Lovely Fall Day and Studio Pics

This morning when we woke up it was only 34 degrees. Very close to a first frost, I think it's coming soon. I did another big harvest of cherry tomatoes in the garden yesterday. Hopefully I'll get in another one before the frost hits.

The house has been a little chilly this morning. With chilly bare feet and thinking I should evetually put socks on, I wandered down to the room I call the Studio (yes, THE Studio! heehee) and opened the door. This is what I was greeted with:




The room was delightfully warmer than the rest of the house, having soaked up the morning sun for the past few hours. My chilly bare feet met the sun warmed carpet and it was fantastic! Instead of retrieving whatever now forgotten item I had went in there for, I went to get my camera and started taking pictures, not wanting to leave the warmth.

Here is my desk, were much of the creation takes place:




This is part of the view out the window - our garden and a scrawny little pine tree:




And of course, my cat found some sun as well on this lovey, if a bit chilly, fall morning.



I was insipred to go throgh my supplies and see what might be useful for the Harvest Creative Challenge at Etsy. Here's what I put together so far...




Hmmmm, what will I make? So far I'm thinking one or two cards and maybe even a few bookmarks. I'm also thinking of a dreamcatcher, as any natural colors usually look lovely on them.

An Etsy Challenge!

I'm a rank beginner over at Etsy, but today I saw a post on the forum about a Creative Challenge with a Fall theme and I jumped right into the fray! Here's how it works: Everyone who accepts the Challenge has until next Tuesday, October 19th, to create a new item in Harvest colors - using only supplies that they currently have. Then list the items in their shop and provide the links in a Challenge thread. The plan is to create Etsy Treasuries with the items.

This fun event was suggested by DesignedByLucinda and so far it looks like 50 or so people have accepted the Challenge. I'm so excited, because I have been itching to do some new work and it's nice to have a theme, and a deadline. *wink* I'm thinking I'm actually going to create a few items for the Challenge - I already have some ideas!

Oh, and here are two blogs that have made posts about this Creative Challenge:

Rox & Things

The Mushroom Grove

The Mushroom Grove posted a list earlier today of the Etsy shops that had accepted the Challenge so far.

Yay!!

Uploading frenzy

I had a sale this morning at the online Nail Necklace store so that was encouraging! Someone bought two cross necklaces. I've been in an uploading frenzy today, putting more and more items up in the store.

I've also started populating my Etsy shop at long last. Here is the URL:

HorseTender on Etsy

I've reading posts and replying to several of them in the Etsy forums. I've also been surfing around, checking out some of the other shops there. It's amazing to see the items that some people create!

I'm still chomping at the bit to start on some new work, but I'm trying to hold myself to the "deal" I made - to get everything I have done so far uploaded to the stores and the dusty Studio site. I think putting pictures on the Studio site will be the most time intensive, but it's got to be done!

Well, I'd better get back to work!

Pictures, pictures!

I spent yesterday in a photo taking frenzy. I've never been quite happy with pictures I've taken of my cross necklaces - and I've tried taking a BUNCH of them over the years.

I went to work in the photo tent and after a few more failures, I think I finally figured out the magic formula for capturing my crosses in pictures!



I'm really starting to like my photo set up!

After the marathon of dreamcatcher creating and the marathon of photo taking, I'm chomping at the bit to move onto another project. However, I've a deal with my A.D.D. crazy self. I'm going to try really hard not to lose myself in another creative pursuit until I have the pictures of all of the dreamcatchers and crosses firmly uploaded to my online store! I'd like to get them all uploaded to the Galleries on my Studio site as well, and maybe even put into my Etsy shop for good measure, but we'll see...

Right now I'd better get back to uploading items at the store!

Oh and by the way, here is the link to my online store:

Nail Necklace - Online Store

For now all of the items from Horse Tender Studio will be hosted at my Nail Necklace store. Nail Necklace is the first online store that I set up. It has been the sales location for my cross necklaces. Until I have TIME to create another store for the Studio, the majority of Horse Tender Studio sales will go through Nail Necklace.

A Flood of New Work

I've been working up a storm the last couple of weeks, mainly focusing on dreamcathers.

I've made dreamcatchers ever since I was a teenager. Over the years I have given many away as gifts. My favorite occasions are for a wedding or, in the original tradition of the dreamcatcher, for when a baby is born. I've also sold a few here and there - my "customizeable" dream catchers were a hit at a craft fair years ago. I had let people pick the colors they wanted and I made the dreamcatchers there on the spot. It was sort of a "dreamcatchers made while you shop" idea and it worked out well.

It wasn't until more recently, with the creation of the Studio as an entity, that I decided I'd like to sell them on a larger scale. I realized recently that I didn't have much in the way of an inventory. I had boxes and boxes of supplies, but only a couple of finished pieces. This is due to the fact that the majority of my dreamcatchers have been custom made - either as ordered, or as I made them for those special ocassions.

So, about two weeks ago I pulled out all of my supplies, popped on a movie and went to work. I've now made my way through several movies (and a couple of TV series on DVD) and I have about SIXTY brand new dreamcatchers ready to make their debut!

This is one of my favorites:







I now have quite a wide variety of dramcatchers, in sizes from two to nine inch rings, made in a rainbow of colors, and many with cool little charm and stone accents on the webbing.

Over the last couple of days I've been working on the time-consuming task of taking pictures and getting those uploaded to the store, the Studio's Facebook page, and the Studio site itself.

I foresee many more hours spent uploading photos, as I still have to repopulate the store and sites with pictures of all of my other items as well!

Hard at work!

I've been hard at work creating new things for the inventory here at the studio. I have also realized that Halloween is just around the corner. I made some wonderful Halloween themed greeting cards last year, based on a favorite card that I made for a friend many years ago. The cards feature a black cat sitting on the fence of a graveyard, with bats flying in the sky. The card is made from a mixture of cardstock, stamps, and hand drawn elements. I made up a bunch of them last year and I think I'll post them on my Facebook page and possible at my Etsy store.

I'm currently working on dreamcatchers and will have MANY of them available very soon, in a variety of colors and sizes. Stay tuned!

Where did summer go?

This spring and summer has been a crazy busy, very rough time - and the time has flown! I moved twice and had to keep ALL of my creative projects and supplies in storage for a few months. I am now unpacking everything and dusting off my inner creativity. I've been hard at work the past few days, trying to get back into the groove. I've been cranking out new projucts, primarily dreamcatchers at this time. I also have several new ideas for greeting cards and custom horses!

My websites had lapsed during all of the moving around. Today I finally reposted my websites online and now there is quite a bit of updating on those to do as well. I'm hoping to finally get my Etsy store and Facebook pages populated and "Open" for business within the next few weeks.

Moving stinks, especially when one was right in the middle of starting up a new venture!