What I've Finished....

Available here in the shop!

Happy Saturday! Off to dig a big hole for a pond.

Guess What I'm Working On...

Christmas Shopping - Super Speed

I re-listed this today and like to watch it show up on the Recently Listed Items on Etsy. It speeds through all the new and renewed items.

And when I say speed...I mean speed. I suppose your connection has something to do with it and the fact that my new work computer is incredibly fast, but even if it were slower...it'd be just as much fun.

Try this link

Did you? What are you waiting for?

It's Thursday night...this is what I found:

Cool Wall graphics, no paint necessary, just peel them off when you are done.

Make your own moss terrarium ornament!

Looking for a little boy present? Check out these Space Adventure Felt Board

Dragonfly place cards that sit on the edge of a glass...so CUTE!

How about a papier mache Bee Skep? (who knew?)

Check it out for yourself and I'd like to encourage each of you to buy at least one Holiday Gift from Etsy.com this year. Support the starving artists.

Old Pic, New Thought

Last year, I took Sam to the Pumpkin Fest, he was 4 (this pic is age 3) he went up this jungle gym/slide thing. There were a million kids and two million parents looking for said kids. Well, I didn't technically lose Sam. He went up the stairs through a tunnel and didn't come down. The major design flaw of this play thing was that there were four enclosed tube slides. That came out in different sides of the play thing (I really don't have a word for it, totally hand made). Good for traffic flow, but not so great for a single parent trying to locate their child amongst a million. As soon as he came down the slide, I saw him. So technically he never was lost, just slower than all the others coming down. If you know Sam, this comes as no surprise.

Technically Wash My Cloth isn't lost in etsy world, but it seems as if it isn't being seen. I definitely need to work on my marketing, but without any sales lately, I am having a hard time justifying the expense to advertise. Other than advertising on blogs, websites, etc., there is the free marketing I like to call...wasting time. This includes blogging, reading and commenting on other blogs (not the highly read, because then you are that one kid in a million), and making comments in the forums of etsy. I made a comment in a forum last week and went to a couple blogs through that forum, posted some comments on blogs. The next day, I looked at my views, nothing really increased. I looked at people that marked my shop as a favorite, no new additions. I was quite depressed.

This morning, ready for another lack luster day in etsy world...I got this notification from Sydnei. Please check it out, she also has links to free giveaways...Christmas is coming and if you don't like the giveaway, I bet someone on your list will.

I guess wasting time does pay off.

The Chenango

I have updated the shop with this new bag. I was really happy with the way it turned out and how the yarn felted - like butter.

And...this is post number 100 for this year. I can't believe I had that much to say.

Maybe I'll celebrate with another Klondike bar.

Spongy Lou

Until I moved to Chicago, I didn't know that sponge candy was a regional treat. My co-workers were very afraid when I first offered them sponge candy, but ever since, they still ask specifically for some on my annual visits to the office.

I love sponge candy but it was the last thing on my mind yesterday at the craft show. My mom and I (well, mostly my mom) set up Wash My Cloth (our 'all About Us' page is up, thanks Lisa!) at the local middle school on Saturday. It was less than stellar. However, the day wasn't a bust. I met Louise.

Louise makes beautiful fabric dolls. Raggedy Ann and Andy, finger puppets and those Little Red Riding Hood dolls that turn upside down and inside out to become not only Little Red, but her Grandmother and the Wolf. Beautiful attention to detail and clearly made with love.

When there aren't any customers, vendors begin to commiserate with each other. I had mentioned why I thought selling through Etsy.com was a much better idea than a table in a gymnasium. One vendor heard me and the conversation began.

I was telling Louise about Etsy and she got out her pen and jotted it down on her notebook. I had a preconceived notion about Louise that she didn't know much about computers. I was clearly mistaken. Not only did she know a good amount about computers, she had a Facebook account and plays Scrabble on line with her family in Sweden. Then, we talked about my weaving. We realized we took the same weaving class at Buffalo State College with the SAME teacher. Louise had Nancy Belfer when Nancy just started teaching. I had Nancy the year before she retired. Small world.

But here is the magic. Louise makes her own sponge candy. I can't believe how few ingredients compose the sponge part. Here it is:

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup dark Karo syrup

1 tbsp. white vinegar

1 tbsp. baking soda

24 oz Milk Chocolate (I used chips, melting chocolate would work, too)

Combine sugar, syrup and vinegar in pot. Heat to 290-300 degrees, stirring constantly. Remove from heat* and add baking soda. Mix well, pour mixture in baking pan sprayed with Pam or other quick release spray. Place in cool area**. Once dried, break apart***. Coat in melted milk chocolate. Eat!

* Not totally sure about this, I did remove from heat to add the soda.

** Not sure if it should be refrigerator or just a cool area. I left it on the counter and it seemed to sink. Could either be the lack of cool air to quick cool, or the fact that my Baking Soda could be from 2005.

*** This will yield odd shaped pieces. You won't be able to cut with a knife. Louise lays the knife on its side and taps the sponge to crack it. I jammed the tip of the knife in the sponge and tapped the end and it just cracked apart in decent sizes.

If my sponge didn't sink, it would definitely be comparable to the high end sponge candy. Mine was harder than the usual and didn't stick to my teeth as much as the commercially made sponge.

I am amazed at the small cost of ingredients relative to the cost of the commercially made sponge. Try it, it is easy, and can get some aggression out with the breaking of the sponge. And please add a comment if it works or doesn't work for you. Next time, I am going to try it with new baking soda and light Karo syrup.

I hope Louise doesn't think I am a stalker. I gave her this blog address.

She is going to think I am a stalker.

At least I am a crafty stalker with a sweet tooth.

***

Just found this on etsy.com, I must say, I am a bit scared. Talk about smelling like you were out all night drinking...

Things I'd Like to Do

When I get in a creative slump, I go here, Etsy.com. My cousin Jill suggested I check it out, and I am so glad she did. She thought I could sell some of my work on this site, more of that below.

Etsy is like eBay, but with creative people. Think of it as a really cool artsy craft show where you never have to linger at a table you aren't interested in just to make the artist feel good. There are some really talented people out there, with some really cool amazing stuff. Love This and These. You can also get supplies, buttons, fabric, patterns, jewelry findings, etc. I would encourage you all to go here to look for a gift for that person that doesn't really fit the department store mold. You will also find some interesting blogs in here by clicking on the seller information.

On to the part about selling my work on Etsy. I want to. I even set up a username and password. But that is as far as I have gotten. I think time is the number one reason. As soon as I think I have time to make fun stuff for the etsy shop, I get sidetracked. I am reluctant to state it here, but I fully intend to have at least 10 items for sale by October 1st, 2008. There, I said it. October is a good time, mainly for the holiday shopping folks and it gives me a decent amount of time to figure out what I think I could sell. Since I have set up the account with our company, Wash My Cloth, soaps and wash towels will certainly be available, but I think for my own development as an artist, I need something a little more creative. There isn't all that much weaving on Etsy, and the little weaving they have is lovely, but pricey.

One of my 'hats' at work is to sell our services and one of our main points is to set goals, perform tasks then revisit those goals to see that we have accomplished, and if not, how do we change our plans and process to meet those goals.

Etsy is my goal.

And I will revisit this.