Sunset Shutterbug

Lightbox project

2012-02-22T21:19:00.005-08:00

After taking lots of product photos and continually being annoyed at how my images come out, I finally broke down and made a lightbox.

Now because I'm extra lazy and cheap I didn't want to have to go buy extra lamps. I have one lamp that's bendy, but all the other lights I have are stationary. I cut up a box, but of course it was way too small. I don't know what I was thinking. But I found a larger box, used some tissue paper and ta-da, a lightbox.

Lighting the darn thing was another issue. With a few props (yoga blocks, DVDs, DVD remote) and laying some lamps down on their side, I had a decently lit box.

I spent the evening taking pictures (over 500!) and popped them into Photoshop. Auto corrected the levels and the end result is below.

I have to say I was really surprised at the results. I wish my lights were better as there was some glaring, but overall I'm pretty happy with my box. I only spent 99 cents on the poster board from Walgreens. Have you made a lightbox?

Crafty Computer Afternoon - SF Etsy

2012-02-19T11:03:00.001-08:00

Crafty Computer Meet-Ups have been getting around in the SF Etsy team over the past month or so. Katy hosted the first one and everyone on the team thought this is a great way to meet other team members.

Being inspired, I decided to host one at my apartment this weekend. Michelle, Korie, Talia, Eko and I spent the afternoon chatting about what we make, possible new projects, tagging, descriptions, titles and social media.

L-R: Michelle, Eko, Korie and Talia working away

Everyone's at different points in our businesses. Some are just starting out on Etsy and some have been members for several years.

Because working hard makes you hungry and thirsty

With a number of snacks and drinks on hand to keep us occupied, here are some tips we got:

Re-listing - Korie's shop has been open on Etsy for barely a month and she's already had 6 sales! She credits re-listing 3 times a day to keep her shop relevant.

Facebook - Several of us are on Facebook and we use it to help market our shops, new items and other things that may interest our fans.

House Parties - Michelle had 2 parties thrown for her (in Washington and LA) and each host asked her to bring several of her pieces. She sold a number of items and gave her jewelry some exposure. This would be a great idea during the holidays!

Twitter - Can't afford to re-list every day? Use it to promote your items without spending 20 cents. And use those hashtags for Etsy teams your apart of. They can retweet you and help promote you to their followers.

Tagging - Use Etsy Teams in your tags! If someone finds out about one of the teams your part of and searches for the team in Etsy, your item will show up in a search if you put the team name in your tags.

Instag.ram, Flickr & Pinterest - Great ways to give your work exposure!

Lightbox - It pays to buy or make one! Your photos will be awesome!

LinkedIn - Great way to professionally network with other sellers, especially if you are looking for a day job.

Korie and Eko talking about their jewelry shops

This was a great afternoon and loved meeting Michelle, Eko, Talia and Korie. We added each other's shops to our favorites and connected through Facebook and Twitter. I hope that SF Etsy members get together more because we can learn so much from each other. If you're a seller, see if any other sellers live near by and have a meet-up of your own!

Get your wall organized

2012-02-08T22:16:00.000-08:00

Hanging Wall Organizer

Industrial Bookshelf

Chalkboard Organizer

Rack organizer

Monthly chalk calendar

Valentine's Day Blog Hop

2012-01-30T05:00:00.000-08:00

As part of the EtsyGreetings Team, a number of shops decided to participate in a Valentine's Day Blog Hop promoting one of our cards along with another item from Etsy.com

Love You Sign Photo Greeting Card

Leather Bike Frame Bag

I figure my card isn't a typical card that one would probably think of for Valentine's Day or use to say "I love you". A lot of men don't dig the whole Valentine's Day thing, so I figured my card would be ideal for a guy because it's not coated with pink, hearts, flowers and other things we associate with Valentine's Day. In other words, it's totally dude appropriate.

Since I live in San Francisco, there's tons of cyclists. Lots of folks commute to and from work or use bikes as their primary form of transportation. Like anyone, they got stuff to carry. Paper work for the office, iPads, iBooks, regular books, reports, packages ... they carry all sorts of stuff. Why not get him to replace that gross backpack from high school and pick him up a cool, personalized bike leather bag? Just because they bike around, doesn't mean they can't do it in style, right? He'll be the envy all his cycle buddies.

To check out some other blogs from the team participating, click on either arrow below!

National Blueberry Pancake Day!

2012-01-28T10:30:00.000-08:00

Guess what today is? It's National Blueberry Pancake Day!!! Now go eat some!

Blueberries

Blueberry Pancake Fragrance

Blueberry Pancake Necklace

Blueberry Pancakes

Framed Blueberry Pancakes

Cool tools to run a shop

2012-01-24T20:43:00.000-08:00

My sleeping pattern's been all funky (read: not going to bed when I should) so after doing some yoga inversions this evening, I'm feeling a bit more sane and level-headed. Now I can update properly!

I signed up for a webinar on how to save money and save time when it comes to running a small business/start-up. It was super informative because it centered around online tools to keep your business up to date and organized. Basically, all the ugly administrative, financial aspect that us creative folks like to ignore and put off. We like to create stuff, not number crunch.

A number of Etsy sellers and other self employed folks use Quickbooks, Excel Spreadsheets, post-it notes to track inventory, money coming in and out, possible project ideas, etc. Granted people go crazy (can you say tax time?) when suddenly you need to really get down and dirty with those notes, messy excel spreadsheets when you got to make a nice little payment to Uncle Sam. The webinar focused on tools to help, Evernote, Outright, Shoeboxed and Stitch Labs. What do these tools do?

Evernote - Keep track of those funny random notes, ideas, everything and anything you may want to remember
Outright - Keep track of your finances by linking to bank and credit card accounts, generate reports, etc.
Shoeboxed - Send them your receipts and business cards to extract the data so you can easily look up anything
Stitch Labs - Tracks your sales, inventory, reports and track product orders

Most of these you can link together which is nice. They all serve a function and it's all done online so you can access the information from anywhere as long as you have internet access. After seeing how these products work, I'm convinced these would be great for me, so I'm going to try them out and see for myself over the next month or so.

In addition to the webinar, I also attended an Etsy workshop over at the TechShop. Not put on by Etsy, but a seller who offered her advice and suggestions on how to run a shop. It was super informative and she offered some really great tips, suggestions and other tools on how to run a successful shop. One thing I revisited was my cost to make my cards. Yikes, it was eye opening!

So after doing some research and going through lots of receipts and I mean A LOT of receipts, I'm feeling a bit better about my paper clutter. Seriously, going through my receipts and paper clutter (my desk too) has been stuff I've been avoiding like the plague. I still have a stack of papers to sort through, but it's small compared to what I've done. January's been a pretty productive, eye opening month so far. Once you get started and tackle the hardest task, everything else seems like nothing in comparison.

Have you been avoiding your finances or other paper work like me? Do share!

Interview time!

2012-01-23T20:10:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to do a quick little post here that Heidi over at Row House 14 who is also a fabulous member of EtsyGreetings did an interview with me last week! She just posted it today so go check it out and read up more about how I started Sunset Shutterbug! :)

Black & Red Valentine's Day Finds

2012-01-20T23:04:00.000-08:00

Eat Your Heart Out Cereal Bowl
Black Hearts
Black and Dark Green Rosebud Earrings
Tree of Hearts

Shop makeover

2012-01-19T22:07:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to get my life organized this month. Keyword here is trying. Granted I can now use my desk at home because it was piled (embarrassingly) high that if I moved anything off it, I feared everything would come tumbling down. Like any clutter, it's stressful just looking at it. I finally cleaned it off and filed lots of papers away over this weekend. Yay! I can now type, as I am now, while sitting at my desk without fear of bumping everything off to the floor.

In addition to getting my desk cleared and my card supplies being nicely organized in boxes, it's time to get my online shop organized. Meaning it's in dire need of a total overhaul. You know, photos, descriptions, tags (oh those tags!) and marketing. You can make a great product but no one's gonna know about it unless you "sell" it and market it.

With that said, I signed up for an Etsy shop workshop this weekend for tips and tricks to make my shop work. I also have a couple backlogged webinars I need to view which I'm going to aim to get around to this weekend. There's also an upcoming marketing workshop next weekend and debating on that. Maybe I'm getting a little too ahead of myself? Quite possible.

I made 6 new cards last night which I need to photograph. I'd love to get those up in the next week or so. Of course in the midst of all this I'm of course trying to keep sane. It'll make you go crazy!! What's that saying, keep it simple? Oh right, yes keep it simple. It's good to have goals of course, but I guess I shouldn't try to reach them all at once.

January is almost over which is mind-boggling. Seems like we just finished New Year's. How is your first month of the year going, any goals you're looking forward to reach this year?

Organization tips

2012-01-06T21:51:00.000-08:00

I spent part of Sunday and Monday organizing my supplies. I stopped at IKEA and picked up some inexpensive boxes to put my cardstock, supplies, photos and other do dads in so at least I wasn't looking through bags (gasp!) to make my cards. Plus it's way easier to grab a box and know exactly what's inside.

I love love organization. Who doesn't? It makes it easier to find things, it looks clean, it's less stressful and it's a time saver. I probably need to purge my bedroom and probably my hall closet, but like most people when they see a mess, you want to avoid it because it's overwhelming.

Though it doesn't stop me from drooling over boxes or other containers at stores like the Container Store. I love reading tips about organization. I was looking at an article about de-cluttering and found some awesome creative organizational tips that I thought I'd share. Here are some of my favorite.

Use tin cans to store office supplies

Wine rack for yarn storage

Hang boxes on the wall

Pillbox for embellishments

Organize your freezer with baskets

Shower caddy to organize supplies

Hello 2012!

2012-01-02T23:11:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! It's 2012, how crazy is that? Seems like 2011 went by really fast. It was a tough year, especially the last half so I'm glad to be starting a new year.

I didn't really do much on New Year's Eve except watch a Lost marathon. Went out to dinner with some friends and then came home to watch a few episodes just before turning on Dick Clark's Rockin' Eve show. That was my New Year's. Actually, that day my boyfriend I were returning from Palo Alto because we stayed down there overnight for our anniversary.

We stayed at the Garden Court Hotel and got the Hometown Tourist on Ice package they're offering right now. The package included gift certificates to the restaurant downstairs, ice skating reservations at the local ice skating rink, a s'mores kit and a bottle of wine! We had a lot of fun! The s'mores kit was pretty awesome and actually worked. I was worried we'd just get some pre-packaged gift bag with the stuff and no way to actually heat up the marshmallows, but no they had a little machine!

Ice skating was interesting. My boyfriend to my surprise actually knows how to ice skate and I've never been on the ice ever. We went and the place was packed. He was showing me how to try to move along the ice which was pretty darn funny. I felt down twice, but not too bad considering I'd never done it before. I took him down the second time. Ha! I spent most of the time hanging on to the railing and trying to get around the 7 year olds learning too while holding on to dear life so I didn't fall again. We had a lot of fun doing something different. It gave my arches on my feet a workout because I was struggling to balance. I was sore the next day!

New Year's Day I lugged my butt out of bed to the studio where I workout. The studio traditionally does a 2 hour workout on New Year's Day, day after Christmas and the day after Thanksgiving. Myself and 9 other people got our first workout in. The first time I did it I hit the wall twice where I wanted to give up and stop. It hasn't been as bad the last couple years I've done it, but guess that's what it feels like for people who do marathons. No marathon for me, thank you very much! After I got home for my workout, I took a shower and to my surprise, fell asleep for a bit.

I'm off for another day and then I go back to work. It feels like a very long weekend (5 days) which is nice. Usually long weekends fly by, but this one is feeling longer so I can't complain. Did you have a nice New Year's?

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T20:43:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning post about my first Christmas tree, but I'm just now getting around to it. I've lived in my current apartment for the last 5 years or so and never got around to getting my own Christmas tree. I finally got one for $20 at a local grocery store near where my parents live. I lugged the tree in the truck of their car and drove it back up to San Francisco so I could decorate it.

For those of you who don't know, I'm pretty obsessed with penguins. I'm not sure when it started or why, but I love penguins. They're cute, they waddle, they look cuddly, and they look handsome all the time. People have gifted me penguin ornaments over the last several years and I've put some up on my parents tree every year. This year though I decided to use then on my own tree.

My aunt had some bulbs that were from my grandma from years and years ago so I put those up. They've seen better days, but in a way, it's a nice little remembrance of my grandma since it's our first Christmas without her. The strings of lights were kinda popping out since half the strand went out. My little tree I think has 3 strings of lights on it because I couldn't' be bothered to properly disconnect the bad string with a new string. Then the new string I put on, half the strand went out so I couldn't win. Oh well!

So my little penguin Christmas tree sits nice and happy, even if I'm not spending Christmas at my apartment.

I spent yesterday baking snicker doodles, chocolate chip cookies and oatmeal cookies for our giveaways. Then this morning woke up at 10am (I was so tired from baking the night before) to bake a batch of sugar cookies. I came over to my parents house to eat some tamales and sit on my butt for a while. My niece and nephew were heading over and they were looking forward to baking with my mom, so while they did that I helped my mom do some wrapping so she didn't have to spend all night wrapping.

The cookies are all set out for Santa and I'm sure the kids are ready to doze off any minute now. It's time to get ready for bed and wake up to open gifts with the family. May you all have a very nice, healthy Christmas wherever you spend it and who you spend it with. And for my Jewish readers and friends, may you all have a Happy Hanukkah!

Tamale update

2011-12-13T14:38:00.000-08:00

I went back home recently to learn how to make our family tamales. Of course my camera battery died so I ended up having to take photos with my phone.

Granted it's pretty darn hard to make tamales in one day. I'm sure you could, but it's exhausting. My dad had cooked the beef and pork the day before. He also cleaned out the chili peppers so we could use them for the sauce. We boiled them and then tossed them into the blender along with with roasted garlic and onions. Once that was done, we strained it so we got the nice, smooth sauce that would be used for the beef and pork. We actually did this with 2 different types of chili peppers. The beef used just one kind of chili pepper and the pork used both.

At the same time we also were making the picadillo filling which is made with ground beef, squash, carrots and jalapeno juice.

After we finished this my mom and I cut up the jalapeno cheese that we use for the cheese tamales. Oh such yummy cheese! By this time I was exhausted and we'd just done the fillings!!

The next day my dad and I went to pick up the pre-made masa. We were aiming to make 100 tamales so we got 2 bags of masa which was about 25 lbs. My dad took out last year's corn husks that we didn't use and soaked them in hot water. My aunt came over to help assemble and we had a tamale assembly party!

It took about an hour and a half to get them assembled and then we put some on to cook. Usually my dad and, uh some other family members start asking 15 minute into them cooking, "Are they done yet?" It takes a while to cook them (steaming), but it's always worth the wait when they're finished.

The verdict? Amazing! I don't know when I'll get around doing it all by myself, but at least it's a start. I took some tamales to my coworkers and then some of my other coworkers said "Heeeeeeeeeeey, where'd the tamales come from?" The tamales get around. I also asked my dad about how many tamales did we make last year? He estimated 900! Isn't that crazy!!! I told him to keep count so we'll see if he actually does when I go home for Christmas. Anywho, it's certainly not Christmas in my family's house without tamales cooking on the stove! Yum yum!

Wedding bells

2011-12-12T12:28:00.000-08:00

Here are a few new cards that will be posted soon. I figured these would be ideal for newlyweds :)

Tea time!

2011-12-11T10:42:00.001-08:00

I was talking to my sister asking what my niece might like for Christmas this year. She apparently loves to do tea time so I bought her a little tea time set. Here's a few from a tea time inspired treasury I made.

Pink Hand Bag

Felt Sugar Cookies

Natural Stuffed Animal

Tea Party Hairclips

Vintage Teapot Pouches

Happy belated Thanksgiving!

2011-12-07T20:16:00.001-08:00

It's been too long since I've posted. I've attacked the tamale making tradition, hit up the aquarium again and a bunch of other stuff over the last couple weeks! So I have to back track a bit ...

I had a really nice Thanksgiving. It was my first holiday without my grandma who passed away in early August so in that sense it was hard. It was probably her favorite holiday because she loved cooking and she would welcome anyone who wanted to join us for it.

To honor her and of course keep to Thanksgiving going, I ended up doing desserts. I ended up asking my best friend to help me because we were going to have my little niece and nephew show up early evening and it's pretty hard to work in the kitchen with little kiddies around.

It took us 7 hours, but we managed to make 4 pumpkin pies, 1 apple pie, pumpkin spice muffins and 1 pumpkin mousse tart. They all came out awesome, well except for the tart. That was too orangy for some reason, it was kinda weird. But everything else was yummy. It was my first attempt to make a pie from scratch (apple) and I gotta say I was pretty proud of myself!

We were exhausted getting things together, but it was totally worth it. The kiddies put on a random show while we ate and they sang about food which was pretty funny.

Overall it was bittersweet, but I think we did my grandma proud. We didn't burn anything, the turkey didn't fall on the floor while taking it out of the oven nor did we drop a pie. Everyone was full which is a prefect way to end a good meal.

If you celebrated Thanksgiving, what was your favorite part?

What to do with it all?

2011-11-16T22:22:00.000-08:00

A few months back when I was saying goodbye to my aunt after visiting, she asked if I wanted a fairly decent stack of scrap booking paper. I used a little for packaging my stuff, but really I have no idea what to do with all this colorful paper.

Since photography's my thing, being "crafty" or "artist" in other ways is out of my comfort zone. I tried googling ideas on what to use the paper for, but I'm fairly low level when it comes to, well being creative with paper.

So I'd love some ideas! Especially from those of you who love paper projects. It's going to be raining for part of this coming weekend so something to keep me occupied would be fun.

Is it payday yet?

2011-11-15T21:49:00.000-08:00

Ever have those days where payday seems so faraway?

I have film and prints to pick up from the photo lab. I can't wait. New cards are a comin'! Plus I love the funny guy at the photo lab. He reminds me of what's his face from Napoleon Dynamite. Oh, Napoleon. That's who he reminds me of. It's totally weird, he just has a longer blond curly hair in the shape of a fohawk. So funny.

I'm also in the process of thinking about Christmas shopping. Need some money for that, right? I don't have a bunch of gifts to buy, but I want to get a little more thoughtful this time instead of buying last minute or buying whatever because I can't figure what to get. I was thinking of trying to buy local, that is buy from little boutiques or check out Urban Bazaar over in the Inner Sunset to help support local artists. Maybe everyone will get a succulent plant from their succulent bar because those are kinda hard to kill. Everyone likes a little greenery, right? Mine haven't died yet. They also haven't burned in the kitchen window so that's a good sign that they're healthy plants. Either way, need to start making a list soon!

I'm helping plan my office's annual Hanukkah party next month. We do an elephant gift exchange every year and since I didn't participate last year for it, I figured this year I would. I was thinking of using a box of cereal as the gift. Maybe something like Fruity Pebbles or something. I may have something hanging around that would be better. I'd be happy getting a box of cereal!

How are things in your neck of the woods? Getting ready for the holidays yet?

It's almost tamale time!

2011-11-14T05:10:00.000-08:00

The end of the year is quickly approaching and usually it means shopping, running around and eating lots of food!

In my family, every single year except for 1 year, we always make homemade tamales. Well, to be specific, my mom makes everything and some of us help assemble. If my mom wasn't around, we wouldn't have any homemade tamales. God bless her!

My mom told my siblings and I "You kids need to learn how to make these tamales because there will be a point when your dad and I won't be able to do it anymore." And since I'm the one kid who actually cooks and bakes, I figured I'll give it a try.

Here's a pic of last year's batch. I think we used about 90 lbs of masa. We always mean to count how many we make each year, but we get too overwhelmed and lose count. Maybe I'll try this year.

I remember my mom telling me that the very first time she made tamales (masa from scratch), they had a big gathering with family and friends. She recalls how horrible they tasted and everyone was so sweet and ate them anyway. No one said they tasted bad, but they didn't have the heart to tell her they weren't very good. It's the thought that counts, right? I wonder how bad they really were!

I don't recall ever making the masa with lard which is traditional. Granted lard makes it tastier, but you can use other substitutes instead like shortening. So my mom made them with Crisco. She'd take out the big metal container and mix up the masa by hand. She never used a hand mixer because the amount we made required to do it by hand. It seriously is a workout. The test that the masa was "done" was if you put a little blob of it in a glass of water that it floated. If it fell to the bottom of the glass, it isn't ready.

The corn husks soak in hot water until you are ready to making the tamales. We used to make only 3 types of tamales: beef, pork and picadillo (ground beef). But then my best friend went vegetarian so my mom didn't want her left out so tried to make a cheese tamale. This was back in the late 90s. Both the picadillo and cheese have slivers of chili in it to add some spice to it.

So my mom makes the fillings and then we start a tamale assembly line. We start spreading the masa over the corn husks and then my mom starts grabbing them and filling them with yummy goodness. After we finish one filling, my mom fills a pot and cooks them. We pretty much work like little piggies to get them all done. We can't cook them all at once, so we box them up and put them in the fridge while my mom cooks them in shifts over a few days. Once they're cooked, they freeze well for several months (if they last that long).

To cut down the labor, we now buy prepared masa from a local grocery store. Either way, it is a labor of love and a lot of work, but well worth it. This time around, I'll be visiting my folks in early December to make the ones we give away so folks have them for Christmas.

This year is the year of big changes in our family and it's time to start learning the traditions so my generation can keep them going. Because it doesn't quite feel like Christmas in our family like tamales cookin' on the stove.

For more fun holiday traditions, check out the EtsyGreetings Team Holiday Blog Hop below by clicking on either arrow!

Finding the path to ...

2011-11-13T12:53:00.000-08:00

Over the last couple weeks, I've been really trying to put forth the effort to take care of myself. Whether it be getting a massage, working out, doing a quick session of yoga, volunteering at a local garden or taking time out for myself to just relax. And in a way, it's been hard but I'm slowly getting used to it. It's really, really nice I must say.

I'm not a big Oprah fan. I watched episodes of her show here and there when it was on. She launched her own network OWN and a few weeks ago started a show called Lifeclass. I found out about it because inspirational speaker Iyanla Vanzant was going to be on. The basic concept of this show is to work towards making your life better and to be happier. She touches on a lot of different topics, most which everyone at some point in life has dealt with (anger, resentment, loss, etc.).

The one thing that really struck me is was the episode that talked about finding your calling or purpose. So many people I know are stuck in their life. Or feeling like they're starting over but not sure what to do about their jobs, finance, relationships, etc. Wondering, "What am I supposed to be doing?"

I sometimes think that. What am I going to be doing in 10 years. Am I still going to be working at my current job? If not, what am I going to be doing? Will my Etsy shop take off if I keep working at it or will it fail?

I don't know. But it's ok. Not knowing isn't the end of the world. All I know is to keep doing what brings me happiness or joy and that's enough. Things will fall into place when they are supposed to. It may happen as I like it, or it may not. And to not give up if something isn't happening as I see it or as quickly as I want it.

I even started a Gratitude Journal to start focusing on the positive stuff that's going on rather than the negative stuff. Boy it's easy to see the bad stuff when it seems like that's all that's going on.

In short, it's time to start looking on the bright side and focusing on the things that bring you happiness and joy. Life is too short to focus on the "I can't" and time to look at life as "I can." The sky's the limit, don't limit yourself because of what you think you can't do. It's all in your mind!!

How to be alone

2011-10-22T10:07:00.000-07:00

I found this great little video posted on Birdcage Cards Blog. A very inspiring message on what it means to be alone.

It's starting to feel a little like autumn

2011-10-21T20:29:00.001-07:00

Autumn Tree Earrings
Autumn Photograph
Fall Wreath
Fall Leaves
Fall Soap

Marin Etsy Show

2011-10-15T19:57:00.000-07:00

I trekked up to Marin yesterday afternoon for the first ever Etsy event in the North Bay. Marin Handmade held the event in downtown San Rafael.

Jen of Jen Spilly Designs

Heather's stand for GstudioStyle

Melinda's display of Blue Banana Studio

Carol of Mid Century Mosaics

It was a beautiful day for the show and it was nice meeting folks who I had only known via SF Etsy's Team forums. Hopefully everyone had a good time and made some sales. Great job Jen, Heather and Robin for coordinating the show!

Mailing challenge, etc.

2011-10-13T19:05:00.000-07:00

52 Weeks of Mail sponsored by EtsyGreetings Team has offically started. Well, it started on Monday.

I have the rest of the week off (yay for 4 day weekends!) so I sent this off to my hairstylist when I got home after a cut and color from him. I forgot I had these funny postcards hanging around. Good way to kick off the event, right?

Hopefully he'll get a kick out of these awesome mail-order fashion hunk postcards from 1970s catalogs. If you'd like me to send you something fun in the mail let me know in the comments!

Since I took out all this card stock/art paper my aunt gave to me recently, I decided I need to package up my magnets. I'm not sure if I like the color background for packaging or if I should leave it white or do nothing. Then to top it off I made color labels a while back for packaging and of course I can't find the sheet. I was turning my apartment upside down looking for it. I don't believe I used it up. I could have, but not knowing is driving me crazy. I'm too lazy to print a new sheet, but I guess that's what I have to do. I'll be busy tonight!

Tomorrow I'll be heading up to Marin for the first ever SF Etsy Marin show! You can check out the specifics here. I look forward to getting to meet some other SF Etsy members and enjoy the weather up there. It's been hot in the Bay Area!! A craft show and great fall weather? It doesn't get any better than that!

Urban Farming

2011-10-09T21:21:00.000-07:00

I visited Hayes Valley Farm this afternoon to get my hands a bit dirty for the first time in ages.

I'd always seen this place while going to and from downtown and been curious about what really goes on here. The interesting thing is this 1 block sized farm is smack in the middle of San Francisco. In fact, it used to be a big slab of freeway before it was a farm.

After a lot of hard work from the community and volunteers and of course donates and grants, it's a great piece of green in the midst of a busy area of the city. You'll find a green house, beekeeping, composting, solar charging station for electronics (free!), seed lounge, story telling area, yoga and all sorts of other on-going projects. It's amazing!! You don't even have to leave the city to learn about beekeeping or how to compost.

I spent the afternoon chatting with other volunteers and learning about what goes on there. I started mulching and then helped turn over and move some compost piles. They get their food scraps once a week from the SF Zen Center located just up the street. I have to say, the smell, well it was pretty ripe. I finished up by sampling some of cherry tomatoes that were freshly picked.

It felt good to get outside on a sunny day and get my hands dirty. I forgot what a workout gardening can be! I left tired, but it was good tired. Now I know where to go to get my green thumb fix in the City on Sunday afternoons.

Books, books and more books!

2011-09-25T20:38:00.000-07:00

I wasn't planning on attending the SF Friends of the Library Annual Big Book Sale because my mom wasn't able to come this time around, but I decided last minute to go. It's the biggest book sale on the west coast! Any avid book lover would love this place. It's amazing! Books under $4 and today all the books were $1 or less.

I left pretty exhausted as did my brother who went for the first time this year. We did a little damage and I also picked up a bunch of books for my aunt's classroom. She has a mini library since the school library is shut down.

I walked away with 43 books for $43. Not bad. Can just imagine that if I paid full price, it could have cost several hundred dollars.

Until next year!

Etsy Shop Spotlight: The Painted Peep Show

2011-09-21T07:41:00.000-07:00

I had the honor of getting to do an interview with Blake of The Painted Peep Show. He's a fellow EtsyGreetings Team member and makes pretty awesome cards. He has a great selection of cards to help you get set for the holidays that are just around the corner. Check out what he had to say!

Tell us a little about yourself, who's the guy behind The Painted Peep Show?

Me. I do everything. At least, it feels that way sometimes. I work in marketing by day, and Illustration by night. Hobbies take up the rest of my time, so there isn't much lounging about, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Get Well Soon

How did you come up with your shop name?

It needed to be something that was attention-getting, and I thought The Painted Peep Show sounded a bit scandalous. The majority of my cards take a voyeuristic approach, but not in a sleazy way. For example, my "Naughty or Nice" holiday cards show children breaking all the cardinal rules of Christmas.

Take us through a typical day for you.

Wake up. Shower. Breakfast. Etsy. Work. Lunch. Etsy. Work. Home. Etsy. Dinner. Wine. Etsy. (and that's just Monday)

Running Dachshunds

You describe your work as "sweet enough to be featured in a children's book, but have a humor dark enough for the older crowd to enjoy." Does a majority of your art have a dark side to it, or is it quite different?

I'd say I'm pretty consistent. I love a narrative, so most of my cards tell a story, or allow the viewer to make up their own. I love children's books and Halloween, so I blend those together and pepper with my tongue-in-cheek (aka, dry) humor. Occasionally, you'll come across a pretty landscape, or some other sweet imagery. Oh, and dogs!

What inspires and motivates you?

HALLOWEEN! Children's books. Folktales. Dogs. Campy movies and t.v.

Trick or Treat Boys

How did you come across Etsy? What motivated you to sell your cards online?

When the economy crumbled a couple of years ago, I was laid off from my job (which I hated) and my sister suggested I look into Etsy. It kept me in a schedule and motivated me while I was looking for full-time work.

Do you have any favorite Etsy shops?

Of course! But, they change on a daily basis. I love seeing what my peers are doing in the Etsy Greetings Team, as well as other Savannah College of Art & Design alumni (Scad on Etsy team).

What have you learned about yourself since you started selling on Etsy?

Like they say, you are your own worst critic! I had to ditch the self-doubt, get out of my comfort zone, and pursue my goals.

What's your creative space look like? Do you have a designated room to do your work or are you like me and work off the dining room table?

I live in a little Brooklyn apartment parallel to the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (it's nicer than it sounds...I swear). I work from my dining room table (like you) and count my blessings that I'm not stuck in traffic on the other side of the glass!

A Christmas Story - Ralphie

Where else can we find you and your work?

Every year I do the artwork for Sooner Golden Retriever Rescue (this year's theme is Goldens in Wonderland, based on Alice...) and that's coming up in October. It's possible that my holiday cards MIGHT be featured in an HGTV Christmas show this winter. And, ShopSCAD in Savannah, GA has just started carrying my cards. Most of all, I hope to work on a children's book soon!

Eye Candy

2011-09-19T22:19:00.000-07:00

Now, I wish I could take credit for this amazing cookie recipe, but I can't. They sure were good. You can find the recipe (original) here.

You've got mail!

2011-09-16T22:59:00.000-07:00

The EtsyGreetings Team are a group of folks who make awesome greeting cards. One of our members, Angie of Bear River Photo Greetings came up with this great idea of "52 Weeks of Mail". The concept is to reconnect with people by sending at least 1 card, note or letter to someone per week for 52 weeks. It can be a friend, family member, or anyone you feel like dropping a note to.

Considering how much communication is done electronically, I have to say it's rare that I get anything personal in the mail. The only person who was good about sending cards was my grandma. She even sent a Christmas card in the middle of the summer and crossed out the Christmas greeting and personalized it. It made me laugh. I will miss getting those in the mail from her.

So mark your calendar for October 9th! It's not too hard. Even if you can't do it for a full 52 weeks, maybe start small and just send a note out to someone you haven't talked to in a while. Find a pen and piece of paper and start writing. Or better yet, check out the EtsyGreetings Team Blog to shop for some new greeting cards. For updates, check out 52 Weeks of Mail on Facebook to stay in the loop!

New stuff and a buttery tortilla

2011-09-08T22:18:00.000-07:00

Well 2 pieces of big news!

1) I have some new stuff I need to get listed. I have some magnets completed and some cards I made from my discovered stash of photos. I'm picking up new images this weekend so I'm super excited about seeing how they came out. Printed from old school negatives, remember those? I have some other magnets drying, but I seem to have bad luck with my photos and the big pieces of glass. I can't figure out why, something with the glue I think. We'll hopefully they'll look ok.

2) A tortilla update. I tried this past weekend on the tortilla assignment and they came out edible. Pretty good for the second time ever making them on my own. I made about 15 from one batch. I told my brother (who I live with) that there were some tortillas to eat if he wanted some and they were gone in a matter of 2 days. I came home to eat one and said "Are they all gone??" Ha, my brother said "Yeah." Granted I ate like 4-5 cuz I was hungry as I was making them, but I'm also not surprised he ate the rest. I'm glad though I didn't eat them all by myself.

I have a feeling I needed to add more water to the mix because they're not as fluffy as the ones my grandma used to make. When they cooled down they got a bit hard. I'd microwave it to soften it up, but then it got stiff again. Oh well! Maybe I'll try again this weekend. It just takes practice. I think I got one perfectly round, otherwise they were all shaped funny. No matter what shape they were, I couldn't help but slather a bit of butter on it. Mmmmmm!

Finding a hidden treasure

2011-09-03T13:30:00.000-07:00

I found a box of old pictures I had printed probably done a few years ago when I first tried making greeting cards with my photos. If that wasn't cool enough, but I found the negatives! Negatives of photos that I can no longer take because the places no longer exist. The "Sky" mural that used to be next to SFMOMA I'm making into a magnet. I'm hoping I can ask the photo lab where I get my images printed can fiddle with the negative to get to looking better. But for now, this single print I'll use to make a magnet.

I'm hoping to get some magnets finished this weekend along with a couple other photo greeting cards. I'm slowly getting back to the groove.

Other plans today will involve making some chili beans (grandma style) and homemade flour tortillas. Probably a year or more ago my grandma had shown me how to make flour tortillas. I made them once on my own and they came out pretty good, but not as airy and fluffy as hers. But at least they were edible! Really, not bad for a first try. So today I'm going to try them again. I hate that I didn't write down her instructions so I figured I'll try the Rick Bayless version which is the same as my grandma's except without baking powder. Let's home I make my grandma proud!

How are you spending your day? Do you have any cool family recipes that you love making?

Aquarium Sleepover

2011-08-29T20:45:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium to make one of their summer sleepovers.

Granted there were 300 people (75% kids) and was mostly made up of a various boy scouts, girl scouts and one brownie troop. Then there were families and the handful of people like me who were just adults wanting to stay over night at this world famous aquarium.

The evening was filled with cookies and milk (evening snack of course), crowd free viewing of the whole aquarium's exhibits, a night owl movie and otter trivia.

I must say it was pretty cool settling down next to the jellyfish and also having a view the Open Sea exhibit (1 million gallon tank). Watching the various marine life swimming quietly as I fell asleep was amazing.

Considering the number of kids, it was pretty quiet at night. I feel pretty lucky to have grown up within 40 minutes of Monterey, can't forget those school field trips to the aquarium. I even remember in high school getting the opportunity to visit MBARI, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in Moss Landing to meet some cool researchers.

If you ever have the chance to make it to the aquarium, you don't be disappointed. I'll be making use of my family's annual membership this year!

Slowly getting back ...

2011-08-26T21:42:00.000-07:00

Well, I wasn't expecting to take a long hiatus, but I did. Partly because I've been feeling uninspired lately. The other reason is my grandmother passed away early this month. Things were pretty much a blur for about 2 weeks. Granted she was 89 years old and I knew she wasn't going to live forever, but it's hard when you know it's about to happen. I was thankful that my family and I were able to say goodbye to her and that she knew we were all there for her.

Now, I'm trying to get used to this new "normal" whatever that is by taking it one day at a time. I still haven't unpacked my clothes and my bedroom's a mess. It was weird coming back to San Francisco and returning to work. It took me about a week to really sort out what was going on. Actually it was the same when I came back to my apartment.

Anyway, September is just around the corner. Seems like this year is flying by. Summer is winding down and the fog is still here. Nothing like a foggy summer in San Francisco, right? How's your summer been?

CSA memberships

2011-07-21T18:17:00.000-07:00

I'm alive! I swear! Just been busy. Spent last weekend trying to clean up. I got pretty lazy picking up after myself and my apartment was becoming a mess. Plus laundry was out of control, but now it's a bit more organized and less chaotic.

Today I started again thinking about CSA memberships. Over the last year I've debated on becoming a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) member. I like to cook but I get lazy and forget to cook stuff. Or I forget that I have veggies/produce and it goes bad. Safeway and other chain grocery stores tend to not have the best quality of fresh produce. Or I forgot what I was going to make with it in the first place. It takes energy to go to local farmer's markets too and sometimes I just don't have the energy to go to one just to get my veggies and produce. Wouldn't it be nice to get everything at one place??

Then found out about CSAs where you sign up and you receive a box/bag of local goodies from the farm, some even sell cheese or honey too. I thought "wow, that's cool!" They're not really cheap either, but I'm curious how it compares to going to a farmer's market.

Luckily for folks like me who aren't sure how we'll like it, several memberships have a month trial to see if you like it. Price is a factor as is the pick up location since I don't have a car here. When I grocery shop, I only fill up a hand basket since that's all I can carry on the bus and walk with. I don't want to lug a big box around. Plus I don't want to get so much food a week that I can't eat it all and then I just keep wasting amazing food and my money. Ah, decisions!!

But I'm hoping it may inspire me to get back into cooking and being healthier. Depending on the membership, I may get to pick what I want, or I get a mystery box and I get to experiment with foods that I may never have thought to try. Plus some memberships also send you recipes each week so maybe I won't be so lost as to what to do with a radish.

We'll see!! How do you get your produce? Do go to multiple stores when you go grocery shopping?

Great Greetings Giveaway!

2011-07-02T10:56:00.001-07:00

I'm a member of the EtsyGreetings Team and I'm participating in the Great Greetings Giveaway for the month of July! What does that mean? That means that if you buy from participating shops from July 1-31st, you'll be in the running to win a collection of awesome greeting cards, including one from me!

The more you buy, the better. And I will say there's nothing like getting a handmade card, riiiight? Click here to see the number of cards you can purchase.

For more information, check out the EtsyGreetings blog for more information.

Summer is here

2011-06-28T21:34:00.000-07:00

Despite the downpour that greeted me this morning when I stepped out of the apartment (in June!), one of my favorite things to do during the summer is go to Film Night in the Park. What's your favorite thing to do during the summer?

In search of food ...

2011-06-21T18:25:00.000-07:00

I really enjoy cooking. I also really enjoy baking (cookies tomorrow!). But I've gotten pretty lazy in the cooking department. Last night, I finally cleaned out my fridge because it was just out of control. I live with my brother and between us, I tossed out so much food last night that went bad probably because we didn't know what we had in the first place. I'm going to aim to clean the fridge out twice a month to keep in under control.

I could imagine how much money we wasted too. I'm going try to at least plan 2 meals a week and of course, make a list before going grocery shopping. My fridge is pretty bare at the moment, but I stopped at the Farmer's Market during lunch today to pick up a couple things.

I picked up:

squash
celery
green beans
salad
arugula
kale
strawberries
tomato

Any bright ideas on something good to make? I'm stumped and I'm not super creative when it comes to cooking. Or better yet, do you have any favorite recipes?

I'll probably stop by the store to pick up some buns and portobello mushroom and make a burger for dinner.

Indoor garden vibe

2011-06-18T23:59:00.000-07:00

I just created this treasury about making an indoor garden. I live in apartment so no backyard or outdoor space for me. I used to live in a house here in San Francisco and it was nice having outdoor space because I like gardening. Here are some items I liked that didn't quite make my treasury, but can nicely give you the feel of a garden.

Egg Sprouts

Yellow

Succulent Planter Trio

floating green house: tiny

Garden Party Upcycled Glass Jars

An interview with Lisa of Handmade in Israel

2011-06-09T12:57:00.000-07:00

One of the fabulous members of the EtsyGreetings Team is Lisa who runs Handmade in Israel. Check out my interview with her!

Tell us a little about yourself.
Hi! My name is Lisa and my home based papercut art business is 'Handmade in Israel'. I am a forty something Mum to two lively, energetic boys and am married to Richard. We are both British born but now live in Israel.

What's your background?
For as long as I can remember I have been busy with my hands, crafting and making things. As a youngster I knew that I wanted to be an artist for a career. There was never a question in my mind of anything else. I have a BA (Hons) in Graphic Design from Liverpool John Moores University and before kids came along I worked as a graphic designer and art director, and often made cards to send to family and friends. When my last office job came to an end in 1998 my husband looked at some of my cards and suggested that other people might buy them. I approached a local store which immediately took them on, and from then on my days have been spent cutting, sticking and making my papercut cards, albums and pictures!

Your cards are so colorful and beautiful. What made you decide to make cards?
I've explained above how the card business started. More intricate papercut pictures were an extension of that and a couple of years ago a friend approached me with a request to make a customized album for her son's Bar Mitzvah. That added another product to my range and I have made many since then.

How did you come across Etsy? What made you take the plunge to sell online?
A friend sent me an e-mail telling me all about Etsy. I had been selling my cards for a number of years and often heard it said that someone had received one of them but didn't know how to get hold of some to send themselves. An online store was the obvious answer!

I started as an Etsy buyer but it took me a while to get the shop started, partly because of the time it takes to set up the shop and partly because, like many others I am sure, I was concerned that others might not think my work up to it! I am delighted I took the plunge!

We know it tends to get overwhelming at times trying to run a shop. How do you relax and de-stress?
My husband would probably tell you that I never relax! I am the first one up in the morning and often the last to bed at night. It means I get a lot done in the day!

Do you have any goals for your shop this year?
Sales, sales and more sales!

How to do keep yourself motivated?
Motivation has never really been an issue. My time is very precious. The boys leave for school at 8am and the youngest returns home already at 1:30pm. After that my time is spent making lunches, taking the boys to their extra curricular activities and generally running round after them! Therefore my time to work on my business is quite limited so I really try to use my time in the mornings as effectively as I can.

Have you received any memorable stories or comments regarding your work?
I am lucky enough to have received some wonderful feedback over the years, particularly for the customised cards that I create. Recently I received the following e-mail from a satisfied customer which really made my day! "Just want to let you know that Grandma B. loved the card. She thought it made her look a lot younger! Thanks for bringing joy to our family." It doesn't get better than that, does it?

What's a typical day for you?
I get my husband and kids out of the door around 7:30am. I quickly clear up the breakfast pots, make the beds, put on the washing machine and am, hopefully, sitting at my desk by 8:15am. I really try my best to stay there until it is time to go to school at 1:15pm unless I have to go to The Post Office or run an errand. My afternoons are dedicated to my kids.

So many Etsians struggle to run a shop and balancing the rest of their lives. How do you juggle being a mom and running your shop? Do you have any tips for staying organized?
My husband and friends would tell you that I am obsessively organized, to the point of driving my husband a little mad! However, it does mean that the house is kept reasonably tidy, the kids take whatever they need to school and I am able to run my business as effectively as I can.

Etsy has been a wonderful experience for me and has provided me with an online gallery for my work, but my store must develop a little more for me to be rushed off my feet with it! Fortunately I receive a lot of private orders and sell at a number of gift and Judaica stores which keeps me busy.

Tell us a random fact about yourself.
I really do not like grapefruit!

Do you have any favorite Etsy shops?
Oh, many! I adore Sweet Harvey. Susan Taylor's prints are fabulous. Not long ago I bought myself a beautiful necklace from Anac Designs. I also have a soft spot for softies and think that Skunkboys Creatures pieces are amazing.

Any words of wisdom or advice for our readers?
If the design is not working to your satisfaction put it aside and do something else. I am not always so good at this myself but when I do put my words into practice the results are always very positive. It's amazing how something that has been driving you mad for quite some time can easily come right just from a little time out.

And lastly, where can we find you?
Obviously the first place to look is my Etsy shop. I also love blogging and try to update my blog at least twice a week. I find that blogging encourages me to make and create more and more because I want to have something new and exciting to show. I also blog a little about my life here in Israel. Israel is such a tiny country but it never fails to amaze me how varied the landscape is here and so I occasionally drop in a few photos from the various hikes, outings and days out that I have enjoyed with my husband and two boys.

I can also be found on the other usual places: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Flickr.

Thanks Lisa!

The good things that happened

2011-06-08T18:49:00.000-07:00

Image via LennyMud's shop on Etsy.

I swear sometimes you feel like you can't win. If it's not one thing, it's another. Instead of focusing on all the things that have gone wrong in the last week, I figured I'd make a list of things to be happy about that happened today:

1. I got an awesome haircut and left the salon feeling amazing.
2. I was able to get a seat on the bus going to and from downtown.
3. I got to see both my niece and nephew this morning and see them off to daycare.
4. Picked up a pair of earrings from Macy's that ended up costing me $3 (org. $55). I love deals.
5. Getting to catch up with 2 friends on the phone today.
6. Not sitting any traffic whatsoever today.
7. Freshly cleaned bed sheets!
8. Sex and the City mini marathon via Comcast On Demand.

What's one thing you're happy about that happened today?

Funny little creatures

2011-06-06T22:32:00.000-07:00

While surfing Etsy, I came across Blobhouse by Gesine Kratzner who is based in Oregon. She makes these unique, animated creatures that I have to say are pretty darn cute. She has a pretty extensive background as an animation professional and has worked in television and print. Now you can get your hands on one of these cool creatures. Perfect for decorating your home or office!

WORRY WART sculpture

LOVE BUNNIES sculpture

BIG-CHEEKED BUNNY sculpture

MAX the grumpy pet

3 new listings

2011-06-02T07:16:00.000-07:00

Dog Waiting

17th & Uranus

Fruity Pebbles

New stuff coming tonight!

2011-06-01T13:05:00.000-07:00

I'm going to list some of my new cards tonight. I'm excited! I know it's been forever since I've listed new items, but all is not forgotten. Plus I finally got around to finishing up some of my flower magnets.

I was also talking to my mom this past weekend and she had suggested doing a series on words. Mostly ones for different occasions. I have a card that says "Sorry" on it that was graffitied on the side of a building up in Iceland. The streets and buildings of San Francisco have lots of writing, so I may need to go and search for some phrases and see what I come up with.

In other news, I'm finally going to do an R&R trip this weekend. After work on Friday I'll be heading down the California Coast for a bit of relaxation! I found a cute B&B of sorts. The kicker? I'm staying in a trailer. A step up from camping, but not quite a hotel. Ha! I can't wait. I want to go now! I'll be also visiting a dairy farm which should be interesting. I'll take lots of pics and maybe I'll end up with some good images for future cards.

Do you have any future trips coming up?

Garage sale ...

2011-05-30T16:20:00.000-07:00

What an exhausting, fast but productive weekend!

Friday I baked 4 batches of cookies and stayed up till 2am working on my cards. Plus, somehow tried to price some of my other items. I was tired.

Saturday got up at 6am (ack!) and ended up trying to organize stuff for the garage sale. I event set up a little area with my cards.

My sis sold a lot of her kids clothes and other toys. Kids stuff always goes at garage sales. I mostly sold a number of little trinket things that kids liked and a couple random things. Only 2 people bought my cookies so now my family has to finish eating the rest, or give them away. I tried to sell some of my clothes, but seeing as how they were on the nicer end and some I only wore a couple times, I couldn't bring myself to sell them for a quarter or $1. I'm going to try to sell them on Craiglist or Ebay.

I didn't sell any of my cards which was no surprise but a few people took my mini bookmarks. A lot of people stared at my display almost like the were confused as to what it was. Only 1 person commented on them saying they were very nice.

During the crowds (2 or 3 people really) I decided to clean out the garage since I could actually access stuff for once. I moved boxes of stuff that could be sold next year to one side of the garage and things we wanted to keep/needed to be sorted through to the other side. We were then left with a big space to move around in.

I came across a box with old photos from my high school photography class and old prints from my college photography class. I just about died because some of the prints I have are prints of a landmark of sorts in San Francisco that no longer exists. I want to find the negative and see if I can get it reprinted.

I noticed a lot of people seemed pretty particular this time around. It's always amazing when people for 2 days all look at the same item, but never buy it and then 1 person finally does. I don't get it. I think too people just don't have the money anymore. We had priced my brother's DVDs at $2 which we could let go at $1 each. However I had a guy wanting 2 DVDs for $1. I said he could take both for $3 and he agreed. Sorry, DVDs are not priced at the paperback price of 25-50 cents. My sister also had those kid saucers they play in and one that was barely used by her 2 kids. Apparently they go for almost $100 new and she was selling it at $30. People wanted it for like $5-$10. She told them it was new and wouldn't budge on the price. It's a bargain when you think about it, but I'm not sure if they just couldn't afford it or they just had no idea what those really go for retail.

Either way, the economy is really bad for some people. I couldn't blame them for trying pay as little as possible for our items, especially since we had stuff on the nicer end. But hey, you never know when you'll get that person who realizes what an amazing price (and condition) it is in comparison to buying it new who will take it away in a blink of an eye.

All in all, it was a so so sale. There seemed to be less people this year that 2 years ago when we did our first garage sale in probably 15 years. We didn't have any big pieces of furniture or a ton of stuff to sell. Mostly pictures, books and a few household items here and there. I think I made about $38 where my sister made a couple hundred. My dad and brother made a little money too. We at least walked away with a little cash and our garage is a bit more empty than it was Friday. Until next year.

Getting it together

2011-05-26T21:48:00.000-07:00

Well, not quite but trying.

I finally made my mini business cards into bookmarks.

I made a bunch of cards last night (12:30am!) so I need to package them up ... ack actually photograph them first and then package them up. I'm going to attempt to see if I can sell any at the yard sale this weekend down at my folks place. I did advertise this as a yard/craft sale.

I'm totally sure that if anyone looks at my stuff, they'll think it's overpriced or want a card for like 50 cents. Sorry, I can't. I won't. This is the risk I shall take. If anything, I'll let people take free bookmarks in hopes that they'll remember me.

I'm also planning on making some cookies. I was reading online that sometimes strangers are super hesitant to buy anything that's "homemade". I read one woman said she baked something and not one person bought anything. Anyway, I think if that happens, well I have a big enough family and know people who would be more than willing to eat them. I like baking.

So tonight I need to pack up some of my stuff and attempt to work on things tonight and tomorrow at my folks house.

Coming soon ...

2011-05-24T22:27:00.001-07:00

I'll be listing these new greeting cards in the next week or so.

It's ok to say no

2011-05-23T21:18:00.000-07:00

Well I've had a busy last couple weeks. The camping trip was fun. It wasn't quite what I had expected, but I still enjoyed myself. My family came down to celebrate my birthday and to bring me cupcakes. As you can see in the previous post, they didn't arrive in the organized state as they had left my parents house. Either way, we scarfed them down anyway. You can't really go wrong with Betty Crocker. On the last night, it rained. That was interesting. Thankfully we put the tarp on. It was a bit messy cleaning up the next day, but at least it wasn't actually pouring at the time. I didn't get washed away!!

Seeing as how May is almost over, summer's just around the corner. Hot weather isn't really on its way. I live in San Francisco after all. Our summer comes in October when it's hot for a few days. Either way, summer is pretty action packed with birthdays, holiday weekends and I'm planning on trying to make it out to a few craft fairs to meet other folks and of course, buy fun stuff.

There are times when I feel like I'm so busy. Eating out, working out on certain days, going here, going there, party here ... you get the idea. In other words, feel like a chicken running around with its head cut off not knowing where you're going and where you're coming from. Well guess what? It's ok to say no. Seriously.

In a culture like ours where people are working 40+ hrs a week, juggling families and a personal life and then some, it's so easy to burn out real fast. So say no. The world won't end if you say no and generally most people will be ok with it. If not, it's their problem. Put yourself first once in a while because it's not fun being tired and stressed. Don't feel bad about giving yourself some much needed TLC. I feel bad at times, but I also know that I need to take care of myself, others can wait. Plus, people tend to be much more pleasant to be around when they're relaxed and happy, right?

Go for a walk, read a book, go get a massage or take a nap! Or better yet if you can, do a weekend getaway. Give yourself permission to relax, however that may be. Learn to let go. I'm learning and it's hard. But those time you do, when you take time to stop for a bit, it's nice. It's really, really nice.

Will post more soon ...

2011-05-19T18:58:00.000-07:00

A mini getaway to nature

2011-05-11T13:05:00.000-07:00

Well, I won't be hopping on a plane anytime soon. Instead, I'll be doing a little staycation. Do they still use that term? Oh well, anyway I'll be heading out to do some camping this weekend for my birthday. I normally don't do anything, but this time I wanted to get out and go camping.

Last year I went camping for the first time in years. I used to go a lot when I was a kid and our family used to do summer trips when us kids were out. But us kids grew up (well so did the rest of the family) and it was harder to coordinate any family trips.

This weekend I'll be heading out with some friends this weekend to enjoy the nice weather in the mountains. Sadly the weather folks say it'll rain on Sunday so that will be interesting. I might have to stop by a hardware store for some tarps just in case. Anything to avoid waking up to a totally drenched camp site.

My family will come with cupcakes to celebrate on Saturday and we'll bbq, play board games, go on a hike or two, make banana boats over a fire and hopefully enjoy the time away from our busy lives.

Lost and looking to get lost

2011-05-04T21:21:00.000-07:00

Whelp, I'm still sick to an extent. I'm near the tail end though so I'm glad. Bad allergies and a mild cold has made for fun week and a half. Boy was I drained.

But while I was resting and in between coughing fits and naps, over the weekend I saw the show Lost for the first time. I know the series just ended what, last year? One of my old supervisors was obsessed with the show that she flew down to LA for some Lost party where they aired the last episode the night before it aired on TV. Or something like that. Well, I gotta say I was sucked into the show. I don't recall the last time I saw a series that was actually scripted that kept my interest like that. Looks like I'll be watching it from now on, at least on DVD.

I've also been thinking about getting away for an R&R weekend at some point. As much as I'd love to travel to an exotic location, like Fuji or Maldives, my funds are limited to something a bit more .... local. I can't help that I like nice locations with expensive price tags!!

Like maybe heading up to Oregon for a weekend at Coast Cabins where you can bathe outside! Granted it's totally private, or maybe that's the shower for the hot tub, either way, very cool.

Or head down to Palm Springs to Korakia Pensione for the Moroccan/Mediterranean ambiance. How perfect on a hot summer day.

Hopefully sometime soon I'll be able to get away because there's lots of birthdays, anniversaries and other holidays over the next several months.

Do you have any favorite locations you like to run away to when you need a break?

What, a dessert with no eggs, dairy or honey? Is it good??

2011-04-29T15:04:00.000-07:00

Hell yes!

I came across Veganville when I joined the SFEtsy team in March. Now I didn't actually venture into the "vegan" world till about 2 years ago when a trainer/friend at the time suggested a couple vegan recipes from a book she started cooking from. I tried a mock tuna salad and a few other recipes and was surprised how good they were. But I had yet to try any vegan desserts.

I kept looking at Veganville (GiGi is the owner/creator) and drooling over the pictures. They looked so good!! I couldn't decide what to pick, so I decided to buy the sampler. A little bit of several different desserts.

I was happy as a clam when it arrived. The cookies were huge! They're like Specialty's cookies big! And very tasty. The Sam Sam loaf was super moist and chocolatey. I was surprised. I haven't tried the cupcakes yet, but I will soon after I eat a real meal. Below are a couple of her other goodies from her shop!

Vegan Peanut Butter Swirl Smarty Pants Brownie

Vegan I Made a Mint Chocolate Assortment Box

So, in short. Just because it's vegan, doesn't mean it's not tasty. Forget Whole Foods vegan cake, try one of GiGi's goodies! Oh by the way, she's having a sale right now through May 8th, so go satisfy your sweet tooth!

Get well get well soon we want you to get well

2011-04-28T20:03:00.000-07:00

Remember when Elaine sang that song pathetically during an episode of Seinfeld when her coworkers were making cakes for any occasion, even when someone was out sick for a day? Well, I didn't get a cake when I returned to work today, but I've been sick all week with a sore throat and needed to know why.

I popped on over my doctor's office during lunch and turns out I got hit with a mild cold AND allergies. Now last year I paid (probably close to $500 with insurance!) to find I'm allergic to cats and dust. What fun! Can't get away from dust and I know so many people with cats. Visiting them is fun! So my PA told me to rest, drink liquids and do sinus rinse.

Ah, the sinus rinse. Perfect for those of us with allergies, stuffed up noses from colds, post nasal drip, etc. I heard about sinus rinses a couple years ago and despite the freaky looking bottle and weird video, it actually works.

So I shall be rinsing away! For all that drippiness has caused my sore throat. Ugh! Glad I don't have pollen allergies because it's been crazy windy for the past week here. I'm not the only one with bad allergies, but it's not fun.

Once that's done, I shall work on my cards as I watch reruns of Sex and the City and Seinfeld!

Patching up my mini cards

2011-04-26T18:22:00.000-07:00

I stayed home today from work as I woke up with yet again, a sore throat. I got to work yesterday and was going to leave halfway through, but I chugged along. Today I decided to stay home and rest. I think it's helped. Mostly laid in bed watching TV and dosing off and on. I have a feeling my niece may have given me something. Then again, both my parents were coughing. And my grandma. I also take public transportation. Oh who knows where I got it from. Either way, I don't like it.

Between dosing and eating, I printed out labels to cover up my typo on my business cards. Luckily the labels I bought the other week are the perfect size for my mini business cards.

I actually like the quality of the cards, though I now know to double check and triple check my writing before submitting them to be printed.

Touch your toes

2011-04-25T21:06:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a yoga class through the local community college. I started doing yoga probably about 5-6 years ago, off and on. I'd go through months without doing it and then do it here and there. They were offering yoga classes in the morning once a week at the studio (martial arts) I was working out at (doing cardio kickboxing) and it was really nice doing it on a weekly basis. Though I was only able to go because I didn't have a job at the time.

Then a couple years ago I won a 10 class card at an actual studio, however I think I've only used 3 of those up so far. It's kinda inconvenient to get to from where I live.

Anywho, turns out that the yoga classes are starting up at the martial arts studio and the big kicker, they're offering 2 evening classes. Yay! The times they've offered yoga, it's only been in the morning so it never worked for us folk who work regular business hours. So once my beginner yoga class at the local community college finishes, I won't have to pay for an outside source to take yoga classes or only have my yoga dvds at home.

I'm the type of person who has to be told what to do when it comes to exercising. It's why I've never been a member of a gym because I find it all intimidating trying to do something on my own while everyone else is there. I'm also lazy.

At least taking the community college yoga class, I don't feel like I'm not the only one who maybe can't do certain moves, because there are people who can touch their toes and some who can't. Everyone else is falling over in tree pose, not just me.

Even though at first I wasn't able to touch my toes the very first time I did yoga, I was pretty impressed tonight that I was able to fully do Plow Pose. Granted I don't look at graceful or "pretty" as the woman in the picture, but my toes touched the floor. Amazing. I was glad I made some progress as I had a hard time just kicked my feet over my head without giving myself some momentum. Now it's not at hard.

Have you tried yoga? Did you like it or does it not appeal to you?

Big flub

2011-04-22T16:38:00.001-07:00

I just realized I ordered business cards (should be in my mailbox as we speak) and wrote the wrong URL to this blog. 100 cards with the wrong URL.

Ugh.

Packaging trial

2011-04-21T22:13:00.000-07:00

My aunt saw my purple flower magnets and told me she wanted to see if I could make 4 sets for Administrative Professional's Day next Wednesday for the secretaries at her school. So I got to work and wow, it takes like 3-4 days to make magnets I've come to discover.

I have to print on photo paper, let that dry (24 hrs recommended), then glue the glass to the image and wait for that to dry. Then cover the back with glue and let that set. Then glue the little magnet to the back and that takes 24 hrs to dry. It's time consuming! Not including the trimming, looking for the photos to use and so on.

I was trying to sort out how to package my magnets. I had the cello bags, but I wasn't sure quite how to sort out the label so they all looked together when all the magnets look different. I found an extra gift bag lying around that was plain, but had just black writing/graphics on it. I thought it would go ok so I cut them up and stapled them to the packets.

My brother-in-law is also in the process of designing my logo and so far has the lettering. I love it. I think it looks awesome. He's working on the image and once I decide, he'll blend them together.

Here's what I came up with, sorry they're a little off. They're from my camera phone as I was sending my aunt over pictures.

I'd love feedback. Any suggestions? What's your favorite way of getting cards, magnets, etc packaged?

Productive day

2011-04-19T15:01:00.000-07:00

Well, to an extent, I was productive today.

I had the day off from work because it's Passover (I work for a Jewish organization, even though I'm not Jewish) so I decided I was going to do laundry, clean the living room, kitchen, bathroom and dining room. Plus make more greeting cards, magnets and whatever else I could squeeze in. Oh, and also go to my workout class, go to the post office and maybe go pick up more supplies.

Whelp, apparently I'm not Superwoman and there are only so many hours in the day.

I did just manage to clean the kitchen and dining room. I'm so lame, I was too lazy to go downstairs to pick up the mop, so instead I used those bacterial wipes you use to sanitize surfaces. Well that took a while! At least the floor is clean.

The laundry's almost done, but it's so time consuming when you have several loads to wash. Ugh. I haven't tacked the bathroom. I'm tired now.

But before my cleaning spree, I did manage to make some more greeting cards and also listed 2 more postcards. A cupcake one and a sunset one.

My aunt asked if she could get 4 sets of magnets to give away for Administrative Professional's Day which is next Wednesday, April 27th here. So I had to print out some photos this morning and I'm making them into magnets. I think 1 picture isn't going to workout, so I'm not sure what I'll be doing with that. I'm thinking of making a set that has various images. We'll see!

Oh, and speaking of magnets, I did manage to have my very first sale!! I sold off my green magnets seen here

I was tickled pink!! So I need to send those off in the mail today. Hopefully this is the beginning of many more sales!

Later on tonight I'll go to my workout class. I'm feeling pretty blobby because I've been so preoccupied with Etsy. Ugh! But one cool thing is I'm glad the studio I go to workout at will be offering yoga classes starting in May! Yay! I'll have somewhere to go after my yoga class at the local community college is done.

Phase 2 of glass magnets

2011-04-16T14:18:00.001-07:00

I finally listed my glass magnets! Yay! I like how they came out.

Fun with food!

2011-04-16T09:51:00.001-07:00

A couple of my favorite shops on Etsy have fun with food. Granted you can't eat it, but they're great eye candy. Sorry, I couldn't resist.

First up is Felt Play Food by Jenny in Houston, Texas. She has food of all sorts made out of felt, from sushi, pizza, spaghetti to even tacos! I'd love to buy these for my niece and nephew when they are a little older and they can play house. I think they'd love it. Perfect for kids who like to play with their food and perfect for parents because no mess to clean up!!!

Over at ZeeBree, you can color till your heart's content! Forget Crayola's traditional crayons. How about have a little fun and color with these awesome cupcakes???

So yummy, but only for coloring please!! Or to look at too! There's ice cream cones, eggs and even fortune cookies! Plus other fun shapes and colors to choose from. There's even scented ones if you like to smell your crayons when you color. Niiiice! Perfect for party favors, your kids or even you when you feel like coloring. I have a coloring book! Don't look at me weird, I know you're jealous.

Last but not least, AJSweetSoap will keep your mouth salivating! That 2000 calorie banana split there? Yeah that's soap. Please do not eat. But please use to lather yourself up! Or leave it on your bathroom counter for all to eye when they're washing their hands with that Dove stuff. Amazing, right??

This full time working mom (I don't know how she has time to make these amazing soaps!) creates works of art from soap. She has corn dogs, cupcakes, buffalo wings, donuts, anything your little eye or tummy desires. Plus for those of you who are vegan, her soap is vegan!

Sorry if I made you hungry by now. But at least you don't have to worry about putting on the pounds with these products. What's even better is all 3 shops have so many items that are under $10! How cool is that?

Farmer's Market

2011-04-14T13:20:00.000-07:00

I was recalling that my veggie drawer in my fridge was looking pretty sad and empty the other day. I had a couple dollars on me and remembered that the Crocker Galleria Farmer's Market is Thursdays at lunch time. So it was time to stock up on some healthy stuff.

The thing I like about Farmer's Markets is there's a lot to choose from. Granted the one I attended is smaller than some of the others located in San Francisco, but it's nice to see what treats folks sell. Everything from pastries, soap, fresh seafood, veggies, flowers ... a little bit of everything.

Today I bought

1 bunch of bok choy
1 bunch of broccoli
1 bunch of spinach
white potatoes
apples
mixed green salad

All for about $13. Not bad. It was fun trying to stick it in the fridge at work along with everyone else's lunch. This particular Farmer's Market is a bit on the more expensive side, but there's probably at least one Farmer's Market in every single neighborhood in San Francisco. There's bound to be one going on every day of the week and at all price ranges and the best part? They're all year around.

Do you like going to the Farmer's Market? Do you have any good ones located near you?

Learning process

2011-04-13T13:09:00.000-07:00

The fun but also annoying thing when it comes to being creative is you'll run into lots of bumps in the road.

Last night I tried again to laminate my bookmarks. I had purchased some self laminating sheets and figured it was probably easier than buying a laminating machine and so on. Well, I tried on Monday and that was a bust. So instead I was able to save my bookmarks and they are currently being turned into magnets. I got my new glass tiles in so I'm going to make a batch.

However, when I tried again last night to laminate, I ran into the same problem. Granted I was trying this at 11:30pm because I was waiting for my laundry to dry (I hate the machine downstairs), but I got so frustrated. I couldn't figure out why it wasn't working. I kept thinking what a waste of money it was to spend on the package of sheets. Also the waste of money on 2 other items I purchased that also didn't workout ... ugh.

I finally realized that I can't be perfect at everything I attempt. Even if I follow instructions, do all sorts of reading up on how to do something that I will make mistakes. It's hard because I want it to happen right now and the way I want it to come out, but that's not what's going to happen all the time.

I need to remember that like anything, it takes practice and lots of patience to get something right. And even then, sometimes things happen.

So, tonight I will focus working on finishing up my magnets and get those all sorted out. It's better to focus on one thing at a time then trying to do a bunch of things which is what I've been doing lately and it's not working.

One step at a time ...

Indian Burrito

2011-04-12T12:41:00.000-07:00

There's an Indian food truck that shows up twice a week outside my building at work during lunch time. San Francisco and the Bay Area has a pretty big food truck following. From cupcakes, to Korean to tacos to even Dim Sum. I haven't really bought food from a truck very often, which is surprising because food trucks are everywhere here in San Francisco. I've been at my current job for just over 7 months and I have yet to try the Indian food truck till today.

I decided to pop on down to the Curry Up Now truck and finally check it out as there's always a line when they're parked.

I ordered a Tikka Masala chicken burrito. And it was pretty hefty size burrito too. Chicken Tikka Masala is pretty much my "go to" dish anyway at Indian places so I was curious how this would taste.

Wow, I'm amazed. It's surprisingly spicy and really tasty. Nice flavor all wrapped up in a burrito. I'll eat half and save the rest for tomorrow's lunch. I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

Do you have any good food trucks where you live?

Kinda worked, but not completely.

2011-04-07T18:41:00.000-07:00

It is freezing here! 30 mph icy winds I almost think I'm back in Iceland! Or I'm in a wind tunnel like Beyonce usually is.

Whelp! I checked out my magnets today and, well they're not going to hold anything up. I make the mistake by buying the magnet sheet that you probably use to do those save the dates for weddings. I put them on the fridge and sadly, ack, one slipped out of my hand and broke! Yeah, I won't be selling those. I need to buy stronger magnets. Plus this batch was a first try and they're not the "cleanest" looking ones. But they look kinda cool!

Facebook page

2011-04-06T21:57:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder, I finally started a Facebook page. Feel free to "Like" and get updates on new listing to the site and other new tidbits as I keep developing the site.

Please let me know if you have a Facebook fan page so I can check your stuff out! And of course, if you like to see anything specific posted or you have any questions about me, please leave a comment!

Penguin greeting cards

2011-04-05T23:16:00.000-07:00

When I was on Etsy earlier today, I came across PenguinPalooza. I love love love love penguins. I don't know when it started, but they always look so cute, all round, waddling in their little black and white tuxedos. I love them. I just about died when I saw that Stephanie of PenguinPalooza makes nothing but penguin greeting cards. Adorable!

Postcard testing and magnets update

2011-04-05T22:38:00.000-07:00

I turn my photos into postcards! Ok, one of them. I was testing it out.

The paper is on the thinner side, but it should work fine. I'm tempted to send my boo boo postcard (I got glue on the photo by accident) to someone to see how it arrives. It's a 4x6 size card. They look cool though.

Later on this weekend I'll probably list some. I really do need to start listing items in my shop badly. I also need to order my card stock Thursday since that's payday and my current checking account is looking pretty low. Buying supplies adds up!!!

I started on my magnets tonight. Yikes, I think I got high of the E6000. I cracked open a window after a while. I should have read the back of the tube first. It gets messy so I tried not to get too much on my hands and waste the adhesive since it oozes out. Ha, I was shoving pictures under the opening so at least it could get the next image started. I'm letting it dry overnight and then tomorrow I'll glue the magnets to the back of them. *keeping fingers crossed*

I was talking to my aunt tonight and telling her about my magnets. She said that it was a cool idea because she has tons of magnets at school (she's a teacher) because they have a magnetic board. Hopefully they come out ok and I can find other fun images to use.

Any suggestions on fun series you'd like to see? I'd love to hear some ideas to get my mind jogging when I'm out and about doing photography. Maybe fruits or veggies? Maybe a picture cut up into magnets so when you put it together it looks like a full picture? Yay, nay?

Project supplies and new reads

2011-04-03T21:19:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I got my card stock samples in to make more greeting cards. I can't figure out if I like it or not. I think it's because the texture is different than what I used previously. Still thinking about it.

The same day, I also got my glass tiles in. They're so small! I'm going to convert them into magnets. I hope it turns out ok.

Today I also went to pick up more supplies, but I probably bought more than I needed to. Nothing like going shopping into a crafts/arts supply store and wanting to start 50 different projects.

Apart from sorting out photo craft projects, I finally got a copy (via the library) of Steve Martin's newest novel called "An Object Of Beauty." I've read his other 2 books which I liked. This one feels very different than the others. My current list of "to be read" list is pretty long. I don't read fast enough compared to the number of books I want to read and acquire. My goal was to read 25 books this year (I read 18 last year) and I'm really surprised I've read 14 this year so far so I'm pretty ahead.

Have you read any good books lately? Or working on any cool projects? Feel free to share!

New prints are in!

2011-03-30T18:54:00.000-07:00

I went to pick up my prints after work today and I'm so happy! I can't wait to start working with the photos. I'm still waiting on some of my card stock because the samples just shipped today, but in the meantime, I'll be turning some of these into postcards.

Starting over

2011-03-28T15:40:00.001-07:00

I attempted last night to make some magnets. Well, it didn't work. The ink wasn't drying on the plastic and running. Maybe it'll be dry finally when I get home and I can see what happens after. Instead I ordered some supplies today which will hopefully come by the end of the week so I can get working on it and do it properly.

In other news, in an attempt to find new inspiring images I trekked over to Chinatown on my lunch to do some photography. My mind and eye is still adjusting back to viewing things as "photographs" so I only shot a few things. 1-2 may be interesting enough to produce.

I have several rolls of film at home I never got around to developing so I think in the next few weeks I'll need to take them to be developed. I'm sure the quality has gone down since it's ideal to develop film as soon as it's been exposed. We'll see. I do recall there being a roll of Chinatown when I went on a photo walk with someone via Craigslist way back when. I had more luck, but I need to keep in mind: the more you photograph, the better your photography will be.

Always a work in progress ...

Tea and Ice Cream

2011-03-26T21:26:00.000-07:00

Ventured out with a friend today to catch up on life. First stop was a cozy shop in the Richmond District to Tal Y Tara for tea and tiny sandwiches ...

And of course, ventured to the Mission District for the famous ice cream at Mitchell's.

And for my usual flavor of choice, Grasshopper Pie! Dipped in chocolate. Yum!

Introductions please!

2011-03-26T09:23:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome to Sunset Shutterbug!

I had the idea for Sunset Shutterbug several years ago when I decided to print my photos and make them into greeting cards. I had some family members say they liked my cards and I should try to sell them. Now I'm finally getting around to it!

I started doing photography when I took my first photography class my senior year in high school. I took several classes at my local junior college and really loved it. I've taken a bit of a hiatus from photography, but am getting back into it since I finally have a working camera! Since it's been a while, it'll take me some time to get back into my groove and to re-train my eye so you'll see how my photography changes ... and hopefully improves! The more you shoot, the better you get.

I'm aiming to venture out more and explore San Francisco where I live. It's currently raining which makes photography a bit more challenging but I'll be posting pictures I take, along with ones I'm working on creating into greeting cards.

I'm a fan of repetition and patterns in photographs. I also like photographing not your typical objects or unusual things that maybe someone else would overlook. But we'll see what new images I come up with! Food is also a fun topic I enjoy.

If you'd like to see my Etsy shop I have set up, please check out Sunset Shutterbug!