Sunflower earrings

I love most flowers, but one of my favorites are sunflowers, especially the ones with white petals and yellow centers. I found these lucite cabochons that I found irresistible and decided to make earrings and a necklace for my shop. I love how they came out!

My newest Treasury

This is my newest Treasury at Etsy.com, titled "What goes Around, comes Around" featuring some of the curators that featured me in their past treasuries. It's a Karma type treasury, and I enjoyed the heck of it putting it together.

I made it to the front page at Etsy.com

Early this morning, while I slept, a treasury by Cyd at "BotanicalBird"> hit the front page at Etsy.com. It featured my Yellow and Smoky Gray earring. Being featured on the front page is a rare occurrence for most of us. I missed my chance to see it in real time, but the earrings sold to a new buyer who bought it for her friend. I hope next time I'll be able to catch it and enjoy my half hour of fame. My other shop, ArizonaSkies, made it to the front page on February 1st. I sold that item right away. Here's hoping for more, I can still wish, right?

The Wine Swirl ring

I used to be very active at sewing, made my own doll clothes since I was 8 years old and made clothing in my teens and even made my mother two sets of slipcovers for her couch and chair when I was 14 and 17 years old. Then I got burned out and now never open my electric, portable 1964 Remington brand sewing machine unless there are things that NEED to be mended.

I had a beautiful maroonish red with dark inclusions button left over from the 1980's, a Vintage by all measurements, and decided to make a ring for my Earthly Creations jewelry shop at Etsy.com. This buyer bought it this weekend and I just mailed it today. I was going to put it in my curbside mailbox, but found that the mailman had already delivered to me. He usually comes between 11am and 2pm, but it's usually at 12 noon. I went out there at 11:15 and he had already come. So, I got in my auto and went 1/4 mile away to the nearest public mailbox. Next time I ship an order I'll have to make sure it's before the 11am time.

Anyway, here's the ring I sold:

Chili Pepper Power!

I bought these cute little lucite red chili beads on Etsy.com's seller Yummy Treasures and made a pair of earrings and a cell phone charm. I listed them today. I think they're so adorable and just bought another order of them. Hope the items sell, it's been pretty slow on Etsy and elsewhere. I'm tempted to say it's the economy's fault, but the big sellers are still selling. Sigh! Many times I feel like throwing in the towel, but I have too much money invested in supplies and equipment and tools. And, I HAVE told myself I will give the shops another year to make it. Good luck to me!

Still procrastinating! Sigh!!!

I posted last on 12/23/08 and here I am again.

From the time I was 14 until I was 24 years old, I wrote in my diary nightly EVERY single day. In fact, one nigh I was too lazy or too tired and went to sleep without doing my nightly diary entry. I tossed and turned until I finally got up, wrote my entry, went back to bed and fell soundly asleep. Habits die hard, but once you break them a few times it gets easier not to do them.

So, this explains why now I am not a dedicated blog poster.

Anyway, I've been at Etsy for one year now, started listing on January 9, 2008. I had no interest at all in Treasuries, either curating them or even checking them out. There's too many of them and I'm on dial-up and it simply takes too much time for either activity. But, in October 25 I made my first one, titled "Lemon and Lime" and loved it so much, I've been making them steadily. It's another art form, putting items you like in an order that is very pleasing. I've become an addict.

In early December I decided to take a break from making them, not wanting to tire of them, and this Sunday night I curated another one titled "Where ARE my sunglasses?". It's mainly yellow with reddish and brown splashes. It's so bright and cheery, hence the title. One bad thing is that my treasuries seldom get many views or clicks or comments. It can't be that they're ugly, because they have to be seen (views) to be judged. So, I guess I'm not well known or popular or don't belong in a team and that's the reason for the low views. I'm a loner in private life, so it doesn't surprise me.

My newest creations

I'm a procrastinator master

I knew it's been a long time since I posted on this blog, but had no idea it had been as far back as April 12, 2008. WOW! Talk about procrastination!

I still have my Earthly Creations and Arizona Skies shops at Etsy. I still have my third shop, Aurora Creations, at iCraft but that one will probably be deleted, the place is just not working out for me (and for a lot of other sellers). I also still have my shop at Dawanda (Filomena Designs) and that one is doing okay, will keep it for as long as I get some sales in it. I've recently opened a shop at ArtFire, Arizona Skies, but no sales yet, I posted items on 12/02. And just yesterday I registered at 1000Markets.com (Arizona Skies Creations) and need to list stuff in it and wait to be accepted. Will try and do that tomorrow.

I LOVE making jewelry and crafts and can't imagine NOT doing it anymore. BUT, I'm not as successful as other sellers who started around the same time I did and I only have a total of 52 sales between three shops. I think my stuff is pretty, but maybe I'm biased and others don't find it appealing? I also admit that I must be the world's lousiest marketer. I don't advertise or promote at all, except for rare postings in the forums and having curated a few Treasuries since October. Promoting seems like such a big CHORE.