Weekly update. . .Merlin

Time for a kitten update. . .Merlin is rapidly outgrowing the "kitten" phase. 😅 He has grown in not only size but also attitude, he has begun to spray so it's time to get him fixed, his appointment is this week.  I am hopeful that this will settle his rottenness some because I am sick of him waking me up yowling his little head off thinking he needs his tuna-breakfast at 4:30 AM. 😠 I feel like I'm perpetually exhausted, I have taken to actually napping trying to make up for the fact that the cat never lets me sleep in the morning, but I'm not normally a nap person so half the time I wake up feeling worse. 😔  

In his leash training he just stubbornly pulls like a sled dog until he gets to go where he wants to, or he pops his collar off. 😏 Luckily, he hasn't actually tried to run away, so far when he gets his collar off, he knows he's in trouble and usually comes to the door. Let's face it there is unlimited cans of tuna in the house and as a previously starving orphan why would he give that up. 😉 

My next batch of frames has arrived with white, silver and gold trimmed options. I still have to sort out which frames for which paintings but with more options I am happy with the results so far. Take this piece for example, the white edges used to bother me I regretted not covering them it made it look unfinished somehow, but with the white face black recess of the frame echoing it, it looks like it was planned all along, the frame suits it and finishes it. 😍

Sometimes it is just obvious which color frame should go with certain paintings. The process of framing is kind of a pain since the screws and brackets are attached from behind you just kind of guess and pray that the canvas stays centered and straight while you tighten the screws. 😅 I'm partly kidding, it is a P.I.T.A and the brackets are basically attached blind from the back, I do have ways of marking the back and some spacers to try to help but it ain't easy. 😏

Or maybe it's just a "me" problem because my wrist has been broken and dislocated previously so the hand screwing things makes my wrist hurt. I also hate the steel hanging wire. 😅 Sure sure it looks nice and proper and professional and all that jazz, but it is the least enjoyable part of my art process. Followed by one of the least enjoyable things about having an online business, the spam. 😖 Spam is literally everywhere, I get spammy messages on instagram wanting photos of my pets or wanting me to model "their" jewelry, never mind that I am not a model and if I wanted to do that, I'd do it for my own jewelry.  I regularly get spammy messages on facebook, makerplace, and goimagine, nowhere is safe from the spammers and bots, sadly.  Mostly I just ignore it but sometimes I wonder what is the purpose? what is their point? what do they achieve? 

Now, I'm not sure how they wound up in my goimagine shop to find the button to message me, but goimagine's home page is pretty clear that the site is Handmade, my shop's main page is pretty clear that my art and jewelry is Handcrafted, and within the listings it is very clear that each piece is one of a kind and handmade. So seriously asking if they are handmade is just ridiculously repetitive, again what is the point? However, I don't just assume every message is spam, so I politely replied that "yes, all my items are handmade."  The follow-up makes me think it is spam and likely angling to sell me some SEO advice or other "help". 

I appreciate anyone who appreciates and compliments my art, but the asking about my sales is out of bounds, especially if this was an actual buyer. I suppose it could be one of the new sellers looking for insight or advice but seriously that's what social media is for not marketplace messages. 😉 I have plenty of social media, facebook, instagram, threads, pinterest, Maker Circle and this blog, there plenty of places to contact me. 😇