100 Hats

Right now I am lacking inspiration  so I have decided that I am going to crochet 100 hats in varying sizes and colors and materials. I really need to start pushing some of this stuff out. Not to mention I am a yarn hoarder this just may give me the revenue  to buy my sewing machine and to purchase some new yarn.  I  do not have the slightest clue of what I am going to make half of these hats I bought the yarn merely because I needed them for a single project or I thought that the color was pretty. I know Chris thinks that I dont need anymore craft stuff, if I use everything then I will be justified  to buy MORE!! I have a few down... many more to go, I will keep you guys informed.

Busy bee

I feel like I have been going non-stop for the past few weeks, just when I may get a chance to relax bam something else  seems to get added to my  to do list. Today me and Scar are going to go to the park, take pictures so that  I can revamp etsy... yeah I am have been slacking on this and that alike. I will make sure to post some pictures and their links later today!

Stuff Pepper Tutorial

Summer season is  upon us which means the use of homegrown is sneaking up on us. Here ix a tutorial for one of my favorite homegrown suppers. I would like to add that cooking is in fact an art form, one that I attempt to create often, and though it taste good it is not pretty.

Stuff Peppers

A bit of history.   Stuffed peppers show up in many different cultures across the world, for many a staple of their diet.  Though they are all slightly different the one thing that stays the same is the fact that they use a pepper.

For this you will need

* Ground Chuck ( I used 3 lbs)
* 1 cup of rice
* 2 large eggs
* 3 large onions
* 1/2  stalk celery
* 2 large cans tomato sauce
* Green  Peppers (1 to cut and however many to stuff  I used 6)

A bit of irrelevant rambling

Ok, I dont watch a whole lot of tv but there are a few shows that I do watch, Criminal Minds being one. The season 7 finale was to say the least intense. I am not sure how they are going to trump this with the next season. I have to admit that even the music was amazing. I am now attempting to find the music, Lily Kershaw's As It Seems. If anyone knows where I can find it PLEASE let me know.

Foot Surgery and other rambeling

I think that I have been doomed my a previous injury that was not allowed to heal correctly. I am hoping that I do not have to go with the whole intense surgery route because I have diabetes and yeah I dont feel like being footless, it would defiantly put a  damper my plans. But regardless of what they opt to do I am going to be laid up for a while.. which mean more time sitting on my ass (for lack of a better term) creating. My only demand for prior to such event is a sewing machine, and someone that will not be embarrassed to chase me around numerous crafts stores while I sport and amigo... or to push me around in those obnoxious wheel chairs with a basket on the front. These things need to be set in place prior to it happening because I surely do not trust sending Chris and the kids to Hobby Lobby or Jo-Ann Fabrics for supplies... that could and most likely would end tragically for everyone involved.

I am almost done with the ginormous rug.. I hope tomorrow to get pictures up, and add a few more things to etsy. I am waiting on one of Chris' friends so that I can take better pictures of my products that I do have ready. Ultimately I need a better camera but as of right now I am yet to submit myself to the will of local pawn shop gods, perhaps soon.

Today I have learned that I am not a card maker and should no longer attempt to make cards, I have good ideas but it usually ends up resembling something Aydan would make.

I should head to bed or get to work... yay to giving myself ultimatums...

Until we meet again

Shanks

Sorry I haven't I have been entertaining for over a week straight, so basically I spent 12 days or so cleaning, chasing kids around and what not. This has however not curbed my research process.. I found a new way to make rag rugs that looks a whole bunch easier than crocheting.  This required me to make a toothbrush  sewing needle sort of thing... well it is a sewing needle. Basically you take a toothbrush and cut the brissels (sp) off. Chris was able to to just break then ends off  which saved me who knows how much time from sawing at the tooth brush. Well I started to whittle  and did some more and went outside to talk to the neighbor and started rubbing it on the cement. To think that the original site I looked at had them hand carved out of wood and bone... who the hell would spend the time  to rub what ever they had to to use bone. I have to admit that rubbing it on the bricks gave me a whole new appreciation for those that make shanks in prison..Like  I had tools and still had a hard time.  Finally I got it to a point and then had to start working  on the hole... which consistently is the hardest part. I tried to soften the plastic by putting in in boiling water it boiled and boiled and apparently though the plastic was relatively soft  it has a HIGH boiling point... I finally got the center done.. and here it is!

Two types of Crafters and my delemia.

I have seen over the years that there are two main groups of crafters, these groups have many subgroups of course.  I am finding that there is a gap in the type of crafter that I am and  my main target group for sales.

Type 1
This time is the stitch and bitch sort of crafter. These are the people that push the edges of the traditional practice with their creativity. Their creativity typically is not conventional in any of their ideas, creations or mannerisms. These people are typically younger, found in a more urban area (not always)  and they use their life experiences, as their inspiration.  They are usually the people that learned from a friend, via youtube, or a book.  They often see an idea and formulate a way to create such creations on their own.

Type 2
These are the people that craft out of  tradition, typically older homemakers  whose profits potentially go to a   "good cause". These are the women that sit at home and do needle work pieces to sell in the church craft show. Their products are equally  interesting and beautiful but has been handed down through a long line of crafters before them. They are family orientated, and use their crafting as means to establish relationship with their children, peers, and other morally correct individuals.

I know that the type of crafter that I am is more of a type 1, but for the most part  my target audience is type 2... le sigh

Think Think Think

I am trying to think of ways to generate revenue from this crafting stuff.  Etsy seems to be failing me in more ways than one, granted I don't have an exuberant amount of products on there but I felt as though I would have sold at least a few things at this point. I have spent more money on the site than I have any other website in the history of my internet usage.
 I would like to teach classes on different classes but I am not sure how to set that up, perhaps and individual add on Craigslist? That seem shady to me, all of Craiglist seems shady, not sure if it the appropriate place for it. I feel as though it would be awkwardly placed between an ad for "adult massages" and furniture riddled with bed bugs.
I also have thought of legitimizing my business, there are perks and then there are cons to that concept too. I am not sure that it has the potential right now to generate enough money to even afford a business license. I suppose I should contact an attorney to see at what point I need to start claiming an income from it. On the upside it would allow me to write off many of my expenses. I do think that at this point in the foundation of the business that I have a lot of work to do before it is really  "time" to launch that.
The other thing that I wonder is if Etsy would allow me to sell tutorials, I mean it would be  a wonderful way for me to get out there and be know. I dont see why they wouldn't as they allow people to sell patterns. I suppose I will email the admins today, only much later.
More on this later
Jen