Harvest Time

Sugar Peas 015
Originally uploaded by csnoto

What's New?

The peas are exploding, and the brocolli needs some cutting; the tomatoes are getting there and the blueberries are turning dark purple. It's time to start harvesting and freezing for the winter.

We've been having fun in the garden over the last couple of months and the hard work is paying off. I love the way things are growing this year (and not a zucchini plant in site!). Yes, this year we abstained from the usual squash and zucchini, opting for a more modest itty bitty pan squash. We'll see how that goes.

I've put both my etsy shops, Char's Remakes and Stitchary in vacation mode. This will keep everything out of the way so I can concentrate on the garden. I'll still tinker, of course. Little projects here and there, but the vacation mode will help keep me focused.

For more pictures of the garden, take a peek at my Gardens and Wildflowers set in FlickR.

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Later...

Focus, focus, focus...

What's New Today?

There was a very good article in Handmade News, called The Truth about Trying to Please Everyone. It really hit home. The article had me take a hard look at my shops, what they sell, and decide if there needs to be some changes there.

I believe so. Well, at least for two of them. Char's Remakes has a very clear purpose and look. All recycled, upcycled items there. You know if you buy from that shop, you're keeping old clothes and various items out of the landfills. But when I look at Stitchary on Etsy or Stitchary on Artfire, I see, like my crafting interests, I'm all over the board.

When I opened my first etsy shop, I was presenting only my hand embroidered items, primarily pillow cases. It was very clear what I was selling, even though my stock was very small. Now with both Stitchary shops, I have hand embroidery, machine work, cording, kits...you name it.

No focus. What do people see when they go to my shop? Do they understand what my shop is about? Is there anything that will stand out in their memory?

I think when you have a business, you need to continually self-critique, refine and reorganize to fit what you're goals are. I guess that is what I'm going to be doing this weekend: figuring out what it is I want each shop to be about. This may mean some item reshuffling, but oh well...

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Toodles...