blog revamp

coming 9/08

Okay, So I am back

It was a bit more than the flu. I had to be put on bed rest for a little over a month and I had to close my entire etsy shop. I was so fatigued all the time, I did not want to breath half the time. I am not back to 100% now. Bit dammit I am much better. I have reopened my shop and rededicated myself to crafting, (when I feel up to it). SO this is my reintroduction to blogging. Hi:) I will try to blog daily until I get my swagger back. Yay me.

My goal right now is trying to find my niche. What is it tht I really wantot focus on. IDK. But I'm having a hell of a time finding out.

I'm sleepy not. See you tommorrow.

flu

I have not forsaken you. I have the flu. I dont want to do anything but curl up and die. I will be back soon to blogging though.

I miss it...yeah I do. I have alot to say about new developments.

Weekly Challenge # 1, Primero, Numero Uno

I have decided that to force myself to step out of my box, I will do a weekly challenge every FRIDAY and reveal it on the blog each Monday. It could tum out well. It could also turn out quite disastrous. That is part of the fun. I want to take some type of inspiration and make a purse from that inspiration. Can I do it? I sure as hell can. In the future I will be taking suggestions , so please comment if you have any, I really would hat this to get monotonous. Then I wont do it. Hopefully I will have a sugesstion starting next week, pics, ideas, types of fabrics, shows , words, ...anything

The challenge for the weekend of 3/7/08 is hhhhhmmm. This piece
from the DIOR Spring 2008 Couture Line...we shall see how this works out.


Thank you and goodnight:)

Yeah, I'm BLOGGING

Whodathunk it? I kinda like blogging to you guys. There is so much that I had in mind for today's blog. Now that I know people read, I'd like to keep you interested. I know my terrible typing won't do it. FYI. I am not a bad speller, just a bad typist. Anywho I have 3 pinched nerves and I am in a ridiculous amount of pain right now. I just took a percocet and am quite drowsy. But since I have been blogging for the past few consecutive days, I felt obligated to write something. i don't think that my OCD will allow me not too. Plus the Mavericks game is about to come on...I don't miss basketball:)

In the ETSY forums today there was a discussion about allowing racially and culturally offensive material on etsy. My stance on that could keep us all here for days. But believe me.....i will write about it soon *wink*. Nonetheless it did stay quite civil which I did not expect. I attribute that to the absence of a few key etsians that have a tendency to be troublemakers. Some people make points which I don't quite agree with, but they made them without being trampled, that was a triumph in etsy forums. You get the right poster at the right time and as where the help button is and their response is " up your as where you head should be for asking that question." I think that is by far the only draw back of ETSY. The forum Nazi's as I so love to call them.{Although I did ever so politely get in trouble for that by etsy admin. ( She was very nice about it:) I Love Etsy Admin, They work very hard) }Those are the people that sit in the forums and wait for people to post a repeat question, or post in the wrong section by mistake, or ask what they feel is a stupid or maybe put what they think is a silly idea in the idea section ...and then they trample them. Then you you have the poor followers with white coat syndrome because they think the people are some omniscient being because they have 200 sales or they are from Russia or where ever they hell ...some are just nosy buyer that has no idea what its like to be a new sell or a seller at all. They don't know any better so they all follow their ignorant ass lead. I've even had people convo me to tell me such and such is a trouble maker just leave it alone. When I was new in the forums I made the mistake of posting in the wrong thread. I still do it now from time to time. I am still quite new to etsy. Lets be clear, I'm not a rude woman. I'm rarely confrontational. But I'm hood all day. You come at me the wrong way theres problems. When I was attacked in the forums my first instinct was to be a bitch, which I am quite good at BTW. (only when provoked.) At the time I wasn't thinking about etsy as a business, it was a hobby, so my exact words were " I'm going to rip that chick." ( the one that started it) She was on my list. I was on a mission to do something bad. I had a plan for the masses. I'm not going to tell you, but it was good stuff. I almost did to through with it . Later that night I got a convo from an etsy veteran http://www.sewphisticate.etsy.com/ who said to me, "look, If you ever have questions just come to me. Convo me anytime" and she stuck to her word to this day. Some strangers on etsy have been nice to me than people in my life ever were...lol. My evil plan was foiled that day. Having taking my tagent around the world and back...

On another note, I made this today...
well I made 2 because I sell and I need one for me ( as usual). I make 2 at least 2 of everything at first. Usually 3 actually because I have a 16 year old sister...enough said.It goes with a clutch I made about a week ago . Uber Cuteness.

Okay... I have missed the 1st quarter of the Mavs/Rockets game and I am starting to doze. I promise we will talk more tomorrow.

Same bat time. Same bat channel.

Okay maybe not time.

Randomness...buz cards and gayness

So yeah. I got my business cards today. They were on promo 100 for free.So I said. " what the hell, why not?" I used one of the templates from overnight prints and input the info that I wanted and just paid for shipping. That was about 9.50. I don't think that was a bad deal. I ordered om 2/28 and they arrived today. Good stuff. I do have some definite changes in mind for my next set.

a. I will get a custom design from an etsian. I want to make mine a bit more unique.

b. I may not include my phone number on the next batch. On second thought I probably will. Seeing as though, my key buyers are mostly off etsy...I probably want them to be able to contact me without having to go online. I'll give this one more thought.

c. The "company" name will most def. be larger on the next set. It blends in a bit too much right now. Its about a 20 font maybe and 18. I can certainly make other things smaller.

Anyway on another not, I was told today that since potential customers are reading this blog I really should keep my gayness a secret. LMAO. Look if you are not going to buy from me because I am a lesbian, or because, I am black, or because one of my boobs is slightly larger than the other than screw you. My art is an extension of me and as I get better at it, it evolves and becomes an extension of my need to create. I'm pretty sure none of my poems ever turned anyone gay.(well maybe that one, but I'm pretty sure she was at least bi,lol) If you want to give up a chance to FIERCE out of your own bigotry, that is your ignorant ass problem.

I'm done now. My back hurts. Going to lie down. Hopefully take the pain away. Oh, woe is me.

PS...500th poster promo update....ta da......She picked
................The perfect super chic linen text coasters

Featured Shop...AnniesWearableArt

So this is my first featured shop and a I am super exited. When I first saw this this shop in the ETSY forums. I was in love. I swear If I could, I would move into her shop. It is amazing . At first glance I thought it was vintage. But not. This is all handmade and it is truly wearable art. This shop is has beautiful Parisian and flapper inspired jewelry and crocheted pieces that will blow your mind.

Her profile states " I take all of my photos in natural light, which means dealing with wind, rain and the wonderful sunwash. It is extremely important to me that my photos are accurate without enhanced lighting."

Now how many sellers can say that ?

Hun?

It is so difficult to attain whimsy and nostalgia within the same pieces of art. But this shop seems to do so effortlessly. I look at this shop each time I sign onto ETSY. And each time, I am in awe of her craft. I am amazed and almost brought to tears by the memories of romanticism from eras which I haven't even experienced. These pieces are just surreal.

There is about 50% of me that wants to put on one of her Cloche hats and do the Charleston and another 50% that wants to adopt a French accent ( or my scewed version of what one would be.)

http://www.annieswearableart.etsy.com/

Promotion

So I ran a promotion in the ETSY forum last night to have the 500th poster win a free bag from me. I figured that it would take a while and several people would see my shop and favorite it and all of that goodness. I was soo happy. I thought that it would last all night and then the foreign buyers would swoon and say hey, those are good bags, and then say hey let be buy one. Or at least let me favorite it. With other promos like that, I see that happen. There is one seller that does it each and every night and is results in thousands of sales. Well , I'm sure is not just that but I'm sure that is doesn't hurt either. So what ended up happening was 3 women dominated the the post for about 3 hours until one of them reached post 500. So it ended up ending at about 11:30 west coast time. Not that I have a problem keeping my word. I hope this person becomes a customer, but it just wasn't what I had in mind. But you live and you learn.

Its funny how they spent at least 5 pages of the thread criticizing ...oh critiquing my shop:( I was up most of the time watch the story unfold. I am not going to lie to you all. My feelings were hurt a bit. Yes they were. but it happens. But listen, I am still a newbie, I am leaning. My shop has grown leaps and bounds since day one. That is an accomplishment that I am pround of.

On a another not, I have realized that I am starting to find my niche as a designer, I wasn't looking for it . I just happened. So now I have a few items in my shop that are quite adorable , but a from my inception stages ( 2months ago) that no longer fit the aesthetic if my shop or me for that matter. So my dilemma no it do I (a) just put the on clearance and take a loss or (b) just keep them for sentimental reasons and wear them. or have my sister wear them. They are totally cute they just no longer go with the vibe of my store. They feel out of place.

The more funky fashionista direction is the one I am more comfortable with. That whole Amy Butler poofy bag shit makes me want to puke. I want my stuff to look like it could be Gucci. I know I have a long way to go but, I am coming along nicely.

Schedule

In my never ending quest to be more organized, I have decided to work out a schedule for my blogs. I am pretty sure that it will change, But I do need some type of direction to go in to ensure that I blog at least 5 out of 7 days of the week.

Mondays....My crafty self and shameless self promotion
Tuesday.... Feature Etsian
Wednesday..Me Again ...maybe not craft though...or maybe so
Thursday...My special secret feature
Friday...Announce my weekend challenge
Sat/Sun...optional blogging

*subject to change
Sorry no How to' ...because I just don't want to. Not that I don't like you, I just really cant explain what I do, I figure it out on the way. If IT works out ...cool. If it doesn't...screw it and start anew. I'd hate to put anyone through the turmoil which is my mind. You wouldn't make it out alive.

I tied to figure out how to get an rss feed so that I can stalk...I mean track others blogs,etsy updates and such. Didn't work out and I was very sad. It would be much easier than marking as favorites and checking back all the damn time. But whatever. Stuff happens. It was just not meant for me to be a web stalker...off to make coasters.

How Etsy is Saving My Life part IV

The next day my girlfriend and I went to Sears and purchased the cheapest sewing machine that they offered and took it home. We tried to get that thing to work all night as well. Having 2 non working sewing machines was not an option. It just meant that we were idiots. But we did call it a night around 3 am. The next morning we "youtubed" setting up a sewing machine an were walked through the process step by step. Turns out that the source of all of our angst was the fact that we did not thread the bobbin, Hell, I thought that you put the thread on the top and away you go:). Well now I know.

It still took us about another week to get the bobbin threading and inserting perfect, but dammit we got it. That was the first time in a long time I had felt any sense of worth. WHODATHUNK it ?

I practiced for a while just stitching pieces together. And once again got frustrated things were not moving quicker and put the machine in the corner. I thought I couldn't do it, but on the daily basis, I was purchasing new purses (because I am a purse whore)...analysing others bag...I was truly looking at the construction of bags. I had decided that it was waaaaaaaaaaayyyyy. Too much work. More than I felt like doing.

Christmas was coming, and I was still on medical leave from work. Turned 18 and got my first job I had been the Christmas shopper ( because my mom buys crap that no one wants.) This year I couldn't do it. I slipped deeper. I needed something to aid with the idle time. Once again I saw the sewing machine ...I decided I am going to make my 15 y/o sister a bag for Christmas in lieu of buying her thousand of dollars worth of clothes which I normally do. ( PS...I did end up buying her lots of clothes b/c my girlfriend loves me and she paid for them:) Nonetheless I went to the garment district in NYC, lucky for me I live very close, and found this amazing silk skull print. She loves skull...the result was an amazing skull messenger. She loves it and it was better than anything that I could have purchased.

After I finished that bag , my seizures and my depression were getting worse. I couldn't go back to work and i was inundated with time. I was surfing the web for handmade handbags and came across etsy and all these amazing handmade bags. They were amazing. For the first time, I thought I could do this all the time. So I started researching etsy, etsy buyers,sellers, all things indie and handmade...it became and obsession. It helped with my depression . I began making bags daily. When I got good at it , I decided to open my etsy shop. I listed on Jan 5th, my first item sold on Jan 7th.

Although, I still get seizures, they still don't know why, and I still struggle with the depression associated with the fact that I am a medical misfit of some sort, I now have an outlet. I have to make things. Had I not found etsy, my world would be a bit different now. Etsy has save my life. I am very blessed.

How Etsy is Saving My Life...Part III

I remembered that I had purchased a Singer sewing machine maybe 2 years prior for $ 5.00 from a fundraising garage sale for an animal shelter near my home. It was from like the 70's but it had all its parts and such. It had sooooo many parts I was just intimidated.It was intended to start making my own clothes, eventually. But I never touched except to clean it after bringing home from the garage sale.

I got home and pulled that machine from the back of my closet and tried to figure out how to work it. I got some scrap fabric ( old clothes) and put come thread on the bad boy and let loose. What I got was ascrunch thread mess. Nothing would work for me. I tried all night long. Yht e one thing that you should probably know about me is that I have always been an overachiever..I mean a real over achiever. Mediocrity is not an option for me. When I was 8 I got an ulcer partially due to my infinate strive for perfection. If I didn't graduate from college with a 4.0 it would have been un acceptable. So for me to not be able to figure out how to work a sewing machine, just was not an option.

But in the mental state that I was in from my health situation, I just so depressed that there was something that I could not do. I threw the sewing machine done the stairs and jumped in my bed and cried once again. Feeling like I couldn't do anything right I truly began to contemplate suicide. These were days when, white bread instead of wheat would sent me into angst driven anxiety.

So I just scratched the idea of making anything.

How Etsy is Saving My Life...part II

Lets backtrack to August 2007. In a acupuncture session, my arm began shaking uncontrollably for about 20-30 minutes. A matter-of-fact it was less shaking an more of flopping. It was like one of those Three Stooges slapstick moments where the comic goes around slapping people and knocking things down and pretending that the arm has lost control, it was one of those sort of moments . My body was truly like a balloon being deflated. Needless to say I was perplexed and petrified.



My acupuncturist ,whom I love, is needless to say a holistic dude and the explanation that was given to me was that I have alot of karma from my family that is inhabiting my body and this is wind that is being released in this manner. WTF? This was Thursday and it was said and done, a bit heavy on my mind. I needed to make decisions about how to make sure that my parents karma was not reflective of my future.



Fast forward to Saturday . Location: Paramus Mall. So It was the week before my vacation from work so I my sister and my girlfriend went shopping for bathing suits and tried on wedding dresses in the bridal shops ( not because any one is getting married, just because I like dresses. I swear I would get married just to wear the dress and then live. lol). Then we went to the CPK for the first time not that is matters, but it was so overrated. I get home ant my ENTIRE body is out of control. My legs began walking without me telling them to. My arms began flailing about , knocking things over and hitting people. Witnesses truly have told me that it was like watching " The Exorcist.".... I am still having these "episodes" as I may call them. I have had 4 emergency room visit, been seen by several specialists, had numerous tests ( and am still being tested), and even in my despair been screwed by a psychic. I have been on leave from my job for 7 months. I still don't know why this is happening to me. To tell you the truth I am still as scared as I was on day one, August 12, 2007. Exactly 7 days before my 23rd birthday, how's that for a good time. I was on top of the world before. It was the happiest I'd ever been. I had just finished college and was on my way to take on the world. But as they say " You wanna hear God laugh, just tell him your plan."

Okay, let's fast forward, shall we...

December 2007: - (dramatic pause)-
I had gotten off of the bus coming from yet another of my daily (ugh)doctor visits . It was pouring down raining. It was a major storm watch in Jersey that day. And I had just done my weave over, I was ridiculously angry. I mean my weave was sick! So when it rained on my head I couldn't help but to cry. Don't get me wrong, I'm not some terry cloth soft chick that cries over hair but when I got sick, all I really had to look forward to was primping. All I had to show face was the I still had my swag even though my spirit was slowly dying. So if one hair was out of place, that was it for me. I mean these were days when I wanted to kill myself because the CVS didn't have tropical Starbursts.

I opened my bag (which was huge, my bags are always huge, that is why I make my bags so big) to look for a hat or plastic bag or something to put over my head. I didn't find it, but as my tears streamed down my face I simutaleously thought that my life is truly worthless and that I love this bag. When I finally gotot my porch ,although I was still raining I just can on my steps . The rain felt so good for some reason. I mean my weave was already messed up. But It felt good to stand there and I just said aloud..." I'm going to make purses".

I didn't know where the hell that even came from. I had not even heard about ETSY, I damn sure hadn't planned on selling them. I just wanted something to do to make my life feel worthwhile again. Hell I didn't own a sewing machine and didn't know how to sew.

Okay, basketball is about to come on. To be continued.

How Etsy is Saving My Life

It has occurred to me that I did not tell anyone why I started posting on ETSY. For some reason, I felt that I should keep it a secret. I felt that if people knew that they would not want to buy from me, or even look at my page or acknowledge my mere existence. But now, I just don't really care. My work is an extension of my spirit. It is me. Don't accept me if that is your will. That was part of why I was hesitant to start a blog. I questioned what I was going to write about, I am truly not shallow enough to just sit here and write about beautiful prints and pretty shops and price points. I'll be damned if I was gonna sit here and draw out a how to guide for etsian.(not that I don't love them, it's just not my style, I don't have the patience.) Nor so I want to dedicate my god given gift of loquaciousness to speak inanely of macro settings and indirect sunlight. Don't' get me wrong, as you can see, there will be speak of such things, but I realized that the reason that my BLOG was empty was because it is devoid of my best asset. Its me BABY. And I could giva fuck if you don't like it.

Having said all that , I really didn't set out to join ETSY at all. Nor did I really set out to start making bags either. It is truly a matter of happenstance. ... I stumbled upon both. It is quite plausible it was divine intervention, in fact, I'm' sure of it.
I'm sleepy...to be continued.

Pictures

...have been my main focus the past few days. I'm working on them. I think that I am getting better. I am very impatiently waiting on the damn sun to come out so that I may get some natural light. Weather in Jersey has been crazy but I've gotten a few jewels.
like this first one. The Day in the Village Clutch. It is is my masterpiece of photography...lol. I love it.

I may just be a bit overconfident. I has not sold . It has 562 views and 16 heart and is homeless.
The funny thing about selling your own art ...basically selling yourself is that when people don't want it, you feel like you have been personally accosted. You put your spirit into this and its difficult when people say " I think I'll pass." Lucky for me that I was forced to have a thick skin very early. Back to this wonderful pic...lol. I am getting better. Take a look at the first time that I took a pic of this bag. (2nd pic)

I know it was hella dark, but it was a good angle.

back... its been a while

So, I have been working on my pics. I think that they are getting much better, considering I have a cheap camera and no charger. Every time I want to take pics now, I have to go out and buy a new set of batteries, That is quite frustrating.

Thanks to some fellow ETSIANS, I have discovered the macro setting on my camera. I think that has made the most difference. I still have to work on background and learn to tame my shaky hand. My lighting sucks because I live in an attic apartment with virtually no sunlight . I am currently looking for a good weather day and good setting so that I may go outside and take pictures. They say that would help. Its a little uggggggghhhhhhhh in Jersey right now. We shall see.

I am actually being very lazy lately. I feel so sick, I don't feel like making anything. My medicine makes me so groggy and cranky. From this day on I am dedicated to making at least on bag a day until I have 3 pages of etsy product. You have to hold me to that. If I don't make and post...call me on it.

I am also working on a new secret craft project that is not handbags. It is proving to be more difficult than I thought that it would be. But it is different and I am being creative. I can also work on it while just watching TV. Maybe when I get further along, I will post progress pics. I think it is going to either end up great or disastrous. There will be NO in between.

PS. I am very new to this blogging so I don't know how to post pics yet. I feel like an idiot saying that , but its the TRUTH ...RUTH.

itz meeeeeeeeeeee...reign

So yes, this is my first post. I am very exited. I must admit, I am quite boring. ...and very random. Those of you that want to chime in on some of my inane ramblings are more than welcome to do so. My life fore the past 6 months has been hectic to say the least. I has been filled with valleys that feel the need to incessantly become deeper and deeper. Maybe I will go into detail about that at a later time...but is a happier time. This blog is part of my new beginning. It is part of my exploration of my passions.

I have finally opened my etsy store......www.reign.etsy.com and I am very excited about it. I make purses for now. The most important thing is that I make bags that I like and that I will carry. The market for a good , youthful, sophisticated, bag that doesn't take itself to seriously doesn't exist.

I have a ridiculous fetish for LARGE bags and I mean HUGE and on the other end of the spectrum I love a good clutch...the problem is I get bored very easily and I hate to carry the same bag more than 1 day in succession.