honey & ollie

Since I got home, I’ve been busy putting all my new tools to good use.

I’ve been tackling my books and taxes for 2011, using the accounting advice I was given in Saturday’s financial workshops. They did so much to help me understand the language of accounting, it really made it less intimidating and the learning curve feels less steep. So much good information from both of the folks leading the financial workshops, Boomer in the morning (his real name!) and then Lauren Venell in the afternoon.

Because of the awesome workshop on email marketing from the folks at Mail Chimp, I have set up a mailing list and synced it to my Etsy shop. I no longer feel lost in that area. Confidence is a great feeling! Craftmonkeyapp and Mail Chimp have created a brilliant, easy, and a great resource for a small business like mine. By the way, if you want to get monthly newsletters from me, you can sign up over there on the right hand toolbar. I promise that there will be no spam and no deluge of mail, especially around the holidays. There will be secret sales and special coupons from time to time, and advance notice about cool stuff going on with Honey&Ollie. I’m aiming to send one email a month. That’s it.

The information from Gustavo’s media workshop is still simmering. I’m honestly not sure how or if I want to utilize print media, but I’m glad to have the info in my toolbox if and when I ever decide to do that. In the very least, I think it will help me promote shows and events that I am involved with. You’d be shocked at how little some show organizers do to promote their events. This workshop made me feel a little more equipped to make that happen.

I haven’t made it into the studio to paint yet, but I’m really excited for that to happen. The open paint studio reminded me that art is FUN and can be loose and relaxed. I needed that.

I can’t wait for next year’s Craftcation. I think I will feel a lot more equipped to handle the social and networking aspects of that kind of event. I’m more confident about my conference survival strategy, from an emotional and also self-care standpoint. I will probably not fly solo next year, either. Con-buddies are good. I’m glad I didn’t try to cram more into my brain than I did, but at the same time, I think next year I will be mentally equipped to do more in the workshop department.

So how did the rest of Day 4 go?

Day 4 (the last one) of Craftcation dawned and it was super rainy (that rainstorm finally rolled in) and cold. I slept in, treated myself to a sumptous breakfast of room service oatmeal (shockingly good, actually) and then… blew off the closing panels and goodbye stuff entirely. I was, at that point, really getting into my alone time. I felt so inspired by Nicole Longstreath’s wardrobe class, what I really wanted to do was to go shopping! Normally I hate shopping, y’all, so when the urge hits, I listen. Downtown Ventura has oodles of thrift and consignment shops. I counted 5 in a 3 block radius alone on one street and they’re all really *good* thrift shops. Armed with my newfound knowledge, I managed to find a really cute dress, two blouses and a pair of knee high lace up black leather boots – all for under $60. Using Nicole’s techniques and advice, it was easy and brilliant and there was very little room for negative self talk. At first I was dubious about it when I saw it on the schedule, but I really am so grateful that I took it. It wound up having tremendous value. For example, if not for Nicole’s workshop, I would not now have these:

I sense a blog series here. “Remaking my creative wardrobe.” I’m in the process of weeding stuff out right now. It’s harder than you’d think, to be merciless, in the name of fashion… if you want to know more about Nicole’s techniques, she’s got an e-book out on Amazon.com (kindle only, alas) and her website has some good info, as does her newsletter. Two thumbs up from me!

Captain Sexypants braved traffic and the rainstorm and joined me in the afternoon and we spent the rest of the day jaunting about Ventura, having a wonderful Italian dinner and seeing The Hunger Games. The next day we did a lot more of that sort of thing, it was sunny and gorgeous, we were relaxed and happy, which made quite an idyllic end to the weekend.

Idylls never last long though… it’s back to work for me! I’ll be at Majestical Roof Gallery – 88 N. Fair Oaks, Old Pasadena CA – this weekend from 10 – 7 for their monthly art market. Come on out and say howdy!

I’ve been laid up with this lousy shoulder out of commission for about a week now and it’s been a whole lot of no fun.

But I’ve still managed to get a little bit of work done. A little. The one thing about being on muscle relaxers and pain killers is that working with tools gets a little iffy. Safety first, which is why the blowtorch is put away for the duration! No more fine silver charms for a bit, till this is resolved.

I got out and saw John Carter of Mars the other night – which was sadly disappointing on a lot of levels having to do with storytelling and acting. Still, you can’t beat it for pure 80′s levels of Flash Gordon sci fi cheese so if that’s your thing you should go see it. But I suggest a matinee. And a large buttered popcorn. Because everything is better when experienced through the buttery filter of popcorn movie love.

Got a couple of new things up on Etsy this week, a few more pairs of the wire wrapped Padmavati line, some charm necklaces, a little of this and that…

The really exciting thing that happened this week is that I got my lease from CRAFTED at the Port of LA. Still reading through all the legal jargon and cross referencing civil codes and trying to understand what I’m about to sign. I’ve got to get that printed out and send it back with my deposit, but… holy cow y’all, it looks like this is official! I’m juried to sell my jewelry, as well as some handspun and luxury caps. Super exciting… super terrifying. Becoming a CRAFTED vendor is a quantum leap in terms of my business and there is so much self doubt going on, and fear, and anxiety. I’m totally going to do it, but it’s not this blithe step into the future, much more like a shrieking dive off a cliff with the fervent hope that there’s a net down there somewhere.

I did a lot of winging it in my first year and my thought is that I can’t afford to do that now. Setting up books (crafty friends, check out Handmadeology’s bookkeeping complete for crafters, it’s amazing) and systems… I might be the OCD fairy in some respects, but not in this one, it’s a steep learning curve and one that is fraught with pitfalls like laziness and bad habits.

But I’m getting there. It’s too important NOT to get there. And the point is not to do it perfectly, but rather, to just do better.

And of course, next week? Next week is Craftcation, in Ventura! I am SO excited about Craftcation, I can’t even tell you. Four days in a luxury hotel with a bunch of crafty DIY entrepreneurs? Heaven. Proximity to my favorite sushi bar in the world, also a plus… Really looking forward to the classes and networking opportunities. There are all sorts of mixers and social events worked into this thing. I’m not sure I’ll make it to the 80′s dance party on Saturday night though. That’s a little scary for me. I’m going to this thing alone, Captain Sexypants will be joining me at some point but we’re not sure when, and frankly, the 80′s was a time of extreme unfun for me. I hated the 80′s. Remember Ally Sheedy’s character in Breakfast Club? That was me. So going to an 80′s Dance Party at a conference full of Cool Kids Who I Don’t Know is bringing up all sorts of “school dance” feelings of anxiety and rejection.

I might just go out for sushi if my Cap’n isn’t up in time for this shindig. I’m not sure I can go it alone.

Anyway! Lots of great new stuff in the shop this week… check it out!

“This place where you are right now
God circled on a map for you.

Wherever your eyes and arms and heart can move
Against the earth and the sky,
The Beloved has bowed there -

Our beloved has bowed there knowing
You were coming.

I could tell you a priceless secret about
Your real worth, dear pilgrim,

But any unkindness to yourself,
Any confusion about others,

Will keep one
From accepting the grace, the love,

The sublime freedom
Divine knowledge always offers to you.

Never mind, Hafiz, about
The great requirements this path demands
Of the wayfarers,

For your soul is too full of wine tonight
To withhold the wondrous Truth from this world.

But because I am so clever and generous,
I have already clearly woven a resplendent lock
Of his tresses

As a remarkable truth and gift
In this poem for you.”
~Hafiz