Timesheet - Time Tracker App Review

A friend of mine let me in on an app that he's been utilizing with keeping up with his projects. We both run Etsy shops and spend a lot of time creating things. Sometimes we crafty types lose track of the hours spent and aren't exactly sure what to charge for the time we put into our amazing products. Thanks to this app we can now use a simple timer to help keep track of that time for us. There are timer apps out there, but what really sets this app apart is that it separates your projects to help you track your time and you can add how much to pay yourself per hour. You can make several projects and it will organize it all for you and even export it to Microsoft Excel.

Here's what the product description says on the page:

Timesheet allows you the recording of your work with a simple push of a button. You can easily add breaks, expenses and notes. Manage your projects and export your data to Microsoft Excel. Clear overviews and statistics will give you the best working experience.

Here's where the app falls a little short; the app can be a little confusing to navigate around. When I first started playing around with the app it seemed like I could only create one project. When I realized that I had a spelling error that I wanted to fix it took me a few minutes to figure out how to edit the project. After completing the project I wanted to start a new one. I didn't realize that I needed to tap on the top drop menu and select Projects, then hit the add project button. The confusing part is that the add project button is seen on the top of both the Projects and Timesheets pages. Whenever I was on the Timesheets page and I wanted to add a project it wouldn't allow me to edit the name of the project. 

It didn't take too much time to figure my way around the app. I tried tinkering around with the Export, but was unable to e-mail the file to myself. The other options for Exporting are AT&T messaging through the cloud, Bluetooth, E-Mail, G-Mail, LAN, and Wi-Fi Direct. 

One thing that could really bring this app together is an option to take photo progress along with the description of progress. You can keep track with your overall happiness with your projects which I'm not really into. I can see how it may be useful for other people, but for me it seems a little useless. 

The best part of this app is that it's FREE! It's available in the Play store for the Android and Tablets. Check it out here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rauscha.apps.timesheet

The Red Scarf Project

This year I've dedicated some of my time and yarn to a very special project that I'm rather fond of. It's called the Red Scarf Project. Basically, knitters and crocheters are invited to use various hues of red yarn to create beautiful, soft scarves for unisex college students. The students are foster kids putting themselves through school and may not receive such a kindhearted gift from a loved one. 

This year I have made three scarves to submit. I wanted to take this opportunity to teach myself some new skills and get rid of some extra red yarn I had lying around the house. Believe it or not, I still have some more. The new technique I taught myself this year was working short rows. You can see how I utilized this new technique in the scarf below:

I also converted a pattern that I've used about 20 times with a beret that seems to be a favorite among my customers. I took the cable panel and added a simple border around it. I plan on using this for future scarves to sell in sets with my berets. They look really lovely as their own accessories, so I can only imagine how beautiful they will look together as a dynamic set!

This year I came up with a clever little way to solve a couple of problems. One, I needed a way to keep the scarves folded. Two, I had such a small amount of each color left over that I really didn't have a lot of options as to what I could use that yarn for. So, I came up with the idea to make a coffee mug cozy to wrap around the scarves. This also presents a new gift to the student who receives this scarf. Not only is this a clever way to keep your scarf in place, but it also gives the student something to keep their coffee mug from being too hot or cold. And we all know how much college students love coffee. 

I've got some of my students making scarves as well. We're all writing letters with words of encouragement and shower them with some love for Valentine's Day. Next year I plan on getting involved much sooner. The range of time that donations are allowed are from September to December. This was a really fun experiment for me! I tried some new stuff and succeeded and tried some other things that didn't quite work out. I'll get it by next year though! 

Found A New Place To Eat - Zoë's Kitchen

There's a new restaurant that just opened up where the old Wendy's was in the Beechwood area. It's a Zoë's Kitchen! I've never been to one of these places before, but it's fantastic! I loved the colors and atmosphere in the restaurant. Plus, the food was perfection!

If you haven't heard of Zoë's kitchen, it's a chain that serves Mediterranean dishes that opened up in 1995 in Alabama. They now have 71 locations spread across 12 states.The food is made fresh every day and includes various sandwiches, soups and salads. Their menu contains dishes for vegans, vegetarians, gluten free items and some selections for meat eaters, such as myself.

This is a place that has a little bit of something for everyone. I can take my vegetarian friends there and enjoy dishes with meat if I so choose. No one has to feel left out if we're going to a fast food place. That brings up another point. This is a fast food restaurant that actually serves healthy food. It's such a strange concept in the fast food industry, I know. Seriously though, name one fast food joint that serves actual healthy food and has the option of gluten free dishes. You can't. They don't exist.

Not only are these dishes conveniently served fresh daily and with a quickness, but the prices are awesome too. I paid around $10 for my lunch, which is around the same amount I pay for a trip to Taco Bell or Burger King. It may be a couple dollars more than McDonald's, but my body thanks me for not eating something that takes years to digest.

Let's talk about my lunch for a moment. Here's a picture of what I ate:

What you see here are the chicken roll-ups for $7.79. I grabbed a side of potato salad made with baby reds for $2.09 which is both vegan and gluten free. I could tell immediately that the salsa was handmade. It was amazing and really spicy. I'm a lightweight when it comes to spice, but I could handle this level. The chicken wraps themselves were deliciously filled with feta, lettuce, tomato, caramelized onions, and wrapped with tortilla. The tortilla wasn't deep fried which was really nice. My meal was light and didn't leave me feeling shame afterwards which is always refreshing. I felt confident and ready to face the rest of the day. Yeah, food can do that. 

Here's what my friend got. It's the chicken pita pizza. He let me try a couple bites. My mouth exploded with flavor! He also had a side of beans, but I'm allergic so I didn't try it. My friend raved about the beans though, so I'm going to have to trust him. This pizza has mozzarella, feta, fresh basil, and marinara. I loved the basil. It really popped! 

Zoë's Kitchen also serves beer and wine, which I didn't realize until after reading through the menu again to see if they had some fresh lemonade, which they do. They also cater and have family meals for around the $30 range. If each meal comes to around $10 per person, then you'll save about $10 with their Dinners for Four deals. 

If you haven't been yet, I definitely recommend that you do. If you're after a healthy meal in a great, friendly atmosphere for a reasonable price then this is the perfect place to go! Tell your friends. 

Lemme Teach You A Thing - How To Cast On (Knitting)

I finally started making videos on how to knit. I'm so excited! Please tell me how I did, if you followed along, and if you have any specific stitches you'd like to learn. 

YouTube Channel

So I bit the bullet and started making videos on YouTube. Here's my first vlog post. I made a few more since then and I've got a couple of videos that I need to finish editing.

In my vlog I'll be discussing running an Etsy shop, tips on how to improve your store, some randomness, interviews, and reviews of artists. I've been compiling a list of artists to do interviews with and so far I've had four or five say yes.

I can't wait to get better at all of this. The first few videos will always be pretty rough.

New Dress Form

I just got this new dress form today! I've been wanting to get this for years. I named her Circe. <3 

I plan to take Circe with me to my craft market on the weekend and to have her pose for my Etsy listings. She's going to look great wearing my wraps and scarves. I'm really excited to start this new friendship! 

New Collection of Headbands

I've made a few more of these delightful headbands. I plan on working on new colors and new patterns soon. These have been gathering a lot of interest for my store! I've already sold three and it hasn't even been 24 hours since I've made the first one. I'm very happy with the decision to include headbands in my store, albeit long overdue. I feel kinda slow for not doing this sooner. 

I'm offering a range of selection for these little beauties. If anyone wants a different color then feel free to request a custom item! Also, the pattern is available here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/154580897/leaf-lace-knit-headband-pattern

New Headband

I saw a cute little pattern and decided to give it a go. It was very quick and easy. I'm going to start making these in a few different colors. So excited! ^_^

Game Reviews - Dungeon Defenders

Platform: PC, Xbox 360, PS3, Android, iOS

Genre: Action RPG/Tower Defense

Developed By: Trendy Entertainment

Published By: Reverb Publishing

ESRB Rating: E10 (Everyone 10+)

Price: Sells for $14.99 (1200 Microsoft Points) but worth the price.

Single or Multiplayer: Single with the option to play with up to four players.

Difficulty: Hard!

Overview: Long Ago, Etheria was once a land of living legends… Throughout the ages, brave warriors across the realm stood together against the forces of evil, led by immortal beings known as the Old Ones… After a titanic struggle, these champions locked away the power of the Old Ones, inside Eternia Crystals.

These legendary heroes have recently left their younger kin in charge of the common castle chores… Bored with their dreary duties, the inexperienced pupils decide to play… And accidentally unleash an ancient force that has long been dormant!

Age: The beginning of the game warns that there are alcohol references in the game. The only reference is that you hang out in a pub. No alcohol is consumed, available for purchase, or even mentioned in the game. It also warns the player about animated blood and fantasy violence. It's really not gory and the violence isn't more than just some punching and kicking. No one's being stabbed or mutilated.

Game Length: This game can be beaten in a day or two.

Replay: There's a lot of replay value here. If you want to get most of the achievements it would require a few playthroughs.

Effects/Graphics: Cell shading. I really enjoyed the graphics. The artstyle was very cartoonish and fun.

Rating: 4/5

Final Thoughts: This game is pretty impossible to beat on the harder levels unless you're playing multiplayer. Even then it can be very difficult and many people online rely on playing with modded weapons. You almost have to play with a modded weapon or have someone in your party with a modded weapon to beat the insane modes for the missions and challenges, even some of the hard ones.

Coin Purses

I love coin purses. I looked everywhere for a pattern for a lacy coin purse and couldn't find one. I came up with this. 

I'm very happy with how it came out. It's so elegant and simple.

I can't wait to make more of these in different colors. I'm also thinking about putting beads in.

Blog from phone?

This entry is coming to you straight from my phone! How cool is that? I won't give any official opinion on this app yet until I do this a few more times. So far the concept is very appealing, but I hate the autocorrect on my phone. If I wasn't respelling every other word then no one would have a clue what I was trying to say. That's a phone issue though and has nothing to do with the Blogger app.

Anyhoo, super excited about this. I'm going to start doing blogs for events for an Etsy group I'm a part of. Now I can write them while at the event!

Tiny Tina Cosplay WIP #1

So, I've made the decision to make a Tiny Tina cosplay. I'm super excited to do this and I have plenty of time to get this done. If you're not aware of who Tiny Tina is, she looks like this:

So far I've got the knitted top part of her shirt completed.

Not the best picture, I know, but it's the best I can do right now. I'll be sure to get better pictures once the costume is complete. I am really happy about how this has turned out. I completely improvised the pattern and it turned out to fit perfectly! Yay math! :D

The next part of the costume that I'm going to work on is the orange knee-length pants. I've got the orange material and matching orange thread and I'm ready to go! After I finish making this costume I'll have to dirty it up a bit. She's filthy!

I've got the wig ordered, but it's on backorder right now so it'll be a while before I get it in the mail. I also ordered a wig stand to attach to my table so that I can style it to look more like Tina's hair. I'll probably make my own pink ribbons to go in the wig. I can't wait!

This is the style of wig I got from www.arda-wigs.com:

I got this wig in platinum blonde. I can't wait to see how it'll look in person. I've bought wigs from Arda before and I've never been disappointed.

Anyhoo, back to creating!

The Xbox One

Am I the only one who isn't excited about it? I was really eager to hear about this new console and as I watched the announcement I was left with a bad taste in my mouth. I don't think it's a good fit for me.

During the demonstration they only really showed what they could do for people who are into sports and other things I don't care about. I don't care about making a fantasy basketball team. Is there anyway to make that sort of thing work with anything else? What if I wanted to make a fantasy tv personality team? Could I do that? No? Only for people who watch sports? That doesn't alienate anyone. Not at all.

I like the idea that you can have the new Xbox synch with your other electronics so that you can go back and forth immediately between gaming and watching television. It can't record shows like a DVR can. One thing I'm concerned about is what will happen if I'm playing and someone else decides to be a dick and switch the Xbox from the game I'm playing to watch television? What if I hadn't saved in a while? All of the work I put into the game will be lost. I guess what I'm getting at is that it sounds great until you put it into practice. Someone might mention something about watching a show on a specific network and then the Xbox will take it as a command and make the switch over. They say you can instantly switch back and forth, so I might not lose any save data, but I want to make sure first.

You can also do Skype calls while playing a game. I love that idea so much. I wonder if it's just for one on one calls or if you can do conference calls? They also mentioned that the One will have a Blu Ray player. I think that should have come out with the slim, but whatever it's there now. Everything's being released on Blu Ray nowadays, so this was an obvious step in the evolution of gaming consoles. Oh, the new controller actually looks nifty. I like the thumbstick design the most. You could tell that it was designed by gamers for gamers.

My biggest complaint is that the new console will not be backwards compatible. I just bought a new 4G 360 with the plan to trade it in for the new Xbox One when it came out later this year. I made a mistake and assumed the new console would be backwards compatible. That's why I didn't spend any extra for a bigger hard drive. I didn't think that I would need it. It's okay though. Now instead of trading in my Xbox for the new one I can just use the money I would have to spend on the difference on a new hard drive. I don't want to get a new console and have nothing to play on it.

During the announcement they revealed a new Halo tv series, a new Call of Duty game and some sports games. I couldn't care less about any of these things. I don't like Halo unless it involves Red vs. Blue, I hate all of the Call of Duty games and I'm glad Madden announced that it would finally stop making games. I'll give the Halo tv series a fair shot and keep an open mind to it. I think it's really cool that they're making a big budget series for a video game, even if it's not my cup of tea. In the new Call of Duty game they kept saying that they would bring new elements and stuff but don't they do that with every new installment in the series?

I think my final score on the new console is a 2/5. I think I'll wait until someone I know gets one and then I'll check it out. That Quantum Break game looked boss. Anything that involves quantum mechanics/theory gets me really excited. It's one of the reasons why I enjoyed Bioshock Infinite so much. I can't wait until E3 to find out what other games will be released. To be fair, the ones that were announced were the ones that everyone knew would be coming out anyway (except Quantum Break). I know I'm in the minority of people who don't like games like Call of Duty or Halo. I don't like playing MMOs. I don't like lobbies. I prefer to play with friends and that's it. The chances of playing with nice people these days is so slim. I just want to enjoy the game and have fun. I don't want to be harassed and bullied. Unfortunately, the future of gaming is playing online with strangers. You can't even do split screen with some recently released games.

New stuff!

New earrings available in my store! I love these earrings so much! They're really pretty. 

Working on an antique teal brambles hat. Loving this yarn and everything about it so far. The color is beautiful and it's so soft. I can't wait to share this when it's finished. 

Buttons?

My mom told me the other day that one of my relatives wants to give away a bunch of buttons and ribbons. She then asked me if I wanted them or not. I gave her a look as if to say, "Duh" and she said "Oh, right. Why did I even ask." Then she wondered about whether or not I'd like them or not. I told her that it didn't matter because whatever I don't like I could just sell on Etsy or Ebay. She nodded and told me it was a good idea.

So, basically where I'm getting at is that I may come into possession of some buttons and ribbons. If I decide not to keep them then I will make them available for people to buy online. I was thinking about making some "Mystery Grab Bags" because those are fun! I have no idea what these will look like, but I hope that people will be into them!

This will help put me one step closer to my goal of how I wish to run my business. I'm so excited! :D

Too Legit To Quit!

I'm very pleased to announce to everyone that I am working towards getting my business license and several other licenses that would allow me to run my business the way I would like to. It has always been my dream to sell original handmade products and custom orders. For the past 11 years I have been doing just that. I didn't want to stop there though. I wanted to run a business that also sold yarn and things related to needlecraft and teach lessons. I got the yarn ball rolling earlier this year on the classes and so far they've been doing fairly well. I would still like to see a few more faces, but I can't complain too much. My students love me! ^_^

I've been doing a lot of research and asking a lot of questions all around to see which investments would be the smartest and which course of action would be best. I've got a long way ahead of me, but I have a very clear and detailed plan to get me where I need to go.

I would like to get some feedback on a few things. I'd like to ask a few questions and hopefully get some honest responses from everyone whom decides to humor me. In order to make a better course of action for any business plan it sometimes helps to make surveys for people to complete. I know that people don't really like surveys, so it's cool if you don't do it.

These questions are for needle crafters!
1. What brands of yarn would you like to buy from Mystik Designs?
2. What sort of fibers do you like to work with?
3. Which brand of needles/hooks are your favorite?
4. How likely are you to try new techniques that may require purchasing a book?
5. What price range do you like with your materials?
6. Do you prefer to knit or to crochet?
7. How often do you purchase hobby magazines?
8. What is that one thing that you can never find in a store?
9. Which colors are your favorite?
10. Just for fun: Do you enjoy rubbing yarn on your face? (I do. :3)

These questions are for people who like what I make:
1. What is your favorite Mystik Designs product?
2. What sort of promotions would you like to see?
3. If you have ever received a product from Mystik Designs, did you enjoy it?
4. What sort of improvements would you make if this was your business?
5. Do you like the newer pictures?
6. Is there an event that you'd like to see me sell at?
7. What do you think about the quality of my products?
8. Are there any products you would like to see me make?
9. Do I need to stop modeling my own work?
10. Just for fun: Do you like buttons? (I do. :3)

Thanks in advance if you did this for me. I'll send a special coupon code to anyone who completes this. <3

RIP Hero of Canton Hats

A few people have already heard, but I wanted to make an official statement regarding the situation involving a certain network banning the sales of a certain hat. If you haven't heard, read this (http://io9.com/fox-bans-the-sale-of-unlicensed-jayne-hats-from-firefly-471820413).

Here's what I have to say:
I depend on making these hats to afford to eat. I depend on these hats to keep my business running. No one really buys anything else from my store. Out of the 125 sales on my Etsy shop 76 of those are Jayne hats. That's roughly 61% of my sales.

When fans want to buy a Jayne hat (oops I said it!) they want to buy a handmade one made by a fan for fans. They don't want a machine made hat from a company that hasn't even seen the show or claim to be a fan. ThinkGeek is not at fault here. Too many people were requesting the hat to be sold on there. They were just giving the people what they wanted.

Here's what I don't get. Why didn't they just get a bunch of people who make the hat already with love and passion for the show and pay them? Haven't we taken away enough jobs? There are too many people who make this hat that would love to work for a company like ThinkGeek and provide these hats to true fans of the show, but no we have to manufacture them with a machine. We can't have independent contractors make the hats for a retail website because that's just too complicated.

Here's what I don't get with Fox. Why after ten years do they just now get around to telling people not to sell these hats? Because someone bought the license for it? Because they realize how much money they're losing not having this licensed? To protect the company that bought the license? Because they're tired of hearing people beg them to bring the show back? Because they're Alliance? Whatever their reason, they still have a legal right to protect, but that only goes so far.

"Although characters have an identity, persona, and other expressive elements, clothing, by itself, is considered a useful article, unprotectable under copyright (a principle that's proven a major irritant for clothing designers). In a 1989 case, a court of appeals refused to protect costume designs even though the company had registered its costumes as "soft sculptures" with the Copyright Office. Other decisions reinforced the rule that costumes are not protectable. There may be instances where a movie company that owns a series such as Indiana Jones could complain that your costume sale -- for example, hat, jacket and whip -- could violate trademark laws if you used the name of the character in your advertising... To be safe under trademark principles, avoid any advertising statements that imply endorsement or an official connection with characters or films." - Posted on Whedonesque.

 With this information it seems that I can still sell the hat so long as I use terms that aren't used in the show. But hold on, here's what Fox told Etsy to tell me.

 Etsy received a notice from Kasimira C. Verdi (foxip@fox.com), Director - Intellectual Property for Fox Group Legal. The notice said that Fox is the owner of copyright, trademark and other intellectual property rights in and to the television series FIREFLY (the "Series"), which currently airs on the Science Channel. These rights also include characters, images, designs, slogans and/or other distinctive creative elements of the Series, and the exclusive right to license merchandise in connection with the Series. According to the notice, use of various trademarks, characters, images, designs and/or other distinctive creative elements is not authorized. 

The letter stated that these listing(s) incorporate designs, symbols, language, images, or photographs that infringe upon the concerned party's copyright or other intellectual property right.

So who's in the right here? And who do I talk to so that I can find out? Here's part of the FAQ that they included with the cease and desist letter.

------------------------------

-Q- May I change the design or wording of my listing(s) and
reactivate them?

-A- Etsy cannot offer advice on how to change the listing(s).
Please address any questions concerning this matter to the person
who contacted Etsy (see contact information above) or an
attorney. Do not reactivate these item listings or relist these
items until the issue has been resolved.

------------------------------

An attorney. Because people trying to make a living on Etsy have easy access/can afford those. Oh, but I can try to contact Fox about this matter? Fine. They've been so great about settling this in all of those interviews they've been doing - oh wait, they haven't actually responded to anyone about this situation? Huh.

Here's part of the letter that I found downright insulting and pissed me off more than anything else.

This is a confidential matter, and we request that you not discuss this issue in the Etsy Forums or otherwise violate the confidential nature of this email.

They just took away something that I depended on to provide for myself and keep my business afloat and they expect me to keep my mouth shut? Fuck that. To these corporate asshats a $20 hat might not mean much of a loss for the people who made them. Just like how a certain retro-futuristic sci-fi show didn't mean much to them. All they see is the dollar signs and how they can profit. They don't see how this really affects the people who made the hats.

I've been looking for a job for the past two years and you know how many people actually gave me an interview? One. I got the job, but I only get to work EIGHT FUCKING HOURS A WEEK!!!! I also teach a knitting class every Friday, but I only have two students that actually show up every week and then there are weeks that they can't show up. Not a very stable income. What if these students decide that they're done learning or get to a point that they feel it's too complicated and stop coming to classes? I'm screwed. That's what happens. Does Fox care about my situation? No. Does anybody? It certainly feels that way sometimes, but I do know that I have people in my life that actually gives a shit about me.

I've been paying attention to how the fans have been reacting to this situation and it really fills my heart with pride to be a part of a fandom that genuinely cares for not only the show, but the people who also love the show. The overwhelming support of the Browncoats show that we really are unified and I feel like together we can achieve anything. To anyone reading this, Browncoat or no, thank you. This has been a very stressful couple of weeks for me and my mind is spinning trying to find a way to make this work. There's been a lot of screaming and a lot of tears. Now that I've seen how the fans have been reacting to this I feel like I'm not alone and I might actually be able to find a way to continue making a living.

Contest for Mystik Designs' new logo!

Okay, so I was going to make a video for this, but I think I'll just make a blog instead since I'm all camera shy and stuff. :S

I'm not really happy with my business logo. The background is dark and the letters are too dark for the background. The silhouette has absolutely nothing to do with what I make. It was more of a promise to myself to start making more Victorian Goth/Steampunk looking things which never happened. I still plan to make some things that might be used for that like my cameo chokers, but I digress.

So, the purpose is simple. I need a new logo. I'll be using this new logo for my business cards, buttons, a background for this blog, my business' Facebook profile pic and any tags or displays that I'll put on my products. This is to help establish myself as a brand and make my business actually look like a business and not a hobby. Because you know... it's not a hobby.

Rules:
1. Don't make it look too dark. See what I have now? That's too dark. Don't make the new logo that dark. Anything lighter would look tons better.

2. Don't use artwork from someone else, unless the artist has given express permission to you or to everyone on the internet. We need to respect artists for their time and talent.

3. You can use whatever font you want so long as it's legible. Creating your own font for the logo is highly encouraged.

4. It needs to have both an image and the words "Mystik Designs" and "Magic in every stitch!". You can use the logo above as a reference.

5. Don't make a copy of the logo above. I don't like it. No silhouettes.

6. Make a copy of the logo that can be used for a profile pic. If you want to earn some extra credit you can optionally make a design for business cards, buttons, this blog, or whatever you think I'll need the design for. If you do this, keep in mind that whatever colors you use have to stay uniform. If you make a business card design, I don't need you to enter the info but I will need to see a sample of text.

7. You can enter as many times as you want to. Submit all entries to my business page in a private message. (www.facebook.com/magicineverystitch) I will create a folder on the page that showcases all of the entries.

I encourage all of my artist friends to take part in this and get all of their artist friends to take part also. Usually I have people make submissions and have people vote on it. This time I will be choosing the winner. The contest starts now and will end on June 30th. I will make a decision and announce it that night or on July 1st. The winner will get to choose a hat from my shop up to a $45 value. My cosplay hats are off limits though. Sorry. :(

Here are some size requirements for things that I'll be using the logo for. Keep in mind you only have to make a profile pic and the other things are optional.

Facebook Profile Pic: 180px by 180px and less than 4MB

Facebook Cover Photo: 851px x 315px

Etsy Banner: 760px x 100px and less than 2MB

Blogger Background: 1440px x 720 px  and resolution of 72px per inch.

Price Tags: 2" x 1"

Business Cards: 3.5" x 2"

Happy designing! :D

Meetup

I started going to a group called Athens Area Crafters Become Awesome Business People. It's designed to help people like myself learn more about the business side to running an Etsy shop or crafting business. So far it's been very helpful and fun. I've been taking my very good friend Teenie with me. She helps me with certain things with my business so I figured that it would be just as good for her to go too. Teenie really enjoys these meetings. We get to sit in a coffee shop and listen to great advice while enjoying awesome coffee. The people in the group are really nice and talented.

Today we had Missy Kulik as our "mystery guest speaker" come in and share her story of how she got started making her products and how she grew into the business that she has today. I felt like I learned a lot from what she and her business partner Raoul had to say. I'm very excited to start using their advice and I feel pumped about making some new changes to my business.

I've been wanting to make more clothing. Missy suggested making things that look vintage. She mentioned a place where I could sell it aside from Etsy. Everyone loves vintage on Etsy, so I know it will be a hit. I made a dress yesterday that I'm very proud of. I saw a dress at Wal-mart that I really liked and it was gone when I came back to buy it. I didn't let that keep me from not getting the dress though. I went to Joann's where the patterns and fabric just so happened to be on sale at the time and bought enough stuff to make two dresses. Since the patterns were 5 for $5 I went ahead and bought more stuff for work clothes. The lady that checked me out hooked me up with every single coupon in the sales ad. Even the one for custom framing. They don't even do framing at that location! I wanted to give her the biggest hug for saving me so much money! I felt so loved. <3

I worked really hard on the dress this weekend and I was very proud with the end result. I can't wait to make the second dress. It's going to be black with white polka dots. I love polka dots so much!

New Photos!

The photo shoot was a success! I finally had a chance to get out and take a few pictures. My friend took the pictures and I modeled. It was still kinda wet outside, but it was a beautiful day for taking photos. This is just a taste of what I did. I have more photos on my Facebook and Deviant Art. 

www.facebook.com/magicineverystitch

www.branxnia.deviantart.com

Weeping Angel Treasury - Don't Blink!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NjE2OTI1OXwyNzIxNDYwMDgz/dont-blink

Worst Show Ever

So I've experienced my worst show ever. The Zombie Prom didn't go the way that anyone expected I don't think. Basically it was Indie South Fair tagging along to the Zombie Prom that's been happening for a few years now. It was a great idea, but maybe the execution was off. I liked that the show was done indoors, but when you have a craft show inside there are a few things that you have to make sure of.

First is lighting. This was a dark bar with great natural light, but since this show started at 4 pm we didn't have that natural light for very long. The bar lights that came on after the sun was setting weren't very bright, but then again... y'know. Bar. People walked right passed my table because they saw that I had things that were knitted, but couldn't really see the details because it was so dark.

Second is music. This is the second show I've done where there was music. I can totally get behind wanting to play some music to set the mood and this was a Valentine's Day event, so it made complete sense. However, at both shows they decided to have the music as the focus and completely drowned out all conversation. I can understand having the music in the background but when people are trying to sell things to people and they can't hear the customer unless it's between songs, there's an issue.

Third is space. This was a bar. There wasn't a lot of space. There was space outside, but no one was going outside since it was cold. We were told that we could set up outside, but why would we set up somewhere that people weren't going to go to? We would have had even less chance to sell if we had set up outside. You go where the people are and the people were inside where it was warm and where the drinks were. The tables were set up completely in the way of the walking space and didn't leave much room for traffic. People were bumping into me trying to get to the bar all night. Some people that were there looked really confused about the bazaar set up in the middle of the bar and complained that we were in the way. Not to management or anything, just to each other. It really didn't make me feel better about going to this show.

Luckily I wasn't completely alone. I go to a lot of shows with a friend who makes things with chain mail. He sold a couple of things. A few of my friends stopped by to say hello which really brightened my spirits. I even got to see a couple of people that I hadn't seen in forever. One of my friends brought in his friends to show me off. They stayed at my table for at least thirty minutes which was really awesome. One was interested in taking my knitting classes and the other really wanted a breast cancer awareness purse I had made but wanted my friend to buy it for her. They weren't even going out or anything which is weird. Do girls just hang around guys and expect them to buy them things even if they aren't dating or putting out? If that is a thing I'll never understand it. He didn't even owe her money.

My friend bought me a drink from the bar which was really nice of him. I got an egg nogg frappee but it tasted like barf so I let him finish it. I think it was the liquor in it. If it was kahlua it would have been a lot better. He took me out to eat afterwards and paid for it. I guess he felt sorry that I didn't sell anything. My other friend that was selling chain mail came with us.

Even though the fair didn't pan out the way that I wanted it to I at least got to spend some time with my friends and got some advertising so it wasn't a complete waste. Also, the lady who's in charge of Indie South Fair said that we could get $20 off of our space cost for the Spring show. Those spaces are $80, but I'm sharing it with my friend. We both have tents, but I think his is bigger. We'll both have our own tables inside of the tent so we won't have to size down our inventory. I wasn't going to do this Spring show because $80 for a one day show is too much for me, but now I'm sharing the cost and getting an extra $20 off so I'm willing to do it. They usually just have two events every year and they've been doing it for years so they have a bit of a crowd. I'm confident that this show will be much better than the Zombie Prom.

Zombie Prom!

I will be selling my wares at the Zombie Prom in association with Indie South Fair. I can't wait! I've been making a lot of Valentine's Day things and hats for guys and gals in preparation for this event. I need to finish a lot of things before hand so I hope I get it all finished in time.

During December I sold a lot of Jayne Hats from Firefly. January I sold a Dr. Who scarf and so far this month I've sold four Harry Potter House scarves. Therefore, February is the month of Potter!

Ravenclaw seems to be the most popular of the four houses. Gryffindor is the second, with Slytherin third and Hufflepuff fourth. I've been thinking about making separate listings for each house and then the alternate first movie edition. I've been making these things for years I just haven't made the listings. 

I know I sound like a broken record when I say this, but I really, really, really need to do a new photo shoot for Etsy, Deviant Art, Ravelry, Facebook and here. I feel like my business could be doing better if I had better photos up. It seems like every chance I get to actually take the pictures it's always raining, foggy, or the people who said that they would help can't. 

Classes are now on Fridays!

I'm going to start doing knitting classes at Hobby Lobby off of Atlanta Hwy in Athens every Friday from 3 pm to 5 pm. I did a demo last Saturday to get the word out there. I got a lot of people to notice me since I was sitting at at a table knitting, but most of the people who talked to me thought that I worked there and asked me where things were. I tried really hard, but only got three people to actually sign the sign up sheet. Several people said that they weren't sure if they could make it, but would try their best. They legitimately seemed interested, but usually it's a nice way of saying "no thanks". I would much prefer it if people said what they really felt. Telling me your opinion won't hurt my feelings. Pretending you care and giving me hope will.

I made a cute flyer for my classes! These will be at the front of the store, so it doesn't have the location on it. I don't really plan on having these flyers anywhere besides the inside of the store that I'll be teaching in.

I've been preparing for the con season that is coming up. Hopefully I'll do as well as I did this past year. Momo Con is coming up and unfortunately I didn't get accepted into the artist alley. Sukoshi Con is next month and they haven't even opened applications for the artist alley yet, but it's pretty scary since the event itself is so close. I've been getting ready for it just in case. AWA is a really big event and it takes all year to get ready for that.

I got a lot of stuff done today. I finished a lime green and black elf hat, a Knives Chau scarf, and a Jayne hat. One of the things that I wish is to actually have a Jayne hat or two available for cons. They're my best seller on my Etsy shop so I know a few people would be interested in buying one at a con. It would be ideal to have a Dr. Who scarf available as well.