers to put in the goody bags they gave to prospective brides. Fast forward 8 months, and I get an email from a bride-to-be... so I sent her a quote and a basic outline of what she can expect/what I need from her and I'm hoping to hear from her within the next week or so. I had assumed that the boutique just stopped handing them out or no one was interested, but lo and behold, someone is. Hopefully.

August has been the month I didn't expect, but hoped for. I've been really busy coming up with new designs, trying new promotional ideas, doing research, as well as selling and taking orders. Keith is leaving for a week on Saturday and I'm planning on taking some time while he's gone to figure out where I should take this little business of mine next. I've got a couple of ideas - like the paper/digital design line that I'm 99% sure I'm going to launch in the next month - simmering away, but need to figure out how to get them out of my head and into action. I know that I'm farther ahead today than I was a month ago, which is all anyone can really hope for... I just need to keep the momentum going for the rest of the year.

Stocking up

2010-08-14T21:45:00.000-05:00

I've got stock in my new online shop at Cargoh - nisseworks - finally. I wasn't sure the photos I'd taken the other day of my pieces were going to be good enough, but with some tinkering and tweaking, they turned out fairly well. There's always room for improvement, and once I get my hands on a decent sized cardboard box to make a lightbox, I'll probably be redoing these photos, too.

So now I've got two online shops... I've been debating opening a third, strictly for my paper/digital design work. I'm not sure where the shop will end up being, but I know where it won't be (and I won't mention names here, but when those sites I've looked at feature on their front page blurry photos of mediocre work, I'm not sure I want to be associated with them). I'm aiming to have the next shop open in early September, depending on whether or not I get into the first craft sale this fall (still no word... grr). If I get in, it'll be later in September, but I've got Christmas and winter designs I want to do, so it's better to be sooner than later.

Three ahead, two back

2010-08-13T12:25:00.000-05:00

On the plus side, if I don't sell a single pin cushion, I'll have gifts for many years to come.

It seems like every time I make a plan, especially one that involves me working for more than 10 minutes at a time, something - or someone - pops up to derail me and whatever I've been working on.

Don't get me wrong, I like my family - and Keith's too - and I like hanging out with my friends, but people, come on. One day... 8 hours, at most. That's all I should need to catch up on a growing list of projects I need to get finished. Hopefully.

I'm stepping away from sewing for the day to catch up on some design work I need to do (ie. business cards) and come up with a couple of patterns for some custom pieces I've been asked to do. But those will have to take a backseat to having coffee with a friend this afternoon and visiting a farmer's market with my mom. Again, I like being out with people and seeing my family, but my work is not going to get done if I'm not doing it.

Breathe in... breathe out.

I've booked a table for a craft sale in December, but still haven't heard if I made it into the one next month. I'm hoping they let us know soon, because if I can stop making pin cushions by the dozen, I'll gladly do it and get back to my other work.

I'm also working on opening up my shop *officially* at Cargoh, a new online marketplace that's not only awesomely cool, but juried, as well. I applied last week with some samples from my current Etsy shop and really didn't expect to make the cut. Imagine my surprise last weekend when I was... and then a brief flood of terror that came with it. The terror came from realizing I actually have to put things into the shop to sell. I've got a few pieces I'm planning on listing this weekend (here's the link to my shop - nisseworks), but need to do the photos for them first.

Things are looking up a bit for this business... some custom orders, a few sales, acceptance into a juried site... maybe this whole thing wasn't a crapshoot after all :)

Picture it

2010-08-11T13:22:00.000-05:00

Standard photoshoot props - lotions, lip balms, pens, iPod, business cards, sunglasses, scissors, and lint brush.
The toothbrush was a random addition to this particular shoot.

It's photoshoot day for a good chunk of the pieces I've had sitting, waiting, to be listed in my shop for a few weeks now. Taking photos of my pieces is my least favourite thing to do - I find it tedious and frustrating, but I know the benefit of having good photos when you're trying to sell something to someone who can't actually physically touch your product. My product photos have improved a fair bit since I started my shop in March, but there's a massive amount of room for improvement, I'm sure.

I don't have a lightbox, but Craftgossip - one of my favourite crafting websites - linked to a blog post about making your own lightbox for next to nothing. I've seen lightboxes online for $50 or more (closer to $100+), but as I'm still starting out and only have 2 sales under my belt, spending money on any extras just isn't going to happen... so if I can make something that will help me showcase my work better for next to nothing, I'm willing to try it.

Right now, I use a large piece of bristol/poster board for my backgrounds, for the most part. I've used our living room floor on occasion, too, depending on the size of the piece (bags & purses) or the material I've used (black corduroy). I don't use any fancy lighting, just the natural sunlight that comes in through the south-facing window of our laundry room. After using this set-up for the last 5 or 6 months, I think it's time I try something new, like a DIY lightbox.

I'm planning on reshooting all of my current pieces while Keith is away for 8 days covering a golf tournament later this month, if only because I like to torture myself with tedious, painful activities. In reality, I've got a second shop I'm working on (more on that tomorrow...) and I want to spruce up the Etsy one for fall and Christmas shopping. And with Keith being gone for so long, I won't have too much time to work on making any new pieces, so why not work on my photos?

Pattern plotting

2010-08-10T10:01:00.000-05:00

Cardboard, scissors, ruler, pen and old khakis...my pattern-making kit. The ruler is occasionally optional.

My pattern-making skills are pretty limited. I can design things, like this piece, off the top of my head, usually through a lot of trial-and-error, but working from a pattern is incredibly challenging for me. Making the pattern myself to work from? Quite impossible, as the piles of abandoned projects and cardboard can attest.

So far, at least.

I'm starting work this week on a new product line that I'm planning on selling at the craft sales I'm (*hopefully*) in this fall. I've searched the web high and low for a needlebook/case pattern that I like enough to use as inspiration, but haven't found anything that grabs my attention. Sure, there are lots of cute ones out there (like this one, or this one, both found on Etsy), and I certainly wouldn't turn them down if I was given either of them as a gift, but they aren't quite what I want. So I'm making my own.

I've decided to make three different sizes - two will be more for travel sewing kits or for people who like to embroider on the go, and the larger one will be for more of a central deposit, for lack of a better term, for all your needles and some pins and maybe a pocket for some bits of thread and things. Like a lot of other needlebook creators, I'll be embroidering the outsides of mine with little decorations and designs, something I need to get working on today.

I've got a lot of scrap material that I'll likely never use for anything to sell (like scrub pants from my mom and old khakis from Keith) that should be perfect for tweaking the patterns I've come up with. I don't want to go into this new line without having perfected it as much as possible... time is short as it is and I can't be wasting more of it ripping out threads or sewing up pieces that just won't work anyway.

I'll post pics of some of the completed works before I head off to the craft sales this fall. Depending on how they turn out and how many I can produce in 30 days, I may even put a couple up in one of my shops (more on that later, I promise...). Because everyone needs a needlebook to keep track of their needles so they don't end up stuck in the carpet, lost until someone steps on it in the middle of the night, barefoot.

Animals on the walls

2010-08-08T22:40:00.002-05:00

When I cleaned out Maddy's room last week, the walls ended up looking pretty bare. We've had a quilt hanging in her room for the last year or so, courtesy of my mom, and she's got a couple of shelves of toys way up high, but the room still seemed pretty empty. Taking out a crib and boxes of clothes will do that, apparently.

Maddy has always loved animals. Her curtains and quilts are animal prints. Most of her stuffed toys are animals. She's a very animal-friendly kid. I've been trying to come up with something I could make her for a few months now that not only took care of her love for animals, but was educational at the same time.

I've mentioned before that I'm a graphic designer by trade, but haven't been really doing any design since I left my job last winter. Lately, design's something that's been popping up in my head more and more frequently. So I decided to take that need and apply it by making something for Maddy.

These prints are OOAK (one-of-a-kind, for those not in the know... I wasn't in the know until just recently, so don't feel bad), completely original, home-printed... I have a kick-ass (for me, anyway) Epson Artisan 50 printer that I picked up on sale last winter. I love this printer for what it can do for me - clear, crisp lines, beautiful colours... it the perfect printer for my needs. I used Epson's Premium Presentation Paper in Matte, which is perfect for what I'm planning on doing with these prints - frame in simple wooden frames behind glass/plastic/whatever I can find that doesn't look like crap. I'm a big fan of Epson, from the printer to the ink to the paper... the prices are really decent and the quality is amazing.

These prints turned out so well I'm debating selling them - not these ones specifically, but a short-run of maybe 10 sets (there are 2 prints/set - I could have put all 26 animals on one page, but it would have been really crowded, and I'm using 8x11 sheets, so yeah...). I'll be sure to announce if/when I put these up for sale and where (again, more on that later).

That nagging voice in my head that's been demanding more design work has been quieted for now, but I'm sure it'll be back, with a vengeance, soon. And based on this project, I'm pretty sure I'll listen to it and do some more design stuff.

Aim high, hit low

2010-08-06T11:45:00.000-05:00

I had hoped that by this point in August, I'd be working just on pieces for my shop (or shops, more on that later), but no. As a procrastinator - as well as someone who isn't quite in the best of health - I should have known better. I've needed more sleep this month than any other in the last year, which usually means I'm dead asleep by 9pm most nights. My energy levels are pretty flat right now, so I've been sticking to doing less intensive work, like embroidery. And to top it all off, I get easily distracted.

So this weekend, I'm hoping to get a lot of work done, in amongst visiting with friends and family and taking care of Maddy. My to-do list is already done and ready to be ~~ignored~~ used to help me keep on track and get ready for what promises to be a busy fall.

I like it... I really, really like it

2010-08-05T07:37:00.001-05:00

I finally broke down and got a Facebook page for nisseworks. It's still a work-in-progress, but feel free to stop by and 'like' it (oh, that sounds so cheesy...).

I'll be using it to keep people updated on what's going on with my business and projects I'm working on and maybe, if we're lucky, holding some giveaways and contests.

So, yes... please 'like' (*rollseyes*) my page. You won't regret it... at least I don't think you will :)

Branching out

2010-08-03T21:59:00.000-05:00

I'm trying to find new things to work on to try to keep from getting bored with what I do. This pencil pouch is the first design I've come up with, all on my own. I will admit to doing some research on the easiest way to put the zipper in without having raw edges on the inside of the pouch.

But this is my first original design. I haven't seen any others like it, but there is a chance someone - somewhere - has created a pouch just like this. But for now, let's just say it's mine, ok?

I like how it turned out. I spent an hour yesterday trying to figure out the zipper/raw edges issue, but couldn't come up with a way to do it without a complicated series of turns and flips of material. To figure things out, I'll often try to break them down in my head and piece them back together, like a puzzle. Sometimes, I think I've figured out a way to solve a problem, sit down to apply my thoughts and quickly realize that I'd forgotten to take something important into account, like a seam or placement of a snap.

This piece, though... well, this is actually the second piece of this design. The first one was the test piece, the one I sewed up a hundred times and ripped the stitches out a hundred times, too. I had an idea last night how to finish the piece and let that idea stew through the night and this morning. When I sat down to finish it this afternoon, it seemed bloody obvious and I felt slightly foolish for not having realized it in the first place, but at least I came to a conclusion. I didn't give up or take extra steps that would have landed me in the same place.

I've got four more waiting to be sewn up so I can list them in my shop. I'm probably going to charge $9 for them, so be sure to keep an eye on my shop to pick one up for yourself or any student you may know!

Awkwardly attempting augustness

2010-08-01T12:33:00.000-05:00


I consider my desk to be 'clean' when I don't have to take anything off the keyboard or hunt for the mouse. And yes, that's a red Swingline stapler in the top right.

August.

What a depressing month.

No, no terrible personal events or tragedies (that I can remember...), I've always just found August to be the least pleasant month of the year. It might have something to do with still associating August with the beginning of school, but I think it has more to do with knowing that the year is way more than half over and winter is closer to starting than it is to being over.

If that makes sense... it does to me.

August also means that my birthday is a month away. At this point in life, birthdays don't mean that much. And now that my driver's license doesn't get renewed until January, I don't even have that to look forward to.

But enough slagging on August.

This month is looking pretty busy already. I did up a to-do list for the month so I had something to torture myself with midway through the month when I have nothing done.

No, I really did a to-do list so I could get organized now rather than later. I've applied to be in my very first craft sale next month (Sept 11, to be exact) and need product to sell. Right now, I have none, and I don't want to sell what I've got listed in my shop, so I've got to come up with new - and different - product to sell.

My plan at this point is to make:

pincushions, in a couple of different styles and sizes;
needlebooks, mainly because I need one and if I need one, other people do too;
sewing pouches, like the pouches I sell already, but with a few pockets on the inside for scissors or something;
large sewing totes, which would be like this tote, but, again, with pockets on the inside.

So that's my plan for the craft sale.

I'm also starting to look at doing some graphic design stuff to try to catch some Christmas/holiday-specific sales this fall. I tried doing some things last fall, but didn't get them ready in time and wasn't really happy with the work I had been doing. I had a few different styles of gift tags and cards, and I may keep some of the elements but probably redesign the majority of them.

This is almost the perfect month to get a lot of work done, too... Keith has quite a few days off leading up to the 8 days he's away at a golf tournament, and my mom's already said she'll take Maddy for a night while he's gone. Maddy's able to play by herself a lot more and doesn't need to be right with me all the time, so I can do a lot of embroidery while she's playing. I'm still going to make time to get outside and relax in the yard before the snow flies, and we're probably going to head out to my parent's next weekend and maybe to Winnipeg this month.

It's all about using the time we have available appropriately. And I can't work all the time. As much as I try (re: want) to.

The clothes made the kid

2010-07-30T16:56:00.000-05:00

Maddy's at my mom's for her first sleepover and I'm taking advantage of being child-free to declutter her room.

This means going through all of her outgrown clothes and sorting them. So far I've taken them all out of the various boxes and plastic tubs they've been stored in...and I'm in awe at how much there is. Even though I bought probably half of those clothes, it didn't really sink in until I had them all in front of me how many clothes my almost-19 month old has gone through.

And seeing them all in one place makes me even more determined to make more clothes for Maddy. I've made a few dresses and tops this summer for her, from fairly simple patterns. I'm leery about trying things like pants and shirts with yokes - two things I never quite got in high school home ec. - but if it means saving some money, I'll try it.

I grew up with a mom - and grandmother and aunt - who made a lot of our clothes and have never really been a brand seeker. Sure, I had my favourite brands, but most of those came along once I started buying my own clothes. I'm not saying that how I grew up was better than anyone else, but learning about the quality of garments - especially when you have to pay for them out of your own pocket - is something a lot more people, especially teenagers these days, need to do.

Half that pile in the photo just slid off the couch onto the floor. If I want to have Maddy's room completely cleared out before I sit down and relax with a DVD for the evening, I should probably do something about that. Hrm.

Pin it on

2010-07-29T17:54:00.000-05:00

I recently opened an account on Pinterest, a kind of virtual inspriation board. While I'm not the most prolific pinner, I'm loving exploring other people's boards and seeing what they're interested in. I've stuck to mainly design pins, but I think once I figure out how to pin things via my iPod Touch, my pins will start picking up.

I'm about to start doing some more graphic design work (couldn't stop myself...) and just clicking through the different boards being curated by designers and bloggers that I follow has been a massive inspiration. Following trends and seeing what other people like, especially coming across something you've never seen before that just sticks in your brain for days on end, helps stir up the creative juices more than anything else I can think of. But that's me. Sign up for your own Pinterest account and see what you can find to inspire you.

Busy, busy, busy... I think

2010-07-29T09:30:00.000-05:00

Pleats! I'm trying pleats! My method isn't exactly traditional, I'm sure, but it works for me. So far.

It's been a busy week so far. But I can't actually remember much of it, beyond Keith having to fix the plumbing in the kitchen after the drain pipe fell apart in his hands. And a nap yesterday that ruined my day. But ask me what we did on Monday and I couldn't tell you a blessed thing.

I do know that I spent some time on Tuesday doing some work...not much, but some. I'm in the process of winding down my shop's Christmas in July sale and starting to get ready for the craft sale season. I've already got a preliminary booking for some custom work from a friend of mine for her family's Christmas gifts, something I didn't expect at all. I haven't really been pushing the custom work option for my work, but maybe it's something I could/should do for friends and family. I mean, it's easier to showcase my work and available fabrics to people I know than ones I don't, at least at this stage, right?

The next couple of months should be pretty busy, with craft sales and just trying to keep on top of opportunities for sales. I'm still thinking of branching out to do some more graphic design work (calendars and gift tags, specifically), but finding time to do that would mean taking time away from the work I already do. Decisions, decisions...

Today is going to *hopefully* be a very busy day, getting half a dozen - if not more - pieces done. First though, I need to clean up my sewing table... I can't keep working under the threat of a fabric avalanche every time I sew a seam. I think it may be time to start seriously looking at a proper organization system... this 'pile it somewhere, I'll find it later' system just doesn't work anymore.

Christmas in July Sale - EXTENDED

2010-07-25T19:58:00.000-05:00

This plaid pouch? Yours for only $12 USD. Free shipping, too.

I've decided to extend my Christmas in July sale until the end of the month. It was supposed to end today, but there's been an upswing in traffic and quite a bit of interest, not to mention 2 sales, in the last week. I'm working on a few new pieces over the next couple of days and will definitely be adding them to the sale.

Follow me on Twitter - @nisseworks - to find out when new pieces are listed and for some special surprise deals for Twitter followers only.

A new coat of paint

2010-07-24T13:11:00.000-05:00

I'm in the midst of (re)branding my business, so I decided that the happy-happy, lovey-dovey background I had on my Twitter account (you can follow me @nisseworks) had to go. Too bright, too flowery, too cute.

So I changed it this morning.

And I have to say that I'm becoming more of a fan of this cream-brown-green-pink thing I came up with last week, although the pink may have to go, if only because it's getting lost in the cream. It's becoming almost fluorescent it's so bright... hmm.

Up, down, here, there

2010-07-21T14:01:00.000-05:00

So yesterday was a rollercoaster of a day. I'm still trying to process a bit of uneasy, but probably good, news I got from my doctor (don't worry, all is well... it's just means a bit of an adjustment) and Keith's mom is coming to visit for few days, so there's housework and then there's a political issue that I've gotten deep into (and can't get out of).

And I sold my first piece on Etsy. WOO HOO.

A lovely buyer from Ontario bought a pouch I'd listed when I first stocked my shop. It was one of my favourites, with the lining print and buttons. I'm kind of sad to see it go, but at the same time, bloody elated I've finally sold something.

So this morning, I wrapped the pouch and a couple of cards up in some recycled tissue paper (I have piles, thanks to having a baby last year) and put it in the mail. I was under the impression that I was going to end up using the entire revenue from the sale on postage, but nope... the Canada Post worker at the mall slid my package right through the 20mm 'slot of doom' no problem. Well, she had to squeeze it a bit, but she was kind of rushed off her feet as she was also manning the mall's customer service desk, all alone. So kudos to you, nice Canada Post/customer service lady :)

And then this:

made the day complete. Thanks, Roger :)

The Christmas in July sale is still going on in my shop until Sunday - free shipping on everything in the Christmas in July section. I'm planning another surprise sale for later this week, too... all depends on how busy we are with Keith's mom and everything, but keep checking back here (or follow me on Twitter - @nisseworks) to find out the pertinent info.

Surprise sale #1 - white summer shoulder bag

2010-07-19T16:53:00.001-05:00

Hey, fellow Tweeters! Want a smashing deal on a sweet summer bag?

You can have this bag -

For only $20.

Free shipping, too.

But, there's a catch.

This sale is only for the next hour.

So from now - 4:52pm Central Standard Time - until 5:52pm Central Standard Time (I'm using the time on the computer), this bag can be yours for $20. And free shipping, too... so you're saving probably $20 for a one-of-a-kind, handmade summer bag.

First come, first sold... sorry, no raincheques or holds allowed. Discount will be refunded via PayPal (so you'd "pay" $35 for it, but get $15 + shipping back right away).

Thanks!

ETA: This sale's over, but there will be a few more before the 25th when the CIJ sale wraps up. Follow me on Twitter to find out the details :)

Green thumbing

2010-07-19T12:09:00.001-05:00

First harvest of the year - a Manitoba Tomato. It's not that big - about the size of a ping pong ball - but it's the first one that's managed to make it through a slight blight infestation that's attacked at least one of my plants. But it's a garden tomato... mmm.

And my lavender! Oh, my sweet, sweet lavender... this is the third time I've tried to grow lavender in my many years of gardening. This is the first time I haven't killed it within a month of planting it. It's flowering - as the photo shows - and sprouting and strong... and it smells so wonderful.

I'm already making plans on how to keep it alive through our winter, which may prove to be a bit more of a challenge for me than most people. Not only do I procrastinate like a pro, the way our backyard is landscaped (and I use that term very loosely), the lavender (and my only yellow rose bush) is in the lowest point of the yard. Our backyard is essentially a bowl-shape so everything tends to collect right where the lavender is; add in the windtrap that the backyard becomes in the winter and waist-deep snow and keeping this particular lavender plant alive - and thriving next year - will be a battle worth winning.

Today's a pretty hectic day for us - we're heading out of town this afternoon for doctor's appointments (yes, I live in a city of 50,000, but my family doctor is 45 minutes away in a small town of 1,500... yay, Canadian healthcare!) and supper at my parent's, so instead of listing a new piece I don't have time to finish properly, I'm going to have a surprise deal announced via Twitter - @nisseworks - this afternoon (within the next 5 hours). Follow me on Twitter and you can have a chance for an amazing deal on something in my shop.

And a new design for the blog! I like it, after all the hiccups last evening... clean, not flashy, simple. I give it 3 months before I change it again :)

Okay...

2010-07-18T19:06:00.001-05:00

So I've learned my lesson about hitting 'Apply to Blog' when doing a redesign.

I'd fix it now, but my living room currently looks like a disaster area. Hopefully I'll have a chance to get back to this tonight, but it may be a couple of days until I have more than a few minutes to dedicate to it.

That said, have a good week!

ETA: Somehow managed to get my old template back, as unappealing as it is. That said, I may spend the rest of the evening attempting to tweak it and not press 'Apply to Blog' before I'm happy with it.

This is all to avoid doing any sewing tonight. I figure I'm doing work that I've been putting off for a while, just not anything that can help make money. At least directly :)

(Just a reminder, my shop's Christmas in July sale is still going on - free shipping on everything in the 'Christmas in July' section - check it out now!)

Not quite two turtle doves...

2010-07-16T10:33:00.000-05:00

Day 2 of the Christmas in July sale on Etsy. In my shop, there's free shipping on everything in the Christmas in July section, but my Twitter followers (I'm @nisseworks) will have the first dibs on some great surprise deals between now and July 25th. What kind of deals? Well, I can't tell you that because then it wouldn't be a surprise, would it?

There's still lots of other items in my shop available, too, just not part of the Christmas in July sale. And many, many, MANY other Etsy sellers are participating in the Christmas in July sale. Check out this Etsy blog post for more info.

I'm aiming to have a lot of new pieces listed in my sale section this weekend, as well has some different - ie. things that aren't pouches, wallets or bags - listed. Watch my shop or follow me on Twitter to stay up to date.

Just for all the eager beavers out there...

2010-07-14T23:22:00.000-05:00

It's here - Christmas in July Sale in my Etsy shop. Be sure to check it out for some great deals (if I do say so myself...) - right now, it's free shipping on all the pieces in the Christmas in July section of my shop.

Follow me on Twitter - @nisseworks - to watch for surprise deals (like killer deals... if I'm organized enough) and to keep up with the new pieces being introduced during the sale.

The Christmas in July Sale in my shop runs from July 15 to 25. If you have any questions, drop me a line, either via email, in the comments here or on Twitter. I'll try to help... or at least try to bullshit my way to an answer :)

Taking it in stride

2010-07-12T07:25:00.001-05:00

This mountain of fabric is hopefully going to be turned into pin cushions/keepers, needle books, lanyards and key fobs soon. When I find time... I hope.

I had plans to use July as the month where I was only going to make pieces for the craft shows I was entering this fall. It's the 12th and I've got nothing done. Procrastination is no longer the problem, it's everything else that is.

In amongst my need to get organized and keep to a schedule is a few health issues that are not making things easy. It's not anything dire, I just need to find a good way to work within my means. Sleep is something I seem to need a lot of lately - I've been asleep by 9pm most nights lately, but not sleeping for more than a couple of hours at a time, until 6 or 7am when Maddy gets up. It's a struggle and there's a feeling of guilt that's starting to grow because of it.

But enough about that... if things go according to plan this week - and I've learned they never do, but let's say they might this time - I'll be working all day Wednesday on my craft sale pieces, as well as putting some finishing touches on my Christmas in July sale in my Etsy shop. Be sure to keep an eye out for some great deals, not only in my shop, but in many of the shops on Etsy.

I need to make a grocery list for our day of shopping and visiting and playing, so I'm going to step away from the computer and have a massive cup of coffee. Or two. Depends on how interested Maddy is in climbing all over me this morning.

Have a good week!

Drip drip drop...

2010-07-07T12:18:00.000-05:00

With all the work that I put into my Etsy shop, I tend to forget that I've got a photoblog that I need to work on, too... the photos I post on there are available for sale, as well, but I'm not posting pictures I've taken only for profit. I like taking pictures and our backyard has provided me many great opportunities to do just that... and why not show everyone the many shots of the daisies I've got in my backyard, from every angle possible?

There's only a week before I plan on kicking off my Christmas in July sale in my shop, so I've got tons of work to do - banners, display ads for my Project Wonderful account, promotions, and most importantly, what specials I'm going to put on. There's also all the pieces I have finish before next Thursday, but all that work is on the backburner for now.

And there's all the non-work stuff we've got going on for the rest of the week - heading out to my parent's, Maddy's 18-month vaccinations, attempting to organize various parts of the house, golf tournaments... whew. I miss summer holidays somedays...

Slight adjustments

2010-07-04T12:56:00.000-05:00

It's a beautifully gorgeous day here and I'm stuck inside, catching up on the paperwork for my shop that I've been putting off for 3 months.

I know, no one to blame but myself and I have to get it done today as there's quite a few listings that expire tomorrow. I plan on reviewing the pricing for everything - all 34 pieces - and will likely end up adjusting them. And they will probably end up higher than they are today... so if you had your eye on a piece in my shop, get it today before the prices go up (hint, hint).

This post from Crafting an MBA (a must-read website for any crafting entrepreneur) about making a profit with your business really hit home for me. While I'm pretty new at business-running, I've worked in businesses and know that in order to keep running, they need to make a profit; so why is it so difficult for crafters, especially those that want to make selling their wares their business, to want admit that making money is a good thing? That's kind of a convoluted sentence, but my point (and their's too, I guess) is this: why should I cut my own proverbial throat (ie. profit margin) just because I make something in my home/garage/workshop?

For me, I worry that my work isn't worth as much as I should potentially charge for it. I'm sure many others are in the same boat, especially when - like me - they may compare their handmade work to something that can be found in a major department store (for me, it's Wal-mart). They - the major stores - can make a profit by charging $5 for a piece because they can produce 1,000 of them for a fraction of the cost, thanks to cheap labour/materials/shipping; I make virtually the same piece, by hand, and can't make a profit (which I've been taught time and time again should be 40%) without charging $20. Who wins the hearts of the everyday shopper?

I've recently added a button to the sidebar from BuyHandmade.org, an awesome collective that encourages people to purchase handmade as often as possible. My aim this year is to only give Christmas gifts that are handmade... a rather brave proclamation, but one that's completely doable. Craft sale season starts after Labour Day here and there's always online shops that have some amazing ideas for almost everyone on your list. Or potentially everyone... kids generally aren't too keen on getting handcrafted gifts. Maddy has little to no choice right now... she's already got quite a few handmade toys (like these) and I plan on making or buying many, many more in the future. And handmade toys can usually go through the wash, unlike the mass produced generic stuff in stores.

Well, now that I've had my rant for the day, it's time to finally get to work on the dreaded spreadsheets and get my shop back on track. Be sure to visit my shop next week during Etsy's Christmas in July sale, starting on July 15 and running to the 25th... I'm aiming to have at least one new piece in my shop every day, along with a couple of surprises for holiday early birds. I'll be sure to post here during the sale, as well, highlighting the deals and special surprises I've got in store.

Sweltering & sewing...

2010-07-02T14:08:00.000-05:00

A selection of fabrics I picked up during my last shopping 'spree'... is it really a 'spree' when the only

thing you buy is 4 yds of fabric for $12? If you're saving $20+, heck yes :)

Now that June's over and July is nicely - if stickily - underway, it's time for me to start working on my craft sale projects.

As I've mentioned before, I'm going to branch out a bit and try to put together some different pieces to offer for sale at a couple of local sales this fall. I've been faithfully keeping scraps of fabric just for these projects so I shouldn't have to actually buy much - if any - fabric to do them up. Of course, that all depends on the pattern I end up using.

My mom's a faithful magazine keeper (and she wonders where I got my pack-ratting traits from...), so there's a chance I'll find something from pre-1980 to try. I've been a fan of TipNut for a while, and their collections of patterns is quite handy, and they just happen to have a list of pincushion patterns... however, I refuse to use anyone else's pattern for profit, unless given permission. But for inspiration? No problem at all.

There are some times, though, where pieces are bound to be copied, if only through either sheer ignorance or there only being a limited number of ways a piece can be made. Completely unique and original ideas shouldn't be copied... but used for inspiration? Why not? Heck, I'd take it as a compliment, if anything. But that's just me.

Back to the topic at hand... this weekend doesn't look like it's going to be too busy, so I may actually get something done. On my to-do list this weekend:

finally get a new blog banner designed
finish up a few pouches that I just keep moving around and around... and around
list a tote I've had on my desk for almost 2 weeks
find/design patterns for craft sale pieces

Hope everyone has a good (and safe) weekend... we'll be either sweltering, starting up a mosquito smacking league or building an ark up here :)

Of maple syrup and hockey...

2010-07-02T07:16:00.000-05:00

Happy 143rd, my home and native land :)

Today is also the half-way point of 2010, the perfect time for me to review the first six months of the year.

Most importantly, on a personal level, it's a day I'm spending with Maddy at my parent's, relaxing and enjoying the day. Have a fun, safe day with your family and friends, too :)

Shifting gears

2010-06-29T12:56:00.001-05:00

I keep saying that I'm busy and that things are crazy, but in reality, things aren't that busy or that crazy. I've been trying for 4 or 5 months now to start up a business that is floundering, through no fault of my own. There's been an insanely intense learning curve along with the start of this business, something I wasn't really prepared for. I'm not saying that I'm ready to throw in the towel and get a job in "the real world", as some people like to tell me... I'm not sure what I'm ready to do, but it's not quit.

There's been a lot of debate lately - both internally and with Keith - about what I hope to get out of *all of this*, this business I've attempted to start. I still question myself, almost daily, if sewing cute bags (and I do think they're cute, and I don't think much is cute beyond baby animals and Maddy) is what I should be doing as a career. I like sewing, but is it an effective way to express my creativity.

I had decided a couple of months ago to use July to make non-Etsy pieces - things I was planning on selling at the two craft sales I'm hoping to be in this fall. I'm still sorting out what exactly I'm going to do up, but so far the list includes:

pin cushions, if only because I need another one.
needle books, because I definitely need some to store my embroidery needles in, as the random bits of fabric that are tangled in the loose floss I have just doesn't work anymore.
small change purses/wallets, because I can make those with my eyes closed (and some look like I have... ahahahahahaha...whew)
key fobs/lanyards, because I may need one as the caribiner on my key ring is old and a pain in the butt.

That's all I've got so far, but that may be enough. Biting off way more than I can chew isn't beyond the realm of possibility, but time isn't exactly on my side for the rest of the summer and I like spending time outside. Choices, choices...

But if I want to be successful (and happy), then the ugly choices are going to have to be made on occasion. Fingers crossed, though, that the end result is worth it.

That gorgeous pink poppy in the lead-in photo was a lovely surprise in my garden last week when it bloomed. I remember seeing it last year, but nothing ever really came of it, beyond what I thought was a different kind of fern (the leaves are very fern-like, but hairier, for lack of a better term). This spring has been fairly wet (to put it mildly) and I wasn't expecting much to come of my backyard hodge-podge flower garden, outside of the usual daisies, hostas and tiger lilies.

But that poppy... there were five blooms all total. That photo doesn't do the brilliance of the coral of the petals justice... or the deep, royal purple of the centre of the flower. Just breathtaking... and a definite inspiration for a colour combination in a future piece.

We had a few storms and torrential downpours here on the weekend, so when I went out Sunday afternoon, I wasn't that surprised to see the petals gone from the flowers. But what was left - where opium is most commonly found - is just as stunning. I'm not someone who marvels over the beauty of plants and flowers for the most part (especially what some may consider to be 'classical' beauty), but I'm willing to say that the poppy - both in bloom and after - is the most beautiful flower I've ever seen.

Blood suckers

2010-06-23T12:53:00.000-05:00

Can I tell you how much I hate mosquitoes?

They are making it really hard to enjoy what little summer we have. Because we're in the middle of the continent, far away from any major bodies of water that affect air currents, summer usually lasts 4 months AT MOST. More often than not, 3 months. It sucks.

I'm not a hot weather fan, but a nice day for me is between 20˙ and 25˙C (68˙-77˙F), sunny, with a light breeze (enough to move the leaves). Humidity and excessive heat make me grumpy and angry... and sticky.

It's been raining here a lot lately, which means we're stuck inside a lot. Because of this rain, there is lots of standing water means lots of mosquitoes, which means it's bloody annoying to be outside for more than 5 minutes at a time. We've been out a few times in the last week, covered in whatever insect repellant we have on hand, but still get bitten. So a few minutes outside end up being hours of scratching and days of scarring.

We want to go outside. We put up a fence and got Maddy toys to play with outside. I have a garden I need to take care of... outside. My city will not be spraying anytime soon, if at all...and only will mosquitoes carrying the West Nile Virus start appearing in the traps, and the province tells them to.

In the meantime, we're stuck inside. Today, I'm going to attempt to get some work done on my computer while Maddy plays. Depending on her mood, it should go well, but she's been rather cranky lately - probably due to not going outside as much - so we'll play it by ear.

If things go well, expect some changes to this blog. Additional pages, a new banner, some general tweaking... all depends on the clinginess of a moody 17 month old.

Spools of fun

2010-06-22T11:51:00.001-05:00

One of the best purchases I made during the day of yard sale-ing was this wicker sewing box. I've been half-looking for one for a couple of months because the pencil case I use to store my embroidery floss and needles in is just not working. I know, I'm surprised too.

I picked up this box for $2. Perfect size, decent shape, the elastic to close it needs to be replaced, but for $2, you can't complain.

Two dollars for the box alone was a steal. The box and the contents for $2? When I showed my mom the contents, it was like we'd discovered some glorious treasure... but when you consider we're both seamstresses - of different skill levels, but still - and like nifty things, it was like finding a treasure.

There were many spools of thread. These five - the wooden spools - are probably going to end up sitting in my thread box forever, never to be used, because they're wooden spools. I don't expect that they're worth anything to a collector, but they're worth something to me, a history nut. Like the spool in the top left corner - from the T. Eaton Company, a company that was once the cornerstone of retail in Canada, and no longer exists. There are spools from J. & P. Coats (top right and bottom left) and Clark & Cos. Machine Cotton, two companies that merged into Coats & Clark, one of the premier notions companies around.

And then there's the Corticelli spool in the centre. I can't find anything about Corticelli the company (as in, I don't think it exists anymore), but did find this wonderful book - Corticelli Home Needlework - from 1898.

I've been looking for vintage needlework patterns and designs, so this book couldn't have come along at a better time.

And because I'm having issues finding anything about the company, besides photos of their threads and some patterns, I have no idea what this tool is for. Tatting? Wrapping? Decoration? Not a hot clue... my mom thinks it has something to do with tatting, but searching on Google Images turned up nothing. It's just over 2 3/4" long, tapered and more brassy than gold. It's also slightly flexible, but not bendable. If you've got an idea of what it is, please let me know.

And then there's the 45 adapters. I have no 45s. I don't even have a record player. But I'm keeping them, if only to show to Maddy one day so she can tell me that I'm full of it and people never used wax/plastic disks to to listen to music. Although, she could turn out like me and be a big fan of music on LP/EPs... but that's highly doubtful as we don't have a record player, but I'm sure my parents' are saving theirs - that still works! - for just that reason.

I'm going to try to get this box organized, along with everything else, for what I'm hoping will be an insanely busy 6-8 weeks. I've got plans and ideas for the craft sales coming up, and the Christmas shopping season unofficially begins in July... still no sales in my shop, but I'm keeping positive about it. There's no point in wallowing in negativity when it's more draining than working at being a success... at least that's what I'm telling myself.

Treasure trove

2010-06-20T11:09:00.000-05:00

The town where my parents' live had a 'Kick-off to Summer' thing yesterday. It started with an amazing breakfast at the local firehall, prepared by the volunteer firefighters. For $6, steak, eggs, potatoes, beans, toast and drink. Six dollars...I think I could buy the eggs and bread for $6.

Anyhoo, after breakfast, we went around town checking out the various yard sales to see if anything piqued our interests. First stop, a little desk for Maddy for $5. Now she'll have somewhere to put everything else but what should be on a desk, like laundry soap and tape measures (like mine:) ). We also managed to find a little phone for her (not the Fisher Price one, but a vague facsimile) and a stuffed Cookie Monster, her third, because you can never have enough Cookie Monsters.

I wasn't looking for anything specific, but I had said months ago that I wanted to check out sales this summer for old jewelry and fabrics. I didn't find any fabric, but jewelry... oh, boy.

This box? $5. That's Maddy's hand, grabbing one of the many dozens of clip-on earrings. All of the jewelry I bought was from the same sale, and there's no doubt that it all belonged to an older lady (the telltale 'older lady smell was pretty obvious) who had taste. For the most part.

Like I said, for the most part.

A lot of lovely brooches. If I had anything to wear them with, I'd wear these brooches all the time. But I live in t-shirts and sweats... don't think this would go with anything like that.

One of my favourite pieces. A Celtic knot in sterling silver. Definitely keeping this one.

I'm debating what I can do with a lot of this stuff - some of the necklaces and strands of beads I may end up taking apart and using in other projects. There are a lot of really nice pieces that use some absolutely beautiful stones, too...keep them for costume jewelry for Maddy or attempt to sell, either as a whole piece or as part of a new project? Like I said, quite beautiful.

See? Nice, eh?

There are a lot of green stones in this collection. I don't know if the green relates to her birthstone or if she just liked green... I would have preferred that they were all sapphires, but I'll take what I can get for now :)

Many strands of "pearls". I have two real strands - one from my grandmother as a confirmation gift and one willed to me from that same grandmother. (I'm Anglican, BTW.) I honestly don't know if any of the strands I bought yesterday are real. The only ones that might be are the ones in the photo above - they came in a box from Eaton's, so the chances are probably better that they're real. The closure for the strand, at the very least, is quite nice.

I am definitely keeping these zirconium pieces, if only to let Maddy have them one day. The choker does not even come close to closing around my neck, but it is a unique setting. And the case is blue velvet... that alone makes them pretty special.

This is my favourite piece. There's Scottish blood in my family, on both sides, so it's nice to have something you can wear to declare your heritage. And they're just beautiful. The workmanship is quite lovely and they have probably never been worn, as the clasps have tarnished so much they're black. I don't care if it's vintage or a replica, it's nice. And I will definitely be keeping it.

I did manage to pick up a pretty full grab bag of sewing notions for only $1 - zippers, ric rac and lace - that will be a a welcome addition to my already-full sewing toolkit.

And who can turn down a jar of buttons, beads and other little bits? No one, especially if it's only 50¢.

And a sewing box. My embroidery "kit" - and I use that term really loosely - is a pencil case right now. That means the floss is basically a big knot that I have to go through anytime I want a new colour. Not fun. This sewing box, which I will explore in a future post, is perfect. I may have even stolen it out from someone else's nose. Oops.

I paid for all the jewelry I bought at one sale and was walking away when I saw this box. My mom gasped when she saw it and I carefully opened it.

Vellum writing paper. About 50 sheets.

And vellum envelopes.

This little writing set is in pristine condition. Only one envelope - the one on the left of the last photo - is slightly discoloured. The previous owner must have stored it in a chest or wrapped tightly in a blanket or something to keep it in such good shape. I love this set. I certainly do not plan on using it and have sealed it into a plastic bag for the time being, until I can get something a bit more non-plastic to put it into. It's beautiful and something I want to give to Maddy in the future. Cost: $2. And I can't find anything to do with "Barber Ellis Cameo Deckle Edge". If anyone knows something about them, please let me know.

I'm probably going to spend the day looking at everything, doing a quick inventory...hopefully coming up with ideas for some of the pieces that don't quite scream 'Keep me!'. If you have any ideas, feel free to drop me a line...I have little-to-no experience with stones - real or artificial - and would rather leave pieces alone than mess them up completely.

No spooling...

2010-06-19T23:00:00.000-05:00

I made quite the killing making the rounds at the yard sales in the town where my parent's live (not my hometown, but where they've lived for 14 years). I spent $20 or so and walked away with mounds of stuff.

I have photos and a half-written blog post basically showing off, for lack of a better term, what I managed to pick up today. But it's late and I'm tired. And a stretch SUV just drove by my house and I need to find out if they made it around the curve on our street (I'm guessing yes, with a lot of difficulty)... long, story short - I'm going to bed. Post should be up tomorrow sometime.

Swallowing the bitter pill

2010-06-16T22:44:00.001-05:00

There are a few things in life that drive me absolutely nuts: stupid people; drivers who don't use their turn signals; rudeness; and shortsighted, blame-everyone-but-me, ignorant (but not in the 'stupid' definition, because stupid people have their own reasons for garnering my head-shaking and eye-rolling) twits.

Things - sales, views, whatever - at Etsy have apparently been in upheaval for the last few months. I wouldn't know because I stocked my shop the day after the proverbial shit hit the fan. What that proverbial shit is, I have no idea... still. I'm not going to throw around accusations or spread rumours, but some sellers are quite upset with how Etsy runs their website.

Why?

I haven't got a bloody clue. I don't have a problem with how Etsy runs their website and, as an extension, their business. Or their office.

No business is perfect, including our own personal businesses. Or Etsy. Just because we give them money (20¢/listing, every 4 months, and 3.5% per sale) to essentially give us some space on their server to upload photos and try to sell our products does not mean we - the sellers - have any right to butt our noses into how things run.

I give lots of businesses money all the time. I give the government money all the time. I have absolutely no say in how they operate, no matter how inefficient or shoddily I think they are doing so. I certainly do not think that when I book a table at a craft show that I should be able to tell the co-ordinators how to set things up, how to promote, or go crying to them at the end of the show accusing them of 'not holding up their end of the deal' (that's not a quote from an Etsy forum post, as far as I know, it's just something I wanted to put in quotes for emphasis) because I didn't sell enough or anything.

Nope, the only person responsible for making sure my products sell is me. And me alone. There is no rule that Etsy is the only place you can sell your home/handmade products or vintage pieces or supplies online. It may be the most popular, but it is certainly not the only. There's Artfire and Zibbet and even eBay, just to name a few. But if you want to be 'noticed', you go with Etsy.

Am I happy with my experience with Etsy so far? Yeah. I still haven't sold anything, but I will. Do I think Etsy is doing a good job? Sure, but I'm just a customer (and that's what a lot of people forget). Do I think they could do more to help the sellers (and even buyers) to get the most out of their experience with Etsy? Of course, but what business can't improve their customer relations on some level?

Not everyone is going to be happy with change (or what they perceive as a lack of change), but oh lord, the way some people go on in the Etsy forums, you'd think that the world was ending because the admin chose to use black pens over blue without consulting the sellers first. (Totally random, made-up example, just to help prove a point.)

I'll close with this: if you aren't happy with the results of what you're paying for, be it Etsy or a mortgage provider or a shoe brand, MOVE ON. How much energy can one waste bitching all the time? Based on what I read on forums (and this applies to ALL forums, not just Etsy), a lot... like life-sucking amounts of energy. I'd hate to be one of those people.

Tomorrow, I'm going to *hopefully* create a few new pieces to list in my shop, because I want to. And then I'm going to work on improving my shop and making my brand more effective, which may, in turn, bring me a sale. I may also keep researching new products to work on for the craft shows I'm entering this fall. All depends on time and organization, something we all know I'm deficient in :)

But it's what I have to do to improve my business so I can be successful... and if I don't do any of that and continue to not do any of that and then wonder why I have no one looking at my work or any interest at all in my work, the only person I can blame is me. No one else. Maybe some people need to start taking responsibility for themselves and stop blaming everyone else.

(the photo? yeah, no relation to the post at all...but it is the second year in a row I got a shot of a bee in that plant. woo, me.)

Cheesy goodness

2010-06-13T12:41:00.001-05:00

My daughter isn't a picky eater, she's a difficult eater. And it's not her being a brat; in fact, it's because she reacts so badly to some foods that we've decided to completely avoid those that cause her breakouts. Like tomatoes. And eggs. Just scary.

She loves cheese, though. LOVES IT. She also likes toast, which is usually made by me from scratch. I've gotten quite bored with making grilled cheese sandwiches for her every couple of days, so last night I decided to try something that still combined cheese with my bread recipe - cheesy bread.

It was quite simple, really. We usually have cheese in the house (see Maddy's love for it) and I've always got the ingredients for bread on hand, so it was just a matter of finding the time to make them. Luckily I'm a fan of letting bread rise as long as possible, because I let this batch rise for 4 hours yesterday. Turned out beautifully.

I'm definitely going to make them again - with more cheese and seasonings, and will have to do some up with a cinnamon/sugar topping (something else Maddy likes). Yes, I know I could make these infinitely healthier if I were to go with a whole wheat flour, but if this is the one grain-based product in my life that hasn't made the change (and I've gone whole wheat or whole grain for everything else - rice, pasta, crackers, cereal), it's not the end of the world.

I'll put the recipe and directions up after the jump (because it's kinda long and I really don't want to have a post that you have to scroll forever to get through), so you can try it too. And you don't need any fancy instruments or skills to make this - I have 2 feet of counter space and I did them. You can too.

Cheesy bread-like things

4 tbsp yeast or 4 packages yeast (I use Fermipan yeast because it's what my mom uses. I'm not sure what would be an equivalent if you don't have Fermipan in your area)
2 1/4 warm water (105-115˚ F, or warm to the touch, but not hot)
3 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp shortening (I use Crisco now. I used to use Tenderflake, but my bread kept turning out crappy)
6-7 cups all-purpose or unbleached flour (not self-rising, not cake; if you want to use whole wheat, use the same amount. Other grains, not a clue)
sprinkle of salt (or, 1 tbsp as the book calls for, but my family doesn't use salt that much so I just sprinkle it)

In a large bowl (preferably metal or glass, because plastic can retain old odors and oils), take shortening and smear with a fork into the bottom of bowl (helps with the melting). Pour in water and add yeast. Stir lightly to mix. Add sugar and salt and stir. Leave for 10-15 minutes while a foam forms (that means the yeast is working and eating the sugar).

(Use a strong wooden spoon to stir everything, BTW. I've got a spoon that I use specifically for breadmaking.)

Add in half of the flour (3 cups), slowly, while stirring until well-mixed. Add remaining flour, while stirring, slowly until it looks easy to handle. On a clean counter or tabletop, sprinkle some flour and turn dough onto it. Lightly cover your hands with flour, too, and kneed dough until it's smooth and elastic (6-10 minutes). I can't tell you when it's elastic - it's something that you just learn. You can tell when it's been overworked, though - it gets TOUGH. Don't panic if that happens. Just stop.

Take the dough and place it into a lightly greased bowl (I use the one I mixed everything in - it doesn't have to be free of dough or anything) and cover with a towel. Put bowl in a warm place (either in the kitchen near the stove, or in your laundry room if you're doing laundry. Or the bathroom if it's humid.).

Let it rise until it's double - about 1 hour. I leave mine as long as I can, so it's up to you. It doesn't hurt if you leave it longer, but if you try to do anything with it after only a little bit of time (30 minutes), it won't work right. Believe me.

Punch down dough - best part of this, besides the actual eating. On a floured surface, roll out small balls of dough (about the size of a golf ball) until it's a long, snake-like piece. You can twist it however you want - like bread twists, or pretzels or shapes. It's up to you. Just don't make them too big or small - I found that about the size of a Blackberry worked the best for pretzels or shapes. The twists shouldn't be too twisty, because then what's the point? It'll just bake up like a stick.

Place the creations onto a greased piece of tin foil on a baking sheet. Now, this was a personal preference because I know cheese sticks when it melts in a 450˚ oven. Melting on foil is much easier to deal with than having it melt directly onto the baking sheet. Don't put the dough too close together on the sheet, either - they will grow a bit more before they get into the oven and while they're in the oven.

This is what happens when you put the dough too close together... not exactly what I planned,

but could actually be a nifty addition to a pasta-based dinner party - cheesy bread pulls!

Once the dough is on the tray, take some seasonings - I used a generic Italian seasoning

I let my dough rise again for 10 minutes or so before I put them into a 450˚ preheated oven, for 10-14 minutes. As with all my bread, I put them on the bottom rack, closest to the element. Don't open the oven door while they're baking or you'll let the heat and humidity out, lengthening the cooking time.

Remove the bread from the oven and take them off the sheet to cool on a wire cooling rack. Sprinkle more cheese on to melt while cooling. I waited about 10 minutes before trying one because they will be HOT right away.

Now, I know it doesn't look like they're done because they aren't golden brown on top. That's because I didn't put an egg wash on them (Maddy reacts badly to eggs) so mine stayed whitish. They were done, though... the underside of the bread was a little overdone, but I blame that on the oil I used (vegetable).

They were quite good and have kept really well in a storage bag in the freezer. The cheese I used - generic mozzarella, generic marble, and shredded Parmesan - didn't really stay gooey, but it was still cheesy. And delicious.

A word of warning - oregano at a high heat will smell like pot. You can eliminate it or just live with it... I guess it depends on where you live and who you live with.

Time is not on my side

2010-06-10T23:01:00.000-05:00

Summer months are the optimal time to start planning for and getting your shop ready for the holiday season. Etsy's holiday season picks up from October through December. Harvest and Halloween seasons pick up as early as August, so start stocking up on and listing your holiday offerings now in preparation for the seasonal rush ahead
• Media Tip: Press outlets begin finalizing their holiday issues and series in the summer. Have your holiday items listed, tagged, and available now for buyers and PR reps looking to pull items for holiday gift guides.
-From Etsy's Merchandising Desk: July Heats Up

Oh, holy crap.

I am not expecting to have anything from my shop catch the eye of any media folk and wind up in some magazine in time for the holiday season. I may be talented, but I'm not that talented.

Yet.

No, this just reminds me that the first craft sale that I want to be part of is in 3 months. Three months. Ninety days. Again, oh, holy crap.

I'm not sure what I'm going to sell at that sale, but I don't have enough stock for a sale. And trying to sell the same things I have in my Etsy shop is not going to happen, either (mainly because if I tried to do that, it would be just my luck to have everything in my shop sell online at the same time people are buying them off of me at a sale).

There's a small list in my notebook for ideas of what to make/sell at the sale (this is only the first; I'm aiming for two more, and I know there's at least one more for sure), but haven't actually started any of it. I've decided that I'm going to try to get as much product done and ready to list in my shop by the end of June so July will be when I come up with new products. What those products are is another question.

I've been debating about opening another shop, either on Etsy or one of the other online handmade sites (like Artfire or Zibbet), to see if I can sell my efforts elsewhere. But how much more time can I devote to doing things that may or may not sell? Already, it's what I think about the majority of the time; it's what I spend my 'spare' time doing; and it's an even more difficult financial commitment for someone who doesn't have an income. So, yeah... do I keep all my eggs in one basket or start spreading them out, even though it could be a waste, which is what I'm doing now is turning into.

*sigh*

Sometimes I wonder if things would have just been easier to keep working rather than putting all this effort into something that's not exactly succeeding (which is no one/thing's fault but my own)... at least by working at home, I get to spend time with Maddy and drown my sorrows in cartoons and reruns all day.

Poking the bear

2010-06-08T22:15:00.000-05:00

I don't remember the last time we - as a family - had a chance to actually sit back and relax. I don't know if it's because we just believe we don't have any time now that Maddy's getting older or if my work is taking away what free time I used to have, but it would be nice if we - Keith, Maddy and me - could just stop all the fussing and rushing and go-go-go for a few days.

But, then again, if we did stop and relax, I think I'd have a breakdown because I wasn't doing something. I used to slack off with the best of them, but in the last few years - especially since Maddy was born - nothing drives me more nuts than doing nothing. Idle hands, devil's playground... well, not really. It's more of a 'I know I can be productive - let's see how' thing. Gets frustrating sometimes... tiring, too.

With three months of an open shop under my belt, there are many, MANY areas of this business that I need to focus on and learn more about. Promotions and marketing, for one; time organization for another. It's not enough to just produce pieces, you have to sell them to people, too... and putting pretty pictures of them online doesn't mean a damn thing. People can't see you if you don't show them where you are.

There's been a debate - for lack of a better term - in the Etsy forums for the last few months about why sales and views have been down. If you told me that without any back story (or accusations), I would think that a lack of sales would be because:

the economy still sucks. The government and banks and economists can all say it's getting better, but all those people who were unlucky enough to lose their jobs 18 months ago are not going to be spending money on luxuries; they're going to be paying off bills or putting away some extra money just in case this happens again.
the handmade fad is starting to wane a bit. A couple of years ago, when the economy started to nosedive, lots of people turned back to homemade/grown/produced products to save money. Lots of those people sold their products, too... and now everyone and their dog makes something to sell. Add in a flooded market and you've got the perfect storm as to why no one is buying anything.
there's a lot of crap out their and people don't have time (or the desire) to sift through it all. I went to the big local craft show last fall and wasn't impressed at all. There was a lot of amateur "crafters" who really should have just kept their work in their garages or basements to save themselves the hassle. I'm not saying what I do is the best in the world and that everyone loves it, but there's a reason Regretsy exists.
people got lazy and expected Etsy to do everything for them, including promotions and marketing. And solve their problems. Surprised some didn't expect Etsy to also tie their shoes and brush their hair.

I'm in the 'I don't blame Etsy' camp, mainly because I see Etsy as no different than the facility hosting a craft sale. It's my job as a show owner to make people see that I exist. I am in charge of promoting my shop and making people want to stay in my shop to make a purchase. Sure, it's nice when people find me through Etsy, but based on what Google Analytics is telling me, very few people do. I get more visitors from Twitter, this blog and other blogs I comment on than through Etsy.

Does that bother me? Nope.

Why not? Because the internet is a big place, and I count myself as lucky everytime someone finds me through Google or Craftgawker or some other method. I refuse to blame others for my failings, unless it's completely justified and provable. If I want people to see my work and buy my work, I have to do the work to get them, their eyes and their wallets to my shop. It's as simple as that.

And the internet is ever-evolving. People need to realize that. Things change, and usually it's for the better. What's the harm in letting people do their jobs and accepting that sometimes, "fixes" can take a little longer than expected because, well, they just do.

I know it's quite possible I'm going to end up slammed for what I have said and I really don't care. It's what I honestly believe and would have loved to say it in the forums, but anytime someone tries to say something like this (ie. it's not necessarily Etsy's fault you have no sales), they get ripped apart by the complainers. I'm willing to learn my lessons and try new things to get people's attention; I refuse to let other people force me to stand idly by and wait for "fixes" that I shouldn't need to operate a successful business.

So, yes... marketing and promotion. Need to work on that. And tweaking my photos, as well as gearing up for fall craft sales. I may be trying to come up with some new products soon and hope to post about them as they come along... although, based on my posting history thus far, there's no guarantee. Perhaps there's someone I could blame for that...

(the marigold pictured above is one of many that I picked up today at the best garden centre in the area - The Green Spot. I hate marigolds as a rule - something that dates back to when I was 5 or so and ate some of the seeds... pointy damn things going down... but these marigolds are going to be used in my battle against mosquitoes and aphids. Wish me luck:) )

Ha HA!

2010-06-03T10:31:00.000-05:00

After months of short, dense batches of bread - due to a transcription error on my part - the batch I'm doing up today is rising. And it's rising above the edges of the pans FINALLY.

This may be my biggest accomplishment this week. And I helped build our fence.

Who knew that 1/2 cup of water would make so much of a difference?

On the fence

2010-06-02T23:42:00.001-05:00

Things I learned while building a fence:

Any plan you had at the beginning will be trashed before you even start.
A yard stick can be your best friend.
Measure twice, cut once is not enough; measure a dozen times and then measure again before you cut.
There's a good chance the reason you got a killer deal on your lumber is because it's all the stuff they couldn't sell to anyone else.
A post hole digger is not the same thing as a post hole auger.
Wet ground is not easier to deal with.
Rhubarb plants have massive roots.
Toddlers like to think they're helping by bringing screws to the builders two at a time.
Posts will magically shift and bend out of place overnight, and the movement won't be noticeable until the fence is done.
You will run out of the one size of wood you need the most, but will have oodles left over of the size you only needed a couple of.
Cut wood soaks up water like a sponge.
$3 work gloves protect your hands from splinters just as well as the $20 do.

In the end, building a fence with Keith and his parents was an experience. It wasn't great, it wasn't horrific, but I know now the process of it. After three days, we're mostly finished - only two gates left to do up. Keith's on holidays for the rest of the week so we should be able to get them done up before he goes back next week.

I love how our yard looks now, though... it looks much bigger and tidier, at least until you see my very overgrown garden that's going to be fixed up this weekend. I like how we not only have a way to keep Maddy in the yard, but also added a lot of value to our property. We have a fairly large lot and are on a corner, in between 3 schools. Our sidewalks see a lot of traffic throughout the day, so having a fence up to cut down on some of the sound is nice.

Next up for the yard is doing up my garden. We're going to the garden centre on Friday to pick up the plants, seeds and soil to put them in on Sunday. I've got a general idea of what I want to do for veggies this year, but I'm still debating what to do about flowers. I have a lot of daisies that I'd like to move, but they're in bloom right now and I really don't want to risk killing them. I could always just do a variety of generic flowers - pansies, petunias, marigolds - but I'd also like to try more butterfly- or bee-friendly flowers in our front garden. Decisions, decisions...

We're planning on spending a lot of time outside this summer. I'm going to attempt to coordinate my work so that I can actually do some of it (ie. embroidery) outside, while Maddy runs around the yard playing. Really, I'm just looking forward to having somewhere besides the house to spend the summer relaxing.

Hop up, jump in...

2010-05-28T22:27:00.000-05:00

My daughter LOVES Handy Manny (warning, there's an audio clip that starts when you click on the link). She will dance to the theme song, she recognizes the voices of the characters and gets really upset when I change the channel on her in the middle of an episode. I've tried to find Handy Manny toys for her age - she's almost 17 months - but haven't had any luck. Can't even find a t-shirt for her.

She's a very hands-on kid - she likes to examine things and try to take them apart. She also likes to do things that we do... quite typical for a toddler, I imagine. She's seen us use tools around the house and I don't know if she connects the tools to Handy Manny or not, but she likes to be right there beside us when we have to use any of our tools.

Yesterday, she was using one of her toys as a hammer. It wasn't a small toy or a soft one, it was a fairly large, heavy plastic toy that could do some pretty serious damage if she connected with the window properly. I decided then and there that I was going to make her some tools of her own.

Sure, we could have gone and picked up the plastic tool set from the store today, but that would defeat the purpose... we don't want her trying to hammer the windows or hitting herself in the head. We also don't want to be stepping on more of her toys and yelping in pain while she's sleeping (we have a lot of plastic building bricks... a lot). So I decided to make her a soft tool set out of scraps of fabric and felt I had.

We have a massive roll of newsprint, thanks to Keith's job at the local daily (if you want some of this paper, check at your local paper... some places sell them for $10, but you can get a heck of a lot of paper for that), that we've been chipping away at for Maddy's colouring experiments, and it also makes for terrific pattern paper. I drew rough sketches of the tools I wanted to make - a saw, hammer, screwdriver, wrench and pliers - with chalk and cut them out. I didn't follow the lines to perfection, but added anywhere between 1/4-1/2" extra for a seam allowance.

I picked out the materials I was going to use on each tool and cut them out. The felt I used isn't the best quality, but it's decent, and paired with a strong thread, it shouldn't tear easily. Keep in mind, these are toys for a toddler; I'm pretty sure I'll be remaking at least one of these toys by summer. For the rest of the material, I had scraps of mostly 100% cotton to use, with the exception of the tartan, which is a poly/cotton blend.

I decided that rather than sew up the pieces with the right sides together and then turn them out and fill the with the fiberfill, I was going to just to a top-stitch. Sure, it's not as clean looking, but for simplicity, nothing can beat it. The biggest downside to that plan is that if you have an older machine, like I do, threads can go wonky and look really, really bad. But, these are toys for a toddler, presumably your own; if they object to playing with toys with a few flaws... well, I'm not one to judge, but Maddy didn't care. Neither did I. If I were to make these to sell to the general public, though, I'd be much more careful, and likely use my mom's much newer machine.

So I filled all the pieces with plain fiberfill - nothing fancy, nothing special. I have 2 bags of this stuff and even with this project, it doesn't look like I'll ever be getting rid of it. I don't use any special tools to tuck the fill into corners or tight spots, either... just a knitting needle and my fingers. I don't see the need to buy fancy tools for things you can either find in your home already... I was pushing out corners in my wallets and purses for the longest time using the handles of our butter knives. Perfect 90˚ angle, so why not?

I managed to get all the tools put together without doing any hand stitching, except the hammer - I had to do a quick whip stitch to attach the head to the handle. While they aren't the most sturdy tools, they are fairly firm - the firmness of any filled item will depend on how much fill you put into it. And the strength of your fabric and thread, too... you can't expect something like lightweight cotton to hold a lot of fill, nor can you expect a lightweight thread to hold material together to keep all that fill inside. I used medium to heavyweight cottons for the most part, with the exception - as I mentioned before - of the poly/cotton tartan. I am not going to lie and say there were no problems with the tartan... that handle of the screwdriver was by far the most difficult thing to sew and keep together once I filled it (the thread count is very low so there's no dense tension that helps keep things in place). I also used upholstery thread (347, to be exact) as my thread... as a nylon thread, it is more durable and has more strength. I also ran out of thread and didn't get to do the nails and screws I had wanted to do as well.

I like the tools I made. There are definite improvements I would have to make before I would even think of selling these to the public, but it took me just over 2 hours from drawing to giving them to Maddy to complete this project. Compared to my other work, 2 hours is nothing; it takes me 4-5 hours to make a purse and 2-3 hours to make a wallet. I'm going to show my work to my mom (my best sewing-educated judge) and see what she thinks. Maybe, just maybe, I'll have sets of these on my table at one of the craft shows this fall.

Next up for non-Etsy projects is sewing up the summer tops and dresses for Maddy. I'm hoping to get started on them next week and I will definitely post photos and give updates as to how the process is going. These will be the first pieces of clothing I've sewn from scratch in 20 years, so it should be interesting. Terrifying, but interesting.

Stepping back

2010-05-25T11:23:00.000-05:00

I've had a sketch for this wallet in my notebook for a while now. In my head, it seemed really simple - a classy exterior panel, and three interior pocketed panels - two for cards, one for change/receipts/cash. I actually made a pattern for this project and measured everything really, really, REALLY carefully, taking seam allowances into consideration - for a change. I cut my chosen material, pinned it all, and ironed it to the specifications I needed. I put different weights of interfacing inside for stability (but not weight) and sat down to put it together.

If you look really closely at the centre panel - the gorgeous floral print on the cream field - you can see where I've had to rip out stitches. Twice. You'll also notice the botton is larger than the top - they're 2 different pieces because I apparently measured incorrectly, not taking a seam allowance into consideration for that piece. Don't get me started on how badly I cut the exterior panel...

I've put this project aside for now, for fears of destroying it completely. I like the concept and I know I can finish it, but just not now. Instead, I'm going to go back to what I know - small pouches and card wallets, with a few shoulder bags thrown in.

I'd love to expand my repertoire but time isn't allowing it. I'm working on retooling my banners/avatars/backgrounds for everything, again... no one has told me that they need to be, but I'm a graphic designer. I need to design something besides wallets. I've got a couple of ideas I want to get working on, but there's a pile of material that's constantly calling my name to get sewn up, too.

*sigh*

For the time being, I'll stick with what I've been doing. As I mentioned before, I'm planning on incorporating embroidery into more of my work - something that should make what I do more unique and put it into it's own niche, because according to some, that's what you need to sell anything on Etsy. Mostly, I like to do it and think it looks cute. If people like it, great; I know some people won't, but they probably weren't going to buy anything in the first place.

But that's a post for another day.

Unbalanced

2010-05-21T12:29:00.000-05:00

I made that list on Monday.

It's Friday.

I've done exactly one thing on that list - a new Etsy banner. And even that I haven't actually finished completely.

It hasn't been a busy week, it's been a badly organized week. Every day I've tried to get things done, but it's been really nice out (23-28C) and Maddy looooves being in the yard, so we've been spending a lot of time outside. When we're not outside, we're playing inside. I could spend less time playing with her, but she's developing some bad sleep habits so we've been trying to wear her out before bed.

Most of that list is marketing-related, something I need to get working on much more. But I also need to make more product to market, so that's what I'm spending today doing.

Hopefully...

A stitch in time...

2010-05-17T22:29:00.000-05:00

I've been trying to figure out ways to incorporate embroidery into my work, and beyond this piece, I haven't had much solid success. In my pile of work that I've messed up (aka 'stuff that I'll eventually give to Maddy to play with'), I've got a few pieces that I tried to include some embroidered elements. It took a while for me to realize that although I knew I had the skills (self-taught, too... which surprises me more than you'd expect), I had no idea how to use them... PROPERLY.

I tend to rush my work. This isn't a shock to anyone who knows me - I'm that type of worker who will charge ahead, full speed, to get my work done as fast as possible so I can spend more time slacking off. Years of being a designer/editor and having to make small, stupid change after small, stupid change should have taught me that slowing down and checking things over before I think I'm done would be beneficial, but no.

So my need to slack - apparently, still - has firmly embedded itself into my new work life. Only in the last couple of weeks have I started to consciously take my time and make sure each step is complete before I move onto the next. Slowing down and being patient with my work has had one massive positive result: ZIPPERS. I like working with zippers so much (so far) that everything I've made in the last 2 weeks has a zipper. Now that I've conquered the zipper challenge, I'm totally ready to start working embroidery back into my pieces.

Such as the piece in the photo at the top of this post. Eventually - possibly Thursday - this will become the outer shell of a wallet I'm going to sell. I don't have any other embroidered pieces ready to go, but I'm purposely waiting until I've finished this wallet to see how using something like this works.

I like embroidery. I find it soothing. Maddy does not and makes it really difficult to do any work during the day, but I'm determined to get her to accept that this is what I'm going to do while she's playing. And because I do all my work freehand, there's no pressure of having to follow lines or a pattern... I do 'draw' an outline in chalk, but more often than not, I'll use it only as a general guide so I don't end up losing track of the space I can use.

I'm also working on a butterfly for Maddy's room. It's not perfectly symmetrical, but I think it'll be cute. I've been trying to work with Maddy in choosing the colours that will be worked into the piece, and when it's done, I'll frame it and hang it up. If all goes well, maybe it's another potentially sell-able product. Or maybe it'll just be one of those things I do for friends and family only.

Things are starting to pick up with my shop and my work... I'm trying new things, searching for new ways to promote what I do, and it looks like I'm getting more first-time viewers into my shop. No sales yet (!!!!!!), but they'll come. I figure if I keep working on what I'm doing and improving the product, it's only a matter of time until I get my first sale, and then my second and then it's an avalanche I can't keep up with. Yep, that's exactly how it's going to be... when it finally happens :)

Adding pieces to the puzzle

2010-05-10T12:28:00.000-05:00

We live in a small house - maybe 700 sq ft - so finding space to do anything is a problem. It's even more of a problem when you need a large flat surface to cut material on. I could use the kitchen table, but it's usually occupied with my sewing machine, piles of cut material for projects, and whatever else we can squeeze on there. I was working on getting a bunch of material cut last week for future pieces and had to resort to using the top of our dryer in the laundry room (which is bigger than our bathroom and just a smidge smaller than Maddy's room) to cut. Not particularly easy when there's a rack full of not-quite-dry clothes to the immediate right, piles of neatly folded material on the washing machine on the left, and plastic storage tubs right behind. Small houses, while cozy and cheap, suck.

I was telling my mom about the issues I was having cutting material and she offered to get me a cutting board. I already had a self-healing cutting board that I thought I'd never use (it's turned into one of those things I can't imagine being without), but it's fairly small and virtually useless for the larger pieces of material I need to cut for the bags I've started making.

So on Saturday, my mom bought me a 36"x60" cutting board (not that brand, though... we got a Unique one). She had one when I was growing up that she stored in the kitchen with her sewing machine, and used it a lot because there were no self-healing cutting boards back then. Over time, it got lost or wrecked so she couldn't pass it on to me, so I got a brand new one.

(An aside - H.A. Kidd and Company is my favourite notions/supplies company... and not just because they're Canadian, but because they make damn good products.)

Another wonderful addition to my sewing life has been this:

A tackle box.

I had thought about getting a tool box to help keep all the bits and bobs I have in order, but none of the ones at the store seemed to fit my needs. And they were more expensive than the tackle box I did end up getting, which is also made of recycled plastic, so two birds, one stone and all that. I'm still working on a way to keep all the zippers in order (a safety pin through them all didn't work) but I like how everything has a place and I can see what I have without having to dig everything else out to find it.

I've got a pile of pieces I need to finish up before I can list them, but I'm aiming to have at least one piece in my shop every day. Whether or not that actually happens is another question, but it's nice to have something to aim for.

Finding the path

2010-05-05T11:50:00.001-05:00

See that pouch there? The one with the super-soft faux suede exterior and cute tartan interior? The one that should be appearing in my shop later this week?

It's part of the creative epiphany I had yesterday. It's also the first thing I've ever put a zipper into, but that's not important right now (well, it is, but it isn't).

Yesterday was Star Wars Day, and as a fairly big Star Wars fan (eps. 4-6 more than 1-3), I decided to make Yoda's 'Do or do not. There is no try.' line from Empire Strikes Back my personal mantra. (If someone feels really generous *ahem, Denise*, I'd love this shirt for my birthday :).) No more piles of things I'm going to try or waste time thinking about trying; I waste enough time as it is, I need to spend what useful time I do have being productive.

And then Etsy sent out their latest Success email - making mistakes is okay, learning from them is even better - something I've needed to hear from someone besides Keith (who's encouragement I always appreciate, no matter what) and my family. I have a massive pile of mistakes I've made, but I can probably look at every piece and find something that I can take from each one and use it in the future. Kind of ties into the whole Yoda, thing, too... in a slightly indirect way.

And I finally found some patterns and designs that are just for me. I think the biggest problem I've had up until now with most of my work is that I've been trying to outdo myself at every turn. My skill level isn't much above intermediate beginner, but I was setting myself up for a guaranteed fail on almost everything I was working on by choosing designs that were geared towards experienced seamstress/seamsters. So now I've finally found things that don't frighten me by point two of the instructions and I think I can actually produce some pretty damn decent pieces at a quicker rate than I was before.

I was working on a new purse design for almost a week before I had my epiphany... I had spent four or five hours trying to figure out how to put a decorative band around the top of the bag. FOUR OR FIVE HOURS... that's just ridiculous by anyone's standards. So I've set it aside and I will return to it, just not any time soon. And that's perfectly fine with me.

Now that I've turned that corner, I can start looking at other parts of my business and figure out how to straighten them out. Like the complete lack of organization that just seems to run rampant throughout my life... I keep meaning to do something about it, but haven't found the time (or desire) to do so. With what I'm hoping will be more useful time available to me, there should be no excuse. Or, one hopes.

A week ago, I was ready to throw in the towel, I'm feeling good about where this is headed now. The only thing that can hold me back is me. Funny that it took this long to figure that out, but at least I realized it before I did just stop and turn my back on it completely.

Getting there

2010-04-29T12:52:00.000-05:00

Check out my Photoblog for more picks like this one.

It's been a week. That's the best way to describe it - gathering with family to celebrate my uncle's life, finding out that student loans really do haunt you years after you're finished with school, trying to keep up with Maddy, figuring out what we're doing with the yard this year... and it's only Thursday.

I've gained a lot of energy this week, though, likely due to the amount of time we're spending outside with the weather being so nice. Even a half hour or so a day seems to be doing wonders, not only for me, but for Keith and Maddy, too. Maddy looooooves our backyard, especially the slight hill we've got coming up to the house. I can hardly wait until we get the fence in next month and she can run freely rather than us chasing her to the edges of the property.

And even though we've been snow-free for a month now, I'm not even going to attempt to plant anything for a few more weeks. The forecast for early next week is calling for snow and a high of only 4C (39F) on day, so there's no point in gearing up the garden only to have it freeze and die. But that doesn't mean I can't plan what I'm putting in (and taking out this year - 3 annuals and a rose bush... hopefully to other gardens) before we get it rototilled and prepped for the actual planting.

But today I've got work to do. Lots of work. Tonnes of work. Will I get it all done? Heck, no, but I figure it's better to have a list to work with than try to do it without any sort of organization at all.

What I need to do:

finish the new bag design I started on Tuesday. To do this, I need to get to the store to pick up a pack of fasteners. Once I've got them, though, it shouldn't take me long to complete it... if I don't screw it up. I've learned to take my time and that the iron is really a good tool, so if I can keep from going at this all willy-nilly, it should turn out well. *fingers crossed*
finish the embroidery work on a couple of pieces. It's not really embroidery work, per se, but it's work with an embroidery needle and floss. I'm trying to add a bit of uniqueness to some of my pieces by finishing them by hand. Not sewing machine, but hand, as the lovely calouses on my thumbs and right middle finger can confirm.
keep tweaking my branding. I'm still working at getting everything I have my name on (like cards, Etsy and Twitter, so far) to have a similar look. For the most part, almost everything uses the same fonts, but doesn't necessarily look the same. I've got an idea of what I want to do with the banner here, but can't actually do anything until the battery for my camera is charged. Then there's the question of redesigning this particular blog, especially when I own nisseworks.com. Decisions, decisions.
marketing, promoting and networking. I feel like I've plastered my business everywhere, but I know there's still a lot of work to do and that it's never ending. Yay.

And I've got my month-end to do tomorrow, as well as catch up on all the rest of the paperwork I've been slacking off on for the last month, too... necessary evil and all that. Once that's all done, I imagine there'll be some changes I have to make to my shop and decisions that will be made about opening a second shop somewhere else for the other crafts/arts that I've been thinking about doing. But for now, I'll stick to doing the creative stuff... it's what I'm relatively decent at... I think.

Plodding along

2010-04-28T12:13:00.001-05:00

I've been struggling to come up with a decently coherent post today, and have had no success at all - obviously... so I'm going to step away from the computer, feed my daughter and then go shopping with her. Maybe someone at the mall will do something amusing that I can write about later...

Passing

2010-04-24T10:33:00.000-05:00

I'm going to what could be called a wake today... my mom's older brother passed away earlier this week. I'm not sure what of - cancer, infection, pain - but he was only 62. He continues the pattern of (relatively) early deaths for the men on my mom's side of the family.

I think this is the only photo that exists of just him and I. It was taken after my sister's wedding in 2007 on what was the hottest day of the year. After the ceremony, we walked back up the "aisle" (hill) and I ran into Danny and his family with their cooler of beer. I gratefully accepted his offer of a nice, cold, refreshing MGD... it was probably the best drink I've ever had.

I'll miss him, even though we weren't close. It'll take a long time to stop referring to him in the present tense, but I know eventually we'll all come to accept that he's not going to be at the next family event, making fun of my sister or arguing with my mom.

My favourite memory of him is when I traveled east by train to go to school in Quebec. He was a conductor for Via Rail at the time and made the 8 hours we were on the train with him really special and comfortable. When I moved back home a few months later, he'd obviously told his fellow conductors to watch out for me, something I didn't expect and really appreciated.

We'll miss you, Danny :)

Doing my little bit

2010-04-22T11:49:00.000-05:00

It's been a hectic week and it certainly doesn't look like it'll be slowing down at all.

In honour of Earth Day today, Keith and I are going car shopping. Counter-productive, you say? Not quite... we're looking at going from two cars to one, eliminating Keith's '99 Sunfire and my '06 Rio5. So not only will we be moving to a more efficient vehicle (sadly not a hybrid... only because of the cost, though), I'll have less access to a vehicle for any errands I'd need to do after Keith goes to work in the afternoon (he needs the car for his job as a sports reporter for the local daily), which means more walking. And more walking benefits not only the environment, but me as well, which is always good.

We've just returned from visiting various family over the last few days, so I'm a bit behind on my work, but I'm hoping to squeeze in some quick finishing touches on a few pieces to put in my shop either tonight or tomorrow. And maybe, just maybe, get a sale. Fingers crossed and all that :)

Oooh! Almost forgot - there are several new photos I've just put into my Photoblog. I'm hoping to get in a post here later today - in between car shopping and groceries and Maddy... in the meantime, take a look around my Photoblog and my Etsy shop... or go out and enjoy your Earth Day :)

Calling cards

2010-04-18T22:18:00.000-05:00

I've mentioned before about the challenges I've had coming up with a logo. Now that I've settled on one (I hope), I'm starting to go through all the headers, avatars and related stationery to try to get everything as similar as possible... all part of a branding strategy I'm trying to incorporate into my business.

I've got a new header on my Etsy store, a new background for my Twitter page, I'm working a new banner for this blog - along with a new placeholder design (placeholder because I do own nisseworks.com, just don't have the funds to actually have the site hosted yet)... and then there's the business cards.

Like I said, logo's no problem. I like my logo - a nice combination of fonts and a nifty use of a brush shape in Illustrator (I'm still using CS4... CS5 is a very, very, VERY distant purchase)... it's how I'm going to use it to effectively sell my brand that's the problem.

This was the very first business card I did up, back when I thought I could actually be a freelance graphic designer in a city that has an odd plethora of freelance graphic designers. Ignoring the logo, it's not terrible. Simple, clean, easy to recognize... because it's pretty damn bland. Looking back (six months), I can't believe I thought this was how I wanted my potential business portrayed - especially as a graphic designer. Eep.

The second go-around. An improvement, if only because it wasn't so bleh as the first one. This is the card that I came up with when I launched nisse.works as a handmade crafts enterprise (hence the tag 'Handmade crafts & designs... smart, eh?). If there's one thing I've learned in my many years in graphic design and journalism, it's that sometimes, less is more. I liked this card, but because I'm trying to keep expenses to a minimum, I print my cards at home (on my lovely Epson that I picked up on sale and don't use enough). And because I'm not a major print shop, those thin pink, green and brown stripes on the left side don't always turn out right. Or at all.

This is the most recent version of my business cards. Even simpler than the previous one, but not as mundane as the first. It's got the info I want right where I want it (I'm a fan of justification - left, centre, right... I don't care, as long as it's all justified) and looks pretty damn good on the metallic cardstock I've got. But as with most things I design for myself, I'm not as keen on it today as when I came up with it, so this whole branding thing couldn't have come at a better time.

I have no idea what the next round of cards will look like - I will be doing them myself and printing them from home to save on the costs, so there's no need to use the local big box office supply store's standard offerings. Simplicity, yet creative and unique are definitely going to have to play a part, but I don't want them to look like someone made them up in Microsoft Paint. I shudder at the thought...

I've collected a few websites that have some pretty kickass samples of business cards that I can hope to one day emulate (not duplicate). Take a look through them and marvel at how awesome - for lack of a better word (it is after 10pm here, so...) - these cards look. Especially when you consider the old standby design of 'logo in the left corner, name and title centred, bolded and in 12pt Times New Roman, office address and information below that in 8 pt TNR as well'. Blah.

100 Fresh Creative Business Cards
100 Refreshing Black & White Business Cards
The Basics of Business Card Design
Business Cards - a set on Flickr
Cool Business Cards

Goodies!

2010-04-16T15:56:00.000-05:00

I was out at my parents a couple of days ago for an appointment and to get Maddy out of our (tiny) house for a bit. My mom had mentioned that she had some things to give me, which kind of surprised me as she'd just given me two bags of extra material, lining and polyfill last weekend.

I walked away with that massive glass jar and paper bag pictured above, filled with well over 35 spools of thread, half a dozen zippers, button elastic (soooo excited about this!) and other bits and bobs.

Out of those spools, only three are my own - white, black and red. I'd bet that all this thread would cost $100 easily - at least in today's prices.. there were quite a few spools that had '5 for $1' on the stickers, or 50¢ each. But the selection of colours... oh, the colours. I've been fairly thrifty (actually, broke) so I've stuck with the standards in terms of colours, for the most part. But this very generous gift from my mom has such a wide variety of colours that I can use in my projects. Aqua, teal, wine, violet, blush, emerald, pumpkin... oh, the fun I will have.

Along with the thread, I brought home a lot of notions. Elastics, zippers, buttons, hem tape, snaps... all things I've been putting of buying. And I know my mom didn't just run out and pick this stuff up so I wouldn't have to - those 'Klikit' snaps? Original sticker price of 39¢ is still on it, from a store that hasn't existed here for at least 30 years.

The snaps were probably the most interesting find of the day, not only for the price. I've been using standard silver snaps for some of my pieces, but these snaps are just... different. They have the exclusive 'floating ring', which I'm guessing was pretty technologically advanced for whenever these were on store shelves (I'm guessing 1950s, based on the graphics alone), and they were guaranteed by Good Housekeeping.

I'm looking forward to using everything I got from my mom, as well as finding the perfect fishing tackle box to hold it all.

Diamond in the rough

2010-04-15T12:37:00.000-05:00

There's a folder in my bookmarks where I've saved links to sites that I've become a regular reader of over the years. When I'm bored - or, more likely, procrastinating - I go to that folder so I don't end up constantly refreshing my Facebook or Twitter for an hour straight, or re-reading the headlines on Bourque for the umpteenth time.

One of my favourite sites in that folder is The Canadian Design Resource. I really should visit it more often than I have been lately... it's a fascinating collection of (mostly) Canadian design in every kind of format imaginable. I'm a big fan of the travel/transportation-related submissions, as well as the historical ones (especially the WWII posters). It's nice to see people actually appreciating the fact that we can actually produce designs that can compete with the ones the U.S. media throws at us all the time.

The massively-wide variety of designs on the site is impressive too... not just graphic, but fashion, ceramic, architectural, industrial, textile, paper... just, wonderful.

Sigh...

2010-04-14T11:59:00.000-05:00

Seriously. Blog post. Tomorrow. Promise... even it's only about cutting out a pattern for a custom bag I've been asked to do.

I can't even imagine how I could hold down a job and do everything I'm trying to do right now. Working moms - you bloody rock :) (I think SA/WFHMs rock, too, being one and all :) )

Promises, promises...

2010-04-12T11:12:00.000-05:00

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I'm still sick and not really up to doing anything beyond trying to keep my head from exploding. It's entirely possible I'm actually getting sicker. Woot.

So, likely no new post today. No new pieces added to my shop. Nothing but rest and hopefully some sleep today.

Have a good Monday!

Hack

2010-04-11T17:40:00.000-05:00

I'm slowly getting over a chest/bronchial infection/laryngitis/sinus cold, so I've been a wee bit lax in posting here.

I'm hoping to change that tomorrow. I may even have a new piece to show off... if I can figure out the mechanics of how to close it.

Enjoy what's left of the weekend :)

Another iron in the fire

2010-04-09T13:23:00.000-05:00

I set up a Photoblog this morning.

I'm still not sure if it was the best idea, but I did it.

Take a look. Spread the word. Let me know what you think.

(Also, selling prints via Fotomoto... via said Photoblog.)

One of these things is not like the other

2010-04-08T22:04:00.000-05:00

I happened to catch Schmatta: Rags to Riches to Rags on Wednesday morning during Maddy's first bottle. I had a pretty limited knowledge of the history of the Garment District, but this doc filled in all the holes - the origins, the decades of success and the recent plummet of the industry in the U.S.

A complete coincidence was last night's America's Next Top Model (yes, I'm a fan), which used the photo challenge to focus on the horrible effects (sarcasm) of knockoffs on the fashion industry.

Kind of an odd juxtaposition these two shows... especially when they bookend the day.

And it's only Wednesday

2010-04-07T22:52:00.000-05:00

Oh, what a week.

I'm battling a chest cold that came on very suddenly on Sunday, but it seems to be getting worse, yet better at the same time - it hasn't moved into my head yet, but it feels like my throat is lined with tiny little needles, so I try to avoid swallowing as much as possible. It's been a blast.

And then there's the computer issues. My iMac died a slow, painful death earlier this week... I tried to fix it or at least get it to the point where I could at least pretend I knew what I was doing.

When it spit out the installation disk Tuesday morning and started flashing the folder with a question mark, I knew there was only one solution to my problem.

A new iMac. So Keith, Maddy and I made a in-and-out trip to Winnipeg yesterday afternoon to pick up a new computer so I could keep trying to sell my products online and not lose touch with the outside world without an internet-accessable computer. I do have an iPod touch, but the easiest way to charge it is with a computer and well, ours was dead.

So, yes... a new computer. And a new determination to get the marketing of my products into a higher gear. I've done some easy stuff - Twitter, comments on blogs and in the Etsy forums - but nothing really adventurous. I'm not saying that I plan on hiring a skywriter or anything, but I need to start drumming up business outside of the crafting community.

Part of that plan is coming up with some unique and in-demand pieces, like iPad cases and more summer-friendly bags. I know that a lot of people use the slow time of the spring and summer to start compiling their Christmas stock, so there's that to figure out and hope that what I think I could sell actually sells. And the craft sales this fall...

It's going to be a busy, busy, busy couple of months coming up. Besides the Etsy store (which is probably only going to be one of 3-4 stores), I'm going to be making all of Maddy's summer clothes and doing some custom work for a friend of my mom's. And gardening and doing all the usual family summer stuff, which this year includes putting up a fence with Keith's dad (and Keith).

It's been a learning experience, this first month of having an online store. I can't say whether or not it's been a failure or success yet, obviously, but there are definitely things I can do (or not do) to improve my standing so that the next month is the first step on the way to feeling like a contributing member of society again.

Tomorrow's a new day and I've got yet another to-do list to tackle. One day, the only thing on my to-do list will be 'sleep all day'... one can dream, right?

Mmmm....

2010-04-07T11:18:00.002-05:00

Ah.

New iMac.

Now I can get to work. Hopefully, I'll have a post up later about the new products I'm working on, the new computer we've got and an update on the photo fixing adventures at my Etsy store.

Woot. Woot.

:)

Uh-oh

2010-04-04T12:10:00.000-05:00

I had planned on doing a post today about what I've learned in the last month, but my iMac crapped out on me while I was uploading new photos to Etsy.

I am now spending my day trying to get said computer running again. Of course, this happens a few days after my credit with an electronics superstore is essentially eliminated as they moved their credit from one company to another.

So, yes, Macs do crash. This is the third time for this particular Mac.

Fingers crossed, it'll be fixed today. If not, I guess I'll be heading into Winnipeg to pick up another one. In the meantime, my iPod Touch is getting quite the workout.

1000 words

2010-03-31T14:07:00.000-05:00

These are two pieces from my Etsy shop. While the pieces themselves are pretty awesome (if I do say so myself), the photos leave a lot to the imagination.

And that's why I've decided to take new photos. Like these:

While making a photo light box can be easy - or complicated - I think I've found a really simple, inexpensive way to create a light box effect.

How?

87¢ of Bristol board - or heavy posterboard. And my laundry room with a south-facing window and useful shadows.

It also helps to have a someone in your house who knows about white balance and shadows in photography, too.

I'm going to be spending my weekend re-shooting all of my pieces for my store. It's a small - but beneficial - part of the marketing plan that I'm 'launching' tomorrow. Another part of that plan is a re-tooling of this blog, which includes a slight re-design and the addition of additional pages. Forewarned is forearmed, so don't be too surprised to see a new layout this weekend. I hope.

Relief... but not relaxation

2010-03-30T12:55:00.000-05:00

Crazy, insane, busy day today. I'm tackling a nasty to-do list that will hopefully be cleared off by the end of the day. Amongst the wonderfully fun things I am attempting today are:

a marketing strategy and plan. Aren't they the same thing? Heck, no. It's like I'm re-living grade 11 Accounting all over again.
spreadsheets. Two of them - a 'cost per produced item' one and my business ledger. Again, grade 11 accounting is finally paying off.
banners, avatars and redesigns. I'm not happy with the banner here or on my Etsy store (same with the avatar there), so I've been tinkering with them all for about a week now. I should have specs done in about a week.
making a light box. Oh, yes, I will... from scratch. Or I'll try to make one, give up and continue to use the floor of my war-time house as the background for my product photos.
product descriptions. Now that I've had my store up and running for a few weeks and haven't had a sale yet, I'm starting to look at why people like to look at my stuff but not purchase it. Part of what I've come up with is going to be the marketing strategy and plan; the other part - and probably the most important part - is how I present what I am selling. Re-photographing all of my pieces is one step, but the descriptions I have written for the pieces themselves needs work. It's going to be a very 'yay for thesauri' project.

Keith has agreed to watch Maddy today and I'm eternally grateful for that. I should have the entire afternoon to get through the majority of this... and I have to get it done. I set April 1 as the 'launch date' for my marketing to start and I refuse to let another deadline pass me by. Time management is a big issue for me (and us as a family, really) right now and if I can't start arranging my own work time properly, then what's the point of trying to get this business off the ground?

I should probably get to work on that list now. *sigh*

Taking missteps

2010-03-27T12:18:00.000-05:00

Things are... progressing. Slowly, but surely... I'm having issues finishing anything I've started, usually because I get lost halfway through. This week, I've learned the benefits of reading - and following - instructions, SLOWLY, as well as trying to keep myself from becoming too overwhelmed. Of course, both of those lessons went in one ear (eye?) and right out the other. Yee. Haw.

I've started half a dozen projects this week and I think I could theoretically put on in my store. That's not only a lot of wasted time, but a lot of wasted material. I figure that within the last week, I spent close to 20 hours working just on these projects - that's just the cutting and sewing, keep that in mind. And I've got one semi-reasonable piece to put in my store. Yikes. At this rate, I'm going to have a lot - A LOT - of 'flawed' pieces to give away to family and friends.

But I'm trying to stay positive by looking at different designs and procedures that might make my job - or my attempt at it - a bit easier. I'm not a professional seamstress by any stretch - I'm a recreational one, if anything. But I know my limits and don't want to start thinking I can do things that are well beyond my abilities (which usually results in... that's right, wasted time and materials). There's also that risk of boredom if I stick with doing one thing, over and over again.

Which is why I was quite happy to find two books in Chapters' online store that I could finally use the $30 gift card I got for Christmas on.

Bags of Inspriation and Carry Me were the two books I ended up choosing. There were hundreds of others I may have liked, but these two seemed to be the ones that would (a) help me come up with some new ideas and (b) teach me some new techniques in the easiest and simplest ways possible.

A few of the projects in Carry Me.

I haven't had much of a chance to really go through either of them, but from the brief glimpses I've had, these books are going to help me a lot. There are some things that I'm just not interested in in both books, but for the most part, they both are definitely worth the price (and Carry Me includes the pattern pieces for each project in the back... big, BIG help).

For the time being, I'm going to keep plugging away at what I've started to branch out into this week - wallets (not just for carrying cards anymore!), laptop sleeves and brush/pen rolls. I wish that I had more time - or at least more consecutive time - to do my work. The start-stop work pattern that exists for me is very, very challenging and I'm finding that my to-do list is just getting pushed back every day. It's a daily battle - work on projects or attempt to get some business stuff done?

Sigh... maybe sleep is overrated...

In honour of spring...

2010-03-26T17:28:00.001-05:00

Old Twitter background.

New Twitter background.

Next up, this blog. However, with Blogger announcing new templates, I may wait a bit. Or try one of the new templates out. All depends on how much procrastination I can fit in.

(Both backgrounds were designed with Adobe Illustrator CS4.)

Spring has sprung

2010-03-23T17:55:00.000-05:00

And has it ever... when Keith left the house at 3:30 this afternoon, there were only a few sprouts. At 5pm, there were hundreds.

Glee!

Lessons learned

2010-03-23T11:28:00.000-05:00

Spring is apparently here. It's been here for a few weeks, actually, which is a bit unheard of in my neck of the woods. The sight of green grass and warmer temperatures has made a lot of people - including me, for the most part - happier. I wouldn't say that there's a great outbreak of SAD around here, but months of cold and only 8 hours of sun and 2+ feet of snow makes people grumpy. Myself included.

I've managed to introduce four new pieces to my Etsy store this week. I had intended on a few more, but buttonholes got the best of me. Lousy - and kind of inexplicable - excuse, I know, but it's true. And I have a photo to prove it.

I have tried to make buttonholes with my sewing machine, using the handy-dandy buttonholer attachment. Failed miserably. So I figured that they had to make buttonholes with hand at some point in history and did some research.

That photo above? Yeah, that's what I ended up with, following the instructions. I wouldn't say I'm an expert embroiderer or needlepointer, but I am decent. That button hole there? Eep. Wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. I had done up a couple of other wallets with the handmade buttonholes and decided that they were not worth attempting to sell... the holes turned out so bad that I felt bad even giving them to Maddy to play with.

I've come to accept the fact that I cannot make buttonholes to save my life. I love buttons, though, so what to do with a cookie tin of random buttons (vintage, military, tiny, massive, all kinds)? I think I have a solution: I have a few dozen sew-on snaps in silver, black and clear. I'm going to try using them as the actual closure, while using a button as a decoratation on the outside... if that makes any sense.

Over the next few days, I hope to be posting a bit more what I'm doing - and hope to do - as well as what blogs I'm addicted to for inspration and ideas. And, with fingers crossed for some free time, there's always the potential of some cosmetic changes coming to this blog... or not. I'd side with not at this point in the week. Heck, I'd say it's a sure bet right now :)

Perchance, to dream

2010-03-22T23:07:00.000-05:00

Sleep.

Being the mom to a 14-almost-15 month old, I don't get a lot of sleep. Especially right now with two teeth coming in... I can hardly wait until this stage is completely over.

Long story, short, I have four new pieces in my Etsy store and hope to have at least one more up by the end of this week. No major appointments (yet) or out-of-town trips to take, so I should be able to get some work done that does not involve spreadsheets or calculators.

And I will have a new post tomorrow, perhaps in the morning. It all depends on how Maddy sleeps tonight and how I'm feeling in the morning. There wasn't enough coffee in the world this morning to help me find my bearings... perhaps it was a good thing she went for an early nap at 8:30 am.

Keeping above water

2010-03-19T13:16:00.000-05:00

This is what my desk currently looks like.

I may try to straighten it up later today, but laundry and finishing up some pieces for my Etsy store are a bit more of a priority. And taking care of Maddy. And trying to sort out the grocery flyers for next week's shopping trip.

And that is why my desk looks like a disaster area. I will say, though, that I can be organized when I have to be. Anything that is really important - personal info, financial info, etc - is open, reviewed and filed away pretty quickly. It's all the extra stuff that piles up... like my 1970s headphones (which still rock today), month-old flyers and hand creams that seem to multiply like Gremlins.

I will be posting lightly this weekend as my favourite fabric store is having a massive sale and I'm in need of some new material and notions to work with. I will post an update on my store when (not if) I've got the new pieces up and will try to post something about what I plan on attempting next.

Have a good weekend!

Meandering about

2010-03-17T23:29:00.000-05:00

Since I opened my store, it's been a little difficult to keep motivated. No sales - yet - and the realization that I made a massive mistake in the pricing of my products haven't helped. I fixed the pricing problem (I underpriced my bags by a good 40%) and now I'm waiting for a sale. One of the great things about Etsy is the community, and with that community comes some awesome and invaluable resources. The Etsy Seller Handbook has been a lifesaver. I didn't do a lot - or any, really - research before I launched my store and now there's a lot to catch up on, but the handbook has been nothing less than a godsend. I highly recommend it to anyone just starting out with an Etsy store and little-to-no experience in running a business.

I have managed to crank out a dozen or so new pieces. I finally learned how to do a proper lining, "designed" a new card holder (the green argyle/white piece in the bottom of the photo above would be the new "design"... really, it was just something that was going one way, didn't work so I tried something else), and wasted a fair bit of scrap material trying to come up with a brush/pen wrap that just did not want to work. It's been a bit of a frustrating week.

I went into this knowing that bags/wallets were not going to be the only thing I would produce. There's no way I could be content pigeon-holing myself like that; I still hope to do a bit of graphic design, probably artistic prints, for my store and I am working on prepping a bunch of photos to put up for sale. Spreading myself to thin is always a worry, but at this point, things are going fairly well... especially now that I'm caught up on the bookkeeping that was being put off, and off, and off.

A somewhat-aside: for patterns, go to BurdaStyle. I love the selection and variety of patterns they have, even the free ones that members have come up with... these two have caught my eye and will likely be added to the pile of things I want to try.

Now that I've got a new pile of pieces to finish up - buttons, snaps, velcro, not to mention checking on wonky threads and weird seams - I'm going to step back and try to get working on a cloth book that's been in the bottom of one of my material baskets for a few months.

I read the Peter Rabbit series when I was young; someone in Keith's family gave Maddy Peter Rabbit for Easter last year. She's at that age where she's learning a lot and if I can tie rabbits together with the alphabet, I'll do it. The book is all on one piece of material, which is great, but the instructions don't make a lick of sense. I'm hoping that my mom can help me decipher them tomorrow when I take it out to their place to cut up. Worst case scenario - I can make a bunch of quilt blocks to frame for Maddy's room.

I'm hoping that things pick up soon with the store. It hasn't gotten completely desperate yet, and I don't actually see that ever happening, but it's a bit of a kick to the ego when people don't buy your stuff. But it is March... people still have Christmas bills to pay off and if people are like us, they're starting to come out of their hibernation modes. I can come up with a million excuses and rationalize every single one of them... sometimes, it's the only thing that can keep a person going.

Number cruncher

2010-03-16T21:22:00.000-05:00

I'm back from the mini-holiday we took, visiting family in the eastern portion of the province. Sadly, no little helpful gnomes broke in and did all the tedious, but necessary, work that I've been putting off for a while now.

So I get to spend my evening doing spreadsheets and cost analysis thingies. Oh, the joy.

Still working on getting organized and should have a semi-stable schedule starting tomorrow, which means *hopefully* some new product. I'll try to post some progress photos at the very least tomorrow night after Maddy's in bed.

I'm having sudden flashbacks of grade 11 Accounting with the pile of paperwork that I have to enter. Blergh.

Exploring the options

2010-03-13T23:02:00.000-06:00

When I decided I was going to start a business, the biggest challenge wasn't learning how to run the business... no, it was coming up with a name. I have an odd - and lengthy (both in terms of time and explanation) - connection to gnomes and wanted to call the business gnome-something. I searched for other businesses that had gnome-something names and every single one I'd thought of was gone.

So I resorted to using a thesaurus to come up with a name. Imp, elf, troll, imp, pixie, sprite... none of them struck a chord with me. I wasn't going to give up, though. I googled 'thesaurus gnome' and the name I needed turned up in the results: nisse. Long story, short - a nisse is a household gnome who works at night, keeping the family and farm safe.

Two problems remained, once I settled on the name: 1) how to pronounce it - just like 'niece'; and 2) a logo.

My first attempt at a logo:

Do. Not. Like.

I liked it when I came up with it. The more I saw it though... yeah, no. It was bland and boring. Safe. It'd be nice for a high-end collection of china, but not for what I plan on doing.

Almost every logo I've designed up to this point looks like my first logo - straighforward, takes no chances, right to the point. This new one is a bit flashier. I wouldn't call it risky by any means, but it's definitely outside my comfort zone. I like that it's got a tried-and-true (for me, anyway) element to it - white text on black background - but the use of a calligraphic brush in Illustrator to create the 'background' was something I've tried before but was always disapointed with.

And now that I've printed up a whole pile o' business cards, I'm kind of stuck with it. I'm sure that over time, it will change, but for the moment, it says what I want it to. Or, at least, I hope it does... it's all part of this branding thing I keep reading about (or I think it does).

We're going out of town for the next three days to my sister and her husband's in Winnipeg and then up to Keith's parents' in Beausejour. I've already got a pile of paperwork to take with me, most of which is hopefully going to help me make my Etsy store better. I don't know how much time I'll actually get to work on anything, but it's a 2-hour drive to Winnipeg and then another hour to Beausejour, so I might get something done.

I'm also hoping to come back from this mini-vacation rejuvenated a bit. I'm starting to get a little weary of making the same thing over and over again, and it worries me. I don't want to stop being creative but I also don't want to burn out. There's a decent stack of patterns waiting to be experimented with when I get back; only question is am I willing to take a stab at trying them.

Judging the book by it's cover

2010-03-11T23:12:00.000-06:00

I like notebooks. Well, more journals than notebooks, but that's beside the point. If you ask my sister, she'll tell you how much I like journals.

Too much.

I have a stash of notebooks in a plastic tub in our crawlspace for two reasons: 1) I don't have room up here to store 10-15 books like that; and 2) I refuse to use them.

I know I'm not the only person who buys beautiful and unique notebooks and doesn't do a thing with them. I've moved them, looked at them, put them on display... but won't write in them. They're just too... precious, for lack of a better term. I have a lot I could put in them, but nope... just can't do it.

At least until last year. I have 3 Moleskine Plain Cahier Journals that I picked up on eBay 5 or 6 years ago. It wasn't until I started seriously thinking about what I was going to do as a business that I finally broke down and used one. It wasn't as painful as I thought it was going to be... in fact, it was kind of liberating.

Once I decided what I was going to do for a living (or attempt to do for a living), there was only one notebook I could use.

I can't remember when - or where - I picked this notebook up. The cover is a soothing tan suede that is a bit rough, but I like it. The wraparound tie has broken twice since it became the notebook, but it's still long enough to do up. It sits open well, the binding is almost perfect and it takes ink quite well. (I use a Pilot Hi-Techpoint V7 Grip most of the time - in blue and black; the rest of the time it's whatever ballpoint I can find.) I love this book and should I ever find another one (or 5), I will definitely be picking it up.

Right now, I've got the tan notebook and two of the three Moleskines in use. I try to always have a book in whatever bag I'm carrying, too, for jotting down notes or quick sketches. I'm still working on a system for keeping pens and pencils attached to the books, which I'm hoping ends up as something that is not only functional but marketable. There's also an idea that's been bouncing around for a few days for a mini-messenger bag that would be able to hold a notebook - or even a netbook - some pens and maybe a pocket (or two) for clips or sticky notes...

And they said I wasn't creative in high school... pfft.

Making strides

2010-03-10T15:06:00.001-06:00

I'm not the most organized person in the world. I actually cropped the photo of my to-do list above so the disaster that is my desk wouldn't be made public. I will say, however, that as disorganized as I am, I can usually find things with little-to-no problem. That's because I have disorganized piles... that's the key. Piles.

With this new business venture (which you can find here - nisseworks Etsy store), I've been trying to get some kind of structure into my life, which isn't exactly the easiest thing with a 14-month old. For the most part, this is a very fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants operation... at this point. There's the ongoing search for spreadsheets that I can use to keep track of profits, inventory and costs vs. pricing. I have some experience using spreadsheets, but most of that was when I was in high school, 17 years ago, so there's a slight learning curve to that particular aspect of running a business.

I have some inventory - completed product - that I haven't listed yet, but I plan on having at least one product listed a week. If not more, depending on how sales go... I don't want to put 100 things the store and sell nothing because it's so saturated; I'd rather put 30-40 pieces in the store and hopefully hit the right markets with good quality work.

Having a 14-month old and being a work-from-home mom is infinitely harder than I would have ever expected. My iPod Touch - which may end up being the best Mother's Day gift EVER - lets me do a lot of the things I used to do when Maddy was down for her nap. And yes, I will take a few minutes, usually once an hour, to do a quick tour through my email, Facebook, Twitter and Etsy... and then I get back to spending time with Maddy, which lately usually involves getting her off the sidetable and away from the shoes.

Finding time to do anything that involves a stretch of time longer than an hour is really hard. I'm lucky that Keith is willing to watch Maddy on his days off and has no problem taking her out for the afternoon if I need some peace and quiet (with our house, my office is in the corner of the living room, right where Maddy plays, so it's rarely calm). I'm trying to set up some kind of schedule for nisse.works-work that still lets me do all the mom and household stuff that I've been doing for the last year or more.

What do I hope to get out of all of this? Happiness, for one. I'm tired of being inexplicably angry at my job, which ends up seeping into the rest of my life. I honestly think that working for myself, even if it doesn't bring in as much money as my last few jobs have, is going to be one of the best things I can do. There's also the whole working from home/raising my daughter thing, too... childcare was just not an option (without having to work 2 jobs, anyway) for us, so this was the only choice we could make.

I'm hoping to plow through quite a few of those points on that to-do list before it gets much bigger. Keith has already agreed to take on a few things for me (research, picking up loan/grant apps), which I appreciate so very much, and we're working on shifting some of the household chores so there aren't any more laundry-dishes-supper-making days that fall into one person's lap.

Head-bopping, toe-tapping goodness

2010-03-07T10:57:00.000-06:00

I work better when there's music around me. I've tried to come up with a perfect playlist on iTunes to help me keep motivated and failed miserably.

But a few months ago, I found my saviour.

1CLUB.FM

Seriously, check them out. The variety of stations is impressive and there's something for everyone... I swear. I'm hooked on Sentimental Journey and Vegas Baby, and I'm only 33. And their holiday stations are on ALL YEAR ROUND. See how awesome this station is?

And they have apps for mobile devices. No excuses.. go check it out now.

Mad skills

2010-03-06T23:20:00.000-06:00

When we had our daughter last year, Keith and I knew that we'd have to make some changes, one of the biggest of which was our finances. It's not like we were spending all our money on crap or constantly living right on the edge of the poverty line, but with an additional body in the house - and my decision to be a work-from-home mom - we had to make some adjustments.

The easiest way, I thought, to juggle the finances was to stop our reliance on store-bought, prepared, packaged food. I've always liked to cook and bake, thanks to my parents encouraging me as a young kid to learn how to use the appliances in the kitchen. I still remember making my dad a variation on the Denver omelette when I was 7 or so. One of the first badges I got in Brownies was for baking. I find being in the kitchen pretty relaxing, for the most part.

Then there's the 12 or so years I spent working in restaurant kitchens. But that's for another time.

My mom was the biggest influence in my cooking aspirations. She didn't go back to work until my younger sister was 6, so she had a full meal for us 5 nights a week (Friday and Saturdays were her 'nights off'). Mostly simple meals, always meat-potato-veggie. I imagine that her upbringing - a widower for a father, the only female in the house, heavy influence from the Scottish grandfather living with them - had a lot to do with the straightforwardness of most meals. I don't remember having anything as extravagant as lasagna until I was 11. We grew up without sugared cereals (but always had brown sugar available to coat our puffed wheat) or tinned pasta... and even after living on my own for almost 14 years now, I'm perfectly okay not having either. Guess we weren't really missing out on much.

About a year ago, my mom decided it was high time I learned how to bake bread.

I was terrified.

Bread, from what other people had told me, was one of the easiest things to do. I'd seen cooks on TV make bread and it just looked so finicky. I didn't want to deal with that.

Long story, short... I can make bread with the best of them now.

Even if the recipe I use is completely different from the one that everyone else uses (milk? nope. eggs? nope. overnight proofing? heck no!).

The recipe I use is supposed to be for 4 loaves, but somehow I always manage to get 7 out of it - 5 plain, 2 cinnamon. I don't dare double the recipe because we don't have enough room in the freezers for 14 loaves of bread.

And yes, as a matter of fact, I do use my dryer in the third (!!) proofing round. There's a south-facing window right above it and the laundry room is the warmest room in the house. Two birds, one stone.

While the bread was rising on the dryer on Friday, I made a double-batch of baking powder biscuits from a cookbook of my grandmother's. I've made these biscuits a few times and they're great. The last batch I made, I added some shredded cheese and a few herbs just to add a bit of flavour. This time around, I threw in raisins, apples, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice in a slightly brazen attempt to make something that resembled scones.

Once I figured out that if I didn't actually roll out the dough and just pressed it to about 1/2" thick, they worked great. Turned out fabulously and they're almost half gone already. Maddy LOVES them, I'm definitely putting them into the regular baking rotation and Keith... I think he likes them. He must. He eats them when I offer him one.

Making bread has become a biweekly event; I've been trying to get some other baking done during those days, too, to take advantage of the hot oven. I think next time it's going to be a toss-up between these biscuits and the mini chocolate chip cookies that I have to give away to people almost as soon as they come out of the oven, as I would eat every single one of them if I was given the chance.

Cooking, baking, sewing... geez, you'd think I enjoyed being all domestic or something.

A slight uptick

2010-03-05T23:00:00.000-06:00

We've been pretty lucky - and not - this year. It certainly hasn't been as cold as it usually is. There were no stretches of -40C longer than a few days, but the snow... so much snow this year. It's nice to have the white stuff for snowmobilers and farmers, but come on... when the snow is even with our front porch landing, it's a bit much.

This week, we've seen the temperatures increase to daytime highs above freezing, which means added humidity and hoarfrost most mornings. I took these photos a few days ago when the frost was pretty thick, but only on the westward side of everything. A little odd, if you ask me.

I'm starting to go a little stir-crazy now that it's getting warmer. I've started thinking about my garden plans this year and whether or not I should expand the veggie garden and what to do about the flower gardens. And the rose bushes - move or leave them? That all depends on how many times Maddy runs into them once we get the fence up in the backyard and let her roam free.

I've got a pile of catch-up work to do - including a post that I'm going to attempt to get up tomorrow - before the weekend is over. Likelihood of actually getting through the entire pile? Slim to none, but it doesn't hurt to have a goal, right? Even it is futile :)