Overcast skies...

It may be overcast and a little dreary here but I still managed to shoot some pictures of my new pieces this morning...everything went up onto Etsy earlier today!

I was wrong...

...today's newbie is my new favorite!

My obsession continues...

My obsession with piercing silver not only continues but is perhaps inspiring the most wonderful things I have ever made. While I do miss making beads, I am feeling more and more like taking a new direction with my designs and continuing my bead hiatus for the foreseeable future. Only time will tell if my new pieces find an everlasting place in my collection and if I can live (and sleep) without dreaming about melting glass.

Of all the things I have ever made, this new design from yesterday might be my favorite...

Hooray for Etsy Sales!

I first opened my Etsy shop last fall...September I think. Right after I opened, my husband was transferred back to Wisconsin with his company. While the move was a welcome opportunity and change, it did put a little kibosh on my Etsy launch. My new shop ended up with very little attention from me (as well as potential customers).

Now that we are settled, I've been able to spend more time focusing on polishing up my shop appearance, working on photo layout/consistency, designing new items, and promoting my little treasures. Like many sellers, I struggle to have my work seen and stand out in a sea of other items (some of which are outstanding examples of creative and talented artisans and some of which are, lets just say, less than outstanding.)

While I'm not raking in the sales or new customers quite yet, I do consider it a huge victory to have scored three sales this week from three new customers. It gives me hope that, even in tough economic times, those of us who create beautiful things that come from our hearts and souls will not only survive but also succeed.

Insufferable inability to sleep...

So, it's 1am and this is now my 4th night of not being able to sleep. My enviable husband is snoring the night away all warm and toasty in our large, fluffy bed. As much as I love him, I often want to slug him just a little for being able to do that. Even our furry, four-legged critters are soundly snoozing in their happy little corners of the house.

It is my dream to someday, someday be able to just roll over and sleep...

I hate daylight savings...

I know it's just an hour but for some reason it really messes with me. Something about it just doesn't feel right...I'm oversleeping by an hour and at night it just doesn't feel like the day is done, yet the clock says it's 10 o'clock. Perhaps I will pull a Kramer and just boycott...or did he decide to embrace it and start early...can't remember.

Anyway...at least I've still been able to create this week. I've made a ton of cute little flower earrings that make it feel like spring when you wear them and designed a new leaf necklace yesterday.

Spring Filled Goodness...

The warm weather, sunny skies, and melting snow have inspired me this week. While I know it is all fleeting and that spring is still yet to come, at least it now feels as though it is right around the corner.

My head is filled with spring birds, leaves, and branches and so is my sketch book! A new nature inspired line is in the works for Spring 2009. A few new creations went up onto Etsy today...check it out at www.eclectiwendydesigns.etsy.com!

A few more items are soon to be listed:

The return of Chuck...

So, it's been some time since I've seen our little squirrel friend and the bird feeder has held a steady line of birdseed for at least a month...until today.




Ahhh...the life of a well-loved cat. We should all be so lucky!

What happened to February?

I actually have no idea what-so-ever where February has gone. It seems as though I blinked my eyes and suddenly it was March. I suppose the weeks that I spent re-painting the majority of our house has something to do with this missing month...once I picked up the paint brush it was hard to put it down.

I've had enough of the mess and the fumes for awhile, however, so am back in the studio and prepping for what I hope will be the onslaught of spring and summer sales. At the moment, I am working to find art shows in Wisconsin that will be a good venue for my work. Applications have gone out to be juried and I hope to be able to post dates and locations for shows I will be attending soon!

For now I'll leave you with a little preview of Spring 2009 @ EWD: