Where has the time gone?

Wow!  How can it be February already?  The holidays are a blur.  Between having lots and lots of girl scout classes, making mice, and working 50+ hours a week at the store, I'm not sure how I made it through.  I had lots of fun, lots of treats from customers and lots of support from my helpers.  Thanks to all those who brought me treats - some days they were the only things that kept me going.  Thanks also for the gifts everyone brought me.  I loved them all, but was especially fond of the flamingo santa lights.  They looked really cute under my palm tree decorated with hot pink ornaments in my breakfast nook.

The mice were a real hit this year.  Those of you that came in the store know what I am talking about.  I can always tell when a project is going to be a hit - the item starts selling from the back before they even hit the sales floor.  Just a few left and they have made their home in the Christmas room.

I have a couple of special events coming up this month.  This coming Saturday, February 11, we will be holding our third annual Passionately Pink for the Cure fundraiser for Susan G. Komen.  The cost is $15.
            With your $15.00 fee you:
                      * Make a $10 donation to Susan G. Komen
                      * Earn a door prize ticket for a chance to win prizes - drawings are every 15 minutes
                      * Receive a welcome bag
                      * Earn extra door prize tickets for wearing pink, an added donation, a store purchase, or
                                   bringing a friend
                      * Make and take three different crafts
                      * Play Valentine BINGO for a chance to win every hour
                      * Enjoy refreshments

In addition we have tickets for sale for some super raffle prizes.  You do not have to pay $15.00 to buy these tickets and you do not have to be present to win.

Also coming up later this month I will be handing out eggs for the egg decorating contest.

I can't make any promises about doing a better job with this blog - I still have lots of girl scouts coming - but will try.  Keep being creative and have fun!

The Elves They Are a Working

Boy have we been busy.  I've had new siding put on the outside of my storefront, worked on getting the new siding painted, made 50-60 necklaces, completed about a dozen special orders, set up a bead and clearance sale, rearranged all the trees and rooms, and.... created a new item for Christmas.  We made Christmas mice this year.  They are unbelievably cute and have taken over the back room.  I already know I need to make more, because they have already begun to sell even though they are not "out" yet.  I know when I have created a "hit" when the item sells from the back room.

I also have reordered the hand made brush ornaments and have quite a few new animals this year.  They are one of the few items that I have ordered that have actually sold like hotcakes.  If you are not familiar with them, they are hand made in the Phillipines from burri palm fibers.  The industry used to make brushes, but with the advent of plastic brushes, their brushes no long sold.  To keep the industry alive, they began creating nativity sets and animals out of the fibers.  Some of the first animals they made were not very realistic, but they have really improved through the years.  The eyes and ears, etc are all made out of seeds or leaves or other natural materials.  The are very unique and very cute.  I have lots of collectors now and since they are very sturdy and light they are easy to mail.

My Holiday Open House is Saturday, November 11, so mark your calenders now.  All the mice will be out front by then as will all the other decorations and holiday items.  I have a lot of new one of a kind items that will be put out this year.

I hope you all have as much fun creating as I do.  I truly love making beautiful and fun items that bring joy to others.  Hope to see you all soon.

PROGRESS!!!!!

I have my whole back room cleaned up (almost).  I am down to the nitty gritty of sorting all the bead piles in pans, boxes, bags, trays and whatever that I have been piling up waiting to price them, bead them or file them.  I am so unbelievably proud of myself I have shown everyone that has set foot in my store in the last month who had ever seen my backroom!  I am also so ashamed for letting it get so bad.  One pile on the floor had been there for five years !!  Five Years!!!  It is such a relief to have it clean and put away.  I am a very organized person and that mess has haunted me for a very long time.  When I came back to work on July 6 after vacation, I set the timer for 1 hour each day and cleaned.  Items were either thrown out or recycled, put in their proper place or they went into sale boxes or grab bags.  Nothing was just moved to another spot.  I had lots and lots of cute wood items to be painted that all went into grab bags.  If I hadn't done something in five years out it went!  I realize I have no time to do little time consuming projects that don't sell well anyway.  I'll save my energy for jewelry making and other creative things that actually sell.  I also have so many more special orders all the time that it is hard to do as many creative things just to play around.

I also have come up with a new Christmas item that is really fun.  I finished 8 snowmen that were special orders two years ago that I finally created and finished.  The lady who ordered them loved them and bought 5 of the 8.  I know the other three will sell fast.  They are very cute, but took a lot of time and materials.  I don't think I could make 30 - 40 of them.  It's hard to be thinking about making Christmas items when I'm still trying to enjoy summer, but I have to get going.  And for right now I have made Progress!

Where has the time gone?

Man, I can't believe it is the first of June.  I haven't accomplished most of the stuff I set out to do in the new year.  The back room is still messy - as soon as I cleanup up something another thing piles up, I'm still working on orders constantly, and I haven't stockpiled anything for Christmas.  I haven't even come up with a wonderful idea for Christmas.  I need some inspiration.  All of the ideas I see right now seem kinda cheesy.  That's what happens when you are by yourself too much - no one to bounce ideas around with.  Doodle where are you?

Summer Classes

I'm back from vacation.  It was one of those stay at home vacations with my daughter-in-law and 2 yr old grandson visiting for 10 days.  Not much relaxing, but it was fun and different from my regular routine.  I did come back ready to get some work done.  For the 4 days I have been back I have been cleaning out the back rooms for an hour a day. I hauled 6 bags of old catalogs to the recycling center yesterday.  I have made a dent in ONE room.  In a very small area, I have found things I have not looked at in years.  Lots of fodder for grab bags!

I have also put together a class schedule.  Meant to get it on the blog last week, but life seems to interfere.  Here it is:  Call 624-7193 for a class description or to sign up.

Jewelry Making - Earrings $10.00
     Wed July 13 6-8pm, Fri July 15 1-3pm, Sat July 18 10:30-12:30

Card Making $10.00
     Wed July 20 6-8pm, Fri July 22 1-3pm, Sat July 23 10:30-12:30

Jewelry Making - Necklaces $15.00
     Tues July 26 6-8pm, Thurs July 28 2-4pm, Fri July 29 12:30-2:30pm

Silk Scarf Painting $10.00
     Wed Aug 3 6-8pm, Fri Aug 5 1-3pm, Sat Aug 6 10:30-12:30

Jewelry Making - Bracelets $10.00
     Wed Aug 10 6-8pm, Thurs Aug 11 2-4pm, Fri Aug 12 12:30-2:30pm

Paper Quilling $10.00
     Wed Aug 17 6-8pm, Fri Aug 19 12:30-2:30pm, Sat Aug 20 10:30-12:30

Hope to see some of you this summer.  Come take a class or just come in and say Hi.  As I'm cleaning out lots of bargains are going on the sale rack!  If I haven't used it in years it's out!

 

Easter Pictures

FINALLY!!!  Here are the pictures of the decorated Easter eggs.  They were wonderful!!!

Little Red Riding Hood egg was the winner of the 6-11 age group, Humpty Dumpty was the winner of the 12-16 age group and the Sexy lady egg was the adult winner.  The cracked egg trying to stay out of the frying pan won Honorable Mention as the most Hilarious.  The bacon waas crocheted!

This contest is just to fun.  There is so much creativity out there.  Thanks to everyone who participated.  Hopefully next year will have more entries.

Sorry some of the pictures are sideways.  I'm off to work and don't have time to figure out how to rotate them.

Have fun and be creative.

 

Mostly Random Thoughts

Handed out tons of eggs, but very few were returned.  The ones that were are MAGNIFICENT!!!  I will take pictures and post them.  If you can, come see them in person, as they are all just wonderful!

I am just about done with Brownie and Daisy classes for this year.  I still have 2 more in May.  I have loved having the girls, but am worn down.  I have had close to 400 girls through for class since the end of October.

All my goals for this year have slipped into oblivion.  Just keeping up with day to day operations has been my order of business.  I just got the rough draft of my taxes done 15 minutes ago and filed an extension.  Nothing like waiting until the last minute.  That is the way everything has been since the first of the year.  I did uncover one desk in the workroom this past week and was able to sit at it to write.  Now all I have to do is uncover most of the floor!

For those of you that have been asking I will have some regular classes in May.  I will have some jewelry classes and some other fun things like quilling.  I will put the schedule on the blog, but you can also call 618-624-7193 to schedule your own group for class if you like.

P.S. I will close early on Friday April 22, and closed all day Saturday, April 23.  My grandson will be in town!!