Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Christmas Cards - It's That Time Again!

Wow, I can't believe it's already nearly the end of November! I've got Thanksgiving pie in the oven, plans all set for the weekend, and Christmas is right around the corner! Yes, it's that time again!

Do you write Christmas cards? If you are in the market for a truly special set of cards, I can work with you to pick out the images you like best from over hundreds of images I've taken of fall and winter, and custom print and cut you a set of cards just for you! My cards are currently selling for $2.50 each, but for the Holidays, you can get a set of 10 - 19 of my cards for $2.25 each, or 20 or more cards for $2 each! There are loads and loads of wonderful images for you to choose from, or you can tell me the kind of thing you want, and I can make suggestions!

Some of the possible images are in this post, where I advertised the cards last year (but ignore the prices, things change. ;) ). I've taken some wonderful images in the past year since then. I love winter photography!





















So, if you are in the market for some nifty, nifty cards, get in touch with me! I also do prints. For holiday orders, I'll need to know what cards you want by December 10th.

To get started placing your order, e-mail me at unforth AT yahoo DOT com!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Back on Track, Step by Step

It's funny, no matter how many times I go through this process, it's always so easy to forget that getting things done is a matter of taking it one step at a time. As soon as I let things accumulate - oh, I'm so far behind! oh, I have so much to do! oh, how could I have let so much time pass! - it gets overwhelming so fast, yet in the end, it's always as simple as just doing one thing.

One blog post, earlier this week, to own up to how far behind I've gotten.

One pattern, that I know is ready to go and be tested, now up in Free Pattern Testers here. I went with something recent - the scarf I made in September - but it's still a bit ambitious. I'm pretty busy, and it's my first knit pattern, and I'm really a crappy knitter still (though I'm getting better - I'm actually working on two knit projects right now!)



Once the testing is done on this, I'll be distributing this pattern for free, which gets me back on track in the area of releasing free patterns.

One day at a time, one thing at a time, I'm NOT going to give up on the dream of pulling off a craft business!

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

On Hiatus

Even though this blog has clearly been on hiatus, I've been strangely reluctant to go ahead and make a post to that effect. I have no idea why not. It's just been a crazy fall - though, I'm happy to say, mostly not in bad ways. After a rough spring and summer, I'm still busy with work, but I've also got some good things going on in my life. I'm still playing Nerd Wars like always, and being captain of a team keeps me pretty occupied. I'm modding for the Free Pattern Testers group on Ravelry, also, and keep assuming more duties. I've been traveling a lot, I've been working a lot, I've been trying to take more time with the dog, and to keep up my other responsibilities, and I've recently gotten in to a long distance relationship which is making me very happy, but also eating it's fair share of my time.

Something always falls through the cracks, and the last six months or so I guess I can't deny that that has been the craft business, and by extension this blog. I'm not gone - I'm still making things - but I don't just want my blog to be week after week of WIP Wednesday and FO Friday. So, while I figure out just what I'm doing with all this craft stuff - specifically, how can I find the time to get my patterns and such out there while still doing everything else that I'm supposed to do? - this blog has been on the sidelines.

It's not going to last long. It's surely a sign that I'm moving forward that I'm even making the hiatus post, and what's funny about it is that it's coming even as I'm expecting to break through my inertia - today, for the first time in ages, I looked at my to-do list and realized...I'm not late on ANYTHING for work right now. Oh, I've got things in progress, and a few things that are behind where they should be, but there's nothing that is waiting entirely on me that I look and think, "crap, I should have done that yesterday...or last week..." So, looking at Thursday, my next day in the office, I've decided: I'll do the work that has to be done, maybe a couple hours, and then I'm going to get organized on some pattern stuff. I've got two patterns written up that just needs some photographs before it can be tested, and I've got others that need to be prioritized, written up nicely, and then re-made by me. I know that, just as in all things, I just need to crack through the being frozen and start doing it regularly again - not every day, but often - and all will be well.

I'm looking forward to getting to share some actual honest to god progress again. Until then, I hope all of you are having a good year. :)