So far I think I can do this.

It might be a bit obvious but I am not a naturally good at running a business.

Just thought I'd put that out there.

While I am a very able Technician, I can come up with fresh ideas for jewellery,pendants, tatting and knitting I have a really hard time selling.

My father, who's excellent at selling, did not hand it down to me when he gave me the hodge-podge of genetic material which included high-function Aspergers!

Thanks a lot Dad!

So to try and help myself I've bought some books (I love books! I've taught myself almost everything I've ever wanted to learn from books!) to help me with my etsy shop.

I think I'm learning...slowly.

I've put up some new listings and I will tweak it some more and hopefully increase my exposure!

The flower brooches are up but I'm still taking new shots of the pendants.

I guess you really do get the results you work for.

:)

Here it comes...2012

Wow, I haven't posted in ages. I find it  hard to use this as a journal, especially when I can't think of anything to say. But!
I finally caved and took some of my pendants down to the only specialty gift store we have here and asked if she could sell them for me. She thought they were beautiful (which was nice) and said she's never seen anything like the tatting motifs in resin before (goody!). After fluffing around when she asked me how much I'd sell them for (what? you mean I should know that? Oh, er...) we settled on $9 each. She took 10 and before the day had finished she rang to say she'd already sold one! So that was very encouraging! Certainly more so than etsy where I haven't managed to shift a thing!

I got some different frames too. These are a lot easier to handle compared with the resin. Just glass slides in a frame with a piece of tatting trapped between. See how we go for the rest of the year. The lady suggested knitting some mitts and headbands and she'd have a look because they go quick during winter and she doesn't really like the cheapee chinese mass-produced ones.
This year could be an interesting one with lots of curly decisions popping up here and there. Youngest son is getting ready to embark on not one but two massive adventures. Moving to Perth and living almost independently as well as attending uni to further his education. For any other 17 almost 18 year old boy this would be daunting enough but with his Aspergers it throws one more variable into a mix already fraught with possible OMG moments! He's got the support of a lot of really good professionals and we're hoping to hear more back soon since the course he wants to enter begins Feb 21st.
Oh dear. Where's the brown paper bag. I think I'm starting to hyperventilate again!!!
Also Hubbie's two years is up here so he's starting to have to think about where we're likely to choose to be transfered to next. Not looking forward to that since anywhere we choose is bound to be a long way from here, from my parents and I'll probably have to find another job. I hate that!
But none of this has happened yet. 2012 is starting to look like another one of those pivitol years...
...I'm not sure I like that.
Ah well. There's always knitting :)

New Stuff in Shop

I've just put up some new stock on my Etsy shop. I've heaps more pendants to put up but this'll do for the moment. I've just resined up a heap more pendants so hopefully they'll be as pretty. I hope I get better at this. I always make such a mess! 

Wish me luck.

My Shop is Open and with Stuff to Sell!!

Yes indeedy! I finally got brave and started putting just a few of my things on there at a time. Still getting really pretty pics of my pendants but so far I've got about 5 knitted items and 1 tatted pendant up on my shop site.

These are the knits. I've only shown 1 set of mitts because I've got three of the same design but different colourways. Very cosy and easy fit!

 

I've got heaps more to put up! Since I'm such a compulsive knitter I have to get rid of some of it before me and my family get smothered under it all! So please come and have a look. You might find just the perfect gift for someone this christmas, be it a cosy knit of a piece of unique jewellery!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/danie17

Look forward to see you :)

Still Slogging On...

...With the Vintage Jumper of course! I've now finished the back...

and am almost finished with the sleeves! Yahhh!!!

This is going much quicker than I feared it would but I'm still sceptical that I'm not going to hit problems when it comes to seaming everything up. And I'm really not liking the cream colour. I think I might have to dye it something else when it's all sewn up...outside somewhere...so I don't get dye on our rental house!

Also I finally got my parcel from Annie Howe on Etsy! Not Annie's fault, I might add, that it took so long. I stupidly forgot to change the address from my old one to the new one and so it had to first go to the wrong town before being diverted back to the right town! But now I have more goodies to play with!

I've already played with the Art Gel, a pendant tray, a tatted motif and a glass disc and it's looking pretty good so far. I just have to be patient and leave the whole thing to dry properly, then I wont have gel all over the face of the pendant! See, here's one I prepared earlier!

So, there you have it! Now, I better get off, pretend to do some house work and see if I can't finish these sleeves tonight...or at least before 12.30am :)

Happy Knitting :)

Twinkle, twinkle, Little star...

..well, they do look kind of like that. I've finally got a group of pendant trays with a tatted motif embeded in resin all finished. Not 100% satisfied with it myself yet but I'm getting better!

The first group I did I didn't warm the resin first and there are tiny bubbles trapped in the resin not to mention I didn't coat the motifs in PVA glue to keep there colour from becoming washed out when the resin absorbed into it. And some of the background colours weren't the best choice for displaying the motifs either.

These ones are an excellent example of what not to do!

While this one, while beautifully clear...

...still has bubbles trapped in it. But at least I'm getting better at mixing the resin!

Now all I need to do is wait till I get the chains I've ordered off www.etsy.com (LOVE Etsy! I've gotten most of my supplies from there and have had excellent service so far!) and some more pendant trays. And then tat some more motifs, without getting bored doing the same ones over and over and over...

I have a relatively short attention span sometimes :)

Keep Happy!