well ARGGGH !

 OK, here I was at my day job, working overtime, when I hear my Etsy make the cash register sound.  I have 2 sites, one for jewelry  (which has been sadly neglected) and one for destash.

When I finally finish work, I checked and I was amazed to see I sold on my jewelry Etsy!! wooo hoo! 

4 necklaces, 3 with my very own glass cabs in them. 

So I go check it out, and imagine my surprise to find out I paid $7.50 in advertising fees.  Apparently at one time off site advertising was free, and you were automatically opted in.  Or maybe I choose it, honestly I don't have a clue.  The free has stopped, and guess what? Now I sell something so they take an extra 15% fee.  If they notified us the freebie was stopping I didn't see it.  It stopped in May of 2020!!

I guess I'm glad I sold something, and I guess if it was in ads great, but boy howdy that was a bite I wasn't expecting.

Really hitting the old and vintage costume jewelry lately, I guess I'm a sparkle phase again.  These earrings made from 2 different pieces of jewelry and new crystals. 

I'm feeling pretty Leary of on-line selling right now, but since shows are so problematic right now, I guess it's the only game in town.  I really need to invest some time in to it... get more stuff up, do better pictures, actually check it everyday and maybe do some advertising that I know about up front and won't have sticker shock from. 

I started a amazon handmade shop before Christmas, but I haven't had time to do much with it.  

I have 1 item of jewelry on ebay, to test the waters.  So far no nibbles.

I have a whole studio filled with beads, so sometimes I just like to relax and do stringing.  

I really need to pick one on-line marketplace, and really give it my all -- get 50-60 or more listings up with good pics and descriptions, and seriously work at it.  

I'm going to get my destash up and running again first, then tackle the jewelry.

Business Plans for the Year....

 Honestly, I don't have any firm plans.  COVID is still a raging concern, and despite the vaccinations, I suspect we will be socially distancing most of 2021.  I hope I'm wrong.  We won't know yet until may or later what the rest of the year will look like.  Booking shows is mostly done by then.   

So trying to plan for 2021 isn't really a straight forward. 

Crappy photo, hard to capture the drape of t    his flat instead of worn.  Anyway, on the left is part of a pocket watch, with added vintage flower and a regular hanging down.  on the other side is  vintage watch face and parts.  The chains drape gracefully between them - when it's fitted properly.  I had it rather long, but it's easy to adjust.  Pretty copper flower clasp - since this is all about flowers.

I'm finding that, without setting up a business plan, I don't have well defined business goals.  (go figure!) If I don't have well defined goals, it's hard to get motivated.  

Don't get me wrong, I still love to make jewelry, but without focus, I tend to start and never finish it.  I enjoy every minute of my time in the studio, but it's aimless.  Also without planning for specific shows in mind, it's hard to give myself permission to spend the time needed in the studio to really create.  I never have enough time to get everything done, so if i'm not doing show, my brain thinks I don't deserve creative time.  Yeah, I know that part is twisted, and I'm working on it, but I can't pretend it's not there.

Back

Front    

Maybe It's because I don't get the validation of selling face to face.  Selling jewelry, seeing people really like my jewelry, and it connects to them.  It becomes a shared experience that I really miss.

Just knowing I can make someone else's day is a high.

Even when/if COVID isn't an issue, I'm not sure how much longer I can sell direct to the public.  

I have health issues. Let's discuss just one of them: Asthma.  It's triggered by smoke, hairspray, perfume, flowers, deodorant,  lotions,  HAND SANITIZERS, exercise, laundry detergent and stuff that's green and grows.  

It's been increasingly hard to function at art shows and farmer's markets.  I never know when I'm going to get too close to someone and get triggered.  My biggest fear is sometime soon I'll get triggered by something someone is wearing, and my emergency inhaler won't help and I'll end up in a hospital emergency room.

Just imagine it... set up at Downtown Farmer's Market, bushwhacked by hairspray, rushed to the hospital cause I can't breathe, Hubby probably going with me insane with worry... my booth left abandoned -- or Jerry trying to take it apart by himself during the market, rushing and crazy with worry while the streets are crowded with 5000 people trying to get packed up so he can get to me.... 

I can spin multiple nightmare scenarios.

It hasn't happened yet, but I really feel it's a possibility.   

One thing COVID and basically never leaving the house has taught me-  my asthma really is a trigger situation.  If I avoid my triggers, I avoid episodes.  I have the occasional "bad breath day" but overall, it's situational.

For example, take this week.  I've used my inhaler three times -- all while cleaning the house.  The chemicals and dust made me start having a coughing fit, I got away from it ( my wonderful large house i can actually do this) I used my inhaler and sat down and calmed down and all was fine.

I hadn't used my inhaler for 2 weeks before this.

When I'm working at the office, or at a art show, I'm using my inhaler daily.  That's not healthy, or safe long term.  At work and at art shows where I'm tied to a location, where I can't do evasive maneuvers very well, I'm as higher risk of the big attack.   Asthma is painful and scary.  It hurts putting Jerry my husband through it.  I know he worries about it almost as much as I do.  

I tell you this not to enlist sympathy  -- merely to explain  why the more I think about it, the more I'm not sure how much longer I can do art shows.

Now add my other health issues --- one of them as serious if not more than my asthma ---  it's a lot to think about.

Random Thoughts 2021

 Let's start with a quote: War and Peace: “We are asleep until we fall in love.”

That's just.... lovely.  It makes me think of Les Miserables -- to love another person is to see the face of God! 

I'm not really religious,  but i love that line.  I get it.. the wonder, the absolute conviction of things beyond yourself.  That is love to me.  I could go on and on, but why when the statement kind-of says it all.

So we are in 2021 now.  Yeah?   I am very excited that 45 will soon be gone.  America will spend decades fixing all the damage he's cause.  

Today is the day I sit down and work on sale taxes for the states I collect for.  Since I had no shows in 2020, and sort of gave up on online sales mid-way through the year, at least it's gonna be quick to do this year.

I think I will even do my own income taxes this year.  I have more time and it would save me money I don't have.  What's a small glass of frustration in the last year of floods ???  

Wouldn't it be nice to fly away from it all? 

I bought 1 month of HBO/CIN so we could watch Wonder Woman 84.  It was ok.  Not as good as the first one, but entertaining and watchable.  Since I have this channel for the month I'm taking advantage of watching other stuff before my subcription runs out. This includes watching a few episodes of the original Linda Carter TV show.

Wow.  I had good memories of this show, and so far, considering the time it was filmed, it's not so terrible.  I've watched the 4 first episodes and that's probably I'll watch.

I'm currently hooked on FALLING SKYS.  Can't say it's ground breaking TV but it's really entertaining and some of the characters are really engaging.   

Also watching Lovecraft county a few episodes at a time with my Hubby.  Now it's a great, and strange and thought provoking show.  If you have a chance you should watch this.  If nothing else you will learn some history.  Jerry and I have had discussions based on some of the episodes.  It's also twisted and kind of gory, so not something I can binge watch.

I love my baby! Ain't she cute??? 

It's been a full year since I've watched Walking Dead, but I'm thinking about starting up again.  It's hard... I stop after the Whisperers killed some of my fav's.  

The snow outside is pretty.  Working from home improves my enjoyment of watching it.  We get quite a few deer tromping through our yard, and have multiple foot trails to prove it.  Occasionally we see them but the minute you pull out a camera to snap a pic they run off.  Sneaky quick varmints.   

I've collected another major health issue in 2020, go figure.  Still trying to wrap my brain around it.  I seriously need to make changes in my life, if I want to have a long one.

I really like this set.  the MOP is recycled from costume jewelry, the bass silver plated gals are new, as well as the sterling earwires.  Plated chain.

 

I haven't made jewelry in the last few weeks really.  I'm finally in the mood and of course I'm having problems with my heater in the studio.  GRRRRR