Price Debate

So, I find myself, as I place more items on my Etsy shop, dealing with the price debate again. What to charge for my jewelry? I try taking cost of materials into account, and the time it takes me to make things, but I’m afraid that equates to a price that’s too high. Though many people have told me how much they love my creations, they’re not exactly flying off the shelves. Are my prices too high, or are the people who would want my jewelry just not finding my creations?

So I put some bracelets online last night for a cheaper price, to see how that goes. My loving support group on face book insisted that I put them up at too low a price. But apparently the correct price and the price items will sell at are two different things. I'm going to give it a try for now, let me know what you think.

I'm BAAACK

Hello again! NaNoWriMo is finally over, and I have taken my required siesta from all things writing. I’ve had friends and family request to read my novel. In a word, no. In two, not yet. As our NaNo leader stated in our pre-writing meeting: “One month to write the first draft, 11 months for editing.” Much of my novel was written while held conscious only by caffeine, or while distracted by other, less important things, like work.

I want to have a go through on my first draft before I let anyone else read it, to clean up glaring continuity or grammar errors. For example, I think I may have changed a character’s name ½ way through. Though I know what I meant, another reader wouldn’t, and I don’t want the little things like that taking a reader, even a proof-reader, out of the story.

So please, be patient and understanding; this is, after all, my first time. =)

Seize the day

I just made my first sale through Etsy! I am so excited! Now the nervousness has passed, I believe now that this is doable. My goals for the weekend are to finish and post at least 2 more pieces to the store, and to reach 14 thousand words by the end of Sunday with NaNoWriMo.

What is NaNoWriMo you ask? It is National Novel Writing Month – in the month of November (30 days) we pledge to write a 50,000 novel. It isn’t about quality, lord knows mine is not quality, it’s about completing that ever important first draft. So many people talk about wanting to do something, be something, but from fear or a belief that it is too big, they never even start. This is to get past the starting block. This novel may never see a final draft, may never go to print. But I will have written one, instead of talking about how I would like to do that someday, it will be done. Thankfully, I’m not doing it alone. This is a National event, after all. There are over 200 participants in my city alone.

So to all the other future writers out there, or future jewelry designers, or future musicians, don’t just talk about it, DO IT.

“But if you want to see the Northern Lights

You gotta lift up your head and

If you wanna have some kind of life

Decide you're not better off dead and

If you want to read the mystic story written in your future

You better start to write it now...”

~Gaia Consort, Secret of the Crossroads Devil

Etsy is Up!

My Etsy shop is now up and running! Here is the link.
For over a year I have been making jewelry, for my friends and family. After their insistence, I have opened my shop, hoping that other people like my jewelry designs as much as my family. I am honestly nervous about all of this. I have always wanted to be my own boss, but I didn’t think something that I did for fun could turn a profit. My first goal is to break even – pay for my beading habit by selling that jewelry I make. My second goal – pay off my student loan debt. Oh, to be out of debt, the American dream, yes? Wish me luck.

Dr Fun

I have little faith in “modern”, western medicine. It took Doctors a year to figure out the pain in my side was an ovarian cyst, and several more months to remove it. Then there was another surgery a month later to figure out why I wasn’t healing from the first one. They supposedly didn’t find anything, but I healed no problem after the second one, so I honestly doubt it.

I prefer to take care of my minor issues with herbs and proper rest. I don’t believe any health issue is due to a lack of pharmaceuticals in the body, and I’m all about treating the actual CAUSE of the problem, not the symptoms. Most of my illnesses stem from my stresses, so by forcing myself to relax, my health usually gets better.

However, I have been having one issue that are not going away recently.

I’m torn. On one hand, it could be a situation where my American diet and general lack of exercise has finally caught up with me, and I’m paying the price. It could be my body not knowing how to react to the changes I’ve been making in my diet recently – all changes for the better. (Increased fiber, decreased sugar, actually eating a fruit or veggie that wasn’t a topping on something else) Perhaps I took these changes too quick, and my colon is having trouble keeping up. Perhaps it’s something worse. I won’t know till after Tuesday.

Oregon Trail

My loving mate and I went to Faerieworlds 2010 this year in Eugene Oregon. For some people, that wouldn’t be that big of a deal. But I would like to point out why it was and is still such a big deal to me.

1-     I live in NEBRASKA. Over 24 hour drive ONE WAY. We left Nebraska early Wednesday morning, and arrived in Oregon Thursday night.

2-     Have you heard of Brian Froud? Two of the films that seriously influenced my young life, and therefore my outlook on reality, were “The Dark Crystal” and “Labyrinth”. He was conceptual designer in both films. His books on faerie line my shelves. He and his mate Wendy STARTED this festival. They were THERE. So not only did I get to immerse myself in my love of music and Faerie, but I could in a world created by the mind that designed my fantasies. How could one NOT geek out over the awesomeness of that?

3-     Have you ever been in Nebraska in July? Compare the climate between Nebraska and Oregon at any given time. You can see why I was excited - low temps in the upper 90s (NE) compared to highs in the 80s(OR)… yeah.

4-     I was supposed to go last year. My mate and I had tickets and everything. And then I got sick. Very sick. 2 surgeries in 3 months sick. So we didn’t go. I HAD to go this time, to make up for last time, to prove to myself I could do it.

This was the BIG trip for us this year, and it was TOTALLY worth it. Here are some photos.

                                                                My Mate & Me

                                                           Me with Brian!

                                                     My Mate in front of the Main Stage

One of the MANY performers that weekend was the wonderful S.J. Tucker, both as a solo act and with her group Tricky Pixy. No, I did not drive several thousand miles to JUST see her, but yeah, she’s one of the reasons the trip was so very worth it. After much coaxing from my love, I approached her and requested ‘permission’. I told her I wanted to name my business & blog after her song, and would it be Ok pretty pretty please???

She agreed!

I was shocked! I no longer had an excuse, I had to do this. I procrastinate; I’ve made it an art form. But one of the (many) things I love about my mate is that he sees my gifts and talents and constantly challenges me to use them, to become a better person.

So I am, and I will. This is only the beginning.

BRANDING

I thought I would start this blog off with a little story introduction. The story is about how I chose the name Daughter of the Glade.



I had been reading about the concept of Branding – specifically how the word brand has continued to evolve to encompass identity - it affects the personality of a product, company or service, and how it represents more than just a product, but values. My husband and I were discussing how we subconsciously brand ourselves, and how we work with other’s brands.


As an example, my husband is in a band. He wears a bandana on his forehead to keep his hair & sweat out of his eyes (stage lights get HOT), and a sweatband on his wrist to hold picks. This, unintentionally, became his brand image. If he would go to a gig without a bandana, band members & other people would comment. Fans brought him odd bandanas & sweatbands, so he now has a collection. If he wears bandanas in public, usually with the continued purpose of keeping hair or sweat out of his eyes, people will stop him and ask if he’s going to a gig. These items are linked to this public persona.


So we were discussing branding, and how we as people brand ourselves. How would I brand myself? I didn’t want to limit myself, or limit my blog to only one set of ideas, when I am interested in a wide variety of things. I am blessed to have a lot of different passions, and I want to be able to share them all. So we started listing my passions:
~ First and foremost, I am a psychotic environmentalist. I have been so since I was very young. This strong belief has manifested in innumerable ways, including my love of gardening, voluntary simplicity, communal living, and creative reusing (called “upcycling”). I even worked, many years ago, as an environmental lobbyist. It is no longer my career; I would like it to be, but it doesn’t keep food on my table.


~ I am a voracious reader. I’m usually reading 2 or 3 at a time, either fiction or non fiction doesn’t matter to me, as long as it’s interesting. I have a special love for fairy tales, and enjoy what I call “comparative mythology” As a friend once put it, my library card has lots of mileage on it. =) My love of reading has bled into a love a writing, which I am still working on, and this blog is an extension of that.


~ I love music. I love listening to it, I love dancing to it, and I love making it. I sing, I’ve been known to belly dance on occasion, and I play the violin badly. I’m still working on that last part. =/


~ I am female, and I love being a woman. I think it rocks. Some people would be confused about why that would be in my list, being a ‘given’, but my female-ness is such an important part of me, it colors everything I do.


~ I love jewelry. Not wearing it, but making it. Something about attaching tiny beads & things together into something beautiful, I LOVE it.


~ I also love, and can discuss to irritatingly great length, movies (esp classic horror films) Muppets, holistic healing, non traditional teaching techniques, baking & cooking, religion and spirituality, pendulums, Sci Fi / Fantasy anything… on & on.

We started trying to toss out phrases, a few words that would encompass ME. This is not easy. In fact, trying to sum up a person is down right complicated. Even the list was complicated, because which passions are forefront enough to be necessary for a definition of ME? Nothing seemed to fit, were too limiting or ambiguous.


Then my love tossed out “Daughter of the Glade”. It was a light bulb moment. It FIT – my love of nature and the earth, my relationship to it. I envisioned a woman dancing under the World Tree. This was perfect! It was also perfect because this is the title of one of my favorite songs by artist SJ Tucker, a stunningly creative, gifted woman around whom I become embarrassingly fan girl. But, I couldn’t use it without asking her first.


Next post is about how I got that permission.