Category: simple stuff

The Virus Chronicles

Or stories from quarantine…or pandemic play by play…or tales from behind the maskā€¦

It seems like I’ve disappeared. I really haven’t. I just have been hiding from some forms of life since February. I don’t think I’m the only one. Let me go back and fill you in on what’s been going on.

Back in January and February I was finishing up a business plan for a brick and mortar creative store. Almost ready to commit to commercial space I found out my parents were having some health issues….and there was a deadly pandemic on the horizon. My dad turned 90 in February and that was the marker for his health decline. Numerous hospital visits and my Mother, in trying to take care of him, fell and broke her hip. They both went into rehab but my Dad never came out. All of this went on 3000 miles away from where I live.

Stay at home orders were in place when my Dad passed away. There are more things going on around his passing that effected me emotionally but mixed with the virus threat it put me into retreat. We stayed home. We only visited with each other. We did all the quarantine things. Creativity took a hike.

All of the spring and summer shows cancelled. Not surprising. I felt like my creative brain was cancelled. Don’t get me wrong spending time with family was pretty wonderful. We had lots and lots of quality time to chat, connect, cook, and bond. We dove headlong into a bunch of home DIY projects …like 20 different projects all at the same time. (no they’re not all finished)

My creative retreat took me back into lots of sewing. I dug out patterns, made some of my own, and spent hours alone at the machine. I made myself almost an entirely new wardrobe…that I have no where to wear. But it was meditative and allowed me to take my mind off all the other things going on in the world.

That pretty much brings me up to date. This is my first public and/or social media post since February.

Surprisingly there are a couple artisan shows that are going to go as planned this fall. This news has plucked me out of my funk a bit although I feel a little off course. Grieving different aspects of life takes you off course. But I’m finding my way back through creativity…and looking forward to doing a few normal activities.

See you soon,
Susan

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oops

Me peek a boo!

Now you see it…now you don’t.

Yesterday I took down all my jewelry listings. A friend had tried to buy something and the site wouldn’t let her pay. A funny way to do business, isn’t it?
So I think I fixed it but I’m still working on it. In the process I made a few decisions on how to move forward in a better way…as well as let folks pay for things they want to buy. šŸ™‚

Over the next few weeks I’ll be putting back all the items that I make over and over again. Many things I design use traditional charms or unusual things I find in my travels. I buy those in more quantity and can make multiples. Those things will be listed until they are gone.

With my graphic designs I need another way to keep those straight. Most all of those are one of a kind pieces. Either the drawings that make up the jewelry piece are only done once or the beading for the graphic piece is available once. Then the beads are gone. Attempting to leave those on the site all the time is a logistical nightmare.

So…I’ve decided to do some special releases Moving forward I will pick some dates and list all of the new one of a kind things I have available. Listings will be up for maybe a week or until those items go off to good homes. Then I’ll start over.

Please make sure you are on my newsletter list so you get notification of the releases before they happen. Or join my Facebook group (I haven’t posted there in a few months but am about to change that) or follow me on Instagram. I also have a snail mail, for those that like something other than bills in their mailbox, for show notices that I send 2 to 3 times a year.
(we also have a family podcast and that has been sorely overlooked for awhile but will be back revamped with better format and topics…stay tuned)

And that’s my news this week…if you need me I’ll be locked in my studio working. Glitterfest is in two weeks…yikes!! March 31 in Fullerton, CA at the Springfield Banquet Center. I’ll be on the second floor!!

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Decisions, decisions, decisions…

One of the things that keeps me from this blog is always some kind of decision. What should I talk about? What will anyone be interested in reading? How much should I show? Maybe a peek, a tutorial, a personal look at something? This goes on for long enough, and enough decisions are made on everything else, that I never get into the blog at all. Anybody else have this problem?
Addiemenose1
Then there’s always the “to do” list. Finish designing the stuff on my desk, prep for this weekend’s show, run errands, get change at the bank, order supplies, fill out your calendar, re-arrange your desk, mail out your orders, check social media, schedule social media, delete 900 e-mails, try to put out a newsletter, do tomorrow’s to do list, etc, etc, etc…
Then there’s the family “to do” list…collect all the laundry, call the Doctor, cook breakfast, go grocery shopping, wash the dog, advise child #1, clean the bathroom, wash the car, take a shower, drop the kids at sports, call your Mother, sweep the floor, wash the other dog…ad nauseum..

Gigantic bears at Costco
Gigantic bears at Costco

…you get the picture.Ā More decisions. On everything.
But do you see “write on the blog” anywhere?Ā Blog doesn’t show up, does it?
Not first…or in the middle…or at the end. Too many decisions and I can’t decide where to put it.
Sooo….time to make one more decision…what the hell am I finally doing here? Well…I guess I decided it was long enough. That I needed to try this again.
For how long and how often? No clue and I don’t know.
What will I bring my self to write about? Well…art…creativity…daily life stuff…basically I will be winging it and post things that tickle my fancy dependent on what day it is.
So about those decisions…I think I just made one.
To quit.
Until next time,
Susan
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National Organization Month: What are you doing?

National Organization Month and what are you doing to re-organize your home, life, and studio?

I am an avid cook so drawers that are completely unusable and crazy messy drive me crazy! So the first place I start with organization is in my kitchen. This baking drawer was such a mess I didn’t realize I had purchased several identical items! Now it’s labeled and things that go together are side by side.

Kitchen Baking Drawer

I wish I had a before picture of this. You wouldn’t have known even what this area was for. AND I threw out spices from the Jurassic period! Oy! Now it’s a pleasure to open this space!

Spices Galore

You couldn’t even tell what this area was for before I started! Plus I threw out spices from the turn of the century! Now it’s a pleasure to open this cupboard.

Bread Baking Station

How many crumbs can there really be in any one spot? This is my bread baking area…yes there are two bread machines. As a side note I bake all of our bread products from scratch. No more preservatives or hidden GMO for us! May sound crazy but it has solved a couple of health issues we had going on. AND it tastes delicious this way!

But..back to organization! With this many things on one counter area it easily gets out of whack. This is how it’s supposed to be!

Next organization project? Besides the entire house? Pieces of the studio…stay tuned!

Until next time,

Susan

P.S. Please hop over to my collaborative blog for some other organization tips from the studios of the girls!!

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Gift From Etsy

Woo hoo!!

Look what came in the mail awhile back! I had forgotten to show it off but here it is…

The new Etsy attachment that allows for payments to be taken with my smart phone!

Etsy Payment Box

This is how it came to me.. With it’s own really fabulous packaging. Great branding and something we all need to pay attention to. Huge sticker on the mailing envelope, cards with their logo…even the rubber band is their signature color!

And it gets better…

etsydongle3

You can use all the cards in or on your show tables or booth. One folds into a table stand…and the box that holds the device…

etsydongle1

…has a slit in it to hold the credit card sign!!! It’s a fabulous thing!! And it was free!

I have yet to try it out but I will and report back. If you have a shop on Etsy you should ask for one of these! It never hurts to try new things!

Until next time,

Susan

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