Eclectic Artisans Team ~ EART

The Eclectic Artisans Team is a wonderful group of artists who exhibit and sell on Etsy. If you'd like to join a group of fun loving and active Etsyians, click on the icon above and become a part of the family.

Penny Ante

My plan for getting back to selling on eBay has worked quite successfully. When I realized that my LolliShops PrimsyWhimsy shop was not going to make the cut for me I knew I needed a 'hook' to get me back and on top of the heap of ACEOs on eBay. So I thought since I wasn't making any money anywhere I might as well go for broke. In early January I started selling my ORIGINAL aceo art starting at just a penny with free shipping. And YES, I lost money. How could I not! But slowly the tide has turned and now my once penny pieces are going for up to $10.00. So ok, I'm not going to change the economy with what I'm making at the moment but I've just begun! And I have a plan. And I'm working that plan!! Now I still start them at a penny but I charge 60 cents for shipping. Making a bit more but the plan is slowly expanding and this week I hope to have jewelry to offer. You might want to see my progress by clicking the icon below. If you check my feedback numbers you'll see how much each person paid and the progressive upward trend. Yay for the good ole Lincoln Penny. My Daddy always said: Take care of your pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves. Miss you Daddy...you were almost always right :)

LolliShops

We've all had those days where we wake up and think "WoW, this is gonna be a great day" and then about 5 minutes into it something happens that just derails you right then and there.

I'm an optimistic soul so I'm taking this as just a small bump in the road to financial success. I know I've blogged about, Twittered about, FaceBooked about, emailed about my LolliShop, PrimsyWhimsy (just click the logo above to visit). I was so enthusiastic about my participation in this new website because I could see that the work that had gone into it was well thought out. There was a vendor's Guild and a Shopping guild where you could promote your business to fellow vendors and shoppers alike. I could see the future as nothing but bright and rosy.

This past weekend I spent helping my DD get ready for a new room mate (yes my sweet baby is a bit of a piggy-poo)and so I missed all of the drama surrounding the dissolution of the two ning.com communities where all of the Lolli dreaming took place. Of course I wasn't there so I'll never really be sure what 'went down' but the CEO of LolliShops killed off these two communities that were precious to me and most of the vendors who participated. How or why the 'fight' began I don't know but apparently it was nasty and even went so far as to spread over to the Etsy groups. The Etsy groups I've never participated in because I've heard they are warrior class folk and LOVE to duke it out on the net:)I try and keep my online life as undramatic as possible since my 'real' life is more soap opera than comic strip!

Anyway, I digress...the groups were dissolved and now I'm left with a BIG question as to whether or not to open my own website and link thru Lolli. My stomach is actually knotting up as I write this because I put a lot of faith into the future of a site that I thought would finally be the answer to "where do I want to start up my business". It's not that the 'rent' isn't reasonable enough and is scheduled to go down a bit to promote more participation. BUT...without a forum for us to sell promote our business through, how do we even begin to reach a target audience?

I know that the owner is doing a lot of print advertising. I worked in the print media business for years so I know that it can be effective. Unfortunately not as effective as it once was because of the big take over of the Social Media groups such as the LolliShops Guild once was.

Most of the sales at our grand opening happened because as I've previously mentioned I used EVERY social media at my disposal to get the word out that we were open. Oddly enough...after I stopped promoting it that weekend three weeks ago we've only had ONE sale...and that one came because I posted to Twitter. *sigh*

I'm seriously re-thinking my career path at the moment but never fear...I have never before cried UNCLE and given up. I kicked the h*ll out of breast cancer and if I can beat that, I can surely find a way to solve my current insolvency.

Hugs and LOVE to all the friends I made on "The Guild". Leave a comment so we can reconnect and plan our next move.
Caar

STEPPING INTO THE VOID

There was a game we played as children. You had to be blindfolded and be trusting enough of your friends and/or family that they would not put you in harm's way. That's how I've been feeling lately. I've been blindfolded. Groping around in the dark trying to decide if I dared to move ahead without fear.

With trepidation I announced to my customers on Sunday that I would no longer be selling Avon. It's been my saving grace, my pocket money, my little bit of security against total financial insecurity. But my customers have been dropping off one by one because of their own financial problems so that it has left me hardly breaking even. The amount of work for just a few dollars would be better invested in my new LolliShop, PrimsyWhimsy.

So I did it, put in my last order, 30% of which are gifts for family and friends. And then by stepping off into the void I hit the bottom and bounced up, up and away!! I received an email from the owner of LolliShops: "Hello! I would like Primsy Whimsy to be the Weekend Artist the weekend of January 9th-12th". Amazing, spine tingling serendipity OR the plan the universe had for me all along and was just waiting for me to step off and find my wings?

Soup Network

Just started a new ning.com network. Soup, bread, dessert recipes will be shared so hop on board and share your favorites!
click on the icon below and go directly to this great new group.

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First recipe posted was for English Toffee. My sister has been making it for over three decades and it is decadent!!

Happy Birthday Mommy!

It's Mom's 85th B'day today. In an hour and a half my sister (the designated daughter) is coming by to pick me up and take the three of us to breakfast at our favorite eatery. The Side Door Cafe in Lake Como, NJ. Owner and chief cook, Lorrie Thrush, will make it a memorable experience, just as she always does! If you are ever in the area of Belmar, NJ do yourself a HUGE favor and continue south into Lake Como and stop at the Side Door. The food is fabulous and hospitality unsurpassed! Oh, and tell Lorrie I said HI!

So after breakfast we'll be going back to Mom's house and from her birthday wish list picking out things that need fixing, moving or cleaning. At 85 Mom does not need anything new, she's got an adorable cottage that is in perfect balance between old and new. I'm going to try and persuade her to discard her sewing room since she hasn't sewn a stitch since Daddy died back in '98. I think the room would make a wonderful reading nook and I'm going to work hard at convincing her of this.

Already have homes for the sewing cabinet, the treadmill and the quilting table she's got stuffed in there. But sssssssshhhhhhhhhhh...don't tell her I told you...we've got to make her believe it was her own fabulous idea!

I hate the thought of not painting today but I need a day doing something different so I can come back to it with fresh eyes. Happy Birthday to anyone lucky enough to be born on Mom's birthday :)
Carolyn, a Jersey Girl