Nicoleleeartistry’s Weblog

Isn’t it so true?!  Anthony and I have had a plan that was well-laid out and were on our way to accomplishing all that we had planned.  We were planning to put our little house on the market next March, planning to build a home in Pennsylvania thereafter and were planning to relocate and build a family near my roots and relatives.  Well, one day recently, after arranging for replacement windows to be put in the entire house (a total of 17 windows), he suggested we sell sooner than planned and I agreed.

Soooooo, now the plan is to prepare our home so we can put it on the market THIS JUNE and we plan to relocate and build within the next 6 months (if possible and all goes well).  We’ve been watching our HGTV and DIY channels, made a list of home improvements and a list of supplies.  We went to The Home Depot and purchased all that we would need for our projects, and now we are working our little tails off fixing the place up for sale. 

Our house is a home that Anthony purchased last year, with the intention not to stay long.  He planned on staying a couple of years and then selling it.  It’s an old house, built in 1941, and it has a cute story.  The community in which we live was built when a local airport (Martin State Airport) was booming.  The employees of Martin State Airport were able to purchase the homes at about $5,000.00.  Many of the homes in the area, though some have changed over the years, are very similar in style and you can definitely see the old community bones.  We live just outside of Baltimore and are within a hop, skip, and a jump from most anything we might need.  Our little town is a blue-collar community and there are many families with children.  It was supposedly the first housing community ever built in the U.S. and I find it charming.

Knowing all of that now, if you follow my blog and wonder why I’ve not been posting regularly, that is why.  I thought I’d inform though, and take you on our little journey of fixing up the house.  So far, we have done some landscaping and undertook the task of replacing the lawn in the back yard…from seed.  I hope it takes, because it was in dire need, a lot of work was put into it and if it doesn’t grow, it’s going to be an eyesore!  We still have some minor cosmetic things to do outside, like painting doors and fixing up the front entry, but most of our tasks are inside tasks.  Our house is about 1100 square feet.  We have a Living Room, Kitchen/Dining area, a sun room, a laundry room, three bedrooms and one bath.  I’d tell you our to-do list, but I think I’ll save it for another day. 

In the meantime, we are just about finished with the sunroom.  We painted and put down new flooring.  Now, I just have to clean up the door and after the windows are put in, it’s good to go!  Our next project to focus on is the bathroom.  We are not gutting it, but we are replacing the sink/cabinet, the hardware, lighting, accessories and are painting.  We don’t have much time, so I’m sure you’ll be getting lots of updates as we move along.  Today, I’m cleaning up the sunroom door and I’m starting to remove the bathroom glass door.  I suppose I should share some pics with you…I’ll do so either later today or tomorrow.  Until then, there will be a house for sale SOON…and we’ve got a lot to do until that time!!

A tiny interesting thing about me… shortly after moving to Baltimore, I fell in love…

with breakdancing.  haha…betcha you didn’t think I was going to say that.  I did.  I found the most wonderful group of people and fell in love with the community, the culture and the dance.  I worked at it for a while, but I couldn’t take the late nights.  I still love dancing around on my wood floors or when I’m out and about with my IPOD, but with my knee being messed up these days, I can’t over do it.  Sad, but true.  I thought I’d share a video with you that I LOVE…it’s a bunch of clips of a movie/documentary on breakdancing called, “Planet B-Boy.”  Truly amazing talent!  Check it out!

I remember when I was little, how excited my mother would get over my home made gifts.  She always said that they meant more to her.  I imagine that many mothers feel the same way, and I don’t think that changes as we grow older.  With that in mind, I thought I’d share some ideas with my crafty readers, who might just decide to make their own Mother’s Day gifts.  And if you are reading this and are not crafty…well, I’ve provided some great gift ideas for you as well - all hand made items from Etsy sellers.  Hope you find some inspiration!

HGTV has a great selection of hand made gift ideas, with how-to videos and printable instructions.  The list includes Photo Transfer Pillows, Beaded Wind Chimes, Souvenir Lamp Shade, Mom’s Memory Book, Heirloom Candles, To Mom With Love Bracelet, Mother’s Day Brunch, Fun and Funky Tote Bag, Quick and Easy Flower Arrangements, and a Breakfast in Bed Tray.

 Write a poem.  When I was younger - probably 18 or 19, I wrote my mom this LONG poem that recalled memories of all the times I thought of her as a mother in my life…moments when she comforted me, laughed with me, scolded me, disciplined me, loved me, and as I grew older, how she also became a friend to me.  I think it is one of my most favorite gifts that I ever gave her because I put so much time and thought into it.

Let’s let our moms know how special they are.  Show much we appreciate, love and are grateful to them for the nine months of gestation they endured, their guidance and support, their laughter and joy, their tolerance for the possible agony and gray hairs that we gave them,  and all of the years that have followed.  Think about it…if you were or are a mother, what would you want your child to feel toward you?  Turn those feelings into something tangible.

And for those of you, NOT interested in making a home-made gift?  Let someone else do it for you!  Check out Etsy’s Gift Guides and the one specifically geared toward Mothers Day.  :)  Hope you find something you like!  (Pssst…my Felicitous Green Earrings are in the Everyday $15.00 and under guide - on page 8, I’m certain they’d make a mom pretty happy!)

Well, after yesterday’s post about the conclusion of April and the evaluation of my April goals, today brings a post about what I plan to accomplish in May.  My focus will be shifting a little because Anthony and I have made some changes in our personal plans - we plan to put our little house on the market this summer, which moves our plan ahead by 8 months!  So, I will be making some time for home improvement projects as well.  Here they are:

1. Blog daily.

2. Make and list new items - at least one new item daily.  Preferably 3 new listings or renewals per day.

3. Do at least two craft shows.

4. Complete outside landscaping projects, finish renovating sun room and laundry room, and begin bathroom renovation.

5. Post in the forums three times a day to promote my Etsy shop.

6. Continue networking to build relationships with other Etsy sellers and potential buyers, which includes visiting other blogs and posting comments regularly (at least twice a week)

7. Send, “thank you” cards to past customers and include some sort of goodie.  Send emails out to past customers with an incentive to buy during the month of May.

8. Obtain 475 hearts on Etsy

9. Profit more from my crafts than I have any other month thus far…even if it is only by one dollar more.

10. Purchase supplies and materials needed, and set up my own metal smithing space at home.

What are your goals?  As we share our goals with one another, we are more likely to achieve them!  It also helps us think of other areas we could improve upon.  :)  Hopefully, by listing and sharing our goals, we will see increased cash flow, business success and happiness!

April is coming to an end and it begs that I evaluate my April Goals and contemplate new ones for May.  My April goals were to:

1. Get 350 hearts on Etsy (Check!  Accomplished today!)

2. Reach a total of 30 sales…still have 7 to go…anyone want to buy?  Go to my shop now!  (NO MINIMUM PURCHASE…BUY before April ends and get a FREE PAIR OF EARRINGS!)

3. Drive more traffic to my blog…sporadic.  I tried some new things and although I still have traffic, it is up and down.  Some days I have TONS and other days nothing…I suppose most blogs have that though - up and down.  I’m going to keep at it, but am open to any suggestions to keep traffic flowing. 

4. Get something in a new local boutique - one shop has agreed to carry my wine glasses! (check!)

5. Make new items every day and post new items in my shop regularly.  (I consistently made new items, but was not as consistent with listing as I would have liked.)

6. Post in the forums, blog every day and stay active on Etsy, building relationships and getting to know other crafters. (Well, I almost blogged every day and stayed active on Etsy, though not as much in the evenings as I used to.)  

7. Gain as much exposure as I can. (check!)

Special news…
  I had a really nice thing happen yesterday!  If you follow my blog, you may remember Shannon from greenbelts.  Well, yesterday, Shannon had the honor and privilege of being selected as the featured artist in Etsy’s “Etsy Success Stories!” AND she wore my Lemon Drop earrings in the pictures that they used!!! 

 Yippee!!!  She also included my new “Jonquil Delight” earrings as a favorite of hers below the article!  How sweet is she?  Very!  :)  So, it goes to show how important it is to develop relationships!  It’s all about networking!

So, for my May goals…I’m giving them thought, with regard that I will need to embrace the challenges that warm weather will brings.  I’d like to hear your goals!  Let’s help one another take off!  =)

  Today, I want to talk about a really cool tool on Etsy.  It’s Etsy’s “Color Picker.  Why might you want to know about it?  Well, it’s perfect when searching for gifts if you want a certain color, or perhaps you’re planning a wedding or a party and you have a color theme, or perhaps you’re composing a treasury.  Whatever the occasion, you should know about this TIME-SAVING searching tool!  Here’s what it looks like when you have arrived… 

The COLOR PICKER…REALLY too cool for its own good!  Find items by COLOR.  Visually select the color you are searching for and it shows you items on Etsy that match your color selection.  It’s great because you don’t need to know the name of a color; you just slide your mouse along the color bar and watch the color bubbles until you hit the color you’re looking for… (let’s say I’m looking for purple - here’s what it would look like)

and here is how it shows results:

you can choose to see more of the same color, or move your mouse again and select a different color - maybe something complimentary (good for if your doing a treasury!)  Example…I’ll proceed and look for teal colored items.  Color picker will still show my purple items and then will show the teal ones…

It can be a real time-saver if you are searching for an item of a particular color!

     So, how do you find it and how do you go about using it?  Well, go to the Etsy web site and on the left hand side of the screen, you will see the navigation bar that is titled, “ways to shop“.  Select “colors” from the navigation bar, and viola!, you’re there!  

To make it even easier, while you’re at my blog, you can just click here to play.  :)  So, if you haven’t already discovered it, which is completely possible because Etsy has SO much to discover, you should definitely make time to play with the color picker tool!   

So, Anthony and I love renting movies and one day, the Lord above sent us a gift in a big, redbox. 

 If you aren’t familiar with redbox, it’s a DVD vending machine and they are popping up everywhere.  Locally, we have them at McDonalds, but I know in Pennsylvania, they have them in grocery stores too.  Anthony and I love redbox!  If you don’t rent movies all the time, they are super!  Even if you rent movies on a semi-frequent basis, they are a great alternative to having an account with Blockbuster on line or NetFlix. 

You can go online to review movies and reserve them online, or you can drive right up to the box and rent on the spot.

The rental process is easy.  redbox has a super easy, user-friendly, touch screen . 

You select whether you are renting or returning  
and it walks you right through the process until you swipe your debit/credit card to pay.  Oh!  And it’s only $1.00 to rent any DVD!  Rentals are good for 24 hours and if you decide to keep them, it’s only $1.00 a day for each day you keep it.  Returns are simple.  You take your DVD back to ANY redbox location and slip the slick DVD case with clear instructions, right in the slot provided.   

     redbox will even send you email confirmations of rentals and returns, just so you feel extra secure.
The best part is that, when you set up an account with redbox, you can rent movies for FREE quite frequently, with the codes they give you in your email or even as a text message to your phone!  Interested?  Go here.  It’s a super deal and if you like watching movies and haven’t tried it out - hop to your local redbox and get started or you can click here to visit their site!

We rented Juno  the other night and LOVED IT!  It is a comedy/drama/romance movie that really hits so many good spots, it’s hard not to like.  It’s about a girl and how she deals with the life event of an unplanned pregnancy.  It won an oscar for best writing and it truly is EXCELLENTLY written, funny and just plain wonderful!  I highly recommend it if you have not yet seen!  View the trailer here.  If you are already a Juno fan, Etsy seller, scissorkix, has these great Juno themed, pinback buttons!
  Click here to view the listing.  They’re only $4.00 for all three!

Now, for our Creative Journey : Before this task, I ask - are you still doing your mental dumping?  If not, make time to start it.  They will help to reduce your stress levels, and will improve your clarity and creativity!  Does anyone have a poem or quote to share?  If you’re following along, please let me know! 

Creative Journey Task (Day 5):  Take a walk for inspiration today.  Take in all that you can of the details that surround you.  Open up ALL of your senses.  LOOK, SMELL, TOUCH, LISTEN, BREATH.  Let those things inspire you.  Think of something to create that will reflect your walk and make it.  It could be as simple or as ornate as you like.  (I’m off to take my walk now.  I’ll share my creation tomorrow.)

I’ve been in the Etsy forums and have read some comments and seen some bad attitudes about slowing sales.  The warm weather pulls people away from their computers and out to enjoy the sun.  It’s just a fact of life.  Complaining about it doesn’t help bring anyone business.  So, what can a crafter do to fight the change in the market?  If you’re feeling a slump in sales, whether due to the economy or the warm weather, or perhaps it’s just a slump…here’s a list with a some things I suggest you try, and please feel free to post additional ideas!

1. Sell at Craft Shows
     If people are out and about, where are they going to do their shopping for the items you sell?  Generally, farmer’s markets, boutiques and gift shops - places where they can walk around in the warm air!  Here’s a good link if you’re just getting started with your crafting business and craft shows.

2. Add Products and Services
     Try to add new things that compliment what you already have.  Offer more of what your target customers might be looking for.  What don’t you have, that you COULD offer, that would make people leave your shop and look elsewhere?  Make it and list. 

3. Raise the Customer Service Bar
You may already provide good customer service, but can you do better?  Can you offer a little more?  For example, can you ship items out faster?  Follow up with customers to say, “Thank you” if you aren’t already.  Remember that PEOPLE TALK, and if you provide EXCELLENT products AND superior service, the word-of-mouth that it generates can be invaluable!

4. Keep a POSITIVE attitude! 
     I don’t care how slow things get - always, ALWAYS keep a positive attitude and don’t tell people if you’re stressed and things are going bad because you hope that they’ll take pity.  People want to be on the WINNING team…not the losing one.  You need to assure them, that YOU are the winner!  Things always get better, so keep your chin up if things get slow and, as my mother always says, “just keep plugging away at it.” 

5. Expand
Take your skills everywhere you can!  Can you teach a class?  Can you volunteer to show some skills at a local high school or community group or church?  Even if you’re not getting paid, you’re gaining exposure, which every business needs! 

6. Time for a Tune-Up!
So, business is slow?  See it as an opportunity to focus on the things you normally do not make time for when you’re busy!  Reevaluate your goals, reorganize, update mailing lists, evaluate your advertising - is there anything new you can do?  Are there ways you can cut costs?  

7. Take a break!
We all need a break.  If you’re like me, you’re hard on yourself and don’t make a lot of time for enjoyable activities because you HAVE to focus on growing your business.  However, we all need to take time to “re-charge our batteries.” There are many ways to RELAX!  Take a hot bath, visit Starbucks, make time for a good book, take a walk, listen to the birds, lay out in the sun, go on a vacation, spend time alone or with friends and family.  Do something for YOU!  You work hard, so work just as hard to reward yourself with some well-deserved time off.  You’ll be surprised what it can do for your energy and creativity! 

8. Create and send out surveys.
This is a good time to see what your customers and/or potential customers are thinking.  Ask them what they’d like to see from you.  Maybe offer a freebie or some other incentive for completing and returning the survey.  (For online purposes, I have used Survey Monkey and really like their service.  http://surveymonkey.com)

9. Take Care of Household Duties.
When you work from home, or have a home-based business, sometimes it helps to just take care of chores around the house.  Maybe you want to do some serious deep-cleaning on the kitchen or bathrooms, maybe you want to GO GREEN, or perhaps you want to clean out the shed or overhaul the garage.  Whatever it is, it can clear clutter both physically and mentally, and allow you to come back renewed.

10. If none of those things struck you, perhaps one of these will…
Learn Something, Get a Jump on Taxes, Send gratitude notes to past customers with a freebie or coupon, doodle, brainstorm, create a blog, create a website, write a letter to friends/family you’ve been meaning to keep in touch with, call someone you haven’t talked to in a while.  Don’t sing the blues…be proactive and USE the time that you’re given - it IS a blessing in diguise.  :)   

I wished upon a star - TTV Fine Art Photographic Print
by Etsy Artist, barbaragordon

I have many favorite poems and quotes.  Reading them often inspires me and renews my spirit.  Here’s one that I like…

As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that
wasn’t supposed to ever let you down probably will. You
will have your heart broken probably more than once and
it’s harder every time. You’ll break hearts too, so remember
how it felt when yours was broken. You’ll fight with your
best friend. You’ll blame a new love for things an old one
did. You’ll cry because time is passing too fast, and you’ll
eventually lose someone you love. So take too many
pictures, laugh too much, and love like you’ve never been
hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a
minute of happiness you’ll never get back. Don’t be afraid
that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin.

Now, for our Creative Journey Task (Day 4):  If you are joining us on the creative journey, I hope you are keeping up with your mental dumps and that you’re seeing benefit in it!  Have you shared that practice with someone else?  Remember, when we teach, we learn better!  Also, how about that eulogy?  Can anyone share if they’ve been participating or trying any of these tasks?  Even if you are not following and doing every task, it’s nice to see the thoughts and experiences others have with them.  Please share!  Today, it’s all about quotes and how WORDS impact us. 

DAY 4 TASK:  Get a post-it note or a piece of paper and find a quote that inspires you.  Write the new quote down on that piece of paper and post it in a place that you will frequently see throughout your day.  Let it influence you. 

I love surrounding myself with quotes!  I enjoy the daily practice of finding good quotes and posting them to set the tone for, “my daily thought.”  My quotes often reflect circumstances or challenges that I’m facing and help me to maintain optimism and fortitude throughout my day.  It’s so refreshing!  When I used to work in an office, I made a binder of all of my quotes and displayed a quote each day, for all to see.  It was a great way to create a nice environment and a wonderful way to set a positive tone.  Please share quotes that YOU love!  I’d love to read them!  Thanks!  In the meantime…don’t forget to savor every moment of your day, and appreciate the small things.  They areoften quite impressive, beautiful and mesmerizing!

So, today, I’m simply going to share with you, my newest shop item.  I named it, “Earth Day Necklace” because I was feeling super creative!  HAHAH.  it’s cute though and I love the way it turned out…very fun and bohemian. 

If you want to view the listing in my store, CLICK HERE.