Studio Update: Up to my face!

A magic wand would be very welcome right about now, I will tell you.  Things are just...nuts!  I have a full June ahead of me, and who knows what lies beyond that?  June is overwhelming enough!  I am happy to say that I'm overwhelmed with mostly good things.  That makes facing it all so much easier.  ;)

-The big news of the moment is that I have been accepted to a committee to which I applied earlier this year.  It is the historical book committee for my community. They are looking to put together a pictorial history of our community.  It is a commission, so the project will most likely be a go.  I read in the local paper a week or two ago that they'd made their selection of volunteers, but because I had not heard anything, I figured I had not made the cut. Yesterday, I got the news--in the form of an email from the coordinator--that I did, indeed, make it on.  This will be my very first book project, from assembly through the publishing process.  I think it will be extremely educational for me, and it will help me move forward with getting my own works published.  I cannot wait to get started on this project.  I believe there are 11 of us on the committee.

-I have another sale coming up--once again at Fenton Street Market in Silver Spring--on June 26, so I need to get ready for that.  I have a few pieces I'm trying to complete, but they have been set aside for a bit, while I deal with my vintage.  The necklace, "Mermaid," should only take an hour or two to complete.  I finally got the beads I needed to complete it.  I now just need to re-string one side and string the other side and add the clasps.  The boxes (3 of them) are another story.  I'm pretty stuck on their designs. Two of them are starting to sort-of come together, but I'm not ready to glue anything down yet.  I'm hoping that focusing on other things for a while will allow me to refresh myself and approach them again--maybe next week--fresh and ready to go.  My boxes get a lot of positive attention, so I have no doubt they will be lovely when I'm finished with them.

-I have recently acquired more stock for my vintage shop. I came home Monday with $300 worth of vintage books and an untold sum in silver (mostly silverplate.)  I need to research some of the pieces more, but a few are ready to go up for sale. The books are all ready.  I should be able to start photographing and preparing them to list this evening.  I am learning a great deal as I go through this process, both on my own and thanks to the wonderful, wonderful community at The Vintage Village . I spent many hours over the weekend researching my silver--I promised my boyfriend that I would price things before I brought them home, in order to eliminate items that will not be worth my time and effort and to reduce clutter--and even in just that small amount of time, I have learned so much.  One thing I have learned, unfortunately, is that I need to do some book research.  I am going to try to go to the library later this week or over the weekend for some resources.  I have some maker's marks that are stumping me--I just can't identify them for certain.  This is why I have chosen to sell vintage, though:  I am enjoying the challenge of learning to identify and value the pieces that I find.  I may be acquiring more in a couple of weeks, so as of now, I am a planning to attempt my first flea market with these items in September.  If that goes well, then flea markets will be put into my schedule for next year, along with the art sales I've been doing.  It's a lot of work, but it's very gratifying.  Best of all, among these items, I've found a few to keep just for me.  :)

-The web site is coming along.  Nicely, I think.  I am very hopeful that I can roll it out this month!  I'm hoping.  I have some databases to fill in and links to add and test, but I'm very, very close to having my very own home on the web!  Stay tuned!  I will be doing things on my site that I have not offered before.  Mainly, I will have items which I will only be selling through that site.  Look for an announcement sometime in the next few weeks.  (It just all depends on how my time is going forward.)  I'm pretty thrilled with the site.  I think the layout and text I've chosen are pretty user-friendly and eye-friendly.

-Thanks to LinkLove , I have gained a good number of fans on Facebook. I've recently passed the 200 mark!  I want to do something special for those fans.  Does anyone have any suggestions?  I'm thinking about a giveaway, but I have never done one on my own before.  I have done one through someone else's blog.  In addition, there are over 100 businesses in my page's favorites, and I am thinking about starting a feature where I do a write up once a month or something like that--a different business every month. I have a rough idea of how I want to do it, but if anyone has input, I'd love to hear it.  (This is not a bid to get more fans on Facebook.  I am not interested in numbers, so much as connections that are genuine.)  See, I see fanning (or "liking") as giving props, so I want to give back.

-Lastly, I will be visiting New England in late July with my boyfriend.  I'm very much looking forward to that.  His mom and sister were here back in April, and I missed them as soon as they got back on the train! It will be nice to see that part of the family again, and of course, I will be taking photos!

Everyone have a happy summer!