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Archive for the ‘Craft Business’ Category

Inspired By Insanity

Posted in Craft Business, Everyday, tagged , , on March 23, 2012| Leave a Comment »

It’s hard to believe I’ve been away from the blog for a whole week.  I didn’t do it on purpose.  Let’s see if I can fill you in on what’s been happening.

1.  Husby and I have been spending a lot of time tending to his dad.  He’s had a rough time of it this past winter, suffering a stroke and a broken hip both within a two-week period.  He had to leave his home and move into a nursing home.  Throughout all of this his existing dementia has gone into further decline.

2.  Visits to the nursing home take a toll, and if that isn’t enough we also paid a visit to the funeral home to make arrangements for his dad, just as a precaution.  Husby is a big believer in being prepared.

3.  Demands of the day job have been pesky, getting in the way of all the things I really want to do.  Sure there’s time after I come home from the day job, but by that time I’m pretty well spent.  I’ve been sitting on half-done printing jobs, cutting jobs, beading jobs, pouring jobs, and writing jobs all week, never quite getting up the energy to complete what I’d like to complete.  The older I get the more that drives me nuts.  Completion is my goal, but the dang day job keeps getting in the way.

4.  In spite of my half-done projects I started a new project this week and guess what, it too is half-done.  But I can hardly wait to unveil it.  For now it’s a secret.  It will make its debut at the Chateau St. Croix Fete Des Fleurs in June, but I’m so excited about it I can hardly breathe.  Oh, all right, I’ll give you a hint ~ this person is my inspiration:

Christopher Walken, all-around insane guy.

No, the project has nothing to do with cowbells.  You’ll just have to wait and see.  I’ll be doing an internet debut too, so if you can’t make it to the Fete Des Fleurs fear not.  You won’t be kept in the dark much longer than those who will see it live and in person.

This weekend I’m going to gather up my gumption again.  There will be lots of completion of projects, a little bit of hanging out with the family for a casual spring break gathering, and catching up on the sleep I lost this past week.

For now, how about just a little more of that Christopher Walken insanity…

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Welcome To A New Week

Posted in Craft Business, tagged , , , on March 12, 2012| 4 Comments »

A new beginning.  What?  Don’t you think of an ordinary Monday as being a new beginning?

So it’s just the beginning of yet another work week.  I won’t bore you with the issues I have with my day job, but if you grumble and moan when Monday rolls around I can totally relate.  Still, Monday is your day fresh out of the shoot.  You’re invigorated after your relaxing weekend and my guess is the next two days will be your most productive both on the job and off.

That’s the way it is for me, at least.  I get a lot done at my day job and also am very domestically motivated.  Monday is ironing day!

I guess I can say it’s officially spring too, the beginning of a new season, as our clocks “sprung ahead” this past weekend.  Growing up we sprung ahead in May.  We “fell back” in October.  Now Daylight Savings Time runs from March to November.  For someone who takes the hours of a vampire all of this saving of daylight is a little unnerving.

Come Wednesday and Thursday I’m a little more business-oriented ~ focusing on creating product, organizing paperwork, and making additions to my shop.  Look what went into the shop last week:

Sex and the City Drink Charm Set of 6; I Married A Dead Man Magnet; Anita Sniff Bottle Cap Magnet; Peppermint Candle; Springtime Bath Bottle Cap Magnet; Eat Your Troubles Away Magnet

This week there will be more additions to the shop, so please feel free to stop by.  In the meantime, have a marvelous Monday, and don’t grumble too much.

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A Piece Of String

Posted in Craft Business, tagged on March 8, 2012| Leave a Comment »

I’m on a new kick lately.  Well, not new per se; let’s say I’m revisiting an old passion.  I’m taking a short break from the wax and wicks, momentarily stepping away from bottle caps and beads.  My latest material of choice?  String.  Size 30 string, to be precise.

Size 30 string is pretty thin.  Narrow?  Dainty?  I’m not really sure how to describe what size 30 string is.  To be technical it’s thread.  But I don’t like to get caught up in technicalities here.

I’ve been known to whip up a nice little lap throw in my day, and many a doily.  Intricate table coverings and pillow embellishments can be found around my house as well as around the houses of people I know.  Crochet is what I do with string.  I crochet with yarn too, but I prefer string.  Thread.  Size 30.  Woven with a teeny, tiny hook.

A work in progress.

I’m having a marvelous time, and have an idea or two in my head on how I can incorporate my crochet work into the crafty biz I’m trying to grow.  Doilies are nice, but I’m feeling a little more creative than that.  Can you imagine what this project might ultimately be?

If it turns out I’ll show you the results.  For now I’m happy just watching that small piece of string work its way to a thing of beauty.

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Is It Live, Or Is It Memorex?

Posted in Candles, Craft Business, Etsy, tagged , , , , , on February 21, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Show of hands, how may of you remember this commercial?

Afraid to admit you’re that old?  That’s okay, your secret is safe with me.  Thirty-some years ago Memorex ran commercials claiming you couldn’t tell the difference between a live performance and a recording on one of their tapes.  Great marketing, but really, is anything better than the real thing?

I was doing some research the other day and came across some things that kind of disturbed me. Not that I didn’t know these things existed before now, but I never really gave them a second thought before my research.

So, in the spirit of Memorex cassette tapes I’ll ask you, which are real candles?

Similarly, which is the real bottle cap?

Plastic candles? Chrome bottle caps? You can totally tell which is real and which is fake. Why would you buy fake when the real thing is so much better, and so much more…real?

I’m sure people have their reasons for going fake, but at Auntie B’s Wax I make candles out of real wax and drink charms and magnets made with real bottle caps.

Monkey Libation at Auntie B's Wax

Asian Sandalwood Candle at Auntie B's Wax

Come on over to Auntie B’s Wax and get the real thing.

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What Will I Be Doing This Weekend?

Posted in Craft Business, tagged , on February 17, 2012| Leave a Comment »

It’s a long holiday weekend at the day job, which means it’s a long productive weekend at the Auntie B’s Wax World Headquarters.  After pouring over one hundred votives last weekend (and that was a short one!) I’m switching gears this weekend.  Guess what I’ll be doing…

Yesterday was a really exciting day as not only did I score thirteen gross bottle caps (not gross as in icky, gross as in 1 gross=144 units; thirteen gross amounts to over 1800 bottle caps), the Midwest Art Fairs publication was delivered. 

I’ll be preparing, flattening, cutting, gluing, resining (is that a word?), beading, mounting, and every other activity involved in making bottle cap magnets and drink charms.  When I need a rest from all that I’ll cozy up on the couch and study Midwest Art Fairs, getting ideas for new craft/art shows and festivals to which I can apply. 

I’m looking forward to the upcoming show season and hope to add one or two new venues this year in addition to some old favorites.

If you’re a Minnesota/Wisconsin/North-South Dakota/Illinois artist looking for places to sell your work or have a crafty biz you like to take on the road, Midwest Art Fairs is a great starting point.  If you like to visit craft shows and festivals you too will like Midwest Art Fairs.  Find out when and where the shows are and mark them on your calendar.  I might even see you at one or two of them!

To receive your very own copy of Midwest Art Fairs, click HERE.  To get a load of what’s created with all of those bottle caps, visit the 2012 Events Page on this site and see where I’ll be selling them live and in person.

Off I go.  Have a wonderful weekend!

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