Jumping on the Bandwagon

I've never been one for resolutions, but the start of the year does feel like an opportunity to start fresh, with a clean slate. It is, after all, a new beginning. I've been doing a lot of thinking lately of things that I wasn't necessarily happy with last year and improvements that can be made. I'm not thinking of them as resolutions. More like goals.

In no particular order, I'm working on some personal and business goals:

* Take better care of myself:
-snack less at work (I eat when I'm bored)
-work out regularly (am totally loving my Wii Fit) = more energy, feel better, look better, strength!
-meditate = calm & focus
-go to yoga classes = healthier me + meet new people

* Clean & organize my workroom - I love that I have a whole room of my own, but have never really been thrilled with the layout. I need to play with that and create a more inviting & inspiring space. And I MUST hang the ACEO's, prints, and artwork I've been collecting!!

* Get the sewing machine I received from a very generous Freecycler serviced and learn how to use it.

* Feel less guilty/bad about situations that I have no control over. Worry less. Stop over analyzing. Be more spontaneous.

* Find a way to use the tremendous amount of down time at work to my advantage for Athena's Armoury.

* Production line pieces for days that I'm feeling less than creatively inspired.

* PLAY! Create new designs and don't worry about following rules.

* Purge. Get rid of stuff that I don't need or want. Clutter is disrupting the flow of life!

* List and blog about at least one new item per week. Continue to renew daily.

* Get going on creating that website.

* Dedicate a couple days per month to picture taking. I thought that having my light box set up all the time would be a good idea because as soon as I'm done with a piece and still really excited about it, I could shoot it. Yeah, I wound up moving onto another piece and the light box just took up space until I decided to use it. Time to try something else.

* Track sales/expenses better. A necessary evil in being a one person operation is having to do the tasks you'd rather delegate.

* Work on better branding for my biz.

Well, some of these are goals, some just seems like a to-do list. I also realize that I need to get a bit more specific and figure out how I'm going to accomplish some of this. But, hey, it's a start.

Now that you have a clean slate with the beginning of a new year, what will you be working on?

Happy Blog Props + Google Alerts

Thanks to Google Alerts, I found out that Jean9 over at the Lapidary Queen Wannabees blog featured my blog and Etsy shop in her third installment of her Art of Chain Maille series. If you get a chance, give her blog some love.

Also, be sure to check out Google Alerts. You will receive e-mail updates with the latest relevant Google results based on your choice of query or topic. I've got it set up to search for my name as well as my shop name. This is usually how I find out that I've been mentioned on someone's blog. =)

New Series: Chain Maille Tips & Tricks - M.A.I.L.

I am by no means an expert mailler, but I have been doing it for a few years and have picked up a thing or two in that time. When I first started, I was lucky enough to to find a chain maille Yahoo group with great members who helped answer some questions and get me on my way. I also read. A lot. Books, magazines, websites. But, I would have loved to have someone there to pass on the tips and tricks that many of those books, magazines, and websites may assume that you already know. A mentor, if you will.

I'd like to share with you some of the stuff that I've learned. Some of the tips will be for beginners, some not. Some ideas may seem painfully obvious, but you have to learn somewhere. You may find that my way may not work best for you: there are as many ways of making chain maille as there are weaves out there. I simply want to give the novice mailler some ideas that might make their life a with pliers a little easier and, of course, more fun. These tips and tricks will be in no particular order, just whatever strikes my fancy to share with you.


Today, I'd like to share a website with you: M.A.I.L. This website is an AMAZING resource. It contains articles, community, a gallery, TONS of free weave tutorials, and so much more. Just go start looking around there, you'll get lost in a wealth of information and inspiration. I promise.

Starting the Year Off Right: Blog Giveaways!!

I hope everyone had a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season! In 2008, I was the lucky winner of a few blog contests. I never win anything, so imagine my surprise when I won three different blog giveaways!!

Cat is the amazing artist of Darkling Woods who creates fairy tale, fantasy, goddess, and mythology art. She's a fellow member of the Fantasy Artists of Etsy Street Team and I've loved her work since I was introduced to it so long ago. She had a Halloween Contest on her blog to help name a Pumpkin Girl that she was working on. Although I wasn't the grand prize winner, she certainly sent me all manner of Halloween treats and no tricks!

I discovered Ant's Pottery (aka antb) while browsing around Etsy a long time ago and have been drooling over her work ever since. I happened to see a post from her on twitter to check out her blog for her Saturday giveaway. First of all, she's got a great blog, but I also love the way she does her giveaways: this is the post I responded to. I won this adorable little Rock Box: it really does look like a rock on the outside, but you open it up to a sparkling, green glass treasure.

I was introduced to Julie of SewItsForYou, when I was accepted to vend at the Handmade Holiday Bazaar (she was one of the amazing women to organize the show). Her embroidered work is so beautifully detailed and add to that her wonderfully zany sense of humor and you get some really amazing work. To help celebrate her first 20 Etsy sales, she decided to have a contest on her blog. She asked that her readers respond to her post with a link to their most favorite creations and why. She presented me with a gift bag full of all kinds of goodies including some of her embroidered napkins, an eye pillow, and a little purse as well as some crafting supplies: jump rings (I am a mailler and make jewelry!) and an embroidery how to.

I'd like to return the good karma that was bestowed upon me with these wonderful gifts by doing a few giveaways of my own. Look for an announcement soon!!!!