One step closer!

I had a sale today! Woohoo, first one in at least a month, I think. So yeah, I'm one step closer to getting my button maker!

Also, I listed a few new things:

Some plaid hang tags in Bohemian Kitty

And a pair of earrings in Tangerine Sunshine.

I also relisted a snail necklace that expired not too long ago. I think this is the second time I've relisted it, so... third time's a charm, right? Maybe someone will come along and like her...

Well, that's about all I have tonight. It's been a hectic weekend with homework and such, and the rest of this week looks like it will be more of the same...

I love getting mail...

My new cello sleeves arrived today --- I got home from work, and there they were, sitting on my kitchen counter. I was pretty happy about that, although now it means I need to go through all the product that I currently have in my inventory and package everything. Besides pretty new packaging, I need to work on the color of my pictures -- they all seems a little too dark, and me and photoshop aren't on very good terms right now. I also need to keep listing things in both shops -- I added two sets of tags to Bohemian Kitty -- some pretty asian-themed ones, and some blue and brown paisley ones. I still have plenty of things waiting to be listed though, but I want to spread it out.
What else... I need to design a banner for Bohemian Kitty, and business cards as well. My craft area/desk is also a disaster, so I need to organize that. I haven't had a sale in a few weeks, but that's mostly my fault, because I haven't been promoting or keeping up with my shops very well. Oh well, craft show season is coming up -- I always seem to do a lot better when people see things in person, or can 'impulse buy', so that should bring some sales :)

Finally, pictures!

This afternoon I got my super awesome boyfriend to help me take TONS of pictures of a bunch of stuff I'd had sitting around, waiting to be photographed so I could list it... The pictures are all in my hot little hands right now, and I'm slowly working my way through them and editing them in photoshop. I work tomorrow, and I have tons of reading and writing to do for class, but I'm going to try to find some time to list a few things at some point this weekend, so look for new things in both Tangerine Sunshine and Bohemian Kitty. The Devil Ducky earrings are some of my favorites, like the little pirates at the start of this post!

To continue...

I found the button maker that I want on eBay. It's the Tecre 1.25" model -- $210, new, comes with 100 button parts. I'm still on the lookout for a used one, but if that fails, this is what I'm going with. I managed to spend nearly $50 at hobby lobby last night (oh so much beautiful paper and stamps and punches!!!!), so I really can't just go out and buy this button maker right now. I made myself promise to myself (trust me, it makes sense) that I wouldn't buy it until I had at least $50 in my paypal account to cover part of the cost. So that means I have to CRAFT CRAFT CRAFT and SELL SELL SELL. I'm taking tons of pictures today, hopefully, so I will be able to list some new stuff tonight and tomorrow :)

Well, that's about it for now. I'm in the midst of doing laundry, cleaning my room, and emailing my professors, and I have a meeting in 2 hours, so I should go get everything done.

Mommy, I want one!!!

So I've wanted a button maker for a rather long time, because I have all sorts of ideas in my head for cute, fun buttons to make and sell. Plus, I'm a button whore (you should see my purse/backpack/etc). But button makers are SO expensive... (for anyone who's never looking into getting a button maker, new ones start at $200 plus...) I want to make sure I get the right one the first time, so it's worth the investment. I've been poking around the Etsy forums, and it seems that nearly everyone prefers Tecre brand over the Badge-a-Minit ones, so it seems like that is the one I will be going with. I'm also pretty sure I want to go with the 1 1/4" sized buttons, although I'm still toying around with the 1" ones. I think those might almost be too small though -- I know for my "personal " use, I tend to prefer the slightly larger ones. However, I also need to know what will sell better... If I'm shelling out over $200 for one of these machines, I need to at least make that money back on it. I'm not sure how well buttons will sell on Etsy, I think it's kind of a hit or miss, but I am pretty sure they will go pretty well at some of the craft shows I will be going to during the summer. I live in a college area, and lots of college and high school aged people like spending a dollar or two on their own little 'pieces of flair.'
Ugh... there's just so much to think about. I'm going to keep poking around on Ebay and hoping that I can find a used one, because that will save me at least $50. It would be awesome if I knew someone personally that didn't want theirs anymore and would be willing to sell it to me for fairly cheap, but so far it looks like I don't know anyone that makes buttons, or used to make buttons and doesn't want to anymore...

Live from Minnesota... it's Monday morning!!!

This post comes straight to you from my Human Origins class... Today is one of those days where I feel like I'm wasting time by being in class, because I have a million and one things to do, most of which I can't do while sitting in a classroom. I can blog though, as well as surf around Etsy and compulsively check my email while simultaneously watching the minutes slowly tick by on the clock...
I have a paper to write tonight, and I can't really procrastinate on it any more. It's due Wednesday, and I have plans tomorrow night, so that pretty much leaves tonight to get it done. I am also hoping to get some pictures taken to post in my etsy shops. I have tons and tons of stuff I've made in drawers on my desk, I just haven't had the time/energy/motivation to get everything out and take some nice pictures. I also have lots of really grandiose ideas about how I am going to organize all my beading and scrapbooking supplies and organizing all my listed inventory based on what shop it comes from, what type of thing it is, etc... In an effort to help with that I did order some self-sealing cello bags yesterday, and I'm working on designing some nice labels for both of my shops. It would be nice to have all my inventory nicely packaged so when something sells it is easier to ship out. It'll also help when the craft shows come around, because they will look a lot nicer on my table...
Anyway, I'm hoping those bags show up by the end of this week, and I can spend the weekend getting everything looking all nice and snappy. I promise that I'll post some nice pictures as soon as all of that happens :)
In addition, I have a *pile* of emails that I need to send for various things... class, summer plans, internship, service-learning project... E-mail pretty much saves my life though, because if I had to find time to talk to all these people in person, I would NEVER have enough time...

I suppose this is it for now, I've already gotten through 20 minutes of class, and I can use the next 30 to get going on some of those emails.

Happy Easter...

I hope everyone enjoyed their Easter... I spent mine working at Cold Stone and serving ice cream to the 20 or so total people that came in during the 4 hours that I was there. Then I came home and ate leftover chinese food, played around on Etsy for awhile, and am finally starting to think about working on my paper for theory (anthropological theory -- my least favorite class this semester). I'm trying to come up with creative ways to procrastinate...

• blogging.

• crafting.

• cleaning my room.
• ----> (yes, I'd rather clean my room than write my theory paper...)
  

• playing Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass or Final Fantasy III on my DS

• tackling some of the other things on my mile-long To-Do list.

• explore the internets.

• make lists.

See, all of these things sound more fun than writing my paper. Yet the paper is inevitable. If I don't do it today, I'll have to do it tomorrow or Tuesday... And I'm not going to want to do it anymore then than I do right now. Maybe even less.

Anyone have good tips on how I can procrastinate? I thought about taking some pictures of a bunch of stuff that I have for my Tangerine Sunshine or Bohemian Kitty, but I'm really too lazy to get everything out, plus it's starting to get dark so the lighting would be off...

Ugh... if only I was as good at writing as I was at procrastinating... Well, I'm off to avoid the paper for another hour or two. Wish me luck...

Mmm... lemon-tastic...

Maybe I'm weird, maybe not, but I don't really like the taste of plain water, unless it's really cold. I also happen to really like lemons, and typically end up sucking on lemon wedges at restaurants.

Anyway, imagine my joy about two weeks ago when I get a sample in the mail of something called "True Lemon." The sample says that you can use it for a seasoning, in place of lemon juice in cooking, or in water. So of course I get myself a glass of water, rip open the packet, and pour it in.

Awesome.

That probably makes me pretty lame, but it also makes me pretty happy, so everything evens out in the end... I was a little sad when my samples ran out, but on the next trip to the grocery store I picked up a box of 40 packets. Yay :)

Want to try some of your own? You can get samples too! Click.... HERE

A New Start

Welcome to the new location! I've had a million and one blog up to this point (that may be a bit of an exaggeration,), but most of them have fallen apart for one reason or another. But that is beside the point... this is the new one, and this will encompass all of my life -- school, friends, family, work, crafting, and everything else I do. Think of it as your all-access pass to my whole life.

Who wouldn't want that?

Lots of updates will come as I introduce you to various aspects of my life:
School.
- sub-field: My Senior Project
My social life (as boring as it is)
My two Etsy shops -- Tangerine Sunshine and Bohemian Kitty
Work.
- sub-field: the not so awesome job
- sub-field: the much better job

Hate to cut it short, but I'm headed to the not-so-awesome job pretty soon...