I haven't been very diligent about posting here. I also never spell check, so if I'm spelling things incorrectly in my own blog...so bee it.



I've been swamped with getting e-bay things up and going. Also with some changes to the Clothesline project, adding them to my website in a new way, adding them potentially to e-bay. Not sure why, but thought I'd get more exposure that way.



Am tired tired tired. Watching olympics late into the evenings, but really enjoying them.



have starbucks in hand today...need that jolt!

Didn't get a ton of beads made today, but kept organizing the studio. I'm actually almost at a point where I can find my beads! They are there by color, style and in clear boxes so that I see everything!!! Hooray!!!



Auctions still bite.



Me - I'm creating fun things and trying not to obsess over the above statement.



Pizza delivery on its way...beading in the meantime



should have had a starbucks today. feeling a bit draggy.

OK...

If I were not feeling so darn creative tonight I might be having a nervous breakdown due to the fact that most of my auctions right now have absolutely NO bids. I am deleting any whiny-ness just because I'm not whining...just puzzled and a bit miffed.

I have good stuff up there!!! I have low starting bids!!! Even the ones I raised to $19.99 are good prices...they're $70ish bundles!!! So, why they are receiving no bids is one big mystery to me. I really feel they are some of the best things I've had up in a while (not that I don't like my other stuff, but I was really happy with these) I was really happy (am really happy) with the photography too! Whazzup? I just don't know.

That said, I'm feeling really creative right now, so I'm pretty stable emotionally about this. Still, it would feel much better knowing I actually had some income next week! LOL

I have been beading new things today, so am happy about that. I'm ready to create..not just produce.

Off to create more.

School day 1 - complete.



Sylvie made lots of beads



Kids happy with classes



Harrison changed his name to Ethan. Apparently the teacher called roll using his first name and he said "ok" and at that moment chose not to rock the boat, but to go by his first name since the teacher used it. That's my little "pleaser". I told him to let me know which name he wants me to call him. If he wants to be Ethan...so be it.



I did get a lot of beads made. It was a crazy quirky day of color.



Received a shipment of something I had ordered through e-bay. It was something I was saying I was interested in selling on e-bay...I'm just wanting to avoid directly mentioning who and what I purchased.



I just have to say, that though the product received was just what I purchased and quite fine. The packaging was the absolute most atrocious (sp?) thing I have ever seen. It was a small jar (of what I ordered) wrapped in paper and postal tape sloppily then in some paper then into a USED business reply envelope which was then re-taped and stickered with return address and my address. I might have to photograph this just to show how absolutely unbelievably bad presentation it was.



I KNOW that I am so much better than this in my packaging and presentation. These people selling this product are just so so not artists, though I don't really know who would be interested in this product were they not artistic. Their photography stinks, the ad copy is ok, but this was just such a crazy way to ship (and the shipping charge was around $3.00 for FC) I would understand that if it was well packed, but for that???? Oh well. It was exactly why I ordered. I wanted to see what the potential competition was doing.



ok...



off needing some dinner. Griffin is asleep due to the no nap factor of 1st grade. Ugh. Won't be easy to wake him and he won't want to go to sleep tonight if I don't.



starbucks today! _ Iced almond latte (I'm on a kick of that I guess, but today was the last for a while due to the shakes I get from Starbucks) :(

twas the night before school starts... and no kids could sleep. It's going to be a challenge to wake up tomorrow! BUT I am planning to spend some quality time (after Starbucks of course) at my torch. I don't have anything specific in mind, but I think I need to make beads. Not small beads, though that might happen, but I feel like i need to MAKE something. Not sure what, but SOMETHING.



will keep you (me) posted. :)

It's Sylviebead news day. I sent out an e-mail to my customer list telling them super secret stuff and letting them know there is new stuff in my storefront. I am finally happy with my photography. And...hopefully, now that I know what I'm doing (sort of), I can photograph some of my larger focal beads this week and post them to the store as well.

Head Over Heels is winding down and I'm feeling a bit bummed about it. I know that I wanted to make room for myself to do something new, but I'm wondering if that's a big mistake!!! Am I a one hit wonder that is retiring my HIT????? It's one of those things where I was so happy with the Clothesline, but it doesn't seem to have the appeal to other people as head over heels does. I also love the angel piece, but what if it receives the same reaction?!!!!

I'm over thinking things probably, but I just had my 2nd class cancellation due to low registration. I know it's summer, and I think that had a lot to do with it, but I'm still having a lot of self doubt.

The boys start school on Monday, so I'll have a bit more time to spend on designing. Maybe there's another "hit" in there somewhere????? If Rob would get a job it would make it much easier for me. Being the beady breadwinner is not an easy thing and does make for more of a production lifestyle than a creative one. Head Over Heels has paid the bills this summer. When that stock is gone...then what?!!!

I'm sitting here with the smell of sharpened pencils in my nose. Griffin was supposed to sharpen 48 pencils for school....he did 15 I think! We'll see if he gets a few more sharpened later, but I don't think 48 is going to happen!

Bookbags are ready to be packed with fresh supplies. I think I'm having more fun with that than they are. I always loved having new school supplies. The first day when all the crayons are organized and pristine! Makes me want to buy a box for myself...just to sit around and not use! LOL

am off to pretend to work on something important while I continue to work through this blue funk.

i think i need starbucks

This is one of those "what the heck is she talking about entries" that I just need to write and then laugh and be done.

I am a dairy queen dip cone.

Smooth and somewhat stable on the outside, but still very fragile and one good thunk and I'm just a mess.

I felt thunked yesterday, but I think I'm better today.

I'd rather be Brewsters I think...maybe Ben and Jerry's....better yet, something that doesn't melt at all!

coffee - Starbucks iced Almond Latte (it was one of those days that I needed it!)
and a Krsipy Kreme donut....it was REALLY one of those days! LOL

Watching: Court TV a new LIVE trial (finally) about a guy who might have killed his wife, but if he did, he was truly stupid (though he is in real life a rocket scientist). It's one of those trials where I'm not sure if he's guilty or not. Those are my favorites...I get to decide as the trial unfolds rather than having an opinion right away.

Reading: The Edge of Reason (again) - Want to remind myself how funny it was before the movie comes out. I laughed harder at this one than Bridget Jones.

Yesterday's posting was quite whiny. I hate when I do that...and I did it publicly, so everyone (if anyone reads) knows that I am a real person who has those days.



In light of my recent e-bay failures, I am considering a new line of work...



I have been watching e-bay and the MAC cosmetics section. Some people know that I am a total MAC junky. You might not guess that if you ever saw me because I don't even wear makeup half of the time. Only a fraction of the time do I do wild MAC-like makeup. Most makeup days are fairly subdued (though I'm still using MAC)



Ok...what is all this rambling about. No, I'm not going to become a makeup artist (though that might be fun). I have found that e-bay has auctions for mac products. Most of them being pretty ordinary, like someone has purchased a lot of discontinued color from an outlet store and they're re-selling on e-bay.



BUT there is this crazy market for these things called Mac Pro Pigments. They are the color that is added to eye makeup or lipgloss (even nail polish) WHATEVER to change their color. They are what they say a "pure pigment". Well....I'm dying to try these and they don't sell them at most MAC stores (only the PRO shops).



So what is all this about you say? Well......there are people selling 1/4 teaspoons of this stuff on e-bay for $2-5 per 1/4 teaspoon!!!! So, I says to myself, I says "hey, I could do that!" There aren't very many people doing this, and there seems to be a consistent market for the items since they are scarce in most towns. PLUS the people who are selling this are NOT artistic in their presentation of the items. Their photography STINKS and they're marketing COLOR!!



The whole thing reminds me of how e-bay bead sales got to be so hot. People didn't have access to them, so e-bay became the primary place for the general public who didn't live in a big bead show town to buy them. I'm truly considering making PRO purchases either via some sort of ordering (and I do have a source to do this ) from the PRO stores OR making trips to those PRO stores (oooh!! that sounds fun!!) and then re-packaging and selling these samples the way others have.



What I need to find out is if it is really something that could be profitable, or would I just be asking for more trouble than it's worth. I would be able to own all the colors myself (which is a fun fun fun thing for me and probably why I love MAC so much, the colors are endless and using these pigments you can mix NEW colors!!)so that might be a draw, but I'm just not sure yet.



I have to find out how many 1/4 teaspoons are in one package and if when adding in the new packaging for the samples it would be at all profitable. I have to guess so since there are people doing this, but I would want to make sure.



I will keep my journal posted on this idea. So, I could quit making beads and be a cosmetics mogul OR I could just hook my bead customers on this stuff and MAYBE cross market to the makeup girls out there too and get them to buy jewelry or beads! (this is sounding more and more interesting!)



ok...must do bookkeeping work for my Dad today and just think on this more (talking MAC is more fun)



had Dunkin Donuts latte today, which really is pretty good!

ok...

I'm just about dying now.

I have auctions with NO bids. I have a bundle of beads closing in 4 hours with a high bid of $14. This is a $70 bundle of beads and I'm really really close to thinking twice about e-bay.

I know I know I know I need to sell beads to pay bills, but the idea of selling cheap just hurts my pride. :(

I did get a new bra this weekend though and it made me happy. silly thing, yet happy about it. Was terribly controlled on a shopping trip and limited myself to a very inexpensive PTA outfit (long story) and did not buy shoes (though I was quite tempted to go to the Nordstrom big sale).

Have my new photo setup and am working today to learn how to use it. Learning curves stink, but I'm needing a day to figure it all out.

ok...

off to work again. enough whining.

free beads. get your free beads.

That's what I feel like I'm saying right now with my beads on e-bay. I am practically giving away those beads. I have to sell right now, though, since Rob doesn't have a job and I can't say "no, I'm just not going to sell my beads if I don't get what they're worth", but it hurts to see $70 worth of beads go for barely $20. I just don't have the luxury of saying "I just won't sell right now".

I can go back to the worrying about how my beads stand up to others and why are others selling and mine not...or I can just be glad that I'm making what I'm making without having to be a secretary. That's pretty much where my head is at right now.

Making beads for e-bay is my "job" and I have to do it just like I would have to go to another job that wouldn't be nearly as pleasurable.

I am currently watching a bizarre movie while I type and I think I'm going to have to go watch it with my full attention to see how BAD it really is! LOL

Am not depressed, just filled with philosophical art vs. money questions that have plagued me for the past 8 years!!! (or more!)