2 posts tagged “wishes”

Now that things are quieting down here and life is starting to gain some semblance of order I've been taking some time to think about my Etsy shop and my separate website.  I've always been horrible at updating my non-Etsy shop.  Even if I use the magic of copypasta to stick in item descriptions from my Etsy, I still can't seem to get sales on there.  OS Commerce, while really helpful, can be a bit tricky to use with all the code involved.  I love the idea of having my own website and I DO get visitors there, but I barely make any sales. >_< On the flip side, people know me on Etsy and I've got great ratings, and I think I do all right on it.

Normally I would just plug away at my domain and hope that if I'm stubborn enough that will somehow magically make it work, but with the upcoming arrival of Lemony (yep, that's her name! ^_^) I've been trying to make things as easy for the both of us as possible.  We're trying to build better habits like doing laundry every other day because of the cloth diapers we plan on using and making sure to start the dishwasher at night and unload it in the morning...  Little domestic tics that when in place will make things run that much more smoothly.  I'll confess that the laundry is taking work, but we've got the dishes bit down pretty good.

What about my business?  I won't be able to stay up all night and bang on code or try to divide my time between updating both Etsy and a separate on-line store.  So far my business has been self-supporting, which is wonderful.  The bit of extra money I bring in enables us to purchase little things that make life better, like books or even just some really well-made, super-comfy socks.  (Seriously, having socks that fit well and are super-cozy can make your day a lot nicer right from the start.  Or maybe I'm just that easy to please.)

But a little thing is arriving at the end of May that will make our life better, and for me that means it's time for Rabbit Dance Designs to level up!  ^_^  We could survive on his income alone but I don't want to just "survive".  I would much rather we LIVE.  I want to be able to get family passes to all the great museums and zoos that we have here in Pittsburgh, and have a stroller or carrier capable of going into the gorgeous national parks we're surrounded by.  I would like to make enough money to be able to hand Lemony over to a sitter now and then so that me and Brian can go out and connect with each other as people.  I've been looked at funny when I mention that last one, but happy parents usually equal a happy kid.

Luckily I've got a few ideas and some actual plans that should help RDD do better.  Etsy has an awesome widget that I seriously don't use enough that can show people what's for sale in it right now.  Clicking on it takes visitors right there, so I can probably have a single page with "What's For Sale".  The other site I post my work on, deviantArt, allows me to embed my images on blogs, etc. and even has a little widget to display my most recently added works.

Check it out!

I can use this to showcase the pieces that I'm most proud of and to show off things that might not have made it to Etsy, like outside commissions.  I'm going to start off by revamping my website (AGAIN) and getting it all CSS-ed up nice and pretty the way I want it.  Except now I have a really good idea of what I want and what I'm doing.

Maybe Vox has some cool widgets so I can post this blog...  ^_^ That would be cool.

Well, I'm off to sit in a more comfortable spot (with bunnies) and draw up site plans.  CSS should make the building go so much faster, and the added widgets will REALLY cut down on my update time, which is my main stumbling block.

What do you think?  Am I crazy?  Setting my sights too high?  Or have I finally scaled things back to something manageable?  Do you maybe have ideas that can help?  Because that's a nice brand of cool.

Till Next Time,
Crazed

Okay, I'm assuming you don't know much about me, or what I do, so's I might as well tell you.
I'm 25, I live in Pittsburgh, and I'm currently enjoying the many benefits, trials & tribulations of what I like to call 'fun'employment.  I'm married to an amazing guy without whom I would probably starve and/or die in a terrible kitchen accident involving lunchmeats, due to my staggering lack of skill in that area.  I also have rabbits, and a really huge cat.
Why am I seemingly jobless?  Well, I'm unemployable.  Not because I'm lazy or anything, but I because I have two degrees.  I got my Associate's in Computer Animation, and then my Bachelor's in Game Art & Design.  Because I have two accredited degrees, not one of The Marts or a McBurgerPlace will hire me.  I be too "Overqualified".  And you want to hear the REAL kicker?  The companies in my industry of choice all tell me they like my portfolio, I've got the skills they need, and that my freelance work is great, but they can't hire me because I'm "Inexperienced".  Try telling THAT to the Student Loan people...
But all is not lost!  I am an artist-type, and not just of the paint/pencil/digital/animation/3D modeling type.  I'm lucky to be blessed with dexterous hands an insatiable desire to know How Stuff Gets Made.  ^_^  I can knit, crochet, sew simple items, embroider, bead, make jewelry and do interesting, shiny things with chainmaile.  I also do henna, which has more than once saved my finanical butt.  I'm also lucky to have a husband who fully supports my madcap scheme to start my own business, which is why I started here in Vox.  I want to chronicle my successes, my failures, and the creation of things.  My dream is to be able to earn my keep, as it were (a Hint to my partial farm upbringing), even if I only make enough money to pay a single one of our bills each month.  Keeps me from feeling useless, and keeps me being creative.  With luck we can use my husband's part-time college professor pay for our rent, bills, etc, and the cash from my biz to pay down my college debt, or sock into savings.  That would be awesome! ^_^
So, The Business.  I've already got a name, Rabbit Dance Designs, and I've got a trademark - I'm all registered and set to go in that respect.  When we got our taxes done last month we talked with the tax guy a full two hours about setting this thing up right on the business end; I've got all my Excel charts set up and receipt envelopes properly filed away.  I've got an on-line store for what I've already got finished - It's http://rabbitdance.etsy.com if you haven't already checked it out. *wink wink, nudge nudge*
All I need is a Venue and Stock.  Stock I've got a decent amount of, but sadly most of the Art and Craft shoppers (at least to some of the shows I tried last year) are of the "elderly lady in a kitten sweatshirt" variety.  Not exactly the place for a pink and black chainmaile choker or an armor-like coif.  So, I've submitted an entry into the Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival, which is back this summer and under new management.  With luck, I'll get accepted as a chainmaile vendor and we'll see how it goes from there! *dances*
Which then brings me to the problem of Stock.  I've got plenty for a table at your average weekend Arts & Crafts Show, but nowhere near what I would need for six weekends of medieval craziness.  I don't have a tent, although I hear new vendors typically lease a pre-built spot or something like that.  But I don't have the Stock to fill that space once, either.  We'll see what ensues.  I also don't have the garb.  I've got a nice bodice, but that's it.  The awesome thing about getting Ren clothes, though, is that they'll be tax-deductable!
So we'll see what happens.  I know this is a long post, but I wanted to clear the air and let everyone know what's going on.  I also want to show off the awesome that is chainmaile!  I love the stuff.  It's utilitarian, in the way of shark suits and butcher gloves, but you can use the same weaves and materials to make a piece of jewelry, a purse, or a watchband.  The next post will have things of a more fun nature, I promise - Pictures and some of my strangely ritualistic creative process, if that makes any sense.
But as I said before - It's a long post already, but it's also 3:30 in the morning, and even maillers who don't have to be up at any particular time like to go to sleep at a decent hour (even if our idea of 'decent' is 2 AM).

G'Night!
Crazed

(PS - Okay, kids - Another picture of a bunny, and then it's time for bed...)

Bunny Kiss