Treasury

Oh man, I can't get the coffee in me fast enough this morning. I stay up late working on stuff, which I love to do (and I have to do if I want to get anything done), but it kicks my butt in the morning.

The baby is teething something fierce, so she's a little off this morning too. Right now she's poking buttons on the DVD player and I don't really feel like stopping her. She's seriously the busiest kid- she exhausts me just watching her! She was an active little thing when I was pregnant with her too- forever kicking and bouncing around in my belly. She felt like an octopus in there- an octopus that likes to boot people in the spleen.

So I had a message in my Etsy inbox this morning that my shop is in another treasury! I love, love, LOVE it when somebody finds my shop and puts it in a treasury.  Etsy is such a cool site. It's the online store where I sell some of my rosaries, and it has just the coolest stuff there. Basically, Etsy is a site for all kinds of handmade or vintage goods. Sometimes sellers will compile a group of other sellers together in something called a 'Treasury.' Usually treasuries have a common theme, like every item is vintage, or a certain colour, or a particular style.  The treasury that I'm included in is all about the colour 'red.'

I am here to admit that I am a massive Etsy nerd. You should go wander around the site and check out all the different stuff- you just might finish up your Christmas shopping!

Here's the treasury I'm in!

 Etsy Treasury

Love,
A

New Rosary

When I make a new rosary, it can take me forever just to figure out the colours, beads and pattern I want  to follow. I have a ridiculous system of tackle boxes and bead containers that I pile up in a corner in my tiny living room, out of reach of baby's curious hands. Pulling all my supplies out and mulling over the countless combinations I can work with is really time consuming.

And of course, sometimes I'll start a rosary, get halfway through it and then realize that I don't like it at all. This really, really irritates me so after pulling it all apart I usually have to sit and stew about it for a bit before I can approach it again.

Because there is no way that I can work on my stuff when the baby is up, I wait until after she's gone to bed so that I can work uninterupted and not have to worry about pulling tiny eyepins, beads and other sharp, stabby bits out of her mouth.

All told, each piece can take me days to complete, but I really do enjoy every minute of it- even when I end up redoing them.

I really do wonder how moms manage to work on their art with little kids running around. I mean, I've only got one so far and I find it really challenging some days. Maybe it'll be different when Sally's a bit more independent. Also, our house is really, really little (750 sq feet) so it really does feel pretty squishy in here. But this system works pretty well for now, even if it means that I have some late nights. After all, it's an awesome excuse to park myself in my chair in front of the television and watch lame shows while putting my rosaries together!

Here's a new piece I just listed tonight on Etsy. I really like the colour scheme I used- it feels very stately and elegant to me.

I'm feeling very accomplished for getting so much work done this evening and I'm now going to reward myself by rooting through the discount Halloween candy I bought on the clearance racks.

Goodnight!

A

Welcome!

Hey!

I decided to create a blog to accompany my rosary business. I thought it would be a great way to connect with my clients and to share a little about myself. I know that I always find handmade goods so much more intriguing when I know a little about the person behind them and their history.

Speaking of handmade things, I've decided to make a concerted effort to purchase more handmade or recycled goods this year. I've long been a serious advocate of second-hand things (one look at my semi-raggedy wardrobe will confirm this!), but I think I can help my family even more by being extra careful. Things are extra tight around this house now that I'm not employed (hopefully this will change soon) and I really have to watch our budget. Thankfully, in our town we have a couple of second hand clothing stores and I have lots of great friends who always pass down their unneeded baby clothes and gear to me.

For those of you that are new to my life, I am a 31 year old female, married to an outstanding husband who I love dearly, even when he makes a mess and doesn't put his dishes away. Or his underwear. We have a wee 1 year old baby named Sally, and we are pretty convinced that the entire universe revolves around her smile. I suppose this makes us typical first-time parents. A couple of years ago I had an epiphany while soaking in the bathtub, and that pivotal moment led to me starting my own rosary business. I search high and low for cool, one-of-a-kind beads, findings and crucifixes and fashion rosaries in a style that can best be described as 'sparkly.'


I'll end my first post by attaching a link to one of my latest rosaries on Etsy.

Love,
Ava

Angelic Angelite, Quartz and Agate Rosary