Zibbet Spotlight

Just sharing some new Zibbet promo things.....a challenge to myself that I accomplished!

*★Merry★* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★Christmas★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜田田｜門｜ ˚And a Happy New Year•˚ *★ ♥ x ♥

Wow...........

This will be the first combined Saturday AND Sunday that we have had since the end of August with
NOTHING
ZIP
ZILCH
NADA
on the calendar !!! OMG!!!!
No shows for me or DH.
No social appointments.
No company.
No concerts.
No babysitting for the boys who are not babies anymore.
No special orders to complete.
No major house issues.
NOTHING!!!!!
Whatever will we do with oursleves?!
In a word..........chill and I can't wait.
Hope everyone has time to chill as well.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

Ipads

I am writing this brief post on my new IPad...A very cool, very expensive toy. I have never used a Mac so there
Is a lot to learn and get used to. I am going to a class tomorrow so I want to have my questions ready which
Are now pages long. For example, why is there a capital letter on the word 'are' at the start of this line and I can't
Fix it....now the 'f' on fix!!!
No pictures loaded so that's all now. hints and clues are more than welcome......needed!

Sometimes you have to break your word....

I have always prided myself on keeping my word. If I make a commitment, it's done. Sometimes I may have regretted it, but it is rarely broken until today.....arghhhh!
I had paid for and entered a school craft fair for 3 hours tonite. The entry was minimal. DH couldn't come with me as he is committed elsewhere. But for 3 hours (5-8) at an active school...why not? The school is 40 minutes away, on back roads but doable until the forecast and my anxiety kicked into gear.
It started raining last night and is a cold, foggy rain today. It is expected to last until the early hours of tomorrow morning. Anxiety.
As I've gotten older, driving at night is not enjoyable. Factor in: rain, flash flood warnings, thunder, back roads and awful drivers? Not a good scenario. I'd get there okay as it will still be light but will buyers venture out on a miserable night? Will I be anxious the whole time worrying about getting home? Will I get soaked loading the car at the end?
No, yes and yes.
Two craft fair friends who are local said to blow it off. DH wanted me to, as well
So I have backed out.
Business has been slow and who knows what sales or contacts would have been made there. But most important is my safety & my sanity,right? So why am I still trying to convince myself that I made the right decision? Because I broke my word and that doesn't sit well.
And anyway, I'd like to make it unscathed to tomorrow....my birthday!
Here's #4 in my patchwork clock series, a taste of Europe. If anyone wants to purchase and cheer me up, it's here!



UPDATE on this post...at 4:00 the weather cleared and I was besides myself with frustration but it was done. At 6PM, light rain. 7:00 brought steady rain. At 8PM, when the show would be ending, the world was coming to an end! Heavy rain, thunder and tornado warnings right around the school. I would have been driving home in it with soggy merchandise!
So bottom line...I made the right decision. I haven't heard yet if the fair was a hit but how could it have been? Who would venture out into that mess?!
And I had a great birthday...thanks all for the wonderful wishes.♥

Craft Gossip

VERY exciting to be reading the Craft Gossip newsletter and see my clock shown. Very cool! I usually read it on the same day I get it but this time with normal busy-ness and the show, I didn't get to it until the following day! It is a very stimulating creative site & obviously they have good taste!
It was here.

Why I Buy Handmade

I collect little Santas....little,under 5". Yes, I have bought many at craft shows but many more in retail stores. This was before the internet availability of so many handmade goodies.
I just received this from Creations By Gena

In EVERY way, it is adorable and perfect from the bell on the velvet hat to each strand of his tea stained beard. In fact, I just ordered a 2nd as a little gift. No where is there a little tag that says "Made in China". In fact, it comes from a neighboring state!
I know I made Gena happy with my purchase and yet she elated me and I am trying with my feedback, forum posting and this blog entry to let her know how happy I am....and further convinced how wonderful a handmade purchase can be. Thank you, Gena.

Shows

Just finished another show and characteristics were basically equal:
Gorgeous weather.
Heavy advertisements.
Free admission.
Kids activities.
Smooth flow.
Good locations.
Variety.
Why are some shows so much more successful than others?
#1-sold 9 sets of cloths.
#2-sold 1 set
#3-sold none
#1-sold 1 pair of hand warmers
#2-none
#3-5 pairs
#1-0 scarves
#2-6 scarves (plus orders for 3)
#3-1 scarf
No rhyme or reason that I can see but fortunately all worth the effort for me.
Three down, 3 to go...phew!

And just for fun....a new style clock:

Shows

There were parts of my body that hurt and I didn't know they could after the 2 day show! LONG hours (9-7 Saturday and 9-1 on Sunday) but for me, very successful. It is definitely a case of be careful what you wish for. In certain areas my stock is almost depleted. I also received 4 special orders during the show. So now I must re-stock and work on those. I AM NOT COMPLAINING!!! This more than makes up for the July & August drought.
Contrary to the first show, only one set of wash cloths were sold. Again, lots of bookmarks,scarves and cozies like these:

As well as several mini-purses:

I'm low on hats and scarves so those needles must get clacking!
Just finished these for some special orders:


The next show is Nov. 6...do I have enough time?!

Show #2

Pretty busy around here. Had a great show last Saturday and off in a bit to set up for a 2 day affair.
This time I'll use pins on the side to avoid the bunches. Wish me luck!


Last week a big seller were the washcloths


and the bookmarks.


What will it be this week?!

Zpirited Zibbet Zmiles!

The Zibbet community is growing by leaps and bounds with just about 1000 members on the forums alone. The owners are top notch and their customer service is unbelieveable. The other morning I was doing a search for www.indiesmiles.com and nothing was showing up,zip,nil,nada. I immediately wrote an e-mail to support and also posted on the forums to see if it was me or everyone. Within mere minutes Jonathan came online to thank me for reporting it and telling me it was fixed. Can't do better than that!
And the people, the sellers I have met on Zibbet....nicer,more talented folks would be hard to find.
Here's a sampling of just a few:
Vicki sharing her computer and online knowledge in clear concise forms
Judy ready with humor and direct,articulate comments
Leta always tweeting and stumbling everyone
Karen also eager to help with encouraging, humorous posts
Marguerite promoting others with kind words first
Carolyn so eager to learn and honest about herself
Heather a talented Brit with a clear perspective
Lori always with enthusiasm and kind words

So if you are an artist/craftsperson and thinking of selling your work, Zibbet is the place to be.
If you are a shopper looking for that special handmade piece, Zibbet is the place to be.
And if you need a special Christmas gift, one of a kind, never to be repeated, check this out! Clocks make great gifts and decorative pieces!



Shameless self-promo!!!

What is too much?

When my son was little he adored munching on carrots. When I took him to the doctor I asked about this yellowish tint that I saw at the end of his nose. "Does he like carrots?" asked the pediatrician...uhhh,yup! Whatever wasn't used or processed by his little body was deposited at the tip of his nose...TRUE! So in essence, this was too much of a good thing despite being way better than munching on lollipops or jawbreakers which fortunately he didn't like.
It was brought to mind regarding the inventory you keep in your shop....what is too much? What is too big? It's not like walking into a craft store and avoiding the materials you don't need. Do online shoppers mind a big shop? I try to keep my sections clean, organized and clear but do shoppers go much past the 2nd or third page? If you have 10 pages do you rotate so some things move to the fore front? I am closing in on 200 items in one of my shops and I fret and worry if it's too much.
I'm curious to hear any thoughts about this and what,as a shopper, you think may be too much. Is it wise to keep out-of-season things in the shop for that occasional buyer who might buy a Christmas ornament in March? I know temperature driven things should stay to attract the side of the world opposite from you but is it disconcerting to see it all?
And as I question this point I add almost daily! Like this will be tomorrow 's new listing:

Awe.....

I am in awe of bloggers who can post articulate, relevant pieces almost daily. I receive 4 newsletters every day and some have 3-4 articles within each, written by one person. How do they do it?
Sometimes I just have nothing to say that I think others would like to hear.

So here are some short, random thoughts that really wouldn't make it as a real, full length post!

#1-went to a juried craft show Saturday that I was rejected by. Hmmm....my stuff is just as good!
#2-going to a "picnic" tonite that I was just told is indoors. What's up with that? The weather couldn't be better, comfy temperatures and no humidity....I'm hanging outside!
#3-sold 9 washcloths to one customer (YAY!) and now must restock...hand hurts!
#4-wish I could use this piece here but it's NEVER cold enough. I'll list it next week.



Now that I re-read what I just wrote, I've not only written a post but sparked some ideas for later. Writer's block, be gone!

Mixed Thoughts on Labor Day

Labor Day brings up all kinds of feelings and thoughts for me. When I was teaching, we always started school the day after Labor Day. That's when my official 'labors' began. UGH! It marked the end of vacation and that freedom and began the rigors of the job and the loss of a certain freedom (using the bathroom whenever you wanted-teachers can relate!). Now,Labor Day is a different holiday to me so I must remember NOT to put the garbage out, not to look for mail, cancel a trip to the bank and read a noticeably thicker newspaper filled with another excuse for a sale. I know now my labors are my love.Then questions of whether or not to post something online comes up. Is anyone online to notice? Is a b&m open for me to visit? Are the store hours the usual?
Notice, all my teaching and post teaching issues with the holiday have NOTHING to do with the holiday's intent.
What is Labor Day? What is the meaning? I questioned an 8 year old yesterday and other than a day off from school (they start way before the holiday) he had not a clue.Did you know initially it was to quell concerns after a labor strike that resulted in the death of some workers? Wikipedia says "The form for the celebration of Labor Day was outlined in the first proposal of the holiday: A street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations".
The US Department of Labor says "Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country."
With either definition Labor Day is the unofficial end of summer, a day to relax, remember the summer and gather for the autumn BUT it is also a day for all the workers-firemen, police, retail clerks, store attendents,doctors, nurses, etc. who are laboring today. And today especially, THANK YOU!

Pride....

We all have pride. Maybe for our kids accomplishments, our mate's skills or our co-workers/student's growth. But do we take pride in ourselves? Do we even think about it? Confession: I don't! Women generally push themselves aside to dote on and take pride in others.

I'm of the school that anybody can do what I do. No big deal. If you can read, you can do it. Well, maybe not so much!
Some of my creations, take 7 minutes...who can't do that? Some go on for hours and yet again, anyone can do it. I decided to challenge myself a bit and try some things I usually avoid. With my yarn journeys I usually seek out gorgeous yarns and let them shine so the patterns are fairly simple and give way to the beauty of the thread. I have quite a stash of yarn (not surprisingly!) and found a huge skein of red worsted and another in white, hidden in one of my 7 bins. They yelled "Candy Canes" to me and I began a search for an appropriate item to make. In a stitch book I found one that seemed a bit challenging but the sample was done with 2 muted tones and you really couldn't see the end result. What to make with it? I took the red and white and started on what I thought might be a long scarf. I subsequently decided to shorten it to a scarflette with buttons (of course!) and here's the result. Can anyone do it? Probably, but I did it and I'm proud! Not a bad feeling at all!

A friend is..............

It really is amazing how you 'meet' people online, develop a relationship, listen to their rants or pleasures, sometimes become quite close and yet, if they rang your doorbell you would definitely say "Who are you?".

I think I have a new friend in Karen of Le Petit Poulailler especially with this wonderful post on her blog. What sweet memories it evokes! Notice the sub-title on Karen's blog...It's All About The Chickens.

She has several wonderful shops such as Three French Hens ,Le Petit Poulailler and The Little Chicken Coop
.
Go and visit, be charmed by her items, browse and buy but do tell her that it is all about the buttons AND the chickens!
Photo courtesy of Three French
Hens

Just ask....

Manners? Have any? Use them?
A friend just called quite upset about a blog post that her husband stumbled upon (no, not "Stumble Upon"!). He is an antiques dealer within a very specific genre. In fact, it is true to say, he is one of the world's foremost authorities in this area. A blogger decided to do a post about this type of item (yes, I'm being intentionally vague) and lifted about 10 photos to use in the article. Seven of those photos were his items and with the item title there was a link back. It was a fairly accurate post BUT there was no mention of his name and certainly no credit to him. He has written two "bibles' on the subject and yet with all this blogger's "research", not a word.
Now what's so bad, you are asking? He got his photos on another site and will possibly get interest and/or sales from it. It should be the owner's preference and decision to be associated with another venue or not. As an editor for www.indiesmiles.com, I seek photos for articles. After almost a year, I have never been refused BUT almost to a person the response includes "Thank you for asking".
Don't take...ask! It's good manners.
Now you'd love me to link to my friend's shop or put his name in my tags so you can figure it out but I'm not because I didn't ask! But please consider this when you are writing your own articles or blog or whatever. It's good manners so just do it.
And if anyone asks you what time it is, you can say "Time For Watermelon"...now really what other photo could I have used with this rant?!

I Hired a Model

Need I say more?!

Sweeties

Okay, I've been gone and you're wondering where? Sadly, my sweet father-in-law passed away but at the very ripe,wonderful age of 95. His death was in New York....so on the road again. My husband really took it well and we had 2 wonderful experiences while there. First, DH had reconnected online with a boyhood friend awhile ago but they hadn't seen each other for over 40 years. Dennis literally took buses and trains in 95degree heat and came to visit while we were there. A sweetie.
The second true sweetie award goes to my son who flew up from South Carolina out of respect for DH and I. A total surprise and heart stopping shock when he walked in. He had never met my father-in-law due to distance circumstances but came anyway. What a boy/man! I have done something right!
I am surrounded by sweeties....a good life!
Speaking of sweet, how fabulous is this heart from Denim and Pearls? Vicki has a great sale going on until July 31st.

The evil of self promotion....

When people start selling online, it is a common thought to think "Post and they will come"...uh,no!
Promoting can sap your strength, use up your energy and to say nothing about how it takes great chunks of time. BUT is is necessary, so get used to it!
Some things work while others fall flat but to try is the goal because as my (infamous) DH says "Ya' never know".
A suggestion was made on the Zibbet forums to start a Christmas in July sale similar to Etsy's which hadn't been a proven winner for me in the past. But, ya' never know! Count me in!

So until July 17th, everything is marked down 20% and after that by weeks, it will go down first to 15% and then 10%. Now I think my pricing is extremely fair and 20% off is a steal and actually it hurts. Some would raise their prices to reduce the pain. I didn't and I won't. I do want to clean out some older work and begin listing my stockpile of new things.

So come on in and get a great deal, get to know my shop and come back again and again and again!
How's this for shameless self promotion?....going to hide under a rock......
Oh, and besides promoting myself, here's a great offer from Zibbet:
FREE 30 day Premium Zibbet shop trial~Enter code MONTHOFF at sign up until 7/20!

Doors and Windows

I wanted to be an architect for many years and I have an affinity for windows and doors.One wall in my house is filled with photos and drawings and a print or two, all of those elements. DH and I just went to Charleston for a little getaway and what are all my photos? Doors and windows. Here are a few:







But my favorite is this sign at the 'door'way to the beach.
It says:
DEADLY CURRENTS-NO SWIMMING
Stay Out of The Water
$500 Fine-Several Drownings
Don't be next


Question: If you do drown, do you still have to pay the fine?

Hot Numbers

There is always tremendous talk on Etsy regarding item and shop views and how they relate to sales. What is the thinking behind hearting an item? For future purchase? Kindness? Bookmarking? There are even outside sites where you can clearly see those numbers.
My independent research shows little or no correlation. I have sold items within 5 minutes of posting and just 2-3 views which leads me to think right customer, right moment when it was posted. Period! On Zibbet there are no public views and the internal counts can be confusing. I've been going through my items and while renewing, I found some startling numbers of items that have been around for a bit and have high view counts and hearts. A sale is a sale whether it has 2 views, 22 or 222!
Here's some great 'old' stuff, high views, numerous hearts and without a rhyme or reason, they're still here!
Groovy Clock

Cigar Box Clock

Heart Clock

Chenille Scarf

Reading

I love to read.
I love books.
I save books.
I love reading to children.
I have no more room for books!
One of the most exciting aspects of impending retirement was about having more time to read. For so much of my adulthood I read about 2-3 books between September and June and then 12-15 in July and August. Now I don't count. I think it's wonderful to read anything, in any form-newspapers(I am a paper-aholic), magazines (too many subscriptions to count), books,of course. My son started reading at 3 with baseball cards. I was offered an old Kindle...hmmmm, thank you,no.
Nothing, I say NOTHING, can replace a book in your hand. I was excited to find this widget on Sherry Truitt's wonderful blog.




Wonderful! Thanks, Sherry...we're on the same page.

And all of the above is why I am always making bookmarks...shameless self promotion...well, it is my blog!


Oh, and to reduce that book collection and get new ones in return? www.PaperbackSwap.com, which is paperbacks and hardcovers...a win~win trade.

It's all about ME and a few others!

Lucky me....I was blogged about two times in two days!
Wonderful Judy from Portable Graffiti Graphics
wrote a wonderful blog post about reading and her purchase from me. I have purchased from Judy's graphics shop

and her PortableGraffiti button shop. Two purchases and very pleased.
We definitely are new best pals! I love another of her shops
Wild Goose Chase for all things vintage.

Heather from NiftyKnits is an amazing creator of wonderful creatures like this:


Isn't that the cutest?!!!
She has been writing about fellow Zibbeters and included me.
I love the name of her blog So much yarn,so little time.... that is definitely a feeling of mine.
Thank you Judy and Heather...HUGS♥

The Beach!

The beach....why do I love an oceanside beach? I am not a swimmer of note and although I have been to many beaches in different states and countries, I am a bit chicken in the water. But I love the beach...the sounds, the textures, the smells, the feelings, the treasures. I love shells and rocks and all the foods associated with the beach. (I hate what the humidity does to my hair, but that's another post.)I love the sunrises or sunsets, depending on the beach. There's such vitality and life to a beach and yet such calmness and serenity. My heart is breaking for all the coastal areas along the Gulf of Mexico where there are some of the most magnificent beaches in the world. Those areas are changed forever.
But I digress...I live at least 3 1/2 hours from a beach and without premeditated thought, I wound up creating some things this weekend to bring the beach closer to me....or anyone else who loves the beach & can't get there as often as they'd like. Or for anyone who wants a remembrance of a beach trip. Or for any lucky souls who can step outside their door and breathe in the salt air....ahhhh!

Pretzels and Baseball

I love soft pretzels and I love baseball...there, it's out in the open! I was thilled when we discovered soft big, NY style pretzels at the Little League complex. I got one every game we went to and the big boy's team won.
This was quite the week of baseball. The boys each had end of season games and the big one and his team were in the playoffs. Now this is my 2nd time around in Little League and I just don't recall such nail biters! First game was Wednesday and I had my pretzel. Our side was winning with a serious threat at the end by the other team. We pulled through.
Thursday we were to play against a team we (sure,'WE', like I play!) had seriously trounced a few weeks ago. Starting off with a serious deficit, our guys were creeping back and the coaches decided to go extra innings. We crept, they strutted, we trotted, they ran. Ultimately, we lost but it was fairly close. I was so proud of the boys-no thrown bats, no tears, no foot stomping except, well, maybe a little by one of the coaches. Obviously disappointed when his world series dreams were squashed. Even men in big bodies have little boy dreams. And as the mother of the coach, I remember them well.
Oh, and Thursday night, they ran out of pretzels.....hmmmm!