Hi all,
I am very busy this summer making new Printable Match Boxes. I have a Sewing Kit Match Box and two new Paper Doll Match Boxes on the way. Also I am working on Fans that will have the designs from the Match Boxes on them. I have so many new ideas and so little time.
I took time out to take a picture of my lawn and flowers. I haven't done allot with the inside of the house although it looks much better than it did. I have plans for it. Perhaps I will have more time this winter.
Work comes first as I need the income I make on my Etsy store to keep going and now living by myself there will be electric and heat. I am really trying to save on electric this summer by not using the air conditioner unless it is really hot. I splurged on some flower boxes for my little porch but I used small plastic pots for allot of the plants and they are not doing well.
My lawn looks so much better and I didn't even plant grass seed. More of saving money there but the spring rains helped it along. I did buy a Bread Machine and a Crock Pot and find that it was money well spent. I make a large pot of some kind of stew, chicken, etc. and freeze containers of it for my dinners. I find that one chicken breast, some canned soup and frozen veggies will make quite a lot.
I use two sausage links for a large pot of spaghetti sauce and at the end I just cook the spaghetti right in the sauce. Comes out great.
Please notice my sign. It says Paper Cottage Printies and is a copy of my new business card. I live on an island. Smith Island is in the Chesapeake Bay.
http://www.visitsmithisland.com/
We have quite a few tourists here in the summer and I thought perhaps someone would see my sign and knock on my door. It is almost the end of July and not one person has knocked yet. In fact I rarely get company. I have no transportation so I can't go anywhere. I haven't been off island in over seven months. I shop online. Thank goodness for the internet.
My son visits me for a little while in the morning sometimes but he is very busy. I must get to the doctor soon. I will need more prescriptions soon and I have to have my Chemo Port removed. It has been almost eight years. I haven't had the Chemo port flushed in almost three years. It is supposed to be done every six weeks. It is a two hour trip to get to the hospital to have it done. One hour by boat and one hour by car. I have been pronounced cancer free.
Thanks to all who purchase my Printables. It really helps me to get by. Sales have been very slow this summer. It is usually slow in the summer but this is a particularly bad year. I had to discontinue my web site as the annual fee was too much for me this year. Unfortunately allot of my Pins on Pinterest go the that site and were referred to my store.
I have to tell you that I am so happy in my little house and so grateful to have it. I never thought I would have a garden again and now I have my flowers and herbs on my little porch. Life is Good!!
Take care, Barbara
I am very busy this summer making new Printable Match Boxes. I have a Sewing Kit Match Box and two new Paper Doll Match Boxes on the way. Also I am working on Fans that will have the designs from the Match Boxes on them. I have so many new ideas and so little time.
I took time out to take a picture of my lawn and flowers. I haven't done allot with the inside of the house although it looks much better than it did. I have plans for it. Perhaps I will have more time this winter.
Work comes first as I need the income I make on my Etsy store to keep going and now living by myself there will be electric and heat. I am really trying to save on electric this summer by not using the air conditioner unless it is really hot. I splurged on some flower boxes for my little porch but I used small plastic pots for allot of the plants and they are not doing well.
My lawn looks so much better and I didn't even plant grass seed. More of saving money there but the spring rains helped it along. I did buy a Bread Machine and a Crock Pot and find that it was money well spent. I make a large pot of some kind of stew, chicken, etc. and freeze containers of it for my dinners. I find that one chicken breast, some canned soup and frozen veggies will make quite a lot.
I use two sausage links for a large pot of spaghetti sauce and at the end I just cook the spaghetti right in the sauce. Comes out great.
Please notice my sign. It says Paper Cottage Printies and is a copy of my new business card. I live on an island. Smith Island is in the Chesapeake Bay.
http://www.visitsmithisland.com/
We have quite a few tourists here in the summer and I thought perhaps someone would see my sign and knock on my door. It is almost the end of July and not one person has knocked yet. In fact I rarely get company. I have no transportation so I can't go anywhere. I haven't been off island in over seven months. I shop online. Thank goodness for the internet.
My son visits me for a little while in the morning sometimes but he is very busy. I must get to the doctor soon. I will need more prescriptions soon and I have to have my Chemo Port removed. It has been almost eight years. I haven't had the Chemo port flushed in almost three years. It is supposed to be done every six weeks. It is a two hour trip to get to the hospital to have it done. One hour by boat and one hour by car. I have been pronounced cancer free.
Thanks to all who purchase my Printables. It really helps me to get by. Sales have been very slow this summer. It is usually slow in the summer but this is a particularly bad year. I had to discontinue my web site as the annual fee was too much for me this year. Unfortunately allot of my Pins on Pinterest go the that site and were referred to my store.
I have to tell you that I am so happy in my little house and so grateful to have it. I never thought I would have a garden again and now I have my flowers and herbs on my little porch. Life is Good!!
Take care, Barbara
WAY TO GO, BARBARA! I am so glad to read that you are cancer free and that you are enjoying your house and your garden! I pray that you, and your plants, will thrive in your new setting. It's like a blank slate - not a clean slate (life leaves it marks on us all) - that gives you the opportunity to start something new. I'm sorry you had to shut down your website, that can be hard to deal with. But to be honest, I am not sure your really need one if you are selling your own artisan, handmade crafts and not reselling other or affiliate items. I think too many small craftspersons have websites and with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Blogspot, and Pinterest doing the brunt of the social legwork - a website can actually be just another distraction. Perhaps look into getting a paypal account and having people pay you that way instead of paying for a shopping cart and web hosting. Just a thought. All that media can be a lot to keep up with and customers can get frustrated having to go from place to place to place just to place an order. So I say - simplify in all things. Build up your customer base - get social - interact. In town - host something small to attract the tourists. Maybe do a printie specifically for Smith Island and display or sell them at the local tourist shops or museum. Teach a printies class to the locals at the collage or high school. Think outside the box and see how you can supplement your income. You have some cute printies here - I wish you all the best as you start fresh. Be blessed!
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