My First Sale and Other Thoughts

Can you imagine my surprise and pleasure when, as I was going through my items to record the number of views, I found an item missing!?? "Oh, no," you might say, "something way missing?" And I would respond, "It was SOLD!!!" I was (ok, I still am!!) really excited and immediate got to work. So far I've made the inner packaging box, painted it, but still need to complete the paint work. Then I'll have to package it for the mail... a bit larger box and protective stuffing. I'm sooo happy! If you have offered prayers in my behalf for my shop, I thank you. I'm so grateful and very very hopeful! Now, you may wonder what it was that someone bought. Well, I'm happy to show you!

Today I've posted a new item in my shop. I'm very pleased with it for a few reasons. One of those reasons is that I just felt SO good when I was making it! I was thiking about my Mom and her dreams for a rose garden and rose bathroom... and how much she enjoys gardening and how that has influenced me. So, I was pretty happy with it after it was baked and in process of completion. But then Jessie saw it out and he asked if that's what I had made that day. I told him I'd actually made it the day before, that it had taken ALL day, and then asked what he thought. He picked it up, looked at it more carefully, and then told me that he was really impressed with it and that he thought it looked really pretty. (I'm so glad I have a hubbie who is comfortable saying things that are meant to be pretty ARE pretty!) Then, today I asked for his opinion on pricing it. He told me, "At least $20. It took you so long!" And I knew the other unsaid compliment was that it was so good... you see, he'd already told me that part, so he didn't feel it needed re-iteration (though I would have loved to hear it anyway!). :) Next are a few pictures of that piece. I'm calling it Garden Angel.

I couldn't manage to get the smile in the marbeling to show up when I wasn't using the flash on our camera. So, that's why the last picture is so bright and shiny. I love shiny, though! :)




I've learned about three other girls that I knew in my youth, who are ETSIANS. It's been really neat to realize the little world of ETSY is pretty well-known. :) I'm so excited to have found it and started my own little place in this big business world. Keep wishin me some luck!!! And the prayers are even more awesome! Maybe we can replace one of Jessie's jobs with me work!!! Oh, to have my husband home....

I have a crush! I already told Jessie and he's ok with it. See, I found this amazing artist on ETSY and I want this person to be my friend! But how do you ask someone with whom you are potentially a competitor to be friends? I had it all worked out. I was going to write to the artist and say, "I LOVE your work!! Would you be my friend? Oh, and by the way, are you a boy or girl?" That last bit is only important because I TOTALLY have a crush and would feel way more comfy if the crush is on a FEmale artist than a MALE one. Ya know? Are you curious? Well, I'm not sure I should actually share the info... since this person really IS my competition... especially because I was planning to make cake toppers and such... but I REALLY admire their work, so I'm going to share the link anyway! http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=7403869 This should bring you right there. BUT if it doesn't, http://boogiebabys.etsy.com/ really should!

So, I did mention that I had some other thoughts (not ETSY related). I'm just so enamored!

Ria is all about working now! It was so funny. Yesterday, she kept asking to make something with clay. I did explain to her that we weren't going to do any play or anything with clay or the computer since that's what we did for work, even though we love doing it, because it was the Sabbath. Well, she didn't like that at all. Then, she asked if she could play with playdough. I had to then explain that even though it's a different medium, it's too similar to what we use for our work. I'm happy and excited that she loves to create! It IS a joy!!!

Kitty Kat also enjoys working with the clay. She will actually sit for up to 45 minutes, in her little desk/chair, and work with sculpy! Now, if you know Ria you may not think this much of an accomplishment. So I feel it important to explain that Kat does NOT sit still. She is a much more active child than Ria. Her attention span is shorter and pickier! She's just a different girl, as she should be. So, the fact that she's sit there and work on anything for longer than 20 minutes it SERIOUSLY amazing! Oh... and usually Kitty will stand up like she's finished, but then see how intently Ria and I are still working, and then sit back down and work some more! Her work habits are also unusual in that she doesn't try to get my attention every 2 minutes to show me what she's made. She will work the ball of clay I give her until she has her desk area covered with smaller odd shaped pieces, then get my attention to show me one particular item and after I comment on it she will look down at her other work and then up at me and wait for my comments! Isn't that hilarious!??? I LOVE IT!!!!

So, even if the work I'm trying to do now does not blast off, the experiences I am gaining of and with my daughters are treasures!!!

hmmmm.....

I will have to do some work on pictures so that I can share some more of the girls. We have some great bubble pictures that we took yesterday with and of Daddy. It was his special time with the girls before he went to work. I have not yet uploaded those pictures to my computer.

So, Heidi, my best friend since I was 12!!! Checked out my shop and gave me some more ideas of things to make. So, today I went shopping and now have some shadow boxes. She suggested I made some shell scenes, like my 2 Beach Angels and the Snow Angel and put them in shadow boxes. The reason for the suggestion is really smart, so I'm going to fly with it. That particular item will not appear in my shop for a while, though, because those shell scene are very time consuming and I need to be able to put my thoughts together for a larger scene than 3" diameter! But I'm excited about that. I'm also going to make free standing angels, rather than just ornaments. (Also a suggestion by Heidi!) She thought that some people might like the angels because they collect Angels, but prefer something that is not an ornament. So... Do YOU have any suggestions or ideas for me?? If you let me know what they are and give me a reason or a couple for the idea and why it could be good, you may see your name in my Blog!! hahaha, not that I get terribly much traffic... but still! You can email me at secretsshallebb@hotmail.com