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Archive for the ‘Craft Business’ Category

A Quote

Posted in Craft Business, tagged on December 2, 2011| Leave a Comment »

When you get to be my age, having worked at a responsible job my entire adulthood, you might suddenly understand the meaninglessness of the corporate and government machines.  We all do good work, create necessary and important products, provide essential services, but the inner workings behind the finished product or service are enough to drive one mad. 

I have a very small cottage industry and it’s been running  for about eight years now.  I still have a day job, but the more my little business grows the more impatient I get with working for other people.  I have a dream, like so many others do, to be able to support myself doing what makes me happy. 

I saw this quote on one of my favorite websites Oh My!  It says what so many others have said before, but for some reason these particular words stuck with me.  It really has nothing to do with employment, but has everything to do with being joyful.  Perhaps it will inspire you as much as it did me.

“You must always find the time to do the things you love and you must do them over and over again in every free moment until those moments dominate your time and you are living your dream…And when you have made it there…when you can actually taste that which you have so longed for…help someone else out…help them reach their dreams and you will always find what you have created to be precious and special.”  ~Matthew Mead

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Magnet Mania

Posted in Craft Business, Etsy, tagged , , on November 29, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Today I’m very simply and unabashedly going to plug the opening of the Sheet Magnet Page on this site.  There’s a little tab on the top of the screen…up there…that says Sheet Magnets.  Click on it and you’ll enter the world of sheet music cover art, pulp fiction cover art, and words to live by made into magnets for your refrigerator, locker, file cabinet, or tackle box.

This is a collection of all the sheet magnets I’m prepared to make at any given moment.  If you like any of them you can just fill out the little form at the bottom of the Sheet Magnet Page and tell me which one(s) you want.  Easy as pie!

You can peruse the page and see if you’d like to buy one or seven for some Christmas gifts.  I like to think of these as little messages, subversive or otherwise, to leave behind for others.  Kind of like how we all know this girl, and wouldn’t she love to be recognized as the corporate ladder climber that she is…

Don’t forget to treat yourself too.  Surely you’ll find something that depicts your life to a tee…

Auntie B’s Sheet Magnets will be available here forever, so be sure to remember this site as your source for cheap thrills and naughty tidbits, along with some very respectable trinkets too.

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Wrapping Up Another Week

Posted in Craft Business, tagged on November 4, 2011| 2 Comments »

All week I was supposed to do this thing, but I’ve been procrastinating and avoiding because seriously, I kind of wrecked my own chances to make it good.  Dang camera.  But I’m not going to think about that right now.  Today I’m going to concentrate on how I’ve been annoyed by this stupid little cold all week long.

A sore throat and pretty serious headache kept me away from the day job one day, and a fever kept me from seeing all the little goblins at my door on Halloween night.  I thought I was on my way out of it just in time for the weekend except, no.  Enter, snot.

Most bits of energy I have are put into the simple act of breathing now.  My weekend will be spent with Kleenex stuffed up my nostrils and a very thick coat of balm on my lips to keep them from cracking.  Continuous mouth breathing does that to lips, you know.

In less self-pitying news and despite my forecasted low energy level things will be all a-bustle at the Auntie B’s Wax World Headquarters this weekend.  I’ve only seven days to finish preparations for the upcoming 2nd Annual Lady’s Holiday Party held by the ever-famous Mary Ann.  Less than seven days to stock up the shelves of The Farmer’s Daughter for their annual holiday party.

Yes, it’s been a logy week, trudging along, this aggravating little bug nagging at me.  It’s going to keep nagging at me throughout the weekend, but I will prevail.  I have to.  Snot be damned.

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Ach Du Lieber!

Posted in Craft Business, Events, tagged , on October 25, 2011| Leave a Comment »

The day started early. Husby and I had our belongings gathered and packed by 6:00 a.m. Just as we were ready to head out to Ruttger’s for the Oktoberfest we saw a house on a semi trailer traveling slowly down the quiet, dark streets of Deerwood, MN.  I wonder where it was going…

This event, Oktoberfest, was a new experience as we had to set up in the dark.  I’ve never done an outdoor show this late in the season and it was cold in the wee hours of the morning.  By 8:00 a.m. the chill had set into my bones and I was shivering, but was saved by a complimentary danish and steaming cup of cocoa provided by the event coordinators. 

By show time the sun was out and so were the people.

Lots and lots of people.  As the day wore on I began seeing some pretty odd characters.  Wait!  That isn’t a person ~ that’s a cat!  I’m not sure what the tradition is with the costumes we saw, but I’m sure it’s very German and Oktoberfesty. 

For me they were just a little scary, but very friendly nonetheless.

There was music and food and tons of vendors set up for craft and art shopping.  There was a juggler, a balloon sculpting guy and a “bouncy house” as I heard it referred to by a little girl passing by.  Of course there was also beer, a necessary staple for Oktoberfest.

Everyone was having a marvelous time.  I took a picture of part of my candle display just for fun.  I didn’t notice until now how Spiced Cranberry appears to be posing for the camera.  And it should!  A fantastic fragrance and beautiful candle if I may say so.

It was a wonderfully bright autumn day.   Roadie Husby and I were happy to participate in such a fun event and we’d be glad to go back next year!  So long, Ruttger’s, until then.

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Oktoberfest

Posted in Craft Business, Events, tagged on October 20, 2011| 2 Comments »

All hail the Germans for beginning what has become famous worldwide:  Oktoberfest.  A Bavarian tradition since 1810, Oktoberfest has been copied in cities all over the world.

It began as a celebration of the marriage of Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese on October 12, 1810 (Hey! Same wedding date as Husby and me!) and has gone on to be a tradition in Germany ever since.  In many areas Oktoberfest mutated into and overstated excuse to drink lots of beer.  And why not?!  Excuses are the foundation of every vice and if we indulge but once a year, who’s to cast aspersions?

I’m going to be participating in an Oktoberfest myself ~  Ruttger’s Bay Lake Lodge is having their annual Oktoberfest this coming weekend, October 21-23.   The festivities will include not only beer drinking but also German music (let’s polka!), lots of food, and entertainment for the kids.  On Saturday, October 22 there will be an Arts & Crafts Fair where you’ll find me and my wares, along with dozens of other artists and crafters.  Can you think of a better place to start your Christmas shopping?

Come on up to Deerwood, MN this weekend and see what all the ruckus is about.  Oh, and have a beer while you’re at it ~ Prince Ludwig would.

Photos compliments of TopTenz and Ruttger’s Blog

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