A Little Busy

Yesterday went about as expected. In fact the only real disappointment came when I wanted to remake a certain mask and couldn't because I didn't have the beads I needed. I'm still trying to decide whether it is important enough to order said beads so I can make it. I probably won't though. Since sales are slow, I really can't be ordering supplies I don't strictly "need". I did that when I wanted to make more of the key in the teardrop necklace and I have yet to sell a single one of those, so I clearly got ahead of myself there.

I did manage to remake a pair of barefoot sandals I hadn't gotten back to as well as a necklace that hasn't been in the shop for two years. Then I was granted the best thing ever, a custom order. It wasn't a huge order or anything, but it was custom sized and colored, so I had a task that needed doing and you know how much I thrive on that. I've almost finished with that project though, so once it's wrapped today, it'll be back to delving through those "sold out" pieces for more things to add back to the shop. My item number currently sits at 350 and I'm starting to think that is way too many pieces though. I guess we'll see where that number sits after the holidays. I'd hate to cull the list now. I also have a terrible time letting go of anything I designed ever. I guess I'll probably just keep making and listing until my brain literally runs out of ideas or people stop caring.

That's Better

Well, I didn't get any amazing ideas, but I did decide that I wasn't going to be wasting any more time waiting. The shops out in the real world are already getting in Halloween goods, so I thought I'd just remake some masks that I haven't bothered with in quite some time. I'm not sure why I let Halloween be my excuse since I rarely sell masks for the holiday, too much cheap competition around, but it gave me something to do and that's what I did. By the time evening rolled around I'd finished and relisted two masks.

For my trouble I was rewarded with a sale. It was nothing that needed to be remade after it sold, but it did give the 13 year old me a giggle as it was sold to the 90210 zip code. So unless I'm blindsided by custom orders or something, I'm going to continue to did back into my 'sold out' listings and remake things that I let pass by in busier times. They may not be new, but enough time has passed since I made them that it doesn't feel like production work.

Time is running out for me to get anything extra done. I got in the last of the kid's school books and supplies yesterday. There are just two weeks and some change before my day is given over to the educational process. If the stack of books is any indication, it's going to be quite a long school day as well. Not quite yet though...I still have these last two weeks to work and work I shall.

Too Quiet

Well, unfortunately the Universe did not stay with me after Thursday's sale. It was just a cosmic tease. The shop went right back into silent mode. I kept trying though. On Friday I made two more pieces. The first one here is similar to the one I did a couple of years ago for the Japan tsunami relief. I've still got a few more of these dragons and the matching sized rings, so I figured this can stay in the shop as a repeatable piece. I used organic linen thread for it so it was more of a pain to make than usual. The linen is sort of the thread equivalent of hand spun yarn with occasional lumps and this spots, but the result is kind of a natural, softer look.

The next one I made was  built around something from the stash of findings. It's a dyed shell of some sort and it looked lovely with Ocean Teal thread. I made it in a similar method to the pendant one I did on Thursday, all tatted together. It's definitely a one off necklace.

After both of those were done and listed, I waited. The ghost town had returned though and I was out of ideas again. The rest of the weekend was just family errands and cleaning out closets. You could feel the lazy in the air.

Wait, I did do, or rather read something amazing. Fabulously wonderful friends brought us back a signed copy of Neil Gaiman's new book from San Diego and I spent Saturday afternoon reading it. I'm so glad that I waited until I could read it straight through because it was most assuredly one of those, 'can't put it down' sort of reads. So thank you wonderful friends for book and the diversion it created!

Now back at Monday, I'm not sure what I should try and accomplish. The weight of the quiet shop is clearly starting to get to me, but I can't let it pull me under. I'll get up to something and hopefully it will be enough.

Broken

I was bound and determined yesterday to not fall into the same trappings as the last few days. I didn't want to spend my day worrying about day 8 with no sales, so I got up and took a nice morning walk with the kids. I did laundry and dishes and as soon as I was moving enough to consider myself to be possessing momentum, I tatted. Now it was nothing requiring too much creativity, just the same old 'tat around' something, but it worked. I had put together these pendants a few says ago from findings and onyx cabochons that I had in my stash.

The first one was much simpler, just a small pendant on mini ball chain. The second was a little more interesting as it was just a pendant with nothing to tat around, but I wanted to use it so I found a metal ring big enough to surround it and put the two pieces together, sealing the ring. Then I tatted around the ring, which was fiddly with the fairly heavy pendant hanging on. Then it got the tatted chains, followed by the chain petals. These are definitely one of a kind pieces, but I might try the same method as the second one to utilize some more pendants I have in the stash that I thought I'd never be able to use.

The day just got better from there as I finally got a small sale to break the streak. Of course I'm crossing my fingers as I type that I don't just fall into another lull after that, but I am truly grateful for the change. Unfortunately the order left me only one small piece to remake and I already did that because I was fiending for more tatting. So today I'll just have to try to repeat yesterday and try to keep moving forward. Hopefully that will be enough to keep the Universe on my side.

Blah

Man did I have a blah day. I was going to say a bad day, but that would have really oversold it. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't...anything. Seriously, I do not do good with too much free time when I'm in a creative slump. I literally laid on the couch and did nothing for much of the day after I had run errands with the kids. Cat picture is for emotional illustration purposes.

I got so stir crazy with idle hands that I spent the afternoon finishing up a page in one of these fancy coloring books we recently acquired from the Costco. That's right I spent the afternoon coloring. When I finished that my stomach started feeling a bit upset, so I spent the evening in a whiny mood. I don't think I can handle another day like that one. I have got to snap out of this slump. I need a sale, an idea, an epiphany, anything to focus myself elsewhere.

So today, I stall try to do something worth doing. I only have a few weeks before the home schooling starts up again and I'd hate to waste any time just feeling sorry for myself. Hopefully the Universe is listening this time and today will be the day for something interesting to happen even if I have to make it happen all by myself.