This week feels like summer in April! The temperatures have been near 80 degrees. The violets and forsythia are in bloom, and there are little leaves on the invasive honeysuckle and willows. The birds are all singing a merry song, and the air just feels different. Now, April 19th is next week and we always have snow right around then. And sure enough, snow is predicted for next Monday. But you know it won’t last. It will be too early to plant for awhile, but it’s time enough to start getting excited!
Mom is going in for knee replacement surgery coming up. I’ll be taking a week off to stay with her. I haven’t had that much time off straight in awhile now.
The new location for Horrocks opened at the mall. Honestly, it’s a nice store than Battle Creek deserves. We don’t deserve good things here. I expect someone will be shot in the parking lot there, as that is what Battle Creek represents. If you live here, you know.
I finished the prose poetry class, and have started up a private facebook group for our class. I hope to keep the interaction going. I’m working on a little side project for prose poetry as well.
I’m starting to get in a panic about the Whisker Mixer event. I’ve really screwed myself this time with what I said I’d do and the time left to do it in. Maybe the world will end before the event?
It’s mid-month already, and time for a March Update. I would have to look back at previous bullet journals, but I suspect that perhaps my feelings of ennui are normal for the time before the official start of spring. It doesn’t feel or look like spring yet. There’s still snow on the ground, with more on the way. It doesn’t even really feel like there is the promise of spring, and yet the calendar shows otherwise. There’s more grayness than sunshine, and everyone seems a bit unhappy. Another two weeks or a month, and everything will feel different.
I’ve been typing letters on the 1965 Olympia SM9. It is delightful to work on. I continue to struggle with creativity, but letter writing always feels good. I’m taking an online class on writing prose poetry. It is a four-week class. If you haven’t heard of prose poetry, check out Charles Simic’s work. Some of his poems are included in the bottom of that article. My Grandma wrote and enjoyed poetry. I wish I could discuss this class with her.
I’ve been crocheting a lot of infinity scarves. Nothing is selling on Etsy, but maybe they will sell at the craft booth for the Canine Carnival in August. I have two baby blankets and a special comfort blanket to make, with yarn due in today to get started.
We are on the edge of a February storm. This month has been odd for weather, with five days so far 15 degrees or more above average. We are expecting snow, then ice today into tomorrow, and then maybe temperatures at 50 degrees Thursday before plummeting to the 20s for the weekend. Hopefully we won’t lose power and we will be able to get to and from wherever it is we need to go. Cass, above, shows a nod to spring wishes while staying warm with a hat. He is a good office mate and brings me much joy at work. The daffodils in the CWBP are just poking up, but no pussy willows yet. There are flocks of robins at the shelter. It feels more like March weather than February at this point. I am not freaking out so much for the start of spring. Maybe it’s because when it’s cold, all of the idiots are inside instead of outside making noise. Or maybe it’s because we haven’t had much snow and the grass has been mostly visible and winter altogether hasn’t been as harsh as normal.
Typewriter
I’ve fallen down the rabbit hole of vintage typewriters. Quite often when I write on a computer, I get distracted with other things on the internet (Reddit). I cleaned up my arts space some to make room for a new hobby. So far I’ve written one letter with this 1966 Royal Safari typewriter. It has an interesting script typeface. I used a typewriter a little when I was younger to type papers for school, but we moved into the computer age by high school. This is a lovely machine, and it’s a fun tactile feeling to type on. I’ve got a small stack of letters to catch up on if I ever have time. It seems I never have much time. Then, after that, writing prompts, short stories, and maybe a screenplay? Who knows.
Cats
Mom has a guest at her house. Phantom, or Fanny, is staying with Mom for an unknown amount of time – either when Mom gets tired of her, or she gets a good application for adoption. Fanny was found as a stray, and the woman who found her tried to keep her but her own cats beat on Fanny. Then she came to the shelter, where the cats in the cat room beat on her. She had spent the last several months in a cage alone for her protection. She is becoming more brave and wandering around Mom’s house. She has found her way to the counter tops and everywhere else. We’ve had some cat challenges at the shelter lately. In fact, everything just seems to be kind of difficult at work these days.
Valentine Gifts
This year’s staff Valentines were handmade crochet washcloths with soap paired, lavender sachets, and chocolate. The bags had a lavender sprig attached with a heart wax seal. Right now, I’m crocheting up some cat blankets for Companion Cats for their adoptions. I hope to have two more done before I drop them off. No new sales on Etsy. Anyhow, here is hoping the February storm is lighter on the snow and ice than predicted, with no power outages. Stay safe and warm!
My goodness, the January blues are here and they’ve hit hard. We are down to the last week of the month. Yesterday we had a tiny bit of sunshine, and we really haven’t had much sun at all this winter, but today is a dump of snow. The polar vortex is on the way next week, and it will be super cold again. It always seems to correspond that the January blues happen and we have a bunch of sick or stressed cats at work. I am counting down the days until spring, and I know time is passing, but there’s nothing I’d rather do more than curl up in bed. Fortunately for everyone around me, I am somehow able to get up and remain a productive human being.
I haven’t managed to get my latest scarves up on Etsy. Maybe I can muster the energy this weekend? Since the start of the new year, I’ve finished four scarves or cowls and I’m working on a fifth. My next one after the one on the hook will be Tunisian crochet for sure. Mom got me some hooks for my birthday and I’m anxious to give it a try.
The sun briefly came out for Mom’s birthday. We had lunch and made some zines. That’s right, I’m back on my zine making and zine collecting. I even forced a bunch of Girl Scouts to make zines.
Yesterday was also the Oscar Nomination ceremony. I’ve seen three of the ten nominees for best picture already, one of the documentary shorts (plus five on the short list that weren’t nominated), one of the animated shorts, and none of the international, feature documentary, or live-action documentary. I’m going to have to get busy.
Last weekend, Mom and I went to to craft shows. I hadn’t been to one since I was a child, and Mom ran a small craft business and had booths regularly. I belong to a craft group on Facebook, and there was recently a post made about craft shows; the post had over 300 comments about how difficult it is to make money at a craft fair. Today, I’m going to provide a craft show feedback post about what I noticed at the two fairs, what folks were most bothered with on the Facebook group, and my own thoughts on running an Etsy store without any sales.
Meijer Gardens Holiday Gift Show
First up was the event at Meijer Gardens. The show, 40 curated booths, opened at 9am. We got there about 10 and you could barely get up to see things at the tables. People were grabbing things right and left, and there was a huge line for checkout. When we finally did push through to the front, I was surprised to see that most of the booths had things that were not handmade. For instance, there was a booth with lovely knit scarves that were super soft, but they were made in China. There was a booth selling hot cocoa bombs, all imported from England. There were several kid toy booths, but all had things you could purchase off Amazon. Yes, there was a local apiary selling honey and Founders Brewery selling dog treats, but most of it was mass-produced items made in factories.
The fee to get in was the standard entrance fee for Meijer Gardens, rather expensive if you just wanted to go to the fair, but for us visiting the conservatories was the best part. We wouldn’t recommend or go to the fair again next year.
Caledonia Arts and Crafts Show
After Meijer Gardens, we swung by the Caledonia craft fair at their middle school. The school has two gyms, and both were absolutely packed with vendors and visitors. Now, this is a craft fair like I remember. Nearly everything was handmade. The booth pictured above was my favorite for set-up. The artist, LuAnn Tandy, runs Coppertop Crochet and has an eye for design. Her crochet pieces were gorgeous and the booth was both well put together and eye-catching. Check out her use of that vintage suitcase and dressmaker dummy to showcase her pieces! She had a lot of people looking at her products, but she had arranged everything so you could still see what she was offering. Mom bought a few gifts and the quality and look is amazing. LuAnn was at the front of the booth, answering questions and promoting features of the hats. I think her booth and her pieces were the best of the craft show.
Craft Show Trends
Here’s where the Facebook group post comes in. The individual in question had a booth at a show, and didn’t do very well. There wasn’t a ton of traffic (unlike what I saw at the two places Mom and I went), and those who were there just weren’t buying. Why?
First, we are looking at tight financial times. Prices in the grocery stores are higher, gas prices are higher, and winter fuel bills are right around the corner. Individuals are conserving their money to pay for needs, not necessarily wants. It may be slim pickings this holiday gift season for everyone.
Second, prices at craft shows are higher. Raw good costs are higher. The same skein of Caron Simply Soft is way more expensive now than before the pandemic. All craft supplies are more expensive than the pandemic. Craft show booth fees are more expensive, too. Fewer people having excess money to spend, and higher prices for the items means it’s harder to recover your money you put into the item you’ve made, never mind the time spent.
Finally, we are seeing that the big box stores have merchandise that looks more crafty or homemade. Similar crochet pumpkins I’m making are sold at Target for half the price, made in China. With new knitting machines and crochet machines, near-perfect designs can be created overseas for a much less cost.
Tips for Craft Success
One of the things I read over and over in the comments on Facebook was that there are still people out there who want to support handmade, unique items and the artists that make them. In many cases, the people who do buy these handmade items only give them as gifts to others who understand the value of these pieces. Once I offered to make a crochet blanket for a coworker’s ill father. She explained that while it was a nice thought, he wouldn’t appreciate the time or work that went into the creation. At the Caledonia craft fair, I bought a handmade felt ornament. I could see the fine detail work that went into creating it, and just fell in love with it. If you are working in arts and crafts, make sure you highlight the fact that your unique, handmade creations are supporting an artist, not a corporation. Even though I crochet myself, there are some things I just don’t enjoy crocheting, or there are some pieces so gorgeous I can’t help but want to support that particular artist despite the fact that I could maybe make it myself. All artists should support other artists! It’s what keeps us going. After all, who could better appreciate the time and skill that went into making something than someone who participates in the craft themselves?
Select a Location
Know where and when to sell your items. If you are mostly crocheting winter hats, a summer craft show might not be the best place for you. If possible, check out the craft show you are joining before paying your booth fees. Do they allow multiple vendors selling the same things? What is the normal audience at this particular show? Are there fees for visitors to get in? Consider arts and craft consignment shops, popup shops, farmers’ markets and other vendor booth events throughout the year. Make friends with other artists and find out where they like to go, and which shows to avoid.
Design Your Space
Next, if you do decide to set up a vendor booth at a show or an event, spend time designing your booth space and do a few dry-runs on setting it up and tearing it down. Does everything fit in your car? Can you haul everything yourself? Do you need electricity? There are so many YouTube videos on setting up tables for craft shows, watch as many as you can for ideas. Don’t just put your stuff flat on a table without having an idea of color and varying levels of height. And don’t just sit at the back of your booth! There were a few booths at Caledonia that had no interested customers, and the owner sat at the back of the booth. Being my own neurotic self, I felt awkward and wound up avoiding eye contact and not looking inside the booth at all!
Repeat Business is the Key!
Finally, and I think this is most crucial, you need to think about repeat business. Have signage of your business name so people know who you are. If you are going to be doing several different craft shows throughout the season, have a listing of where you’ll be next. Have business cards or a QR code that links to your social media. Offer small give-aways (stickers, suckers, etc.) to get people to give their email address and then send them an email the next week thanking them for stopping by, letting them know where you’ll be next, and asking them to follow you on social media. Even if you don’t have an Etsy store, having folks follow you on Instagram and Facebook, and showing your latest creations, could get them to contact you for individual sales. The fantastic booth with the felt ornaments? I gave her my email address in the event she gets a Facebook or Instagram page in the future. As I work on my holiday gift list, I would love to purchase some more ornaments from her but I have absolutely no way of contacting her. She didn’t have a logo or business name visible and had no social media. Leave a lasting impression and a way for folks to get in touch with you after the show!
The Feral Katt
I buy most of my unique handmade items on Etsy. In fact, I try each year to purchase the majority of gifts from independent artists. As I’m not a fan of crowds, I do nearly all of my shopping on Etsy. I have even set up my own Etsy store, The Feral Katt, to unload some of my creations. I think it gives me insight into the struggle other crafters have in creating, marketing, and selling their pieces. It’s discouraging, really. Fortunately, I have a full time job and I’m just doing the Etsy thing to entertain myself. It takes a lot of time. Time to make the items. Time to photograph them and put them up with a description. And, I suppose, time with tell if I wind up selling anything.
If you’re a crafter or have been to a craft show recently, tell me about your thoughts in the comments!
My baby Pi was adopted this past Saturday. We did an online costume contest and dog and kid trick-or-treating at the shelter as usual, but this is likely the last year for it. There’s just so much competition with other events going on. I didn’t dress up this year as I wasn’t at work. I did make small Halloween bags for staff members (below). It’s a rainy Monday, not a great day for trick-or-treating in general, even if we were going to participate in that.
Instagram Sucks
For some unknown reason, when I logged into my Instagram account this morning I found they had banned my account. Considering I only post photos of cats, crochet, and landscapes, I can see absolutely no reason for the ban. You can send a request they review the ban, and they will get back to you within 30 days. There was no mention at all of a report of a problem or anything. It’s a good reminder that using a platform you can’t control means troubles like this. I’ve had catobear.com up since 2007. 15 years, no problems. A temporary or permanent ban of Instagram isn’t likely to make me want to post anything on there ever again, just in case there’s another problem. I deleted the app and will probably delete my account if they restore it.
Crochet and Etsy
I made a few more crochet pumpkins and got them up on the Etsy store. Still not a single purchase, though two of my items have been ‘favorited’. I crocheted two head wraps (photo above) from a pattern from Just Be Crafty and did my own take on a hat with a pompom on the top that didn’t turn out great. Maybe hats aren’t my thing. I’m working on a crochet infinity scarf right now out of some recycled yarn. I’m hoping if I steam-block it, maybe it will soften up? Right now I can’t imagine it around my neck, although lots of people like wool and I have a problem with that too.
It’s the end of September, insert Green Day reference here. It was warm and sunny and lovely right up until the equinox (photo above is the last day of summer), and then it turned cold and rainy. Temperatures have had highs in the 50s this week, and some counties near ours have already had frost. I need to get a video of the end of September garden, and I need to get started on cleaning it up as well.
I crocheted this blanket for Melissa’s mother, and have been working diligently on crochet wash cloths since then. I also have a plan for reusable cloth paper towels and about 100 other projects waiting to be started. So many projects in fact, I’ve had to write them down on a list so I don’t forget them.
At work, we had the lower driveway paved. Pi had a leg amputation and is back in the kitten room. There is a frustrating amount of calls daily for us to take in cats, and as usual every shelter and rescue in southern Michigan is completely full. People need to spay and neuter their cats.
My baby Pi
I finished The Betrayal of Anne Frank by Rosemary Sullivan and am now on The Girl with the Golden Scissors by Julia Drosten. Kirsten and Dustin came for a visit this month. I got a CPAP machine and have been sleeping a bit better thankfully. Overall, the month has gone by more quickly than I expected. I’m honestly feeling a bit “off” and I’m not sure why. Hopefully October will bring clarity.
It’s already mid July. How did that happen? The summer is going much too quickly, as always. What have I done to show for it? Not much, actually. Some art projects. Some garden maintenance. Lots of riding the spin bike in the evenings. Watching YouTube videos on how to make better YouTube videos. I’m trying to take care of my health, but I’m still waiting for my CPAP machine and new glasses to come in. I don’t know, it rather feels like I’m squandering life.
The last two summers were spent with painting, and I haven’t done any painting at all. I do miss it. My latest project was creating this small moss terrarium (below). I wanted it to be like a living book nook, but I don’t think it was successful. I did manage to make a tiny staircase which is kind of cool. I will be interested to see if the moss grows or dies. I think they are kind of fun to make, and might make nice gifts, especially for people who have cats and can’t have regular houseplants.
Not that anyone ever reads these posts, but if you do, I’d greatly appreciate it if you’d subscribe to my YouTube Channel (click here). As I mentioned above, I’ve been watching lots of YouTube videos on how to make better YouTube videos. I don’t know why I find the work so interesting. You can see more garden updates that way, too as I’ve been taking regular videos.
I do miss reading. I used to love the summer reads each summer, sitting on the couch with Maxy on my lap. Maxy is gone, reading puts me to sleep, and my bad glasses give me a headache when I do try to read. I have been listening to audio books. The latest is Joe Hill’s 20th Century Ghosts. They aren’t ghost stories in the traditional sense, though I suppose there’s one or two like that in there. It’s more the uncanny type of stories that will remain in your mind long after you’ve read them. I wasn’t sure with the first one or two, but now I highly recommend it. Many years ago I read a collection from Breece D’J Pancake, and there was one particular short story that never left me about a snow plow driver. This book is full of interesting tales like that one.
After finishing Severance on Apple+, I am now on the third season of Servant. I guess it is renewed for a fourth season, but that won’t be out for quite awhile. Severance was excellent.
Yes, mid July and I am squandering life. How is your summer going?
It’s Gonna Be May? No, it already IS May, and well into it. This week May feel more like July though, with highs predicted in the 80s. I saw a meme the other day that said something like Summer? No, Outdoor Depression. With the state of the world, it’s hard to look positively on things outside your own home. I’m lucky to have happiness there.
While I did not manage to create my own postcards to send this year for National Postcard Week 2022, I purchased some cards from amazing artist MN John (check out her website here, postcards and stickers and all amazing!). I didn’t send out many, just enough to feel like I sort of participated this year.
The flower beds have been all cleaned up, though I haven’t started on the vegetable garden. I did install our tiny water feature, and this Thursday will be putting in the water plants. I’m super excited to see how it turns out. The perennials are coming right up and looking good, but nowhere like they will be in a few weeks. It’s an exciting time of year for gardeners. Just over two weeks until greenhouse day.
Work has generally been a giant dumpster fire of stress. Not enough staff, unhappy staff, not enough money. Typical nonprofit stuff, I suppose. Kitten season has started, and as I’ve said before, you should never give your heart to a kitten. Cass here has spend some time in my office helping me work. He’s a good boy.
Ideas on the horizon? More linocut printing, book nooks, more YouTube videos and follow up on My Michigan Garden. Gardening, reading Nature is a Human Right, and waiting for my sleep test. Hope you are having a decent spring, or at least enjoying better weather.
Ah yes, living in Michigan can be a challenge at times. You may try to stay off the news (politics, man’s inhumanity to man, COVID, etc.) except to catch the headlines. But life itself occasionally throws a blow that you just weren’t expecting.
Maxy-cat is 18.5 years old. He’s been deaf for awhile. He’s on thyroid medication. His vision has been deteriorating. And this weekend, the deterioration is complete. Maxy is blind. We’ve adjusted his living arrangement to the main floor for safety. We are taking him to the litterbox and to his food and water regularly, and he seems to be able to go from there back to his heated bed. We are hoping that over time, he is able to get around the house himself, and will be able to play with catnip toys and have a good quality of life. There are a few feline ophthalmologists in Michigan, but none are taking patients until January at the earliest and they won’t schedule that far out. He spends a good deal of time sleeping, and as long as he is asleep he doesn’t notice his lack of vision or hearing. I hope his little cat dreams are full of outdoor adventures, chasing squirrels and running. It’s taking all of my focus to not dissolve into hysteria, and that focus is giving me the headache of a lifetime for the third day in a row.
This autumn has been a fantastic time for mushrooms everywhere. There are so many different kinds in the woods behind our home and on the Bark Park trails. I’ve taken a few photos to share. Isn’t nature amazing?
These last two are a form of puffball known as the brain puffball, or Calvatia craniiformis. They are giant…take a look at the size of the leaves around them. We have not had a frost yet, and it has been a lovely mild autumn so far. I wish it could stay like this forever.
In other news, Bob attended in person and I attended virtually the SYRCL’s Wild & Scenic Film Festival. It featured 13 short environmental films and was quite enjoyable. I love short films. You can still catch some showings by going to the website, linked above. I’m working on a crochet blanket for a dear friend who needs a hug, and I’m obsessed with tiny notebooks. I’m staying busy with journaling as well. Anything to keep the hysteria from becoming consuming. It won’t be long before I’m starting my next bullet journal for the new year. Hard to believe we are nearing the end of October.
