Packing and Shipping out Etsy orders - Happy Holidays!

This is the busiest time of the year for my Etsy shop, and I think that for most of you Etsy sellers out there, it's the same. I love the feeling of sending my work out into the great big wide world.....as sometimes I feel so isolated in my own little space.

I must admit that this year's sales don't compare to last year's, but I did just reach my 1,100 sale, so I'm very happy about that. Last weekend was the busiest so far this holiday season.

My very messy office with orders to ship laid out on the table and overflow onto a work cart.

Weekend sales.

I ship my ornaments in bubble envelopes, and my tiles and spoonrests in either USPS Priority flat rate boxes, or the very cool foam padded boxes I got from a local phone store on freecycle. Bowls get shipped in USPS Priority boxes, or a slightly larger box, also a freecycle score.

Ornaments are the biggest sellers, but I usually sell out of my small bowls, spoonrests, and other pottery items. Why not make more, you ask? My Etsy shop is my "spare time" business....when I'm not running L'esperance Tile Works, with my husband Don. So, as soon as I clone myself I'll be adding to the inventory!

Weighing the envelopes that I ship my ornaments in.

Printing out shipping labels from Endicia.

Abbey always watches over the action. I think she'd give me a thumb's up....if she had one!

Etsy Treasury Favorites

Thanks, Karen, for creating this lovely treasury, and for your wonderful narrative about the inspiration for it....and for including my little bird tile ornament!!

'Mountains' by SongandBranch

What I remember of all the times in the mountains - a veil of mist, the swirl of waters far below a rocking bridge, a stone cottage above the trail, slumped a little with time and the weight of snow. A thermos of warm tawny tea thick with cream and scented with cinnamon, the warmth of a cup in my hand and the reflection of snow on my best friend's face, smiling.

Misty Mountain Thrown a... muddyfingers $28.00	Desert Sunrise Earthton... dbabcock $45.00
Blue Slate Lunch Plate ... pagepottery $18.00	Autumn Jar claynfiber $25.00
Angel Sculpture niswanderceram... $550.00	ON SALE! 40% OFF Soap o... Creativewithcl... $17.60
Pair of Milky White Pla... jennyblasenpot... $24.00	4 soup bowls JDWolfePottery $80.00
Porcelain and Stonware ... IndianCreekStu... $4.50	Bowl with incised lands... MorrisPottery $24.00
Full Moon and Tree Gate... jillatay $275.00	Bowl -- Yellow and Iron... glyntpottery $30.00
Set of Four Dipping Bow... KieferClaywork... $48.00	Serving Bowl Hodakapottery $44.00
Vase in Copper Lava gla... carolbroadleyp... $20.00	Bird of Peace - Handmad... lesperancetile $10.00

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

Song of the Day and Poem of the Day

Up early today to watch the sun rise and, while I showered, I rehearsed the conquering of various demons lurking in the corners. The poem of the day arrived in my in-box while I slept, tree tops still black against the dark sky beyond the field. I read it as the sky and field separated, a glow creating a sepia image of the familiar scene of bare winter branches that border our property. That's where I worship the day.

Chartres
by Glenn Shea

There among the aisles and chapels
it still goes on, the old life,
amidst the medieval racket
of post cards and sacred crockery,
the gabbled cloud of foreign tongues
and people peering at dark corners;
the old life persists, mostly among the old;
the woman leaning to kiss the Virgin's brocaded hem;
the murmur of the devout; white candles
and the clink of francs in the mission box.
A boy of eighteen knelt before the altar,
his face hid in his hands, the muddle
of the life outside pursuing him here as well.

For gems, the painted glass, and for choirs
the figures carved in stone;
Chartres stood their sketch of Paradise,
the place where, as best it could on earth,
time stopped. It was to be,
as an arch gives stone the power of flight,
the place where faith would give
the clay of flesh its flight, a semblance
whose stones would tug the heart towards prayer,
build in it the desiring of heaven.

I saw the boy again. At the west door,
beneath the rose of the Judgment,
he met a friend and took him to the font.
He put his fingertips in the holy water
and with them dripping made the sign of the cross
on the body of his friend:
touched his forehead first, the flat of his chest,
the left shoulder, then the right, and last
the slight swell of his belly.

The other in turn, fingers wetted,
touched the forehead of his friend, the chest,
left shoulder and right shoulder
and belly. They turned to go,
the bead mark of water on their brows.

And when I knelt before the altar,
I prayed: abject as any man is
in the weight of his faults, scanted
of hope, but who had seen at least the image
of what he desired: another like himself,
whose flesh he might inscribe
with the water of blessing.

"Chartres" by Glenn Shea, from Find a Place That Could Pass for Home. © Salmon Poetry, 2010. Reprinted without permission, but hoping that the artist will be OK with that.

How to successfully accessorize with Sharpie markers!

Here is my third and last Thanksgiving Sharpie post. This, I think, was the most creative use of my Sharpies of the whole evening. Where did it all start? With my husband, Don, of course!

Cooties for sure......that's his Sharpie now.

Pete gets just the right position for his Sharpie.

I see a new fashion trend, a bit painful, but that's the price you have to pay sometimes.

My, my, looks like Jody has the style all figured out. And - nice choice of colors!

Yes, it was a great Thanksgiving. We ate our fill, laughed a lot, decorated cookie containers, doodled, drew, and came up with a jazzy new fashion style.
Thanks Sharpie!

Sharpies and the Thanksgiving tablecloth!

Forget the expensive linen or Granny's antique lace tablecloth at the holidays....I have something MUCH more fun. Buy a heavy duty lined paper one, and make sure to have a fistful of your favorite Sharpies, especially if there are kids at the table. It's not totally "green", but you can definitely save it and reuse it for things like wrapping presents.....or making next years Halloween costume. And just think of the creativity that is inspired! I find that no one can resist the urge to doodle when there are Sharpies and a surface to doodle on.

Retractable Sharpies are a favorite!

How many words can you think of that start with s-y???

Fine point Sharpies are the best for detailed lettering!

The available colors inspire. I love aqua!

An artist at work.

I dare you to try to NOT pick up a Sharpie and make some art!! Next up.....Sharpie as the newest jazzy jewelry........accessorize in style!!