Making the Time

Oh how I love creating chainmaille!!! I'm especially busy right now on the jewelry end of things and it's hard finding the time to do what I need... better yet what I WANT to do. I work a full time day job and I'm the manager of two softball teams, which are starting their seasons next week. I'm having to organize alot of stuff to get the two teams ready, plus come home, pick up (what needs picking up), cook dinner if Ted's not home, clean that mess up and still have the energy to sit down and do maille. Not that maille takes a whole lot of energy, but usually if I'm tired, I just wanna plop down on the couch and watch something on TV. My addiction calls though and just about every evening, I'm sitting at my desk creating away. I love it!!!

This weekend I'm headed back to The Hideaway for another round. They're having a Customer Appreciation Day which includes vendors, a cookout, horse shoe tournament, two bands, plus a few other things. I'm really looking forward to it... especially since the only thing I'll need to do for my displays is touch up the paint a bit.

I've also signed up to sell at the Honey Bee Festival in Kernersville next month. It'll be great going back there to work. We lived there for 18 years and I do miss it something awful. It's a great little town (that's not so little anymore), where no matter where you go, you see someone you know. I love it like that! I've also been asked to set up at a small wine tasting event, also in Kernersville, early September. It's very small... just a few hours one evening. I need to get more details on it, but I'm also looking forward to that.

A dear friend of mine, Texstyle Textures (www.texstyletextures.etsy.com) has placed a wonderful order with me. Full Persian Cross keychains... 40 of them. =) Of course, they're not due for a while so I can pace myself to make it a whole lot easier on my time, hands and back.

There's also an Art Studio/store that I've been wanting to get my jewelry in. I've already approached the woman that owns it... now I just need to set up an appointment with her to show her my work. I'm actually waiting on some tags and earring cards I ordered before I do that. I want to look as professional as possible, but still handmade. I think the tags and cards will bring all of that together just perfectly. They match my business cards and banner and will be attached with black ribbon to my bracelets and necklaces. Everything was designed by Tartsie, on Etsy (www.tartsie.etsy.com). The tags and cards are being printed by KittyCrossBones, also on Etsy (www.kittycrossbones.etsy.com).

These next few months will be so exciting for me. I love having a purpose! By that I mean, not just sitting down and creating something to list on Etsy in hopes of selling it. I'd much rather create knowing that it's definitely going to someone, or that it's for a show (and more than likely going to sell).

I'm hoping Sunday I can get back on here an do a Featured Artist. It's been a while since I've done one... a looooong while, so I need to make that a priority.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Peace, Love and Happy Creating!

Back to the Grindstone

My rings finally came in and I was able to make Ann's bracelet for her. It shipped out yesterday, so hopefully she'll receive it in another day or two. It turned out beautifully (for my first Full Persian) and I was so glad I got the opportunity to make it for her. I had a really hard time finding copper clasps, so I ended up making one and giving her a choice from 3 different styles. Fortunately, she liked mine better than the others, so it ended up staying. =) I hope she truly enjoys wearing it as much as I enjoyed making it.

Now, it's back to the grindstone. I get to continue with the "entering data" part of my inventory. I think it'll go pretty quickly as soon as I get the program down. I already have everything written out on paper, so I don't have to search for info as I enter each one in. Maybe... just maybe, I can get it all done tonight. Wishfull thinking, I know... but it would be really nice for it to happen that quick, since I have lots and lots of rings just sitting here waiting to be made into chainmaille.

Patiently Waiting

I've been asked to do a custom order for a Full Persian bracelet in Copper by a very sweet woman and I'm trying to be patient while waiting for the rings to arrive. It's getting really hard to do, as I ordered them almost a week ago (tomorrow). It's not that they're taking longer than normal to get here or anything, I'm just anxious to get started on it. I do get all excited when I've ordered rings. They're all shiny and pretty when I open them up and having them around means I'll always have something to do. I did have a pretty big order, so I'm hoping they'll be here today or tomorrow.

I'm almost finished with inventory. Thanks to Ted, I was able to get all of my supplies counted pretty quickly. Now it's just a matter of getting them all into the computer. Of course the data entry will have to wait once I get the rings, but I don't mind pushing it aside. =) You never realize how many supplies you have until you have to take inventory. Jewelry, I pretty much knew because I look at it every day. It is a bit different seeing it all on paper though and I'll probably pass out when the total cost of it all is figured up. My Polymer Clay supplies were crazy. LOL I have tons of PC in all different colors, glitter, pigments, vases coming out the yang... it's nuts. Even if I do run out of rings to do chainmaille, I can't ever say I don't have anything to do. LOL

Ted changed my Godaddy account last night, so I should be able to work on my website soon. He had to change it over so I could use templates instead of HTML. I'm excited about that too. I'll finally have another outlet other than Etsy where I hope my work will be seen. I do like Etsy, but it just so crowded... especially the jewelry side of it. Etsy does have alot of great people, Street Teams and wonderful art, so even after my site is up, I'll still stay at Etsy. I've met too many wonderful people to leave, plus our Freethinkers team is just getting started.

It's taken me just about all day to get this post written. I have some time on my hands throughout the day, so I figured "why not". I did just check the mail and my rings came... YAY! They're all so pretty! That's at least enough rings to do four bracelets and a couple pairs of earrings. I can't wait to get home and start...