Before I start this blog post (again!!!), I'd just like to go on record in saying that I lost connection to the internet as I added my very last photo to this post (that's the ~17th~ photo), so I lost those uploaded images as well as all the slick text ;-P that went with it >:(((  So, I'll start again, arrrghhh! Never give up!

What a fantastic day this started out to be, watching the (THE!) Olympic flame pass by on the way to the opening ceremonies, and the start of the 2010 Winter Olympics this Friday.

A little rain didn't dampen the enthusiasm of fans in Fort Langley, BC awaiting the Olympic Torch Relay (the sun came out just in time!).

It's hard to explain why Canadians love Zambonis' so much - they just do!  Every celebration should have one!

 Local runners had family and friends cheering them on (non-local runners had to make do with the rest of us 2000+ cheering from the sidewalks lol).

 The lead car with a scrolling display telling us how long before the flame arrived!

 Two buses transported runners - one up front who deposited runners ahead of the flame to ensure a smooth transition, and one behind who picked up the runners who'd finished, removed the igniter from the torch and gave it back to the runner if they chose to purchase it as a souvenir.

 This thrilled runner decided to keep her torch, and graciously lent it out to kids to hold, while parents took photos.

Part of the relay 'Parade' included Official Olympic Sponsors like Coca Cola, who handed out goodies and generated cheers from the crowd (dig the smile on the front of the truck!).

  

Our fabulous Fort Langley firefighters also joined in the fun!

  The RBC float had dancers, hip hop and a DJ spittin' rhymes to pump up the crowd (most of the crowd also got the tambourine that you see the dancer on the left holding)!

Our first glimpse of the Olympic flame, the proud runner, and the Olympic security detail running alongside!

    The runner brought the flame to a quick ceremony at the historic Fort (yes, it's a real fort!), and then another runner was to bring it back down the road and hand it off to a third, to take it down the main street of our little area.

While many schoolchildren were bussed in to the ceremony to celebrate, many people stayed in their places along the route, waiting to catch another glimpse of a historic event.

  One of the most popular (and patriotic!) spectators at the event was Koda, a 12 week old Lab owned by Sue.  Even the event organizers and runners were stopping to take pictures of him!   I was so enchanted by Koda and his story, I'll be doing a blog post about him and his owner in the near future - stay tuned!

The bus to transport torch relay runners (including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Buble, Julie Payette and Jann Arden on Thursday and Friday!) has special graphics of two of our Olympic Mascots, Quatchi the Sasquatch and Miga the Sea Bear.

  Part of the police escort for the Olympic flame.

The Olympic flame has been carried across Canada by people of all ages, races and abilities, like this inspiring runner who carried it from the ceremony to the next waiting relay participant.



The handoff was made, and the next proud runner took the flame and passed it through Fort Langley, then Langley Township, Langley City and into Surrey, where Olympian Daniel Igali lit a ceremonial cauldron in his hometown to end the relay for the day.

I'm always very proud to be a Canadian, but today, wearing my red and white and feeling the energy from the crowd, I might just be able to stuff in a wee bit more pride

Happy celebration of sport (& Canada!),

Bobbie

www.shimmeringsky.ca
www.shimmeringsky.etsy.com
www.anzoomalspetstuff.etsy.com

Hello again, everyone (my, this blogging thing is becoming addictive - this is good!),

If you've read my most recent blog entries, you know that I found my RV 'soul mate', named him Dudley and brought him home to rest in my yard for the time being.

In my house, there's a rule that nobody gets a free lunch, and sooner or later I find a job that suits everyone (Storm is being groomed to take over being head of security, for example).

Good morning everyone!

It's a soggy sunrise this morning here on the left coast as I write this, but no amount of rain can dampen my enthusiasm!  I've just made one of my lifelong dreams come true.

I think the very nature of my upbringing made me not want to stay in one place for too long.  It's not a boredom per se, but more a sense of wanting to start fresh; to seek new challenges.  I also have this aversion to feeling 'trapped', and so for years, I've looked for 'the' perfect combination of RV (with the perfect layout of course) and a way to have all my pack rat tendencies realized (read: storage).  Added to which the safest method of doing all this as well (the backpack & unicycle idea was shelved early on ;-p).

The answer to this puzzle was finally found two weeks ago, and last Saturday, arrived in my yard.  Meet Dudley.


Meh, just a regular RV, you think.  Probably, but for me, he's my RV equivalent of a soul mate.  30 feet long (not too long to drive on a regular street, unlike those 40+ foot rock star coaches everyone is buying nowadays), in a Class C (cab over) style, with a Ford 460 engine (tons of power and some to spare), brand new tires, and a great layout suited to me and the menagerie (my apologies for the quality of the photos - these are from my camera phone).


Best of all, he passed all safety inspections with flying colours (not required by law, but required by me), and is surprisingly easy to drive.

Lastly, I also bought a 4X8 utility trailer the week before, to tow behind and hold the overflow of 'stuff' that doesn't easily fit in Dudley.  For the past two days I've been slowly moving things in and organizing.  I want to do this part slowly, instead of firing things in the door, stowing them anywhere they'll fit, and then having to reorganize myself again a month later.

Then, I'll be completely mobile (with the property I reside at still being my home base), and free to travel, explore and find even more venues to sell my wares!  Happy sigh.

And now, onto more news (gee this has been a fantastic year for me so far)!

While I'm proud of the bags I make, and create them with the highest quality in mind, as a photographer I was never 100% happy with how the images looked on the printable cotton I had found.  Compared to a photograph, they looked washed out to me (which only I could see as I have the originals).  I've been searching ever since for a material that would give me the clarity and colour saturation equal to that of a photograph, and still be printable by me (I didn't want to shop any of the process out - yes, yes I'm a control freak, lol).

Finally, it was a fellow BC artisan that pointed me in the right direction, and by jingies, I think she's got it!  I've tested the fabric with numerous images, and the reproduction value is simply amazing!  People will literally be able to carry museum quality photographs as a bag!  I've also added some fantastic matching zipper pulls that came out beautifully as well, and now that the Dudley saga is complete, I'll be buckling down and having a bag making marathon this week - results to follow in my shop www.shimmeringsky.etsy.com!  Here's a 'before' pic of one of the bags I currently produce:


Speaking of shops, I decided to open a new one, utilizing one of the items that I had created for a Xmas catalog I produced back in 1994-97, while I had the largest pet-sitting business in Vancouver's Lower Mainland.  I kept the trademarked name all these years, and decided to resurrect it here on Etsy.  Have a look at my (currently empty, but not for long!) Anzoomals Pet Stuff shop, bookmark it and come back next week!  I'm finishing up product photos as we speak, and then we'll be ready to go.

There will be lots of things for your feline and canine friends, and they are all tested and approved by my brood (and friends of my brood, lol) - have a look at a couple of 'outtakes' from our first photo shoot (these supermodels sure are hard to work with ):

Willow, caught in a tired moment poor girl ('Hey modelling is hard work!', she says)

  'Oh look, there's my big comfy cushion over there', says 11 yr old Rivers, 'but the dog cookies they served on this photo shoot were great!'

Like I said in the previous post yesterday, LOTS of news, with obviously more to come soon.  Please stay 'tooned'!

Happy wandering!

Bobbie

www.shimmeringsky.ca

www.anzoomalspetstuff.etsy.com

www.twitter.com/shimmeringsky

Hello again everyone (or those who haven't completely given up on reading this blog);

I can only apologize profusely for being away sooo long.  I've discovered that blogging (and more to the point, NOT blogging) feels just like when I was about 11 years old and received my first diary.  I vowed to write in it every single day (since I assumed that I would of course not have the boring life I currently had, now that I had a ~diary~ to fill up)  I figured I would be the next Anne Frank, immortalized forever with entries like "picked Dad up at the shop, went to Burger Baron".  Wow.


This of course was a dated diary, with the date emblazoned at the top of each page.  Initially I looked forward to adding my little scrawls each day, but as kids do, I got busy and somehow (horrors!) forgot to make an entry one day. 

I remembered the next day, and wondered if I should cheat and write in yesterday's news even 'tho the day had already passed and I was on to the next day's news (which was starting to sound irritatingly repetitive anyway - woke up, went to school, came home, fed cat, watched tv, or something like that).  I decided to defy the diary gods and added the point form monotony of the previous day.

Well, I got even busier after that, and the guilt was mounting.  At this point I was basically copying what I had said the previous day (like I said, boring life, lol).  Finally I forgot to do even that, and when I remembered,  I looked at the little blue diary with it's gold lettering and tiny lock and key on my dresser, and kept thinking, 'I should write it my diary again', but didn't want to fail again at what I perceived to be a resolution.


As I got older, I took up journal writing again, and finally let myself off the hook about writing every single day.  It removed the feeling of it being a chore, and because of that, I've kept a journal for every year since I was 13.


Some journals are close to full, some barely so, but each has a memory or two that I'd completely forgotten, and certainly all contain some of the best (and worst) moments of my life.  I look back at the first ones, and can see the wide eyed child I still am, along with glimpses of my grown up self.  In the 20-something years, I can clearly see the struggle to find my path in life, the angst bleeding between the words.  In the more recent ones, I see a more organized mind, using the journals to expand on thoughts and work out answers to confusing (usually human) puzzles.  I'm also more calm about things, and most definitely more positive than I've ever been before.

So, dear readers, I can only say that I've never forgotten you, but as with my journals, life grabbed hold of my attention for awhile, and only now have I the chance to catch you up on all the news!

'Birch Bark Journal' in my Etsy Shop - click pic for more info!

Look for pictures of my new love, Dudley tomorrow (no, he's not what you think he is, and yes, ~I promise!~).  And, news on my updated bags & my new second Etsy store!  Toldya I was busy, lol.

Happy belated 2010 (and happy journalling about it)!

Bobbie
www.shimmeringsky.ca
www.twitter.com/shimmeringsky

Hi again everyone,

I have a bit of a serious subject to talk about today, after receiving some disturbing news this morning.

I was informed via email that two friends and former colleagues I had a lunch meeting with last week had contracted the H1N1 virus.  Although mild for both, they suggested I get tested.  As soon as I read the email, I got dressed and went to the closest walk in clinic.


While there, I was completely paranoid about breathing on anyone, and said a little prayer to not cough (as I had been doing for the last day or so).  I'd just recovered from a nasty bout of Bronchitis (a respiratory infection), so I knew that I wasn't at full strength physically, and could be susceptible to the H1N1 virus.  I hadn't taken antibiotics for the Bronchitis - I just toughed it out, as I'd had it numerous times as a child and knew what to do to get myself better.  As a science major in University, I knew that taking too many varied antibiotics for mild to moderate infections helps viruses build an immunity to them, and lowers your ability to naturally fight everyday germs.  I firmly believe that antibiotics are no longer the miracle cure they once were, because they've been overprescribed.

Take Tetracycline for example.  A very common antibiotic when I was a child, and prescribed for everything from the flu to measles to acne (I know this because it was prescribed to me for all three).  Did it make me better sooner?  Perhaps the first couple of times I took it, but looking back on my extended number of sick days from school due to Bronchitis as I got older, I don't believe it continued to help me.  And now where is Tetracycline?   No longer prescribed, as it isn't effective any longer, as well as being found to result in the permanent staining of teeth in liquid form.  The viruses and bacteria it was designed to fight simply evolved and became stronger.  So what did they do?  Researchers made stronger antibiotics to fight stronger germs.  The germs got stronger again, so they went back to their labs, etc etc etc.  

After an hour wait, the doctor on duty swabbed my throat after my explaining the situation.  Remarkably, it took a very small amount of time to deliver my results (minutes).


"You have a mild case of H1N1, Bobbie, or it could be a more serious emerging case due to your previous infection."  Then she gave me a prescription for (you guessed it) antibiotics, designed to fight this particular virus.  On the upside, for the first time I can remember, the government paid for my prescription (wow!), but I'm home now, and still haven't taken a pill.

I asked the physician what the effects would be if I chose not to take the medication, and she gave me a Health Canada pamphlet on symptoms as the virus progresses.  She mentioned that I could pass the virus on to anyone I was in contact with while recovering, if I didn't take the course of antibiotics.  I didn't want to mention to her that the 1000's of people who have no idea they have H1N1 could do the exact same thing, sans guilt.

So, I went into research mode, while thinking about the stories my Mother told about the last great flu epidemic that occurred when she was a young adult.


Apparently, the Asian flu (as it was know then), struck Canada in the early autumn of 1957, after traveling the globe.  The paranoia of the present day was nothing compared to that year, as many still remembered the devastating Spanish Influenza outbreak of 1918, attributed to killing 50 million people worldwide. 


People literally locked their doors and didn't come out for weeks in our hometown, according to my Mom. 

My grandparents didn't think that was necessary, although my grandmother stuck more closely to home as she had quite severe asthma.  It was a scary time, and the flu did take it's toll, resulting in quite a few deaths in the area.  Most surprising was the death of a young man that played hockey for my grandfather, and my mom remembered it vividly.  She also remembered the Hong Kong Flu outbreak in 1968, but she had said it didn't seem as strong - more like the seasonal flu we were accustomed to seeing (altho' not a scientist, my Mother was right on the button.  The 1968 flu pandemic was found to be a stronger strain H3N3, or seasonal flu).

So, from my research, I discovered that in the case of H1N1, the human body does not contain any natural immunities to this virus, as it is zoonotic (viruses that pass from species to species - animals to people - and are quite rare).  Originally found in swine herds, the virus mutated and began infecting humans.  Unlike viruses that pass from human to human and can be fought naturally by your body, the H1N1 needs an extra enzyme to kill it, which is found in the antibiotic they prescribed to me.  Because of my findings, I've decided to take the full course of this antibiotic, to help me fight this unusual strain.

Here is the online version of the pamphlet I received at the clinic.  It dispels some myths people may have had about this strain (like you ~cannot~ get this from eating pork or pork products, and which is why I've refrained in this post from using any terms other than H1N1 virus): http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/alert-alerte/h1n1/fs-fr_h1n1-eng.php

To summarize:

How is it spread?

The H1N1 flu virus is contagious and is spread the same way as regular seasonal influenza.  This happens when an infected person coughs or sneezes and their germs enter the nose, eyes, or throat of another person.  The germs can also rest on hard surfaces like counters and doorknobs, and can be picked up on hands and transmitted to the respiratory system when someone touches their mouth and/or nose.  It is not possible to catch it by eating pork or pork products or through blood transfusions.


Symptoms

Almost always:

    * Cough and fever

Common:

    * Fatigue
    * Muscle aches
    * Sore throat
    * Headache
    * Decreased appetite
    * Runny nose

Sometimes:

    * Nausea
    * Vomiting
    * Diarrhea


Prevention

The Public Health Agency advises Canadians to:

    * Wash hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds, or use hand sanitizer.


    * Keep your hands away from your face.
    * Cough and sneeze into your arm, not your hand. If you use a tissue, dispose of it as soon as possible and wash your hands.
    * Get immunized.
    * Keep common surface areas—for example, doorknobs, light switches, telephones and keyboards—clean and disinfected.
    * Eat healthy foods and stay physically active to keep your immune system strong.
    * Keep doing what you normally do, but if you get sick, stay home.
    * Check www.fightflu.ca for more information.
    * Check This link will take you to another Web site (external site) www.voyage.gc.ca for travel notices and advisories.


Be Prepared

Put together a home preparedness kit before anyone gets sick. When you are sick, you won't want to go out and get groceries or health supplies.
Here are some examples of household items that you may want to have in your home:

    * Pain and fever medication, like Tylenol or Advil, to treat fever and headaches
    * A thermometer
    * Extra supplies of any essential medication, like insulin for diabetics
    * Cleaning supplies, like household disinfectant,
    * Soap and alcohol-based hand sanitizer to keep hands clean
    * Non perishable food, like canned soup and fruits and vegetables and liquids, like water and juice, in case you can’t get to the grocery store.


I encourage everyone reading this to be informed and do research about not only H1N1and current health issues that may affect you and your family, but also any medication your physician prescribes.  YOU are the best advocate for your health, and know your body best.

Be well,

Bobbie
www.shimmeringsky.ca
www.twitter.com/shimmeringsky

Hello again everyone!  First of all, thank you so much for your patience between blog posts - a little hiccup there but we're back on track!  Thank you also to everyone who has left such wonderful comments - it's really been overwhelming (and I have to admit that I'm rereading them quite often lately for inspiration, as I'm doing the NaNoWriMo (Novel in a month) throughout the month of November)!  Love comments! Nom nom nom (said in a Cookie Monster voice).

To quote a Monty Python phrase: And now for something completely different!  I still can't wrap my head around anyone wanting to read me blather on about my comfy (read: boring) life , so I thought about what I like to read.  My favourite features are interview style Q&A's with other Sellers (on Etsy and elsewhere).  Everyone always has a different viewpoint and at least one nugget of wisdom to give the rest of us looking for motivation and inspiration.

So I've asked some of my favourite sellers to submit to a lengthy and probing questionnaire (just kiddin' - I'll turn off the light shining in your eyes now guys!), and I'll be posting their answers, along with photos of some of their items from their shops and websites (and sometimes a peek into their studios/workspaces too!).

The first brave seller to agree to this, is one whose jewelry I admired so much, I added her to one of my Etsy Treasuries:  presenting Darcy from Etsy shop Splurge!



Bobbie: Hi Darcy - tell us a bit about yourself! Where you're from, occupation (day job?), family, etc.:

Darcy: I'm proudly Canadian and live in Calgary, Alberta. I'm a scientist by day and jewelry designer by night. Having an alter ego is really cool.

Bobbie: I can totally see a caped jewelry designer superhero, haha!  What's your birthstone?

Darcy: My birthstone is blue topaz.

Bobbie: And your favourite colour?

Darcy: My favourite colour is green, green and more green. I'm also a fan of charcoal grey, plum and chocolate brown right now.

Bobbie: All of those are beautiful winter shades perfect for the season.  What prompted you to open a shop on Etsy?

Darcy: I opened a shop on Etsy after much encouragement from my immensely talented friend, Samantha Cotterill (mummysam here on Etsy). Sam has creativity oozing from her pores and gave me the push I needed to open Splurge.

Bobbie: Thanks to Samantha for encouraging you to share your beautiful designs with us back in December, 2007!  Tell us more about the beautiful items in your shop - inspiration, process, preferences:

Darcy: My creative process differs for each piece of jewelry. I am inspired by simple design that is not influenced by fads. I love working with natural materials. My tag line -'Life can be complicated. Jewelry should be simple' - pretty much sums it up.



Bobbie: I love the use of a tag line for your shop!  (Insert the 'Why didn't I think of that?' question in Bobbie's brain here, lol).  What's been the most frustrating thing you've encountered as you've built your business?

Darcy: The most frustrating thing is finding enough time to create, photograph, promote and do all the other things to make an Etsy shop successful! If only there were more hours in the day....

Bobbie: I know what you mean - I've been thinking of relocating to Pluto (153 hr days!).  What's been the most surprising thing you've learned since starting your business?

Darcy: The most surprising thing I've learned since starting Splurge is the networking that is available through Etsy. I've joined the Alberta Street Team and have found a huge group of supportive and talented artists that have also become friends.

Bobbie: I love the comeraderie on the site as well.  Which item that you've created has been your favourite so far (past or present)?

Darcy: My favourite pieces are the 'tangle' necklace and earrings.



They are one of my first designs and really launched Splurge. The next on the list would be the 'modern hoop peridot and silver earrings'.



I make sure that I only list items in my shop that I would wear, so they are all favourites for one reason or another!

Bobbie: The Tangle Necklace was the item I chose for my Treasury - verrry eye catching! 



If you could reach back in time and give your new seller self one piece of advice, what would it be?

Darcy: I would have two pieces of advice for myself as a new seller. My first would be to spend a lot of time on Etsy looking at successful sellers in your chosen category. Try and figure out what makes their shop stand out and how to use that idea in your shop. Photography is key on Etsy. My second piece of advice would be to join a team. You can't know everything about Etsy so network with other people for great synergy.

Bobbie: Wonderful advice!  Where can we find you & your items?

Darcy: My shop on Etsy is www.splurge.etsy.com. I can also be found on Twitter at www.twitter.com/splurgedesigns.



Bobbie: You can also check out some of Darcy's items by clicking on the photos throughout the interview!

Thanks for being my first interviewee, Darcy, and I wish you the greatest of selling success!

And readers, be sure to enter your email into the Subscribe section on the upper left to be notified of new seller feature articles and general Bobbie's Blog mayhem!

Happy Holiday Selling!

Bobbie
www.shimmeringsky.ca

Hey Everyone!

Wow, time flies when you're building a business!  I looked at the last blog entry date and it was waaaay back on October 22!  It feels like yesterday, but I did know that the next time I blogged, it would be about my Storm.

Storm, as I had mentioned in earlier posts, is a truly huge puppy at almost 7 mos of age.  He is 1/2 Alaskan Malamute, and 1/2 Mastiff, and last weighed in at the Vet's at 88 lbs (omg she thinks in her head...).

Storm's 1st photo (& car ride!) at 4mos 1 wk (I brought a shoehorn when I picked him up in my Suzuki Swift, just in case).

He is a lovely gentle giant (except when Summer, my little Am. Eskimo girl winds him up and they play - you ain't seen UFC until you've seen these two!), who snuggled with me the first few nights after we 'dopted him.  At the beginning it was even hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that he was still a baby.

We've gone through all the growing pains a normal sized puppy would have, like teething, learning the rules of the house, adding extra rules for XL puppies (like don't take a flying leap onto the bed because you and all the bedding skid off the other side), and jumping up is a huge (no pun intended) no-no.



Mr Storm began his obedience career earlier than most pups out of sheer self preservation on my part. I could see myself being dragged along behind this happy, lolling tongued monster, chasing the cyclists who frequent our long flat road.  Fortunately he's as intelligent as he is big, and he's got heel, sit, return, down and come mastered.  We're still working on stay, as he thinks he's being left behind for some reason - maybe from an early puppy trauma - we're not sure.

So, as big as he is, I guess he doesn't feel the need to prove himself much, and rarely barks (he leaves that to Summer, and unless he feels it's serious, just provides back up for my fearless girl).

Storm watching the geese fly South

Mostly it's just a growl here and there, or a low woof, but when we were in the car the other day, Storm decided to test his voice.

My dogs love car rides, and except for a few interesting circumstances, are normally very well behaved.  The other day we were moving slowly through a construction zone, which we've done many times before (after all, there are only two seasons in Canada, Construction & Hockey, LOL).

I've always trusted all my dog's canine instincts when it comes to other people (in a future post I'll have to tell the story of how my dog Schay, who left us in Jan of this year at 14yrs of age, saved my life twice). 

For some reason, Storm took an instant dislike of a worker busy at the side of the road.  As soon as he caught this guys' scent, he went ballistic (and in a Suzuki Swift this is not recommended by Bobbie, lol).  Storm let out a bark like I have ~never~ heard (and I've heard a lot).  It was loud, it was deep, and it vibrated right through me!  The poor construction guy jumped a foot, since the window was cracked about 6 inches; I jumped a foot since it was such a surprise, and Summer was sitting there staring at Storm, literally open mouthed (it takes a lot to make Summer speechless, believe me!).

I drove on in shock, and once we were far enough away where Storm couldn't catch the guys' scent, settled right back down, happy as a giant clam.

Storm with straw in his mouth (no, this is not PhotoShopped, lol)

I couldn't help but giggle as the thought occurred to me - I seem to have the James Earl Jones of dogdom here; then couldn't suppress a shudder, thinking, what is his bark going to be like when fully grown...?

Happy yips and growls!

Bobbie


 

I'm not the type of person who feels comfortable jumping up a soapbox and boasting about her products at the top of her lungs.  But, one of the characteristics about myself that I actually like ;-P, is that I crave new knowledge about anything and assimilate it very quickly.

Both of these two dissimilar topics are the reason why I really enjoyed today's Etsy Virtual Lab on Promo Mojo with guest moderator jstephens13.

rOxy goes to the DOG park by jstephens13

As a fellow bag designer, I really wanted to hear her formula for success on Etsy.  My first impressions were open, friendly, honest and straightforward.  She makes her bags how she likes, prices them how she wants and offers no apologies about not using Twitter, Facebook or joining Etsy teams, outlets most sellers use to promote their business.

Her top four points of advice (and tips I paid close attention to) for other sellers were:

1) Shop packaging

- shorten your descriptions to 3 paragraphs max (we're busy people!)
- shorten your shop announcements

Basically keep the chatter to a minimum and let your items speak for themselves!

2) Quality

- don't settle (if you aren't happy with your item, don't list it until you are)

Jen said a very important thing - most people automatically assume that a handmade item is superior to a mass produced one, so quality it very key.  She said to not leave yourself open to a situation where people question the quality of your item.  Good advice.

3) Range of items in your shop

- a wide variety of items with different price points appeals to various segments of Etsy buyers

Jen has a variety of items: couture bags, samples with "birthmarks" (slight imperfections), other handmade (handsewn items), original sewing patterns and a sale category.  Her perfect number of  items in her shop is 80, but you don't necessarily have to follow that number to keep your shop full.  She says that Estians are DIY oriented people, and if they love your bags but are out of their price range, perhaps a pattern they could use to create one of their own might sell instead!

4) Pricing

A tricky and sometimes touchy subject for sellers, there is no right formula for setting the price of an item.
Most formulas include multiplying an hourly rate (what you feel your time is worth) by the number of hours it takes to create the item, plus the cost of materials. 
Jen's formula is a little more organic.  As an example, she said if she wanted to contribute $100 to the household income, she knows that she can make 4 large tote bags in a day.  $100 divided by 4 is $25.00 so she would price her items at $25.00 each.  If she could make 25 small items per day, then she would price them at $4.00 per item.  It obviously works for her, as she has very reasonable prices and LOTs of repeat customers! 

Some other great pearls of wisdom were that she feels family comes first, and if there are family matters that need her attention, the shop gets put aside.  She also thinks that success on Etsy is a combination of karma and luck (that raised some eyebrows from some sellers but I thought it was a great, positive way of looking at the big picture).

...and isn't that really what it's all about?

Happy (and karmic) selling!

Bobbie
ShimmeringSky.etsy.com

Hi again everyone!  Just in case some of you have been wondering where Part II of The Little Orange Sweater got to, I've temporarily shelved that section until I find a picture of said sweater!  I was meticulous about taking pictures of every sweater Mom made for her 'portfolio' (a little photo album we had on the table to encourage custom orders), and I know I have it somewhere still.  The end of the story is coming, I promise (and worth the wait - lots of laughs!)

Now, down to the subject at hand - my new *sniff* baby (it really felt like labour at times creating this new product line!).

I'd known for some time that since opening my Etsy shop, that I wanted to offer unique items utilizing my original photography.  Unfortunately, I seemed to have a creative block, and just couldn't think of what people would actually want to buy, so I went (temporarily) with the standard prints, cards, aceo's etc.,



and did some test marketing for products like t-shirts, scrapbooking supplies and holiday invitations.



Some were popular and sold, others weren't, but I knew it still wasn't quite... right.

I felt pretty frustrated for quite a while and thought for a moment or two about giving up the idea of making a living through handmade items.  I hung out in Etsy's virtual labs and did more than 2 months of research.   After all that, all it took was a taking a little break from pushing myself, and the idea literally popped into my head, almost completely formed.

I love bags (Well, I love boxes too - I am a tidy Virgo after all and storage things make me swoon.  Who else do you know who collects all the colours of Rubbermaid totes... true story!!)

Bags, from eco friendly shopping bags to couture creations - I love 'em all.  I was watching the movie P.S I Love You (Gerard Butler, yum!!), and found myself thinking about bags like Hilary Swanks' character thought about shoes... and it hit me!  Photography + handbags = niche market??  Why not!



After the fun part of sketching the type(s) of bags I wanted to create and the features they would have, and then the REALLY fun part of fabric shopping, the work began.



Another month went by, trying to turn what I could see in my head into a tangible item.  Every time I solved a logistical problem, another one popped up (I totally heart heart heart everyone who makes sewing look sooooo easy, cuz it's not for me - if I could sew through PhotoShop, it would be a snap!)  Again, I felt like giving up (especially after almost perfect prototype #2 - arrgh!), but I toughed it out, knowing (hoping, actually) that there was a solution at the other end.

 

As they say, the third time's the charm, and finally (a full 26 days later no less), what I saw in my head I could finally hold in my hands.



May I present the first of what I hope will be a full line of original photo handbags - The Seliia, Hellebore Handbag.

I took a deep breath and sent it out into the world, and quite frankly, am shocked at the response!  Over a hundred visits to the item in my Etsy shop in less than 24 hours - due in no small part I'm sure to fellow Etsian littlebitofpretty.

She writes a weekly column for CanArtisan, a blog about Canadian sellers of handmade items, and featured me the same day I listed the Hellebore Handbag. She said some lovely things about the bag, including: "The Seliia clutch would make a great night out on the town accessory, and the design on the front gives it that perfect personalized detail that is sure to be noticed!"

I also got a completely unsolicited compliment from tweep fcffollower: @ShimmeringSky I can understand why you are so proud of your new handbag - it is truly stunning ! Everyone should see- http://bit.ly/wIjAL when I tweeted the link to my item a few minutes beforehand.

Everyone has been so kind and supportive at Etsy as well while I experienced my 'growing pains', especially admin daniellexo, who said, " I'm really excited to see how these do - I think it's just a lovely and inventive idea."  Thanx Danielle!

Sooo, stay tuned readers, to see if what's in my head really IS worth something... lol!

Happy creative dreaming,
Bobbie

One of my greatest mentors in terms of crafting and organizing your business was (and still is) my Mom.

For years she had a side home based business called Knits By Norma, specializing in children's sweaters.  It was a veeeerrry busy time around Christmas, and I became her right hand at craft fairs, as well as delivering the custom sweaters that were ordered, and eventually as a 'consultant' about styles and colours.  I say that last one with a touch or irony as you'll see. 

Although I wasn't crazy about knitting back when I was a teenager (often because I got drafted to knit pieces for Mom if she was running behind), I was well taught and even at that age was an above average knitter.  My Mom, however, could knit circles around me, and was not only a master knitter, but incredibly fast (a sweater in a day was not uncommon).  I wished she had lived to be able to compete in the some of the Knit-In competitions for speed - she would have blown everyone's doors off!

So, as a persnickety teenager, I would sometimes question my Mom's choice of colours in her kid's sweaters (burgundy and pink was a particular dislike of mine for some reason at that time).  They all sold immediately 'tho, and I often shook my head and felt a bit sorry for the kid that had to wear a sweater that I thought was a bit odd colourwise.

I was fortunate that Mom always found time to knit some exceptionally beautiful sweaters for me as well, and when I discovered Vogue Knitting magazine in the late 80's, I begged and begged for some of the luscious cabled oversize sweaters that were all the rage.  Mom knit a couple, then wised up and told me to knit my own, as I was more than capable.  Fine, I said, and went yarn shopping, returning with 19 balls of a bright orange yarn (have mercy, it was the 80's - besides, with my colouring I rocked that colour! lol).

I plugged away at my sweater, getting bored every 2-3 days despite the intricate cables (I'm a total cable girl!), but finally finished it and had 4 balls left over (oops!).  My mom asked what I was going to do with only 5 balls, and suggested maybe mittens to match (the sweater was that big!).

I thought that was a silly idea, and offered them to Mom to use for her sweaters.  After nearly dropping her needles and spilling her tea through fits of laughter, she asked what the h-e-double hockey sticks she would use that colour for!

I explained that their was enough yarn to make a Sz 2 sweater.  Again, she wondered through giggles who would buy an orange sweater for a 2 year old.  I said that orange was a hot colour (at that time) and anyone with an ounce of fashion sense would grab it.  She sighed heavily, and promised to try it.

A few days later, she had whipped up a lovely little cardigan with an orange body and sleeves, and white cabled strips for buttonholes and orange satiny buttons.  She said she thought all orange was too dark and hoped the white would tone it down a bit.  I was happy either way, and was convinced it would fly off the table at the next craft fair.

The next craft fair event arrived, and I made sure to arrange the sweaters so the little orange size 2 sweater was easily seen.  As usual, people mobbed the table, and sweaters were being sold at the usual busy rate (my other pet peeve was that I thought Mom underpriced her sweaters, but she refused to increase her prices for years). 

At the end of the day, only 4 out of 45 sweaters were still on the table.  Yep, you guessed it.  The orange sweater was one of them, and I was teased mercilessly for it all the way home.

The holiday craft fair season wore on, and each time, the poor little orange sweater was left behind on the table.  Mom carefully packed it away each time, and we got to thinking of it like a little mascot that followed us dutifully to each event.  This continued for 2 years (so much for my fashion sense as a teenager *sigh*), but then, one fateful craft fair in 1988....

* Return tomorrow for Part II of The Little Orange Sweater

Last photo of Moms, age 71 years