And I'm off...

There are two big trips I take every year; one for Bead & Button show, and one during the Tucson gem shows. Tomorrow I leave, and I won't return until late February. Hope you all have a nice January and February!

Time to get ready

I'm leaving next week for a very long business trip, one of two long trips I make each year. This means that I need to shut down my Etsy shop and my eBay store for a month. Which always makes me sad! I hate closing them for anything. When I'm gone for shorter periods of time, I usually ask my husband to watch them for me, but for this kind of absence I really don't have a choice.

So I'm not restocking, and I will put both into vacation mode on Monday or Tuesday. If there's anything you want, now's the time to get it!

Hibernation

After a whirlwind holiday season with houseguests and lots of cookies and get-togethers, oh my, I am finally regaining my breath. Today the sun is shining, the snow is sparkling, and it's beautiful outside.

I'm restocking my eBay and Etsy shops for the last time before I leave for my annual month-long trip on Jan 21st. I have two major demarcations in every year; the Tucson shows and the Bead & Button, both of which require me to be away for a month. This year I won't be attending Tucson, but I will still be gone.

There's so much to do before I leave. State sales tax for the different states that I do shows in, for example. In three states I file taxes twice a year, and those are due right now. Plus I have to make certain that the money will be okay while I'm gone. I won't be selling online for a month, which makes a difference.

It's a period of introspection too, though. It's a time to think of what I want to accomplish when I get back, and how I want to do it.

I've wanted a website for ages, and time has only sharpened this. Etsy and eBay have their strengths, but unfortunately, because of the way they're set up and the way the fees work, I have a hard time justifying the listing of several of the same item. Having a website would make it easier to deal with this, because it would be possible to buy more than one of a single item.

So I think I've finally convinced myself that a website it a must.

I'm also thinking about jewelry, and how best to work with new designs and what to do about that. My issue is still photography. I looked at the pictures of my shop through another's computer and was not satisfied with the colors. I've had multiple issues with my monitor and with Photoshop and I'm still not 100% certain that what I'm seeing on my monitor is what the majority of people are seeing.

I'm still determined to work on the ideas I have for metal components. I really need to get that into motion, too.

My work is cut out for me in the new year, obviously! Hope you all have a brilliant, prosperous, healthful and lovely 2010!