the vdrFamily

Views from the Handmade World - February 17

2012-02-17T10:41:00.002-05:00

New weekly series! I'm going to share some great handmade goodies from some of the great venues around the interwebs. As well, you'll get to see what is going down in Lucia Carrill and viadellaRosa.

Views from the Handmade World

Friday, February 17, 2012

3 Peas in a Pod Cocoon Photography Prop

by Desert Diamond on Artfire

(no account needed to buy on Artfire!)

Leonardo daVinci - Mona Lisa Necklace

by rainnua on Etsy

(Mona's got a sister, you know)

Short Blue Fae Door Vinyl Decal

by Wilson Graphics on Zibbet

(go give this venue some love)

OL of Guadalupe Glass Tile Necklace

by viadellaRosa (that's me) on Artfire

Bold as Blue Cufflinks

by Lucia Carrill (again, me) on Artfire

and the last suprise...

True Colors Deep Blue Sea Necklace

by Lucia Carrill on Etsy

(yes, Etsy)

Back and Better!

2012-02-02T09:28:00.000-05:00

Stay tuned for the return of viadellaRosa and the arrival of Lucia Carrill!

Movin' On... well, partially

2011-10-05T18:03:00.000-04:00

So, part of this blog is moving to another home...

The part where I babble on and on about my new adventures in the world of Avon is moving to a new blog, Avon Lady in the House. I'm fully aware that a lot of people may not be all that enthusiastic about Avon, so I'm taking that part of this dog-and-pony show on it's own stage. Hopefully, I'll be posting there with informative and interesting things about this company, that I'm slowly learning is far more that its surface reveals.

Right now I'm doing some research (history geek that I am) about the company; how it started, where it started, and how it's managed to hang on for over 100 years when most companies are gasping for air. Very interesting story, indeed. But you'll have to visit the new blog to learn about Mr. McConnell and his quaint little company.

For those who are curious (and those who are not), I am still crafting handmade. Since life at ArtFire and Etsy have been very slow, I've been working slowly, beefing up both shops. I've been re-working photographs,writing "content-rich" descriptions and getting everything ready for the Christmas season.

So, no, I haven't left the handmade community behind; I've just giving my creative mind time to gather itself again and get back with some fresh and fantastic items.

I'm also sniffing around, looking for some really unique gift wrapping options for both shops. Something that will set viadellaRosa and KeshkinGirl (for now) apart from the rest this holiday season. If you're out there and know of anything, just leave me a comment below.

Until later! Stay tuned!

2011-09-30T19:57:00.000-04:00

So what have I been doing with myself? I've been writing.

Yup. Writing. Don't look so shocked; I've actually been writing since I was 14 years old. Back then, I read the novelization of The Empire Strikes Back by Donald F. Glut and said to myself, "Self, if this guy can do this, you can too." Haven't looked back since.

In around 1986, I started a fantasy novel that has taken many, many, many twists and turns. It's gone through tons of re-writes, a loss of the entire manuscript (typewritten before I had a computer -- ack!), entire character changes and scene changes, and picking and paring.

I finally decided to get off the pot and publish this thing. But I decided to go about it in a way that hasn't been tried in a long time.

The Defender's Burden has finally taken flight ... in serial form. Each chapter will be published on a monthly basis (perhaps earlier, if I can get a move on), ready for download to your Kindle. Just in time for the launching of the new Kindle products!

Don't worry, though. If you don't have a Kindle, you can still download the software for your PC, your MAC or your smartphone.

The print version will be available soon, in a larger grouping of four chapters at a time.

So go have a look-see! Each chapter will only be 99 cents, so you can feed your epic fantasy monster without breaking your piggy bank all over the place.

And yes, I am working on the final edits of Chapter Two, so you might see that earlier than you think.

Devolverme el aire

2011-09-22T18:22:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I stole the title from "A Puro Dolor". I always get stuck on eternal rotation every time I hear this song. So beautiful!

But I have been so busy with Avon these past few days my head is spinning. I didn't believe I'd have so many sales with them, in only 6 campaigns. I only wish the landing page on my website were as pretty as the page that comes up when you click "Shop Now".

One thing I've learned these past few days is that organization is KEY. Got to keep EVERY order organized until they are delivered the happy customer, or else.

I've even got two returns; my bad.

This is the princess shower bag. It's a cool little bag for carrying bath accessories. It's terry cloth and very super roomy.

Then this is the shark shower bag. They're both so cute, I stand to see them go back to Avon.

If you'd like them as a gift for your little someone special, let me know. It' can be on the first thing to you for $14.99 each. I'll even throw in the shipping for being so nice to get it off my hands.

I've also been real busy moving my keshkingirl jewelry BACK to viadellaRosa. Four shop are REALLY too, too much for me to handle right now. I'm slowly scooting all of the pieces back over there, with better pricing and prettier pictures.

Whew! I think that's all for now. I'm going back to Son by Four. Who are now doing Christian music, which just rocks my socks!

Viadellarosa's September Collection

2011-09-20T19:01:00.000-04:00

It's about time I give some love to the mother shop: click a pretty and get it for 50% off!

Viadellarosas September Special

Curated By: ViaDellaRosa

ArtFire.com

Fine Art Photography

A Recipe for a Beautiful 'Do

2011-09-16T21:33:00.000-04:00

I actually have a culinary degree. In 1997, I decided that it was not a goodthing for me and my son that I couldn’t boil a pot of water without burning it,so I took a year long course. I leftwith a degree and a healthy idea of how to put ingredients together to createedible – and even delicious – recipes.

Sometimes I even shock my husband, who I think was born with a chef’shat on his head.

One of the things I learned that carries me through manydifferent things in my ventures is the importance of a good recipe. What is a good recipe?

A good recipe is ingredients that work together, blendtogether in that perfect way. A goodrecipe makes the tummy happy and puts a smile on your face.

I just finished exploring the Advance Technique System andrealized that the whole concept of synergy works just as well for hair care asit does for yummy tummy care.

I’ve done my homework on this one, just like I had to inculinary school. Yes, we had homework,and yes, sometimes it involved crafting an edible product without burning downthe house.

Take a look. There are 6 different recipes here. Each one is perfectly blended for just about any kind of hair.

Color Protection Frizz Control Keep Clear

Daily Shine Volume Damage Repair

Like a good recipe, the Advance Technique Systems are perfectly blended and waiting for you.

Any questions? Feel free to ask.

Pretty Little Things in the House

2011-09-15T18:50:00.000-04:00

Finally! You can get ready for your holiday gift-giving over at KeshkinGirl Jewelry!

It's been a l-o-o-o-o-n-g while since I've given some TLC to my Etsy jewelry shop; today seemed like a good day. I touched up the pictures, so that you really see how pretty these little things are.

I also have a little plot in the back of your head and I need your help.

Galaxy

Tell me in the comments below which piece is your favorite. Tell me why you like it, what it does to you when you look at it.

Then, tell me which piece you like the least. Yes, the least. Tell me why. Be honest -- I can take it.

You see, I wanted to do a giveaway, but I didn't want to do the usual kind. You don't have to tweet or share anything. No hoops, bells, whistles. Just a little feedback is all I need.

Next Thursday, September 22, I'm going to pick three people from the comments.

Ruby Star

The Grand Prize winner will get their favorite piece for 60% off.

The second runner up will get their favorite piece for 50% off.

The third runner up will get their favorite piece for 30%.

Oh, and did I mention the complimentary shipping?

And because I'm the crazy kind of chick that I am, I'm sure to throw extra goodies in the box for you.

What's coming next at KG? Gift certificates. Pretty little gift certificates, just in time for the holiday season.

Good luck and have fun!

KeshkinGirl in the House

2011-09-15T18:17:00.000-04:00

Where did I get the name KeshkinGirl? Well, if you've known me for more than 10 years you may know that, on top of the other crazy stuff I can do, I am also an unpublished author. I've been working on a novel (or series of novels) for QUITE some time. The word "keshkin" comes from that world I've created. You can check out the blog I have dedicated to that magnum opus and perhaps you'll learn more about the Keshkin and how they make a day interesting.

See Photo Below...

2011-09-14T23:58:00.000-04:00

I've not been very motivated these past couple of days. Probably it's because I'm dealing with a sick teenaged boy. Suddenly, my baby's 8 years old again and needs his mommy to make tea for his sore throat.

I know, I'm loving every minute of it.

Anyhoot, viadellaRosa has been feeling a bit neglected as of late. I check in every day, but I haven't done much in the way of prettifying it as I should.

So I go check in and what do I find? I've been featured in a collection on Artfire:

Cross Your Heart

Curated By: BusyFingers

ArtFire.com

Fine Art Photography

That's me over there, second from left on the bottom row. One of my glass tile pendants. I had to smile and thank the curator for including me. And look at the beautiful company I'm in! I especially love the little cross that's first in the collection -- I might have to add it to my hotlist before I head off to bed.

Now all of this has inspired me to tell you all about my Rose Club. As a member of the vdR Rose Club, you get a few perks that others don't. First off, you get free shipping on everything you purchase in the store. Join, get your code and you're ready to go.

You also get your own personal Patron Saint Pendant. All I need to know is your birthday (or a birthday of a loved one) and you'll get your little pretty in the mail. This alone is worth more than the whole membership, but it's a great way to get to know my glass tile pendants up close and personal.

Lastly, but certainly not leastly, you get once-monthly emails giving you an inside peek of viadellaRosa and getting exclusive savings on all of the cool things coming down the pike for the holiday season and beyond. And when I say monthly, I indeed mean monthly -- I personaly enjoy quality over quantity, so I'm not one to bombard the email boxes of my loyal customers with all kinds of stuff.

And the cool thing is, you get this all for NINE bucks! The pendant alone costs $1 2. And since I always love to throw a surprise in every shipment, the good Lord knows what other goodies you'll get too.

Even if you're not ready to make any big purchases right now, go ahead and invest in a shot of free shipping, just for the holiday season.

Sellers - Time to Get Your Shops Ready

2011-09-12T21:33:00.000-04:00

And you know exactly what holiday I'm talking about... that great holiday season where people start scrambling for gifts

What better way to get your shop ready to welcome that rush of customers that we all pray for this year, than with a new digital identity.

What in the world is digital identity? It's that banner on the top of your Artfire shop. The avatar you use when you tweet. That pretty picture on the side of your Facebook Fan page. One of the most positive things you can do for your business is to give yourself a concise, consistent look everywhere on the internets.

I started Seriously Banners right after Artfire re-designed the studio/shop pages. I love the new look, and I know a lot of others are raving, but there are some sellers out there (maybe you?) who just don't want to deal with redesigning everything to fit.

Isn't this the perfect time for a new design?

Since I've been running business on the internet since 2006, I've gone from creating banners in PowerPoint, to MS Paint (yes, I used it), to finally PhotoShop and Illustrator. Right now, I have four shops to design for, and you can bet that I've had fun creating new looks.

I finally got confident enough to design pieces for others. My first sale came a couple of days after I opened Seriously Banners, with this cool shop. This customer was a dream to work with, and I hope she has great success in her shop.

Today, I've started listing holiday graphics, three fantastic, colorful sets that I know you'll love to use in your studio/shop.

Click on each picture (of course) to get a closer look!

If you see something you like, let me know. If you don't let me know what you'd like to see. This shop is just for you.

Splish Splash.

2011-09-09T19:15:00.000-04:00

So I was going to write a nice blog about one of my new listings at KeshkinGirl Jewelry, but instead, I think I have to vent a bit about how my day went, and what I did to fix it.

I walk into work today, with jobs already piled up to my nose, when someone decided to drop off a bus of the organizationally-challenged on the corner and let them come into my store. Of course, I pride myself on my customer service skills so I do my best to help these people with their "last minute" needs when what I really wanted to do with scream at them to get out of my store and go take a few time management courses.

It never ended. From 9:00am to 3:30pm, it was a steady stream of people I will graciously term "special". The medley of questions asked today rivaled someone running into a McDonald's and asking if they carry Big Macs.

About a metric ton of paper (recyclable paper, of course) later, and I was released into the wild. I ran like my hair was on fire and jumped in my car. I couldn't have gotten home faster if I'd jumped in a tardis.

Fortunately, all was quiet and peaceful when I walked in, so I high tailed it to my shower. Blessed, hot water pounded all the stress out and I decide to try a new product I'd purchased as part of a bundle set from Avon.

<--- This is the set I purchased, and I took one of the shower gels out for my own use. The actual bundle is no longer available on my website, but I still have it available for a bundle price. Comment below if you want it, and it's yours.

I always like to try things before I promote them, and today was the perfect day.

First of all, let me say that the scent is absolutely beautiful. Not too strong, not too weak, it has a fragrance that I can only describe as "yummy-sweet-floral." All those tight muscles in my neck let loose and I felt all of the stress heading for the drain.

The shower gel is a moisturizing blend, like all Skin So Soft products, which is good for me. I have to admit that I've always had dry skin, but this summer? I feel like I'm sitting on a hot rock by some cactus in the middle of desert turning all kinds of colors.I guess I'm getting to that age... bah.

My skin immediately drank up all the moisturizing goodness, and I can say now, almost 4 hours later, my skin is still soft and it still smells yummy.

Then I dabbed on a little of these ----> They Hyacinth to be exact.

This is the Limited Edition Avon Little Dot Fragrance Trio. Shh! It's actually not available until Campaign 21, but I have to rave about it.

While the original Little Dot Perfume Set actually contained five single-note fragrances and sold in 1886, this tribute set contains three of the most popular, Rose, Violet and Hyacinth.

I find the Rose scent to be very light and delicate, and not the typical rose scent you would expect from a fragrance. No heavy, cloying smell here. The violet has a very vintage scent -- it actually reminds me of a perfume set I had when I was a little girl, and of course brought a smile to my face. The Hyacinth, however, is my favorite. It's light and sweet and I felt like such a girly-girl when I dabbed it on my pulsepoints.

Needless to say, all of the tension of earlier today is completely gone. I absolutely ready to tackle this weekend of cleaning, Sunday School and the television, where I will be camped out all Sunday after church.

Hmm... perhaps after Sunday, I'll need another dose of Hyacinth to lift my spirits again.

Oh, yes, and the pretty, I listed today?

I call her Alhambra.

Ever had one of these days???

2011-09-07T18:17:00.000-04:00

<---- That's me today. I'm not sure who the other guy is, but I can certainly sympathize.

I think someone decided to drop off a bus of mad customers today at my store... the stream never ended.

I did list this new banner and avatar set and this new set over at Seriously Banners and created a couple more, but that's about all I got today.

Okay maybe not. I did see something beautiful on the front page of Artfire, though, and I have to share -- mainly because it's in my second favorite color:

Teal Blue Flower Silk Tie from TieObsession

Okay, that's all folks! Till tomorrow!

On Fire for Handmade Featured Artisan!

2011-09-06T20:10:00.000-04:00

This Weeks Featured Artisan is Vaudeville Gypsy. Truly Unique Creations

to tickle your fancy! You can find Vaudeville Gypsy on:

Mommies Unite!

2011-09-06T18:13:00.000-04:00

Being a mom of 2 crazy/cool kids, I love almost all websites that have to do with the little 'uns. When I became an Avon rep this year, I learned about a new site that Avon launched dedicated to all things baby and mommy.

Tiny Tillia is the coolest, freshest site I've seen. I just spent a few moments playing around and drooling all over the cute baby products and mommy-pampering goodies. It has a registry, and signing up for it is too easy for words.

It has everything from bathtime to accessories for baby, from Calming Lavender Shampoo and Conditioner to the Plush Playhouse (which is on sale for 50% off when you make a $40 purchase).

This baby swaddler is my favorite so far. It's perfect for all new babies, who simply adore swaddling. It's a cuddly, made of that great microfleece material and comes in pink and yellow. It's only $12.

Ready to go? Just click this link and search for your representative. Of course, if you don't have a rep, you can always put in my information. Right above to the search bar at the top right, it says search for your representative. Click there and then put in the following: ALVARADO and MA (for Massachusetts). I'm on the second page. Just click my link (Myrna Alvarado) and you're ready to shop!

And it doesn't just have goodies for the little peanuts; mommy can also get pampered too!

This 3-Piece kit will take care of that new mommy; it comes with soft-citrus scented body wash, lotion and a hand cream. It's a $20 value, all for $18. Add it to your favorite mommy-to-be's registry and get ready for that baby shower now.

So go! Sign up and have fun! And contact me if you have any questions about the site!

Mommies Unite!

2011-09-06T17:42:00.000-04:00

Being a mommy with two kids, I love just about any website dedicated to the little 'uns. Imagine my glee when I found out Avon was opening a site dedicated to babies and all things mommy.

Tiny Tillia is the coolest, freshest site I've seen! If you know anyone who is having a baby, or if you have a little peanut of your own, you have to check it out.

There's a cool gift registry, signing up is easy. And right under the registry block, is a chance to win a dream vacation card with a value of up to

viadellaRosa - New Directions

2011-09-06T11:53:00.000-04:00

I've been in a kind of slump lately when it comes to my baby, viadellaRosa. I have to keep reminding myself that it's a niche shop, and I won't be drawing all people at all times. So, I've been taking a deep look at where I want to direct this business for 2012.

While the handmade aspect of viadellaRosa is never going to go away -- simply because I truly enjoy creating and crafting rosaries and other spiritual goodies -- I do intend to broaden my inventory with other items.

With that in mind, I'm working on developing a stand-alone website for vdR that will work in conjunction with the Artfire site. Over there, you'll be able to find other products such as:

prayer cards
literature
gift sets
SOME rosaries and chaplets that I will be offering as a "starter" piece, for those brand new to the rosary or to the Catholic Church. Sometimes the investment in an heirloom piece is not quite in the budget, but I still want sacramentals and devotional pieces to be attainable.

I'm looking at January 2012 for the launching of this website. It's going to continue to have the same flair and modern style that you've come to look for at viadellaRosa, the product line will just be a little more diverse.

So keep an eye out! I hope you'll enjoy the new look!

Pardon the dust

2011-09-03T14:08:00.000-04:00

I'm prettifying the blog. I promise this time, once I get it set, it'll stay set.

Seriously. HTML is not my cup of tea.

Viva La Organization!

2011-09-03T13:53:00.000-04:00

No, that is not anywhere in my house. Not the kitchen, the garage (what is that?), the bedroom, bathroom, or kid's room. Nor is it, to my dismay, my home office.

Yet.

As far as organization goes, I'm one of those who need to take small baby steps. One piece at a time, one section at a time. Like eating a whole cow... one slider at a time (sorry vegetarians!).

I have made some progress on that path to organization, though. I have all the paperwork for my Avon selling in one blue zipper pouch. I do have a corner and re-purposed closet dedicated to the crafts. You can actually find things on my desk.

And now, my home-business work schedule is finally set.

Seriously, you say? Yes. I've been at this home-business thing since 2006 and now I decide to organize my time. I suppose you could say my brain finally put down its foot and said enough was enough.

Those of you who are following my various shops and venues, I'm putting my "store hours" down just for you to keep track. For questions, comments and feedback, I am always available, but these are the days and hours allocated to each shop/venue for now. As I become more successful, these hours will change to accomodate.

The hours are all the same: I'll be online exclusively between 8:00pm and 9:30pm. Doesn't sound like much, but considering I can type 100+ wpm, I can crank out a lot of content in that time. Kind of like the way I talk...

viadellaRosa: The oldest, the queen/diva of the shops. Monday is dedicated to this shop. You'll get a blog post, some new listings, tweets and updates.

Avon: I put my Avon Lady hat on Tuesdays. I'll usually be available online at my Avon Website, available for chat between 7:30pm and 8:30pm. Again you'll get a blog post, new info, tweets, updates and maybe a giveaway.

Seriously Banners & Black Ink Alchemy: All you sellers and art lovers out there, come check me out on Wednesday, both on Artfire and Etsy. I'll update you on the newest designs, what I've got brewing on the back burner.

Keshkin Girl Jewelry: I'll be dedicating Thursday to the sparklies. Everything thing over at the Etsy shop is being updated to be bright and pretty for the holiday season, and on Thursday, I'll give you plenty Updates.

Haeven: Now, haeven is back in a new way. It still dedicated to everything for home and soul, but now I have a new product line that I'm really excited to share with you. On Fridays, I'll give you all the details... especially about the great way you can take care of your Holiday shopping without killing yourself at the mall.

The entirety of Saturday and Sunday belongs to my family and me. I may craft some on Saturday, though not much more than an hour. On Sunday, off to church, Sunday School for the Tiny Dancer, and much needed rest.

Whew! That felt good! It's codified, and now I'm dedicated to keeping my schedule.

Like I said earlier... viva la organization!

Ding Dong! Avon Calling!

2011-09-03T10:57:00.000-04:00

So, In case you haven't noticed from the fan page, I have become an Independent Avon Representative, both via direct sales and as an eRepresentative.

I have to say, I L-O-V-E Avon; always have. My mother (there she is again!) used to do it all back in the 70's - Avon, Tupperware... I even remember the little porcelain containers that Avon used to sell it's famous colognes in.

Well, those fancy shmancy containers may be gone, (*sniff*), but the products are still as quality as they were back then.

The thing I like best about being a representative is that each product is carefully produced & tested before it's launched. Before each new product (like the new Genics) is launched, we representatives get a chance to learn all we can about it, so that we feel very empowered to offer it to you.

Campaign 20 has just begun, and with it, some great, fabulous new products:

Advance Techniques Damage Repair 3D Rescue

Instant repairs three types of damage, hence the 3D. What, did you think you needed to buy 3D glasses to use it?

Well, it's only $9.99 and it comes with the cutest sparkly travel brush with mirror.

I'm so loving this elephant pendant. It's of burnished brass, rhinestones and faux-ivory. And check out the earring and bracelet set to go with it.

And, yeah, check it out... a knife set! Avon's got just about everything for you. I say just about, because there are a couple of things they haven't gotten into yet... but that's for another post and another product line I'm proud of.

Made of stainless steel (yes, that's stainless) and tucked into a cool acrylic stand, this will brighten any old kitchen right up!

So, yeah, I'm a happy little Avon Lady... and I guarantee you'll see more goodies than your old fashioned Avon lady ever shook a stick at.

Cya later!

“Madness in great ones must not unwatched go.”

2011-08-23T13:23:00.000-04:00

The cynics and agnostics of today think that perhaps acetic saints like Catherine of Siena, Francis of Assisi, and the saint of today, were right up out of their minds. Back in my wild oats day, I thought the same thing, but now? I see these saints as a true of example of the adage that God never gives us more than we can handle.

St. Rose of Lima has the distinction of being the first Saint of the Americas. She was born August 20, 1586 and died in 1617.

She wasn’t born with the name Rose; she was born Isabel Gaspar de Oliva in Lima, Peru. Her father was a cavalryman from Puerto Rico and her mother was a native of Peru. She was part of a large family. Typical of her day, she would have been expected to be obedient to her parents to marry and contribute to her society by giving it tons of little ones.

Um… yeah. As if God didn't work in mysterious ways.

Even as a little girl, this was a child known for her intense devotion. Precocious was probably an understatement, merely stubborn was probably an insult. She caused no end of frustration for her parents and her family, because the only thing this little lady wanted to do was dedicate her life to the Lord. Probably because it was the Lord, and despite the prejudices of the day, Rose was allowed her “eccentricities” with the hope she would grow out of it.

She took St. Catherine of Siena for her model. If you know your history of the saints you know how this story is going to go. If not, know that, had she lived today, little Rose would be considered, layman's terms, a hot mess. Amy Winehouse (RIP)? Not even close. Rose didn’t drink or take drugs, so she wouldn’t even have that to excuse her so-called madness.

No, little Rose was naturally sanctified. God handed her salvation, and she took it on with the single-mindedness of the young. She fasted, she mortified herself (in the old fashioned way, not on Facebook), and when people began to comment on her beauty, she took to rubbing and scrubbing her face with peppers and lye. She also chopped off her hair (a Renaissance maiden’s one true beauty) and wore rough, peasant clothing.

Yes, I know that sounds kind of… crazy, but bear with me, it does get better.

Her parents, friends and family were all beside themselves, trying to figure out what exactly to do with her other than the usual marrying her off to the closest guy. Non-conformist to her core, she rebelled against that simple woman’s role and spent her time praying, ministering to the poor, and protesting that she wanted to remain a virgin, dedicated to Christ for her entire life.

Imagine the insanity.

Finally, they all threw up their hands in surrender and gave her a private room in her childhood home to practice her devotions. They drew the line, however, on letting her actually become a nun. Why? History doesn’t tell us that. Maybe it was their form of “New World” rebellion. Maybe they were just as ornery as Rose.

Finally, she became a tertiary of the Order of St. Dominic at the age of 20. Not quite a cloistered nun, but a lifelong virgin dedicated to the Lord nonetheless. Again, history doesn’t explain this compromise. It was probably because you could get married and still be devout.

More than likely, the apple didn’t fall far from the hard-headed tree.

After this, she took to wearing a studded circlet on her head and an iron chain around her waist. Then there was this nutty habit of not eating meat. Or much of anything else for that matter. Then there were the ecstasies, the visitations from the Lord Himself, comforting her when she thought she couldn’t take anymore.

When she couldn’t stand any longer she built herself a bed made of broken glass, stones and other debris.

I know, I know. Wow.

Eventually, her little mortal body gave out. She died at the age of 31.

But check this out. In another interesting twist, the entire town came out in mourning when she died. All of Lima showed up for her funeral, and the Archbishop of Lima himself actually gave her eulogy. They all praised her charity, devotion and the sweetness of her heart. And after she died, people came out to claim miracles in her name.

Of course they did. She was canonized in 1671.

Her original feast day was August 30; this was changed to August 23 in 1969. In Peru and other Latin American countries, the 30th is a public holiday to this day.

She is the patroness of the native Indian people of the Americas, of gardeners and florists, of Lima, Peru, the “New World”. The city of Santa Rosa, California is named for her. She is also the patroness of Sittard in the Netherlands and of India.

I can never understand the way they designate patronages. But, I do get that she is also the patron of people misunderstood for their piety and of the resolution of family quarrels.

So, was this all part and parcel of madness? I’m the last person to know.

But, like I said, God never, ever gives any of us more than we can handle. Are soldiers “mad” to fight and kill and die for something they really believe in? Are those who suffer oppression “mad” to think that they deserve better? Are some of us “mad” to strike out and start movements, trying to make our world better?

I think that Rose had no other way to manifest her devotion. This was the burden she was given. To believe, with all her heart and soul, despite what everyone thought. I think this was her way of proving her belief, the only way she could. To get through the rock heads of secular world that she was meant for other things.

God bless and keep St. Rose of Lima.

The Economy Fiddled....

2011-07-20T10:47:00.000-04:00

for a long while, and a lot of us “crafty” folk decided to put our shingles out and party as well.

Well, now… some of us (raises hand) are standing there with the lampshade on our heads wondering where the all the fun went.

I can understand the almost-rampant frustration on my primary selling venue about the cessation of basic accounts for no more than trial purposes.

To those who don’t know, you could have a completely free studio on ArtFire, where you could list and list and list and not pay any fees. It was the epitome of coolness in the handmade world. Yes, you had some limitations on your studio, and you did see some outside advertising in your studio, but to be able to list items and sell, and keep all the money? How awesome was that.

Come August 15, that is going away. From what I’m gathering, you can open a “basic” account and have a small trial period to get your feet wet. People who are already basic will get thrown into that same trial period. After the trial period, you will have to pay a monthly fee to stay on.

I pay my monthly fee, have since 2009, and have only made 36 sales. Yes, that’s frightening. I want so much to be quitting my day job to have fun doing what I love. But, when I start heading toward the window ledge, I think about this:

* I could pay a webhosting company a monthly (or yearly fee) to host my blank website. Maybe I would get a tired template or two to play with and spend tons of hours trying to figure that out. Um… me? Okay, you can get off the floor now; it’s not that hilarious.

* I could be paying a person to design and maintain my website to keep my content fresh and fabulous for the 21^st century. Last time I checked, my name was NOT Bill Gates.

* I could pay an extra fee for an ecommerce shopping cart and – if I want to get fancy—merchant fee to accept credit cards. Again, my birth certificate does not read Sam Walton.

* I could be doing my own hours and hours of research about search engine optimization (SEO) and website optimization. With 2 kids who could care less where the money comes from as long as it arrives when they want it? I don’t think so.

* I could be play hit and miss on my descriptions and photographs. Ha. Word of advice: scanning your items on a flat bed scanner does not a good photograph make.

And then I could sit there and wait for the sales to come pouring in.

Are those crickets that I hear? Oh, no, that’s the economy praying to the porcelain god. Party’s over, get the heck out, don’t care where you go but you can’t stay here. Ugh.

Now, on ArtFire, I pay my monthly fee, and I get a company that's willing to help me through all of the above.

In one place, you get a decent website design and shopping cart. I get help with SEO, help with branding, advertising. I get great advice from people who've been there about photography, keywords, tags, promotion. Heck, I can even promote my other selling venues in my Pro Studio.

We both reap the benefits: ArtFire and I. I get traffic to my beautiful studio; they get traffic to their fabulous venue. I get potential customers who love my products; they get to help ignite that entrepreneurial flame and get potential customers. I get to connect with great people who are just like me down in the trenches; they get to find out about their “target” audience from down in those same trenches.

So, I’ll lean over here with that lampshade on my head while ArtFire yawns, stretches, whips out the vacuum and starts booting out the people completely passed out on their lawn.
When the world stops spinning so fast, I’ll go take a Bromo™, roll up my sleeves and dig in once again.

And guess what? The party will begin again.

Feelin' Groovy!

2011-07-17T15:24:00.000-04:00

Just in case anyone is wondering, our economy is really sucking wind. People are either without jobs or not making enough in the jobs they have, therefore they're spending less. For us online sellers, especially though of us with little to no advertising budget to speak of, that means our sales are not just slow, their downright horrible in some cases.

I think that at first we all take it so personally. Check our collective breath and arm pits -- is it us? Our way of listing? Our Studios? Our products? Some of us get mad at our venues: they’re not helping us get that traffic, or they’re asking too much of us to get that traffic. Some of us get frustrated and close up their shutters and move on, wailing about the injustice of it all.

Some of us dig our heels in and start posting and posting and posting and posting -- and either we annoy the heck out of our audience with our eternal links, or we spend ourselves into a hole with listing/re-listing/renewal fees.

I’ve been riding down all those roads for the past few years. They’re all bumpy and nasty and have a lot of potholes and more red lights than you can shake a stick at.

Then I took a step back and looked at the retail world around me. I reminded myself that I actually work in retail for my ‘day job’. I’ve been working in and around retail since I was 16 years old. No matter the branch of retail, there is one thing I’ve noticed over and over again:

1. The months of February and March are super slow, sales wise

2. The months of July and August are super slower, sales wise.

So, now I sit here and think; if it’s slow in brick and mortar, why shouldn’t it be slower in the online community?

And here’s the bottom line ick for the year 2011: with our economy sucking so loud, they’re probably not thinking about that either. I mean, think about it (if you haven’t already): if you have to choose between a tank of gas or that cool thingy you saw on Etsy or Artfire, or Ebay which would YOU choose?

Why would you expect anyone else to be different? No matter what you have in your shop, unless it’s a free tank of gas, you are probably not going to sell it as fast as you would like to.

Okay, thanks Captain Obvious, you say, what’s the point? Well, after I checked by pits, my breath, the items in my shop, the venue(s) I sell in, pulled myself from the ledge and took a deep breath, I had the following epiphany. You can’t force people the buy if they don’t have the money.

Instead of digging that hole of listing fees, that pile of non-selling inventory, or annoying the following I’ve worked hard to gather online by constantly advertising things that they probably aren’t ready to buy yet, I’m going to concentrate on the infrastructure of my business.

I’ll save all that money up from Etsy listing fees to create an advertising budget. To design some marketing campaigns that will help those customers out there make their choices.

I’ll get my current inventory fit and ready for the season that’s coming up.

With the two companies for whom I work as a representative, I’ll do some training, become even more familiar with the products, and find ways that I can serve my customer base better.

When August ends and September begins, I’ll be all ready to dig in with something targeted, informative, educational even. Something that the customer base can use while they’re making their decisions to buy. And even if they’re not quite ready to spend those hard-earned dollars, at least they’ll know I’ll be here with a quality product that I have confidence in, that they will be confident will stand the test of time.

And now that I’ve slowed down (because I found myself moving too fast),

And learning that I had to make the morning last (by not killing my wallet or my customer base);

Now that I’ve finished kicking down the cobblestones (and making good plans), guess what?

I’m looking at fun (the fun of making my own brand shine) and… you guessed it… feeling’ groovy.

U-Haul(tm) Ain't Got Nothing on Me!

2011-07-10T17:58:00.000-04:00

I've been busy moving all of my non-rosary/spiritual pieces to Keshkingirl Jewelry, and I'm almost finished. Splitting one shop into two is a bit nerve-wracking, especially with sales being so... well, non-existent, but I thought it would be best to keep my styles separate.

I'm also working on something I'm tentatively calling the Rose Club... more about that later, but I just want you to know it's going to be fun!

Here's a little taste of what's moved to KGJ:

Winter Sand


Rugosa Rose

Till later all, wish me luck!

2011-07-07T20:14:00.001-04:00

When I was about 10 or 11, friends of my parents introduced them to a laundry product that blew my socks off. I say my socks because the laundry was my chore, my cross to bear.

One teeny-tiny scoop (no more than a table spoon) put into each load left the clothes clean and smelling good, and I didn't even need fabric softener. Nor did it make me or my step-father itch, like every other store bought laundry detergent did. We bought a gigantic box of the stuff and it lasted about six months. Six months! My parents were in budgeting heaven. I just thought it was neat that a tiny scoop cleaned so many clothes.

Back then it had the pseudo-scientific name of SA8. It was touted as all natural and biodegradable. Eco-friendly in 2011-speak. Way before Al Gore started getting busy with his global warming.

So, now, it's a million years later, I'm at home and my husband brings a couple of friends over who introduce us to a line of products that, once again, blew me away. Now it's in modern packaging, and the product line has expanded, but it still has the same quality and same lasting power.

Washing the brontosaurus hide.

Now, it's called Legacy of Clean. There's a whole line now, of laundry products, house cleaning products, everything made out of environmentally safe, natural, biodegradable. I went crazy and spent about $65 bucks, buying the total starter kit. I wasn't interested in selling the products, or being an IBO (Independent Business Owner) for another company other than my own, but I had to give it a try.

That was about 4 months ago. I clean my house once a week from top to bottom. I do about 4 loads of laundry every week. Dishes? Hand wash and machine wash every day. Have I run out of anything? I think I'll be re-ordering at the end of next month. Seriously. The only thing that came in the kit that I don't use are the disposable wipes. I have my own that are re-washable.

So, I probably will be spending $162.50 for the entire year and three months worth of cleaning products. And yep, I certainly did join the team that sells these awesome products.

Legacy of Clean Intro Bundle

This is what I got. Laundry, kitchen, bathroom, all purpose, dishes (yes, dishes! and the dishes don't get cloudy!), glass, surface wipes, stain kit. The spray bottles (full-size) are refillable, as are the laundry detergent bottles. If you do run out of something before anything else, you can get refill bottles to die for. And the bottles and tubs are are recyclable and re-usable. Heck yeah.

So what are you doing, staring at the package and drooling? Head out to my website and buy the starter kit. Yes, I am selling the products now. And yes, you can buy from me and not worry about me trying to get you to sell it too. That's not my speed. Never has been, never will.

Jumped into the Wayback Machine!

2011-07-07T20:14:00.000-04:00

Washing the brontosaurus hide.

Legacy of Clean Intro Bundle