It's hard to say goodbye...

I hope I'm not alone...but,

I have a hard time saying good-bye to ... someone/something/?

I don't mean see ya later. I mean real goodbyes, where you know or

believe, you may never meet again.

Something I've never really sat down & thought about , but I am right now.

I'll get back to the "why" in a minute.

Just starting to realize that farewells come in all sizes. Most are of

little significance, small, daily, routine.

Others are momentus and are relived, over & over...HUGE!

Then there's that in-between range.
Sometimes you just don't know that the little goodbye was to become

the last one ...

Sometimes you think it's the last one... and it's not! Not even close!

There's so many people and things we part with over the years,

that I guess it's good to keep the "g'byes" in perspective.

I guess that's all I'm trying to do.

Now, back to WHY I'm on the subject.

(sounds almost silly now that I've put it in perspective)

I'm preparing to sell some of my favourite

clay artwork. They're only clay, yes, I know.

I can make another one (I guess).

But there is something special about a First of something.

My 1sts are rarely the best pieces, although they often

take longest to make. I work out problems

(like don't forget to make it hang-able, duh),

refine the design, texture, colors, etc.

I guess that's why I'm so attached to them and what

makes it hard to say good-bye.

But, if I'm serious about being an artist, I can't

keep every original I make. Just have to learn

to say farewell to my favourites.

Besides, these are only little and happy, goodbyes.

May your good-byes be small ones:

Angie

Etsy stuff

I recently joined Etsy (on Nov 1/08. )




I've been making "stuff" for so many years,
and have done craft sales, consignments,
custom orders, but my real joy (like most artists)
is in making things, not in selling them.

A friend of mine suggested that I try selling my hand-made
creations on-line at etsy, so I'm trying it out!

I have a small space in the living room, (an over-flowing corner ,)
where I've been making jewellry. But I need a proper place to work
with clay and paint, etc. ...so...
We are building a studio for me in the garage. At last I will
have a place for all me & my supplies!!! and a workspace !!!! YEAH!!

So, after spending (many) hours looking at all the amazing creations, and reading numerous Profiles, I finally took the plunge and joined, then I listed my 1st items....all 3 of them.
I was thrilled when I made my 1st sale a couple of DAYS later!
It's still my only sale... so far.

It all sounds simple enough, right?
Actually it is, but it all takes time, and I've spent a lot of time,
refining, editing, and refining again.

I thought all I'd need is good items to sell, at a reasonable price,
and that's it......not.
It's just another starting point.

Here's what I've learned...so far:
Before listing an item:
- Start with 5 good photos... can't say enough about that! (any
cropping, editing, etc. resize ( 1000x1000 pixels) So they're
ready to download.
- Get a box the item will be shipped in, take measurements, weigh it
and calculate shipping to various places.

- Go to the etsy workshops! (I'd include a link, but not sure how)
- Get to know people, etsy, blog, facebook, etc.
- Ask for help when you need it. It can save an amazing amount of
time, compared to trial & error.
- Get organized. My current dilemma... I've got a ton of photos on
my computer, and need to figure out a good filing system for them.

I'll add things, as I learn...

Building my studio- in the garage.

BEFORE photos:

These garage photos were taken Dec 7/08, after we got the furnace hooked up.

That's when Dave started building my studio. He had just built a dividing wall in the garage, so we have a "His" side, and a "Her" side.

This is where it all started... at the beginning.

Jan 25,2009:

Today was one of those lovely, sunny (rare) days, in the Kootenays.

It was great! Dave & I worked on my art studio, all day!

Although we were inside... in the dusty, dirty, garage all day,

we got a lot done.

Dave got the last wall insulated, plastic covered, & plywood covered!

I got it primed, and will paint it tomorrow.

It may not sound like much, but with Dave's back problems,

I'm grateful for productive days like this.

I've been needing my own studio space for many, many years.

Gradually, I've taken-over almost 1/2 the living room, with my

art supplies and projects. (Plus the spare room, and there's clay,

glazes & finished pieces stored in the basement).

It will be so wonderful to have a place for all my "stuff", and

a place to create.

Note: I'll try a different layout next time. Can't figure out how to

do that right now.... please bear with me as I deal with the

learning curve.

My blog begins...

Here's my 1st blog - don't know if anyone will actually find,
see or read it... let alone, comment on it.
If you DO know me In Real Life, then I don't have to tell you my life story
(thank goodness).
If you don't know me IRL, well... what can I say?
You may have to check out some of my links and read a bit,
or contact me :)

Meanwhile, I will just talk to myself here and get used to the concept
of keeping an on-line presence, and hope I don't embarass myself.

Who knows? Maybe I'll think of something so exceptional that everyone will want to read it. ;)

DO NOT SEND ME SPAM!!! I HATE IT!!! I'm sure you do too!