Sunday 22 January 2012

Organised Chaos...



Apologies for lack of blogging of late, I've been busy with...well, errm, I'm not even sure what I've been busy with, but I've been very busy.

Of course I've been crafting, finishing orders, starting new ones and trying to build a little stock inbetween (of which I'm failing miserably). I've also had several hospital appointments, which for me means hours sat on a bus. I wish I could sew whilst sat on a bus, but alas I fear my stitching would be all over the place!

I really need to get some organisation in my life. It's not a natural thing for me and whilst I prefer to know what lies ahead in my day, or open a box to find exactly which craft items I'm looking for, even knowing what I went into a room for would be a start, but no, none of those are really me. I get out of bed with some vague intention of things that need to be done, but tend to start them all and finish not many of them. Everytime I tackle my ever growing craft boxes I get a sense of wellbeing when they are all tidy, then I gain more stuff and it turns into a big ugly pile which is spreading further and further around my consveratory. As for the time spent re tracing my steps to see if I can fathom why I've walked into a room, I give up! My eldest son (12) goes away for a week with school tomorrow, I wonder if he'd mind if on his return his room has been transformed into a craft workshop ;-)

I feel I'm begining to find where I want to go with the crafts, I wasn't really sure to start with as it was all a bit of an accident it happening in the first place, typically me, no plan, it just happened. But I've gone from using alot of felt to other fabrics and also some polymer clay (fimo) items. I do have quite a low boredom threshold, so I know to keep my interest in the venture I have to have a variety of things to do.

I'm quite liking the fact that the whole process is changing in quite an organic fashion, for instance, the heart garlands which I sell so many of, were originally single hearts with a snowflake stitched on them for Christmas trees, a customer asked for one but with an intial on, these then sold like hotcakes and one person asked for a whole group of names, so I suggested they were done in a garland rather than seperate hearts. I like that, I like the way things just change in a natural flow, rather than a hard set rule. I guess thats the unorganised side of me (who am I kidding, I don't think I even have an orgainsed side!)

I'm finding out what I like, I just hope it's what other people like too. I have discovered a ridiculous love of buttons - I'm begining to wonder if I was a pearly queen in a former life!- Fabrics that I'm drawn too all seem to have a slightly quirky quality to them, I'm enjoying sourcing out vintage items and upcycling them to be loved once more and have re-discovered my love for playing, oops, I mean working, with fimo. Something I did alot of when I was back in college a few decades ago!

I'm getting more and more people talking the business side of things with me, money, accounts, stock taking etc. Whilst I know all of this is important, I still feel like I'm almost 'playing shop' and not really doing this as trying to earn some money. My husband has always been known for using spreadsheets for the most mundane of tasks, it's become a bit of an ongoing joke, but now they are being suggested for keeping tabs on everything for the crafts. I currently own two books, one for orders, one for keeping track of what Ive bought and when. To me this is fine, I understand it, I can't delete it and I can also doodle on the back pages of ideas that pop up, which they often do!

I've been decorating some bags recently, I'm struggling to want to sell them, I love canvas bags and have several already and desperately want one of mine, plus hey, it's free advertising! :-D At the moment as soon as they are made, people buy them, which is great, but I have promised myself that I will have one of my own sometime soon.

I've another busy week ahead of me, sadly not much crafting time though, but I shall squeeze some in somewhere....talking of which, I should probably be sewing right now. (what that actually means, is I really need to tidy up, but sewing seems a much nicer idea).

Hugs
x



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