Busy times....

So if there's anyone out there reading this I just wanted to let you know I'm still here! I have been busy with glass and busy with life and this blog just sort of got away from me until I was told by a friend that I need to write more. So what's up with me? Well I have some work in a gallery show in Estes Park for the month of March and I'm still considering that artisan co-op I wrote about recently.

I'm taking this week off to go up to Estes for a mini vacation with my family and my aunt who is visiting from Texas and hoping to get lots of glass done while she's here as well. Hopefully I'll be able to send some work back home with her for consignment down in her area. How cool is that?

Oh and I signed up for a community metalsmithing class that starts in two weeks. I'm already planning out my projects I want to make when I learn (for the second time!) how to solder and set stones. It's a six week course and starts on the 24th. I'll be sure to show my finished project(s) if they are presentable that is!

I'll try to get on here and post more often too. Maybe I can pick up some more friends along the way.

Lack of results...

Well as it turns out my scouting around downtown Fort Collins has not come to any fruition as of now. I still have a number to call and an application for the artisan co-op. Here is where my shyness and fear of rejection come to the foreground. I know I need to get out and market myself but I just cannot seem to make myself pick up that phone. This is why I failed as a Mary Kay consultant you know.

I'm thinking of unique and different things I can submit to the co-op in March and I'm pretty sure I will force myself to take that leap because it will open up areas other than jewelry for me, like marbles. I've been told my work may be too similar to another artist's to be accepted. I've also been told that they are not looking for anymore jewelry at this time. I am trying very hard not to let other's influence my decisions for my business. Even if they are people I have admired.

I did send all my finished work with my husband to his office today. Hopefully some of his co-workers will be looking for Valentine's gifts. Keep your fingers crossed for that!

As for now I'm heading to work at the bead store and will teach this evening. Here's hoping for a creative day for everyone!

Scouting around...

Friday afternoon I used my few kid-free hours to scout around the stores in Old Town Fort Collins. It was a nice afternoon and I really enjoyed wandering around with no kiddos or husband in tow. I talked to a local artisan's co-op which looked like a lot of fun really. A very diverse group of artists with quite a bit of jewelry but only two lampworkers. The next jury meeting isn't until the end of March so I have some time to work out what I'd like to submit. The owners of the store I wanted to talk to about selling my work were out until after the weekend so I left my work with a friend in the store next door and she'll take them over next week. I'm also hoping that perhaps some of them will sell while waiting around this weekend ;). Keep your fingers crossed that they'll like my work and I'll have an amazing retail outlet!

Tomorrow is my middle son's birthday and we're partying down today. We'll have cupcakes and ice cream after lunch and then head to town to the roller rink. I'm even going to try to rollerblade! Hopefully tomorrow will be back to the torch.

Broken!

So just when business things are rolling right along things start breaking. We replaced the motherboard on my computer back in December and everything was fine until two days ago when I tried to upload some pictures from my camera and my USB ports didn't work. That's portS as in all three of them! I think I may have to send my new motherboard back now which means being without a computer for a few weeks again. And if that weren't bad enough my car starts stalling when I stop! I'm so annoyed...I just want to concentrate on my glass!

I did have a good night last night. I went down to Glasscraft for the monthly BeadCluster meeting which I am not normally able to attend due to work. I got a few new glass colors to play with and visited with my wonderful bead friends.

Now I'm just waiting for my new oxy tank to get here so I can start to play!

Back to Business

Part of my New Year's "Resolutions" (really more of a list of goals and plans) is to be more active with my business. So far I've been working really hard to get some finished pieces into a boutique in downtown Fort Collins. I've got several pieces finished and now I'm working on pricing. I have an idea of what I would like to get for my work but when I add the boutique's percentage on top of that it seems to bump it up to a range I'm not necessarily comfortable with. Maybe I'll just choose to split the difference. Anyway, once these are taken to the store then it will be time to stock my Etsy store. I think I'm off to a decent start on my goals for the year.