Closing up shop for the holidays

I've been back and forth about my Etsy shop. It's been 3 1/2 years and I've sold 8 items. That's averages out to a little over 2 items per year. I've racked my brain trying to figure what the problem is. My stuff is good quality, it's cute, and it's not expensive. So, my analysis is that my stuff isn't unique enough to stand out and my photography is pretty crappy. My stuff really looks much better in person, but I haven't had sold much of it locally since I am not willing to drop a lot of money to sell the few things I have at a venue where I'll find people looking for doll clothes.
So, I'm closing up the shop until February 1st, 2012.
My goals for when I open back up:

• Have at least 20 items in stock at all times
• Take better pictures (I'm getting a new camera for Christmas, so I hope that helps)
• Take more pictures of each outfit (front, side, side, back, and detail)
• Produce and list a new item every other week
• Advertise more. Here, Facebook, locally, etc.
• Revamp my website (it's currently down right now since we are in the process of moving it from a third party server to our own server and my husband is still putting the final touches on my site. Being a full time student while working a full time job keeps him busy.)

So, Happy Holidays to you all and I will see you after the new year!

Until February 1st...

Paper Gingerbread houses!

For Halloween last year, I made each of the boys' teachers a Halloween treat house.

(Images were precut for the class I took for the second house from the left, some others were cut from the extra paper, and some are stickers)
And one for my husband's desk at work:

I've also used the same pattern to make little gift boxes for a baby boy and a baby girl:

(Outfit is stamped and cut out. Clothesline outfits are stamped with a Stampin' Up roller then colored in with colored pencils)

For Christmas last year I attempted a Christmas house, but it was so bad that I stopped before I even finished the first house.
So, this year I decided I would do the houses again, but something more neutral: A gingerbread house!

Paper on the outside is Bo Bunny Holiday Cheer. The pieces inside the windows and door is Simple Stores 25 Days of Christmas (same paper I used for my December ATCs)and white vellum. Dots are covered with Glossy Accents. Gingerbread men and candies are cut from different Cricut cartridges. The "icing" is Art Glitter's Dries White glue. The trims are (left to right): pearl bead trim from Jo-Ann's, sparkly ribbon trim from Hobby Lobby (x's 2), and mini pom pom trim from AC Moore (also carried in some fabric stores). The house on the left had a glue mishap on the roof, so I just covered the whole thing in glue. Well, it was almost done drying when 2 out of my 3 boys touched it, so once it dried I covered it with a thin layer of glue and used some of Art Glitter's Faux Snow to cover up the mishap. As The Mom would say, it was an "embellishment opportunity". :)

The sewing machine is still sitting. Untouched and started to collect dust. I'm hoping Christmas Break brings out some creativity.

Almost a month

So it's been 3 weeks since I lost blogged. Now, I'm really good about checking on the blogs that I follow (even if I don't comment on your blog, I'm still reading it), and I've looked at my Blogger Dashboard and thought "I really need to blog", but for some reason, I just haven't had the motivation to do it.
The truth is, I haven't had the motivation to do much of anything, especially something creative or crafty. I suffer from anxiety and depression. Some days I don't feel like doing anything at all, especially crafting. Some of those days I force myself to sit down at my craft table and try to work on something, even if it is just sewing up a hole on one of the boys' stuffed animals.
So, since my last post, I finished quilting the stocking I was working on, but I have not pieced it together. I have to sew the topper on, then sew the front to the back and then it will be done. Yeah, just that easy.
So, I have been papercrafting since I last posted.

Before

After

Before

After

Supplies Before ATCs (Artist Trading Cards)

Version 1

Version 2

Tonight is Friday Night Crop at my LSS (local scrapbook store) and I'm hoping to complete 4 paper gingerbread houses from the same pattern I used for Halloween houses last year as gifts for the boys' teaches (one kid has 2 teaches).

Now, off to grab my slippers since the craft room/dining room floor is cold and I need to get off the computer and get some crafting done.

Until next time.... (and hopefully sooner than 3 weeks)