custom orders. . .

Yeah, I do custom orders and right now I'm working on more than one.  😄  A Family tree for a friend, a keepsake tree for someone else, a pair of chainmaille anklets which I haven't even started because I had to order special bells which I am still waiting on.  

The friend's Family tree project is still in the design stages, we have a rough plan, and birth stones are covered but still contemplating and selecting other charms. 

The Keepsake tree is about half finished, the person had a very clear vision of what they wanted which in a way makes it easy for me to know which beads, the color of wire, how to position tags, and vial, etc.  However, it's also a bit intimidating when someone seems to know so clearly what they want because I'm afraid that my finished piece won't look like they envisioned and that they will be disappointed.  As far as I know none of my customers have ever been disappointed, no one has ever said so but that doesn't mean they weren't.  OK, so that sounded a bit paranoid, I heard it that time.  ~LOL~

I think it will, in fact, be beautiful when it is finished, which should be this weekend.  😇  Then I will start on the matched pair of anklets, hopefully the bells I ordered will arrive soon but even if they don't I can add the bells after the anklets are done. 

So if you were wondering if I do custom orders the answer is yes all the time. 😉

I'm back. . . .

I am back from vacation and I really need to get back to crafting, but I managed to get some sort of awful cold complete with a sore throat.  🙁  

Sales were good and seem to be continuing, Yay!  However, that just means things are disappearing and my listing total is dwindling.  I photographed and listed the 3 sets of Hogwarts house colors mini trees and relisted the rainbow mini with the last one I have made.  I did the mini trees as 3 separate listings because the "roots" are different so there is one listing for the bookends and one for the half and half and one for the alternating, that way I got to put individual photos for all of them. 🙂

Since there are 5 photos per listing I did one group shot and then the 4 individuals it was the easiest time I've ever had with using all 5 photo slots.  ~LOL~  I have to get over this cold and then I have a couple of custom items to work on but I swear I will get back to crafting new stuff soon. 😉

Vacation. . .

Going on vacation for a couple of weeks, I'm leaving the Etsy shop open for business and any orders received will still ship quickly. 😇

Part of the joy of RV vacationing is that I can pack my inventory into a box and throw some shipping supplies into a cabinet and still conduct business even while on the road. 😉  It does put a slight crimp in my creating new stuff but I get to visit my Momma so it's worth it.  💓 💕  

work work work. . .

I've been working on the shop, tweaking listings, shifting tags, but for all the time I spend on it it's invisible work.  I mean it shows to me when revised listings get more views but it's not obvious to anyone else. However, the lovely new banner I made the other day is a rather in your face obvious change. 😊

I think I really like, I tried to pick good photos but include the leather, chainmaille, and wire sculptures to show the variety.

Everyone thinks they're a Gryffindor . . .

I so love the Hogwarts school crest trees, they were a brilliant idea and they look really cool and any Harry Potter fan would like it. 😍

So it should come as no surprise that further brilliance has occurred and I decided to make 3" inch mini trees for individual houses.  😇  Small, minimalist, single mascot charm in the center, super cute.   

Predictably the photos have generated a lot of likes and attention, but so far everyone who has requested one wants Gryffindor. 😏 I have made 2 "complete sets" because silly me was thinking that it would make a nice "group" hanging display.  LOL  I have started to make several extra Gryffindors, but hopefully not everyone who wants one will continue to want the same one.  

Next. . .

I am getting ready to add the next wire tree listing to the shop today. 😇  It will make 51 of them listed for sale and a total of 143 active listings available in the RainbowMaille Shop.  I am actually quite proud of myself, especially since many of the chainmaille listings have several colors available.  I have made a LOT of stuff in the last year.  I have learned new chain patterns, I have developed new styles and techniques in the wire sculptures. 🖒  My crafts keep improving and expanding, I have accomplished a lot.

Now if only Etsy would stop mucking about and let people shop normally, or perhaps fix the fudged up nature of their search, or somehow stop people from mis-tagging their listings and manipulating search. ~sigh~

it's so pretty . . .

I really love how this one turned out, the beads and the wire are so close to the same shade of blue.  The beads were a very small pack and the only one like it I could find in the bin so all of them are on one tree which is odd but it just means I have no way to re-create this version.  😏  

There is a reason there is a warning in my shop announcement that the wire tree sculptures are one of a kind and some of the beads and supplies are only available in limited quantities.  😇