Weekend Blurble- Happy September

September is one of my fave months. Last September started a change in my life that, well, changed me. I can hardly wait to see what will happen this year.

It has been my most productive season to-date, I think. August, the longest month to me, went swimmingly, all things considered. I finished my commission, packaged, boxed and tagged it. It's been given to the client. She loved them. I'm happy.

This is a sort of sandwich month. I'm prepping for the craft fair in Oct. and riding the wave of creative thought sparked by my summertime success. I'm going back to the temp job I had in April, which will be a good boost. I'll have to work harder now and then to find time to work on elpy when I'm zonked after work. That job is quick and tiring in its meticulous-ness.

I'm daring to think things have a turned a corner. And, to resurrect an old phrase, a phrase from last year, I'm going with it. :)

Post Picture: How one leaves comments in real life. It's from my mom on a small bit of newness that I hope to begin listing soon. The holidays are coming...it's weird to think about Christmas when it's 80 degrees out.

Bits and Pieces and Twitter

I think each of the following things could be their own post. Sometimes it's better to consolidate.

Two of Etsy's founders are leaving the company. As an older Etsyan, one who remembers when it was just the four guys running the whole site, the news came as a bit of a shock and a touch of sadness. I wish them the best, though.

I changed my blog's url. It's no longer 'thelpblogs' but 'not-rachel'. Be sure to add the dash or you will get taken to another blog that has my old template and probably be all-around confused. Don't want that. :)

I'm going to be doing a show in my town. Yeah, baby. I should probably alert the CT team. I think there are a few of us in Northern CT. I'm excited and trying not to freak out. I'm making lists and checking them twice, ordering supplies, and working out display ideas.

My Twitter people are much faster at reporting the news than even Google. There were early morning tweetings of who McCain had chosen for his VP. When I googled, they put up related searches of 'mccain potatoes'...among others. It took about an hour for Google to catch up. Love my Twitter peeps. (I found out the Etsy news on Twitter as well.)

I could go on, but I've run together several long posts.

Post Picture: My commission is nearly packaged. Yay!

Re:

Convex necklace
Originally uploaded by lpdesigns

Okay, first, because I can't believe I waited this long to alert the world...I sold that necklace at the market today! *faints* The buyer was a really nice lady who had stopped by my table before and was actually hankering after a different necklace. But she'd had a bad vacation and needed to cheer herself up. I'm thrilled to bits. It got a lot of 'views' and compliments everywhere it's been shown. I'm trying to amass supplies to remake it. But it may have to be OOAK.

Yesterday, a question was posed in the comments section of this post. What did I learn from making potholders as a child? What, if anything, carried over?

I had to think, turn back the hands of time, and try to remember what I thought at age 7. I was going to leave a comment, but it got too long.

I learned that with a little effort and some resourcefulness I could make something better than what the stores sold...so the ladies who bought my potholders told me. That has been a part of my thinking ever since. Can I make that?

That gave a sense of pride. I was helping people...on my way to taking over the world.

I learned discipline, too. I need a reason, but when put to it, I can get anything done. Like making those 10 sets of potholders, sewing the three-piece outfit for 4-H, making about 80 angel ornaments for a church benefit, sewing a floor-length tablecloth with only a tape measure and a marking pencil.

It was fun for me, my little childhood business. I enjoyed digging through the piles of loops for ones unsuitable for weaving but perfect for shooting at my little brother, collaborating with my mom for new pattern ideas. I couldn't believe people would pay me for what I made. Part of me still can't as evidenced by my complete exuberance at the beginning of this post.

So I hope that answers the question. Thank you, ashok and jessicajane for asking me. Sometimes, it's good to look back and remember...especially good times. :)

< / era >

I sent those potholders off yesterday as part of a trade with knittydirtygirl, an old Etsy chat friend. They were the last ones. So ends an era.

I started making potholders years ago, when I was about 7. My mom used to make them when she was little and figured I would like to as well. Those are the woven kind, made on a square loom. We were buying loops to make them at a craft store/nursery. That closed but she wrote the address on the bag and we got the directly from the company. That was exciting.

I don't remember how or why, but I started selling them. I sold some to my mom and her friends. My grandmother acted as my broker to her friends in NYC. She would order a whole bunch and sell them for me. I think my biggest order was 10 sets. I would weave while watching TV, scrunching the loops down when they got tight. I had dreams of having a potholder-selling store, figuring out how I could sell a set to everyone in the world. Yeah, I didn't know how to dream small- I wanted world domination or bust.

I had a book of patterns. I named them, had style numbers and wrote down the colors I used, how many of each, the layout, if the laying was different from the weaving. I still have that book actually. The potholders above were made later and therefore aren't in the book.

I don't really remember why I stopped. I got involved with sports and after-school things and just didn't have time I guess. I picked it back up when I found Etsy. Surprisingly to me, they didn't sell as well as I would have liked.

So when I tell people that remember those days they smile and say, "I still have the potholders you made me. Do you still make them?" It warms my heart.

I was an entrepreneur of handmade things from the get-go. They were other things I made and sold along the way, popsicle stick frames, angel ornaments. Guess that explains why I can't give it up.

Weekend Blurble- [tomne]

[tomne]
Originally uploaded by lpdesigns

This Monday has started off nicely. I -posted on Sweet Figments. I signed myself up as guest writer. Today I featured clocks.

Today, I'm also featured on the Etsy Spolight On blog. It's an interview post. I think I sound confident, more than I have. I'm also having a sale associated with that post. Do read it and find out.

The Olympics are over. I watched pieces of the closing ceremony. I don't think I like the closing ceremony, like ever, as much as the opening. The opening is more a grand welcome. The closing more a grand party, that's slightly confusing and this year, felt very long. The opening was so concise and well-thought out. I was riveted. The closing lost me shortly after the athletes came in. Though the London bit, prior to Leona Lewis twirling out of the bus, was pretty interesting.

I hope to get some sewing and wood-cutting done today. I also must go to the Post Office. I have trades to mail.

Post Picture: The tomne bracelet. I made a necklace like this as well. I have an idea for earrings. I seem to be consumed with making sets. Getting a color scheme, however basic and running with it.