Pencil to Paper

It's finally been approved.  The pencil-to-paper editing process has been mighty tedious these past three or so months, but it has ultimately paid off.  It's been a long and winding road--a total of six years--with lessons learned, patience greatly tested, and beliefs torn and tattered.

Growth.

Yet as much as I complain, I cannot forget what an invaluable tool the entire process has been.

Ruminous

Future Tense

I am sitting here in front of the computer putting off the inevitable, waiting for the future-tense me to tap this present-tense me on the shoulder and tell me that everything will be easy peasy rather than the current topsy turvy.  This life is not easy, but others have it much more difficult than you, the wise future-tense laments, sprouting proverbs (I sure hope that she is wise...) as I stare blankly back at her.  My mind feels like an over-caffeinated, head-in-the-clouds marathon runner, one who has run miles upon miles and ends up in the same spot at the starting line every time, for she has lost track of where the race ends--lost in the process of it all.

As she takes one step back, and then another, the present-tense me begins to remember the reasons why the present matters, why and how the past informs the present.  The innumerable, complex connections spanning across time, running here and there--sometimes seemingly lost--comprises something greater than the sum of a life.  It is the measure of memories by the mind full; a consolatory homage to the past.  Frozen, permeable, forgotten...written down as a reminder to the living.   

Anniversary Giveaway Details

Win these!

Hope you all had a wonderful, safe Halloween.  As October gives way to November, I am again reminded of my shop anniversary.  It will be my second.  This year, instead of a coupon code, I've decided to have an anniversary giveaway--given the success of my harvest giveaway a few months ago.

This anniversary giveaway is for a set of three small dangles trios in pink tourmaline, citrine, and peridot.  The gemstones are microfaceted, so when worn, sunlight will gently play across these little stones.  All metal is sterling silver; the jump rings are 6mm in diameter.  Retail price for the set is $25.50.

When the pendants are strung on a chain together, they will look like this:

Pretty, right?

Size-wise, these pendants are well under an inch long (see the image below; clear quartz point is roughly an inch long), so they can be worn together or separately on a delicate necklace without looking too large:

The rules: 
Anniversary giveaway entries are from 11/1-11/30.  As with the previous giveaway, each purchased listing in my Etsy shop equals one entry for this giveaway.  For example, if you purchase two listings from my shop, you will be entered twice.  The winner will be hand drawn on 12/1.  Thank you for your support, and good luck!

Perfectionism is Hardly the Key

 The key to what, you might surely wonder...
Perfectionism is hardly the key to success--there, I (sadly) said it.  Today, in my daily Etsy search, I came across a well put-together shop, complete with stunning photographs, listing descriptions, a proliferation of sold items and rock-bottom prices, oh and may I add, a pretty shop banner.  I, with envy--the green-eyed monster of lore--actually considered, Wow, if only I could do that, then my shop would...

Then, the ever-present critic in me urged me to take a closer look--because something seemed slightly off in this veil of perfection--and that was when I saw it: the shop materials, the non-secure wire closures.  Not to mention the rock-bottom(!) pricing.  So, the veil has been lifted.

Truthfully though, the point of this post is not to shake my finger at others who are trying to make an honest dollar.  The point is that in terms of quality, there is a rather large discrepancy between the product materials/pricing and the marketing plan, as shown in this example.  And that genuinely bothers me (and probably only me).  But to each their own; good karma all around.

Back to the green-eyed monster...
After thinking about this subject for some time, and doing an embarrassing mental comparison of my shop to this particular one, I have come to a weighty conclusion: although I tend to err towards the side of perfectionism when it comes to materials, learning about stones and metals, creating designs that will hold up to gentle-to-moderate daily wear, etc., I must take it all in stride.  Because in the end, my shop is my shop...their shops are theirs.  I can't keep on attempting to measure the success of a shop by its perceived subtext; it's just downright critical.  Additionally, success is truly a subjective measuring stick, anyways. 

Perfectionism, then, is hardly the key to success--but it can be utilized as a tool for some long overdue contemplation.

Weekend Work

Hope you all had a productive, relaxing weekend.  The words, productive and relaxing, may have quite different connotations--one being the act of getting work done and the latter, of supreme ease and lounging around--but these words accurately describe the bulk of my weekend, which was spent creating new business cards front 8 1/2"x11" thick cardstock and thank you notes from vintage book pages.  When I am working on a project, I leave everything scattered across my desk and on the floor immediately surround my workspace: from the many tiny sheets of paper, cardstock, and pictures, to stamps, to glue sticks and scissors.  Even my husband said (with slight surprise), "Wow," when he saw the aftermath.  Oh, the aftermath!  However messy it may have appeared, there is a relative method to my madness: see below.

Business Card+Thank You Note Set

Created thirty of these new business cards+thank you note sets this weekend from sheets of thick cardstock (cards) and vintage book pages (thank you notes).  I decided to try sage green-colored business cards, and am increasingly happy with the results--truthfully, I think that I enjoy this color more than the previous business cards, which have solely been created from already-cut brown kraft paper.

Don't know what to do with the thank you note, but like the photo?  The thank you notes can also double as a neat bookmark (see middle image).

Halloween-themed Thank You Notes

I was hesitant to change my thank you note paper from thick cardstock to vintage book pages, for book pages are both flimsier and word-heavy, but I like the tactile contrast between heavy cardstock business cards and the soft texture, and printing, of the book pages.  The printed words also give the cards an air of mystery, I think.

With a dark moth photo per note, these particular tiny cards were created with Halloween in mind--so be on the lookout for them to arrive with October purchases.

The End Products

Left to right: New Halloween-themed thank you notes created from vintage book pages--complete with hand-glued moth photos, new business cards in sage green, the "per order" set: business card, thank you note, and a coupon code to use with future purchases from my shop.

* * *

Anyone excited for autumn?  Can't wait for autumn to arrive, but I am also content with the present time, since much needs to be done prior to the changing of seasons.  Please check back soon for a harvest sale coupon code.

P.S. Just wanted to say thank you to the wonderful buyers who take the time to let me know that they enjoy their new EmeraldCut piece(s)--your kind words truly mean so much to me.  Completely uplifting!

Best Buds

Doll and bird handmade by GoHeyJudy.

My Judy doll and my newest addition, Ferb, are best buds...and after seeing them together in all their cool cuteness, it dawned on me that they are 100% handmade, right down to Judy's meticulously hand-sewn hair.  Someone made them: took the time to design them, cut the fabric just so, stuff them; sew them.  For me, looking the process-plus-end product, rather than just the finished product, does indeed bring about a sense of wonder, of awe really, to the definition of handmade. 

To that end, I hope you don't mind me sharing some photos of Ferb:

Check out that rockin' hair and those cool shells!  I can readily imagine Ferb gracing a shelf, a collector's box, or even hanging sweetly above a little one's crib...

...and let's face it: yellow gingham makes my day brighter.

If you're interested, visit GoHeyJudy's shop here.

Wishing you all a fruitful August weekend!

Quiet Days Ahead

Hello, July.  June went by with a blink of an eye.  It's too bad because I was really enjoying the early summer (or was it late spring) gardening, in addition to the magical mood that June evokes (think summer hats, road trips, and ripening fruits).  Perhaps I am undoubtedly yearning for times gone by, a nostalgia worn on the sleeves of slower-paced days, where entire daylight hours were spent tending the garden, where technology did not guide the stilted, predictable movement of our days.  I look for continuity and organic movement, not staccato-like flitting back and forth from here to there.

Lately, I've been spending less time on the computer, which I have found allows me to just be.  It is in this quietness that I've been able to process my thoughts, and alleviate some of the dreaded anxiety--for I thrive in silence, in the composure of thoughts (solitary, not quite monastic).  Truly, this clear-headed mind state has fostered more creativity and thoughtfulness than I have ever imagined.  So needless to say, I am seeing where it leads me (hopefully to complete some long-term goals that I've set for this year).  Thanks for sticking with me: I am much obliged.

Huge Etsy shop sale tomorrow, 7/4!

Support Small Businesses

From Curator SF

I feel like I don't say it enough, these simple words--

thank you. 

 ***

Your support over this past year and a half has been so phenomenal; humbling.  (Back then, I was hesitant to open a shop, mainly because I was fearful about how it would be received by others.)  Mere words do not, cannot, possess the expansive breadth and depth of my gratitude.  

Okay, enough of the outpouring of heart.  Just know this: I appreciate it all.

The Spring Time Blahs

Hello.  I've been feeling a little blah lately, doubting my writing capabilities in addition to wondering if the general economy will better itself anytime soon.  I have noticed that some people have found intensely fulfilling and/or well-paying jobs, while others are too emotionally downtrodden to muster up the courage to apply.  Personally, I know someone, a college graduate, who applied to 20+ job openings over the past few years, and had only a handful of companies reply back.

Flagrant frustration, I tell you--borderline insanity, which is why I believe that there must always be an intricate balance between the outside world and one's own inner sanctuary from the proverbial storm.  I find solace in a moralistic novel; some Rachael Yamagata, a stroll in the yard.

This spring, I have found myself gravitating towards the backyard garden to renew the spirit.  Instead of hunkering down near the computer to edit, I walk outside (probably a bad idea, but sometimes one needs a break!).  I steady myself by the manzanitas, one of which is growing a tiny apple; by the Thumbelina Leigh Lavender I breathe in deeply the aromatic calm of scent.  Instead of wracking my brain for the correct word or analysis, calmness overtakes me when I am in the thick of nature.  Overwhelmed, I am not.  And for that, I am grateful.

Ramblings of a Seeker

I am in the last one-third of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, a personal, non-fiction narrative by Annie Dillard.  Broadly-speaking, the text intricately captures the overlapping limitations of our worldly, moral explanations--and juxtaposes it with life's experiences within nature as the connecting fiber between human and the larger world.  Dillard herself describes Pilgrim at Tinker Creek as a "book of theology."  However, the atheist in me sees beyond her inclusion of religion, seeks the meanings in-between the words: the rich subtext, ripe with intuitive leaps and bounds.

A seeker, I have always been.  So, I was happy (to say the least) to have come across this particular book of Dillard's in a second-hand shop.  It is one of the many in her prolific career: her Pulitzer Prize-winning piece on seeking within nature.  Admittedly, I find an unnerving amount of (sometimes cruel) beauty in a leaf; a dying grasshopper; the wind.  Nature amuses me for hours, days, years--an endless game of hide-and-seek. Dillard's work attests to this attractive element of nature, amid the specific backdrop of the seemingly-tranquil Tinker Creek in Virginia.   She stalks, she sees, and she unties: in a eloquent, dry humor/witty, and contextual way.  So witty--and sometimes so abstract--that I am at times lost on the analogies.  And in them. 

Seeking, rather than hiding, is a common theme in Pilgrim at Tinker Creek.  Each chapter is titled according to an act of such made by nature or by a human.  My personal favorites are: "Winter" and "The Present."  The weather and being present.  More importantly, the best part the work itself is Dillard's uncannily-precise gift of connecting chapter-to-chapter, theme-to-theme.  It is in these connections that the reader finds what is (sometimes) unknowingly sought after in the act of seeking-while-reading: some darn good writing.  Dillard has a seemingly innate ability to connect the dots, and to connect the nearly invisible dots, in a clearly-articulated manner that makes sense.  A difficult task. 

(And let's face it: things that make sense are the best things in the world because we have to put less concerted effort into making sense of them.)

So, to Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, a pleasurable read for a seeker of sorts: thank you.  After reading the first few chapters, I thought that I'd donate you--but you have proven me wrong.  I shall keep you.

An Epiphany of Sorts

I have come to realize that many activities that I find to be calming to the soul are considered boring by most.  By this, I mean the introverted, internal sorts of pleasure-seeking: reading, writing, attempting to grasp (i.e.: usually not understanding) seemingly-immaculate ideas and theories in texts, sitting outdoors, taking photographs, decorating EmeraldCut boxes--and the list goes on and on.  Truthfully, these are parts of my daily routine, which I dearly imbue with intrinsic value, and therefore document in this blog.  No wonder why I have a nearly non-existent readership, huh?  

Without much convincing, I remind myself that I am staying wholeheartedly true to myself, which is in my opinion, the ultimate goal of a full, lived life.  And that is reason enough for me to go on with my Existentialist ways: for the "less exciting" events in life are sometimes the most rewarding ones in the long run.

So...no tales of white water rafting, snowboarding, scathing details on what I wore/did/ate today, or hiking in the dark, etc., will ever be posted on this blog.  I'd rather be outdoors (or in) sipping a hot coffee or tea from a gargantuan-sized ceramic mug, staring at the ancient trees, and listening to the wind glide in an invisible, times-of-old dance with the sunlight softly filtering through foliage and cloud.  The rocks, the greenery, the feel of sunlight upon the face: this, to me, is a rich, full life.

Thank You

Lately, I've been getting into the holiday spirit in my own hermit-y sort of way--creating gifts for people, cutting up books (that will be a chronicled in a separate post sometime soon), and dreaming up ways to stay unique in a world that urges prototypical conformity.  It's not an easy task!  However, there have been some recent developments that have reminded me why I do what I do.  And for them, I am thankful.  

As I blogged about not too long ago, I sent my hermit friends their holiday cards very early because one's destination is across the ocean.  One of these wonderful friends, GoHeyJudy, blogged about her excitement upon opening the envelope--in addition to saying such nice things about my shop.  Not that her excitement wasn't warranted, but you should see what she sent me:

 My very own Guardian Judy doll...

...isn't she absolutely charming?!?

GoHeyJudy makes the most unique and spunkiest rag dolls, and I've had my eye on her Angel Judy for some time now.  Needless to say, I was very touched by her gesture.  "Thank you so much!" doesn't have enough leverage here.

Also, I've had some really kind return customers this holiday season, and some sweet feedback, too.  These actions are reminders to me that all those long days and nights spent agonizing and obsessing over how to wrap and present my shop items were well worth the anxiety and sleeplessness.  It has taken me a year to get into the groove of how to present items purchased from my shop.  Taking photos, listing the product, and describing the item came quite easily to me, but conveying the Internet look into real life, physical items was a difficult task for a very long time.

It's like taking the uni-dimensional, flat words on a book page and translating them into a three-dimensional image.  You will undoubtedly get lost in translation (pardon the cinematic pun), stumbling over tiny details ranging from color, to ambiguity in word meaning, to tone.  The same occurs when one attempts to translate a photo into a book or story...there are so many variables to consider.

This is one constant variable: a gesture of thanks. 

Grateful.

It has been a good week for me, with the start of Handmade with Purpose  and the return of some truly wonderful buyers to my shop!  I am so honored, humbled, really, when buyers return more than once to peruse my shop, let alone purchase again.  :)  They've left such kind feedback, too, which makes me remember why this artistic endeavor is all the worthwhile when I'm feeling low, lacking a sense of creative self, or there is a huge lull in sales.  My customers inspire me to greater artistic heights.

I'm glad that the publicizing of Etsy sellers who will donate to Japan has not subsided.  collectingcreations has recently created a beautiful Treasury, "Always Room to Help," with items whose proceeds will be donated to help with Japan's relief efforts.  My Unique Carnelian Disk Pendant is included in this Treasury.

As noted in the previous blog, there are three Treasuries created for Handmade with Purpose that feature one of my items.  Wow!  I currently have three pendants left for sale, where all proceeds go to help with rebuilding Japan.  There is also a fourth pendant for sale in the loveforjapan shop.  So, in total, I've sold five!  Thank you for helping me donate $41.00 so far to GlobalGiving's Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund.  I still have four left to sell, so if you need a Mother's Day gift or an early graduation gift (okay, or even a gift for yourself), please consider purchasing one of these 100% proceeds donated (excluding the shipping), items.  Sorry, you cannot use a coupon code for the donation items.

The loveforjapan shop is getting some love, too (pun intended).  In the previous blog, I mentioned a Treasury that was created for the loveforjapan shop.  UPDATE--4/11/11: To see a blog entry that discusses why we should purchase from donation shops, like loveforjapan, please click the following link: http://handmadewithpurpose.blogspot.com/2011/04/love-for-japan-etsy-collective-shop.html

All of these promotional tools have been created in less than two weeks!

Imagine how much good can be done if donating (and volunteering) is carried out not only on a local, state, or nation-based scale, but a globally-based one by all who can afford to help (because it is all about having the funds or the physical (wo)manpower to help).  The mere image of this imaginary, but hopeful, act moves me beyond comprehension.  

Lastly...

ohhmystarsandgarters has featured a new item of mine, listed for sale yesterday (and one that I had been holding on tightly to for awhile!), in the their Treasury, "N Is For...".  Click here to see the Treasury!

Here is the item, my Fuchsia Raw Tourmaline Nugget Pendant:

Be good, be kind.

January, You Were So Kind to Me

The month of January was amazing in terms of my Etsy shop exposure and sales.  I hope for many more continued months (and years!) of creativity and kindness.  I am grateful, thankful, and HUMBLED.

  

Lovely Etsy Treasuries that feature my items:

• http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d2c1b743ef56d91709bad96/a-softer-valentine?index=2

• http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d32ffa772f48eef5f8a073f/tie-a-yellow-ribbon

• http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d35ca1327b76d91713a2c6f/for-my-sisters

• http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d40331543928eefcc1a044d/inner-light

• http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d41ea0e4cf28eef156d09dc/mystic-and-mellow

 

Also, thanks to J. Grumbling, who also has an Etsy shop (www.jgrumbling.etsy.com) for featuring my first ever Etsy Treasury on her blog WAY back in October!

http://jgrumbling.blogspot.com/2010/10/treasury-tuesday.html