Library, Laundry (like I'd not have any to do) and starting something new

As the title suggests I've got a library trip planned today, laundry and plans to start a new project.

What is this project you ask? Well it's one that I had on my list from last year and hopefully it's something that I can get done before the Bean makes her debut. Also it's going to allow me to brush up on my book binding since what I'm planning is to make a bedtime book for the Peanut of the Poem Wynken Blynken and Nod by Eugene Field.

It's a poem that my Dad used to recite to me when I was small and something that I want to pass on to the Peanut and the Bean. I've already done a painting for the Peanut's room but I wanted to also have a picture book that we could read and keep.

First on the list of things to get the book done is to decide the size of the book and decide how many pages so that I can cut the paper down to size. Not as simple as measuring and cutting since paper has a grain that makes folding along one side easier than the other, so I'll have to make sure that I keep that in mind when I pull out my paper. To decide on the number of pages for the book I'll be taking a copy of the poem and breaking it up into bite sized chunks, which will also break the poem up into illustrations for each page.

I'm excited about getting started on this in the new space and I'll be posting on my progress too.

What are you working on today?

Lots to do

today. I'm in the midst of laundry the folding and the washing kind. Beds need to be changed and chocolate needs to be acquired for the advent calendar which needs to be hung.

Other than that today I am focusing on setting up a listing for personalizing options for the ornaments which means that I'll be personalizing some ornaments and photographing so I've got fingers crossed for good light today. On my mind will be the next steps to take in the holiday push. This weekend was a good start but I want to keep it going.

Also on the to do list; a 5 question feature post for the Friday. I received my second Etsy Baby Shower gift the other day and I'll be photographing that as well for the feature.

What are you doing today?

Prep, prep and more prep.

Yesterday I started getting into sale prep mode. I sent out details of our sale this weekend as well as a special coupon code for my facebook fans to use before the sale even starts. If you'd like to get a head start on the rest of the shopping hoards this weekend you can click "like" on my fanpage here.

This morning I set up my sale using the Etsy On Sale Application. I'm so excited to put this application to use since it will makes putting on a sale so easy and nearly hassle free. I say nearly hassle free because I'll be writing up a shop announcement that will include a list of what all the items in PeanutButterPie are priced regularily today. I like to know what the regular price is when I'm shopping so it makes sense to me to share it with any customers who'll be stopping by this weekend. It helps that all my items are pretty much the same across the board and that I only have three different regular prices to list instead of hundreds.

I'll be trying to get a few more items listed over the course of the next few days so that my inventory is up and I also need to post shipping deadlines for the holiday season.

And on top of that I have some Etsy Features to work on, laundry to do, paper snowflakes to cut and glitter with the Peanut and some nesting instincts that I need to take care of since I'm in that stage of pregnancy. It's been very cold here over the last few days and after spending yesterday afternoon bundled up and still feeling cold while out and about I'm just pleased to have an excuse to stay inside.

Now tomorrow is another story. The Peanut and I have to be up and out the door to make it to an appointment by 9:00am. Then it's back home to more prep.

Stalling

The Husband has written a little something that will be posted soon...

This weekend was chock full of busyness from meeting the Bean's future play mate (two weeks overdue no less) and enjoying an afternoon and evening of live music, good food and great friends to a little cleaning frenzy and further work on some new items our time just trickled away.

Today was a Dietitian day, where the Peanut and I traipsed out so I could :
pee in a cup (blood sugars normal)
get weighed (we're up about 25lbs above pre-pregnancy weight)
be chastised for my choice of breakfast (must eat more protein first thing)
and told that the Bean is very well behaved (says the specialist who didn't get the shot in the sciatica that I did last week; in her defence as a fetus she really doesn't know any better so I'll lay off).

Then it was off to meet the Husband for lunch and a quick trip in a torrential downpour home.

And at the end of the day I'm worried that I'm not promoting the new line as well as I could be; So I'm stalling a little with some of the postings so I can review how I'm doing this... I'm a fly by the seat of my pants kinda gal and the drawback there is that there's the danger of not thinking things out completely (which also has it's drawbacks; spending too much time thinking and not doing for instance).

I'm looking for a happy medium... In the meantime, the husband's post will be up soon and I'll be posting some images of what I've been putting together over the last little while. A little taste to whet your appetite as it were.

new projects

So I've mentioned one or two new projects I've been working on around here for my sadly empty and lonely looking PeanutButterPie. Up until last fall this shop had a few hand painted and embellished cards, some baby blessing mixed media art works and some Artist Trading Cards.

Over the last few months I've been really interested in working on photography and have been behind the camera more often than wielding a paintbrush or sewing and beading onto a card. Except that's not exactly true because I have been doing a little painting and there has been some sewing going on and a few other things too. I've just been showing off my photographs instead of some of the other things I've had on the go.

It's a little easier to share the photographs because I've been shooting so much lately but I'd like to start introducing some of the other new things I've been working on too. Over the next few posts I'll be talking a little bit more about what else has been going on in my creative space.

First off is the window covering I've been working on for the Peanut's bedroom. This has been a long running project. I started it two years ago when we moved into a two bedroom and the Peanut finally had a room of her own. I've worked on it off and on since the move and I'm nearly finished it. I bought a pre-made curtain panel that fit the dimensions of her bedroom window. I've been embroidering lady bugs onto the panel which has taken a lot of time but I'm down to the last foot of panel.

(I'll be adding photos of the panel in progress later today, I'll be taking the peanut out to pick up some Olympic celery (the only phrase that is bound to get her interested in heading out shopping) and a few other fruits and veg. We're having roast chicken for dinner tonight and I need a few things for stuffing.) Are you working on something that's been a long time in the making? whether because it's a large project or something that gets put aside for a time, what is it? I'd love to hear about it.

House Keeping and new Business

Back in July I held my first give-away,, in some ways it was a great success, I received lots of great feedback gained some new followers and I learned a lot from the process. I had lots of entries but the winner of the draw never replied to any of my messages regarding her prize.

What's a blogger to do? well I waited just in case a little time was needed but I can't wait any longer. Using the random number generator at Random.org I've drawn a new winner and that winner is Julie! I've contacted Julie via her email address and I am waiting for mailing information so I can get those photographs in the mail.

In other news I've been a busy little artist. I have started adding Artist Trading Card sized photographic prints in TMCPhoto. I'll be including my favourite prints from the shop in this size and adding any requests from you too. In fact I've added a poll here for you to pick which prints you'd like to see as an ACEO, please take a moment to let me know which ones you like.


I'm also working on a new project involving glass paints, microscope slides and solder. Here are a few examples: