Let's All Visit The Lobby

Things have been pretty crazy-deep around here these past couple weeks, so let's lighten the mood a little.

Changed the banner on my antique shop because I felt like doing some graphics. I often wonder if I should go into selling this stuff but then I think I have enough to do as it is, and I don't have the energy to compete in the graphics category in Etsy- it's worse than jewelry! Then I updated it with some nice old bits:

 Pretty antique photos- the studio graphics on these ones are soooooooo good!

 Pretty bone bangle carved with leafy patterns, Edwardian or late Victorian. I don't know what kind of bone it is, I assume camel or cow maybe, could be buffalo. Oh- I don't know if you heard, but Etsy changed some policies on what you can't sell lately. As usual they made the announcement in the forums and just acted like that's telling people- so if you sell something that's made of ivory, or has ivory in it, or might be ivory or even is bone and you guessed what the bone is...and you suddenly find your listing deactivated- it's because Etsy have taken it down. They've changed their policy on certain animals who's products can't be sold which is great, only to make things easier they've just decided to ban all kinds of stuff. Even if it relates to an endangered animal but not really. (the fiber artists are fuming.) Even if you have a license for it. Even if it's legal everywhere else. Apparently it's 'not in the spirit of Etsy' - whatever that is. I can't ask because I got banned from the forums again- this time forever! Oh yeah I'm hardcore.

 Nice canvas measuring tape - sadly it was stored squashed flat for some time and it rotted in the folds, so it's in bits. I collected these big numbered ones for a while but I don't tend to last long on these things. I've never been a collector of anything in particular- it baffles me how people can have shelves and shelves of the same kind of thing. I'm too much of a dealer, I'd rather find it and pass it on. I only ask money for them so I can eat and go buy more!

This fab steel tape measure from Russia - the other steel measure I have does well (I sell it by the foot) so I snapped this one up on eBay last week. I was hoping it would have Russian numbers, but it only has our boring Arabic ones. But it does have nice little spear points at the halfway points so it's worth it.

 

I love the smile on this girl. Tempted to keep her- if this listing is still there next week I think I might!

Then I figured while I was at it with the graphics, I'd make a new one for Sparrow Salvage instead- but it's not up yet, cause it's for the new collection and that's not ready. If it's still not ready by the time all my custom orders have been bought n paid for I might put the shop on vacation for a bit, just so I don't have to think about it. I have so much to list with the antique shop - I have paper ephemera I want to get up there, and lace bits and much more besides, and I have the pricing series I'm really enjoying researching and writing, so jewelry's taken a back burner. I have been making though:

Here's some sneakies at bits from the new collection. Strips of fencing wire I pulled out of a skip next to a church in outback Australia- once they're hammered and sanded all the rust dusts away and you get this lovely mat finish black steel. Shows up the perfect pearls nicely.

Here's some shapes cut from a cake tin- I've had that tin for about 10 years now, been meaning to cut into it for about 5 but I could never get myself to do it. Then it went 3 rounds on eBay and no one so much as sniffed at it for $25, so I took it as a sign. It's a huge thing so I'll get tons out of it.

Petra bits!! I could not resist the lure of these candies- they look like fancy chocolates flaked with gold; look at that insanely delicious crackle:

Seriously these are so ka-pow just on their own,it's going to be so damned easy to make them into jewelry!! Even just a hook and you're done. That would feel like the biggest cheating ever.

And she sent me extras cause she's a doll. I already used the little blue pears, and the long unglossy spikes will get some extra embellishment from me because I can't seem to leave well enough alone. I just went to fanci's blog and she's got some too- and she's going to mess with them too! I love this chalkiness, but I want shiny.

Look at those little pawprints! Like otters or some such, pressed into the mud next to the river bank. 

THEN after all that, I spent pretty much the entire night last night (stayed up til 5!) re-working my About pages - one for Sparrow and one for Star Tribe. It was an eye opening experience, as I wrote I realised there are more alignments in my work than I consciously think about. There's nothing like talking about your work to get you to think about what you do and why.

I'm working on the pricing post I promise. It will be up in the next day or two- and then after that will be a showcase post with all the amazing wisdom I've heard from you all. And THEN I have a post to write on something else entirely- the lack of visibility on Etsy. I haven't sold much at all these last couple of weeks, and looking about at some of your shops no one else has either. Views and hearts are way down. I think I know what's to blame, and I think I might have a way to get around it. But it does involve a bit of a rant on the State of Etsy. So it's gotta wait.