Fellow Etsy Sellers are some of the nicest people around!

Why? Because they care about you and your business. Because us entrepreneurial creative types are really all the same - we are trying to make a business out of something we love to do. And because of that generosity to help others, someone is featuring me and my Etsy shop CabinGramma, on her blog! I met Beth when I commented on this handmade checkerboard in her Etsy shop - Unraveled Revelry.  Check out the game pieces - genius and unique! She has some fun things in her shop.

This is my very first interview and it was fun to open up, forcing me to dig a little deeper than I normally do, and that's good to do periodically. Here is the link to Beth's Blog - a self made life, to read more about her.

March 5, 2011

Self Made Saturdays Featuring Cabin Grandma

Have your grandkids caught the crafting bug from grandma?

The three oldest grandkids 6, 6, and 8, DO love to craft! I like to think I’ve had an influence on them when it comes to creativity but their moms, my daughter and daughter-in-law, are artistic geniuses in their respective crafts, so the kiddos are bound to absorb inspiration from every direction. Since the grandkids range in ages 2 to 8, their level of artistic abilities differ but they’ve beaded necklaces and keychains, made some very cool ceramics, dabbled in every kind of art project with paper, paints and pens, hand sewed some felt projects, and the oldest has even completed a number of scrapbooks! I do have a big plan for those rainy days we’re together this summer … to teach them to sew simple things like pillowcases and bags on the sewing machine! If they are going to learn how to sew, that will have to be something they get from me and I’m excited to teach them!

What are some of the things you would like to do with your Etsy shop?

Where do I begin? I’ve got a few ideas of improving it but first and foremost, FILL IT UP with vintage things, mostly. And I still have boxes of it from garage sales, thrift stores, inherited items and things people throw away. Yep, that’s the kind of person I am. I blame it on my dad. He’d pull the car over on the way home from church if he saw a rope in the street - “It’s still got some life in it”. I’m also the type that needs to have a sense of order, a semi clean house, and uncluttered area (that would be within my peripheral vision - closets and rooms with doors shut are ok!) before I put my art hat on and feel good about creating, so once the vintage things are thinned out, I can move to my second goal.

That goal is to expand to include a bigger inventory of my handmade items like buntings, pillows, refashioned clothing and so many other visions still in my head. You don’t even want to know how many bins of fabric I have stashed and each of them hold inspiration for fun creations! That may take another Etsy shop, who knows? If I can keep some boxes of my vintage things hidden from the hubby a little longer, I can wear my art hat more often!

Something I’m always trying to improve on is taking more precise and cohesive photographs to improve the appearance of the shop and each item. That will continue to be a work in progress. I haven’t found the ideal location to keep a staging area set up so each time I want to take pictures to list a few things, it’s time consuming. Am I the only one that has trouble with this? I’m open to suggestions, anyone, anyone?

What did you do before becoming an Etsy seller?

Well, when I was about 8 years old, my mom taught me how to sew …. Oh, you probably didn’t mean for me to go THAT far back! Ha ha.

I’ve always had the need to create, mix, change and redo most everything around me. I had a scrapbook business for 7 years, owned a scrapbook retreat for 3 years, and a couple of years ago became a vendor with a 12 x 12 booth at a local antique shop, which I still maintain. That is a lot of fun to see what you have and don’t want, others do or to fix up and paint some furniture and sell it. You meet some great people and get some wonderful ideas of what other people like to put in their homes and it’s not all antiques. Most of them want things they had around them growing up or things that remind them of a special person or place. Painted and recycled or refashioned things are still popular with the shopper in person and online. The work to make an item special takes time to do but the rewards are worth it. Being an Etsy seller is a good fit for me as well as having this booth. So I work them both and if I get tired of seeing something sit around too long, it gets donated or goes on Freecycle.org.

How does life at the cabin influence your creativity?

Life at the cabin - most certainly has influenced my creativity in different ways. Life is slower here than in the city where I worked a corporate job and since I am fortunate (depending how you look at it) to not work an 8 to 5 job, can dress in my favorite uniform - jeans, t-shirt, and a zippered hoodie. Make a pot of coffee that I’ll drink all of, feed Pepper the dog, have a bowl of granola, read my devotional, do a little grooming and by then I’m usually ready for work! Laid back lifestyle of self employment can sometimes be too laid back, though. Trust me. Motivation must be maintained and hubby is good for that!

On the other hand, I am so blessed to live in this location and cherish each morning when I get up and look out the windows! Okay, so right now there is lots of snow and ice and it’s very cold (we’re in mid-Minnesota, people) but it’s still beautiful! That quiet beauty calms my spirit. The colors of nature - the skies, the wildlife, birds, and especially the colors of the water (May to October) as it changes with the weather - dark and stormy or blue as blue can be and so still. These are all pure inspiration for paint colors, sewing projects and when it comes to decorating. I prefer my surroundings to be the colors of the outdoors - with a little pink thrown in! I’m also not so fussy anymore and I like simple things, old things, things my parents and grandparents had. If the kids come up - bring the kids and the dogs. Who cares if it gets dirty? It washes. If it breaks, fix it or toss it. (Keep the valuable stuff up high - if you still have some. I’m selling most of ours and it feels good to concentrate on what’s important - People.)

So sometimes, I find I just sit and watch instead of doing… but hey, isn’t that part of life, too? Enjoying the beauty around us and drinking it in. Then when my soul is satisfied with His goodness and blessings, I’m ready to work! Now, if I can just decide which project to work on …

Thank you, Beth. This was fun!

Pretty in Pink - Etsy Treasury

Waking up is easy this morning. Want to know why? I had a really nice surprise in the form of an email from a fellow etsy seller. My "Pink and Greens Fabric Bunting" made it to someone's Treasury! I know hundreds of sellers are featured but to have it happen to ME today is a real blessing! I'm participating in the Etsy Holiday Boot Camp and after agonizing over wording on the listing, finally got it on there!

Take a peek: Pretty in Pink Treasury by victoriaenglishcharm

To see more of my Etsy Creations, go Here.

Do you know how hard it is to be indoors when it's so warm outdoors??? DH is out working in the yard but hey, someone has to work! Oh, yeah, he is, too, I was just feeling a little sorry for myself. I apologize. BUT NOW I'm so glad I did stay indoors to work and I view this as a little reward for my efforts. "List it and they will come!" Okay, come on orders!!

Baby steps are a beautiful thing.... and this is a baby step into the custom world of marketing and selling and making a living.

So to all of you Baby Steppers out there - Here's a PAT ON THE BACK for each baby step you take!!

Have a wonderful Fall Day and may God grant you a surprise Blessing today!
Cindy

Lessons I'm learning ...

"There are things we don't want to happen, but have to accept; things we don't want to know, but have to learn; and people we can't live without, but have to let go."

These are not my words but the words of 'JJ', from the TV show, Criminal Minds, as she leaves the show. I've maybe seen this show 3 times in my life and only had it on tonight because the show comes after Survivor, one of our favorites, and was busy working on the computer. The words caught my attention and thanks to the magic powers of the DVR, I was able to get the sentence down accurately and in its entirety.

With dad's passing 2 years ago on September 21st, loss is an emotion that has been very close to the surface most days. So, this 'accepting, learning and letting go', is a real and present process for me. "People we can't live without, but have to let go" is comforting, in a way. You know at some point in life there will be people you love that will be taken from you by death, and you'll have to deal with it. But you never really know the enormity of the hole that it leaves in your heart until it does. Being over the age of 50 (something), I do consider myself very fortunate, however, that experiencing a loss of this magnitude didn't happen until recently. But even though I've been blessed to have my father for so many years and lived so closely with him, it's still difficult to go through the pain of loss. I am comforted and grateful, too, in the fact that I am who I am because of him, and he taught me so much about the important things in life.

So for those of you that have lost a near and dear one at some time in your life, I hope this prayer I wrote for myself may help you, too.

"Dear Lord, I Accept the blessing of having Dad/(____) in my life, I want to Learn what having Dad/(____) in my life continues to teach me, and help me to Let Go of the pain of not having Dad/(____) here with me. In Jesus' name, AMEN."

I'm kind of amazed that this revelation came to me from a television show. I'm trying to be really careful about what I watch and listen to because what goes in, stays in and has an effect on you, whether you think it does or not. Also, lately what I see and hear, is sometimes revealed to me in a different way than a lot of people would perceive, as though I'm being taught little lessons in life. Hmmmm. I like this vantage point. This reminds of the children's song: O Be Careful, Little Eyes; better yet, the Casting Crowns song: Slow Fade. Have a look at the section - Favorite Music. I hope it works! I'm kind of designing this as I go.


I want you to know that my purpose of writing this blog is, for now, mainly an outlet to put my everyday feelings into words. Everything introspective is a writing to myself, like a diary if you will. If you happen to be going through a similar journey and can relate to my journey, I'm pleased.

HD Casting Crowns "Slow Fade" [Official Music Video]

Good things ... and Etsy Boot Camp Pledge

Okay, life has been really strange this summer, not at all what I thought it would be. Lots of changes and I'm learning so much about myself along the way. We put our house on the market in August so that meant really getting into closets and corners and purging the stuff we don't need, which means Garage Sale - yikes! And since DH is still not working, selling things we own, locally, on eBay, Etsy, and an antique store where I have a booth, is our main means of income. God continues to bless us beyond imagination by providing the funds we need to meet our obligations every month! One circumstance in particular was key to DH realizing Who really is in control as the amount of a certain need matched the amount of the blessing - EXACTLY! Praises and glory!!

Boy oh boy, garage sales are a lot of work but hugely successful both in getting rid of a lot of stuff and in dollars! So how can we still have so much left in the house?? That continues to stump me. The sale is still set up in the garage because I'm hopeful that I can have one more before the cold really prohibits people from wanting to garage sale. Got to scour the house again ... and again ...

This summer also resulted in some really good things - Martha Stewart style! I shared gardening chores with my brother at his house and our bounty was rewarding. I just finished canning green beans, carrots, beets and homemade roasted tomato salsa - yummy! We enjoyed tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, eggplant, zucchini, and squash and potatoes are coming yet.

Now that the cooler weather is here and winter and the holidays don't seem that far away, I need to step up the ambition for getting things listed online and the process is time consuming. It's been a pretty good summer for sales at the antique store, even though tourism was down but that will taper off significantly now that fall is here. So my first focus will be Etsy and since timing is everything for the Holiday season online, I'm participating in the Etsy Success Holiday Boot Camp, and taking this pledge is the first step (to motivate myself!).

My pledge:
"I, Cindy of cabingramma, pledge to participate in the Etsy Success Holiday Boot Camp to the best of my abilities. I vow to check in every week, do my homework and support my fellow Holiday Boot Campers. I will read the weekly newsletters and blog posts, check in on the weekly forum thread, read the weekly blog post, check off the checklists and salute the mascot. I promise to share what I've learned with those who need it, support my fellow Etsy indiepreneurs and, most of all, have a positive and persistent attitude. I understand that together we can spread the word about our handmade and vintage goods, making this holiday season a more unique and meaningful one to gift givers and give-ees everywhere!"

Please stay posted and check out my etsy site from time to time, as I'll soon be listing lots of cool vintage and handmade items! You might even find something you'd like to have or give!

Thanks for taking time to catch up with me! Talk to you soon!

Waiting on You, God

"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31

This is the verse that came to me as I woke up this morning. What does 'wait' mean? To me it means to rely on, to be patient, to rest in Him by getting into the Word, to not take action with my own will. This verse was what I needed today and He knew that as He knows me better than anyone.

I believe that how we choose to 'fight' our battles, those circumstances and turmoil that are just part of life is really how we grow and learn to be a stronger, wiser person, someone that God can use to help others at some point, in serving Him.

So I am waiting on You, Lord. I will not run away from this. (I was tempted but then a commitment came up and I need to be true to my word and see the task done. He was telling me to stay.) I will take each day as it comes and be thankful and give praise to You for my place in life, my blessings, and my trials. You are my strength and as I read your Word and you speak to me, I know that you guide my steps and the path I should take. I believe in your mercies and I believe in your promises. Thank you, Father for my trials because the reward for my faithfulness will be in heaven, not in this earthly temporary home. I confess each day that you are the Almighty, You are the Hope, You are my Strength and I will not run from this but wait on You. AMEN

We each have our own battles - within and without - every day. These are difficult times. I know I'm not alone and I'm hoping that you will find your inner strength to get through your 'battle', too.

First Post

First post. I've thought about having my own blog for some time. I read other people's sometimes. Not sure if mine will be read much but that's okay. It's therapeutic for me and I love and miss writing. I've got a couple of reasons for beginning a blog.

One reason is to CONNECT - with family and friends, and SHARE - my heart and my life. Maybe it's because I'm getting older, who knows? And maybe it's because I and hubby S live 2 hours away from our 5 grown children, 4 grandchildren, parents, siblings, with other siblings and relatives living in other states. I'd like to share some glimpses, in writings and snapshots, of this view we are blessed with from the cabin out over the bay, of those quickly fleeting nature moments (peaceful, funny, wondrous) that take your breath away and are God's reminders of His amazing Creation and Presence in our lives.

The quietness of this picturesque and peaceful location is so important to me because it's in this setting when I'm admiring the changing colors and patterns of the sky and the water, the intricacies of the dragonfly that comes to sit on my arm, hearing the wind come through the treetops or the loud pecking of the pileated woodpecker looking for insects, that I can really listen when He speaks to me, without the distractions of the 'big city' noises - sirens, traffic, etc. The verses of Psalms that were memorized as a child come back to me, or the words or melody of a certain song will pop up and then I get to give them back as Praise to the One that deserves the utmost Honor and Glory.

I only have to look out the window to realize who's in charge and it isn't me, Praise God! I am here, in this place, in this time, for a reason. I know not what tomorrow will bring but I know He'll guide my steps then, too. The blessings in my life are so many and outweigh the challenges along the way, which only make me stronger as I learn what He wants me to know and rest in Him, who is greater than me.

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

Okay, I've shared my heart and why I love it here - at the cabin. I think that's enough for today. I've got a pizza to make for supper. I love homemade pizza! It's so easy (as granddaughter K can tell you - she helped me make one last time they were up) and pretty yummy!! I'll share the recipe later.

Family Tidbit: Yesterday was my daughter, L's 35th BIRTHDAY! Happy Birthday, dear daughter! She and hubby M have a daughter, E - 5, and son, T - 18 months. Grandchildren are yellow rays of sunshine to me - bright smiles and energy filled!


More to come about family in other posts....