So here I am (I wonder how many blogs are started with this sentence...). Writing a blog. A business-related blog, no less. If you had told me 3 years ago that I would own my own craft business, I would've scoffed. Like, snorted reeeeeally loudly. Embarrassingly loud. But here I sit. On my couch. Next to my hubby with the largest of our three dogs flailing about on her back trying to scratch an itch (and making quite a bit of noise while she's at it). And just one room over is my craft studio and office filled with all kinds of supplies and materials. Like fabric and felt, straw wreath forms, paints, glitter, all manner of glue, teeny crochet hooks, quilling tools, and embroidery floss. It's kind of a trip when I sit and think about it.
I'm giving myself the month of August to make several items before opening up my Etsy shop. A month to figure out some processes, the fastest way to make things, how to price stuff, figure out shipping, and define my brand. There's quite a bit to learn. Some of it is really daunting. But most of it is just plain exciting. The old grey cells have been working overtime dreaming up things I would enjoy making. I fall asleep every night to the thought "What if I could do __________???" And that is deeply satisfying.
We took a drive up 501 today into Roxboro (one of my favorite drives) so I could take a look at an antiques shop that I called yesterday to see if they had vintage buttons and brooches (which they did!). Karen (the shop owner) and her father James are some amazingly nice people. They are in the midst of moving and I was happy to hear that they'll be even closer to me by September. They had a great selection of all sorts of stuff - including a stash of buttons that I raided in preparation for making a TON of felt flowers in the next couple of weeks. I know I could've gone to Joann or Hancock Fabric. But there's something to me about vintage buttons. They're so....charming. Each one has its own little face and personality. Looking forward to playing around with them!
As for the rest of the weekend, I think we'll be staying in and watching the Olympics. I love the Olympics. I'm not usually a sports kind of person. I don't normally watch any kind of sport. But it's just so awesome to watch all of these nations come together to compete in all sorts of sport. And it's not all about winning gold (even though that's awesome). There are some amazing stories of amazing people from all over the world. I think that's what gets me. Oh, and gymnastics. Amazing stories and gymnastics. Yep. Good stuff.
