Busy Season

It's funny how I hear nearly everyone I know complaining about how crowded all the shopping venues are at this time of the year. I am lucky I guess since I always get to go out first thing in the mornings when the malls and stores are still quite empty.

Yesterday I went out and did my shopping. Well the shopping I had to do for things that are not handmade by myself or others. You know, socks and underwear.... shoes etc. Anyway the stores were very empty. I mentioned it to my fiance at dinner last night and added that perhaps more people were shopping online or for handmade items. He quckly reassured me that the times he has had to venture out were a veritable nightmare of frantic shoppers and pushy people. Lucky me I guess!

Now about glass work. Here is a piece I just put up for sale. A lovely necklace. I have been working on an entire series of these linked necklaces getting ready for Tucson this year.

You can find this one in my Etsy shop.

I woke up dreaming very early this morning, 5:30am and was very excited about my dream. You see, I was dreaming of a new glass series. So this morning finds me at the torch working out the details. Perhaps next week I will have it ready to preview to the world.

Besides working on the new piece, my day brings a lot of production work. I have a wonderful little bead that is one of my best sellers and over the course of the next 3 days I need to make about 350 of them to get ready for Tucson. Yes it does get monotinous at times however, I am listening to "Stardust" the book, right now and that is helping pass the time.

When its over, I will flip on one of the shopping channels and try to keep up to date on coming fashions and colors for next season. I find that the easiest way to do my research.

Well off to work for me!

Happy Holidays

Welcome!

Perhaps the holiday season isn't the best time to start a blog but that's the way my life typically is. As the first posting here on my blog I would like to share just a bit about what is happening.

Last week was spent updating much of my website. I have been travelling to bead shows now for over 11 years. That seems like such a long time. I used to love the travelling. Lately however, its just exhausting.

Driving to each show, often 12 to 18 hours each way. Loading and unloading hundreds of pounds of beads, jewelry and display. Set up and tear down. etc... etc... etc...

Sure, there are things I could do to make my life easier at shows. My current set up takes 4 to 6 hours and I could make that easier. However, I percieve myself as an artist. I just can't bring myself to throwing my beads and jewelry down on a table and hoping they sell themselves.

I could perhaps fly to shows. But.... I would not be able to take all my art to each show with me. This also takes me back to set up... I would not be able to set up and display everything the way I want.

I already try and take a helper to each show. However, he does not drive so thats no help with the travel aspects.

So, taking all that into account and knowing that the future holds more and more online sales. I have made a comittment to spending more effort on online sales. Cutting my shows down to about 2 a year from the 10 or so I do now.

Sure I have had my website up for years however, it takes real effort in promoting a site to the level that allows one to earn a decent living on just web sales. Up to this point, I have been adding things here and there, and listing my site on my business cards and letting things just happen. LOL! Well they don't really happen on their own.

In conclusion, yes it's the holiday season, Happy Holidays everyone! I will be enjoying the holidays but I will also be spending more and more time on the website, my Etsy store and promoting both!