Spring is sprung

Things are green and growing, spring has sprung, the weather is changing, outdoor events should start soon but I have no desire to register for any. 😅 Trying to plan in a world of uncertainty is impossible.  

However, I am happy with the new website, it is starting to get traffic, I know because I finally got google analytics to connect. I've been fighting with pinterest code and pinterest in general because well they are not easy, I had to "unclaim" my goimgagine stuff and do a new "claim" my website and even though it says it worked pinterest is still misbehaving when I try to pin products. 😒 Like it literally works for one listing but not another and it's random and frustrating, so rebuilding the pinterest boards will take weeks with this 3-5 pins a day when I have over 120 listings. 💩

Not that I have a very high priority on that project. My current focus has been my Momma's b-day present. 

I make my Mom stuff every year, she's already got several pieces of jewelry and a full set of Christmas ornaments. 😎 

This year's gift is a super special, it will be a total one of a kind. I had a dream and now I'm trying to make the thing I imagined. I have high hopes and only a few days left, but so far, it's going fairly well, I have managed several "firsts".  Right and left handed 1/2 Persian, which has previously eluded me, scalemaille, which used to be really intimidating. 😅 

And if I'm honest still kind of is 😏 I mean I made a thing, but even after adding the "stabilizing" rings it's not super stable and I'm not sure it lays right but for the thing I'm making it's kind of perfect. 😌 So I'll worry about correct next time. 

Just a few more "I've never tried *that* before" to go and it will be finished, hopefully it comes out as cool as it looks in my head. I've been posting limited photos because I don't want to give away what it is, so . . . shhhh don't tell Mom. 😉

April showers and all

Wow, it's April now and goimagine is gone, but rainbowmaille.com is properly directing to the new square site, which doesn't look too bad 😅 actually, I am mostly happy with it. It took some tweaking and there are a couple of things I'd like but I don't want to pay for the upgrade and if I'm honest I don't really "need" those things.  I plan to re-do the story/welcome into a proper about page in a couple of weeks and add a full policy page, right now the shipping and refund policies only show on item and in checkout and I need to add a privacy policy statement. 

In good news I did find the right place in settings for "tracking" codes, so I was able to connect pinterest and google analytics. 

I had a recurring error while trying to update the links on my previous pins, it just wouldn't let me. I tried un-claiming goimagine and claiming my new site, but it still didn't work, maybe I didn't wait long enough for it to connect. 😏 Who knows . . . after a group chat and some advice from more experienced pinterest people I just went ahead with a mass delete of old pins and plan to rebuild my boards all properly linked to the new square site. 

I am finally working on something new, although it's a gift for my Mom's b-day so it will not be listed for sale. I'll be posting some in progress pics but I do not plan to explain or say what the final thing will be in case my Momma sees the posts. 😉 

Published!

I have completed the new site, well as complete as I need it for now, there are paintings not photographed, there is some jewelry not listed because I can't find the photos. I'm sure there are things I missed but I have listings, policies, a welcome story/about, a contact page, enough basics that I published it this morning. 😎

Of course, nothing is perfect so I will continue to work on it, especially the backside SEO stuff and extra settings, etc. but I am happy to have it published and available again. I have updated the .com to redirect to the new square site, I'll need to add a link on the side of here and go update some other things as well. 😏

The biggest pile of "updating" will be my Pinterest because I didn't delete all the art pins like I considered previously; I will now need to go update the links on each pin. 

Migrating a business is a lot of work. 😅

Well . . .sh$t

While I will admit I have not exactly put in a "full-time" effort to relaunch I have been working on it slowly. Total double meaning there because I have only spent a couple hours a day working on it which means at this rate it will take me a month 😅 and also it is slow tedious work. 

I thought a square free site was a good idea. I already have a square account that is already connected to my bank, square is a processor so no checkout hiccups, and I already had an "item library". Now, what I underestimated is how much I hate learning new sites/software, I will figure it out, I will click every possible thing just to see what it does. (it's a gen X thing)  I also completely overestimated the usefulness of having an existing item library because I failed to realize I created that when I got my square reader thru etsy. . . so all those are old etsy listings.😏 Like real old, bad photos, crappy descriptions that include lots of etsy links, like circa 2018 which may not sound old but in the lifecycle of an ecommerce listing that may as well be 1999. 

In light of this crapfest I am forced to reconsider reconsidering etsy, since I will essentially be re-editing the same set of listings anyway, I may as well just renew the etsy stuff where there is a sales history, great reviews and I don't have to deal with sales tax. 😐 

Today is the day

Well, it is March 23rd the day goimagine is to go dark, my mosiac should die by the end of today and I still really don't have plan. 😒 

I have looked into several newer marketplaces and honestly none of them have impressed me, from bad layouts, poor grammar, outdated stuff making it look like no one is actually managing the site. I find myself. . .disappointed. 

I am working on a square "Free" site, but I haven't published it yet. 

Currently setting my domain to redirect here for a while, not a good long-term option because . . .no shop/checkout, but not a bad short-term plan it will avoid the dreaded 404 page not found. 😏 

edited hours later to add . . .

Hours of fidgeting with banner and logo sizing trying to get both mobile and desktop to look decent is making my head hurt and I haven't even gotten to products yet. 😣😫 It may be a while before I have a shoppable site again. 😞

Decision time. . .time's almost up

Well time is running out on goimagine, but I still have not decided what I'm doing with my "business". 😒  I do not relish the idea of a stand-alone website I had one years ago and it was a total P.I.T.A. Although, I know a ton of stuff has changed since then, not all of those changes are any kind of improvement, while I think I can get away without the private payment gateway fees of old, sales tax has become a bigger complication, especially since the move I am not currently license to collect sales tax for any state. 😅 

Part of what makes marketplaces so appealing is the details they take care of like sales tax and security certs and fraud prevention and protections.  I still have my etsy although, it is currently down to 1 listing because I was letting them all expire.  I do have a shop on Micheal's MakerPlace that still has some jewelry listed.  I can resurrect either of those, the problem is neither of them was every that successful but at least I wouldn't have to file sales tax.  The question then becomes which one should the .com point to and sadly I'm leaning towards the etsy just because it has the longer sales history and reviews. 😏

I am currently considering a stand-alone through Square simply because I already have a square account and they offer a "free" website plan. 

Good bye. . .sadness

I am shocked, saddened, crying and feeling like I've been punched in the gut. Goimagine has announced that it is closing. 😧😢

I am a "Founding Maker" I signed up early in 2020 when the site was still in beta. I have remained the entire time; I have my domain directed to my Mosiac site which I am/was very happy with. 

I hate Etsy and distrust Micheals, goimagine was my favorite platform, now I don't know what I'm going to do. I had deactivated most of my makerplace listings over a year ago and I've let all my etsy listings expire because I had no plans of going back there. 

Honestly, I guess I shouldn't be surprised, many things are closing now, this economy sucks, everyone is broke, tons of people are losing jobs.  I have also been concerned for a while because plenty of people nagged and begged for a "free" plan on the notion that it would get more new sellers to sign up but I noticed after they announced the free plan that existing sellers were downgrading to the free plan instead of paying their memberships, even though the site was funded by paid memberships. 😒 

I am sad but also angry and disappointed.  I need time to process my grief and I have less than 30 days to decided wtf I'm doing or if I even bother to continue. It is possible that RainbowMaille will just become another victim of this shitty economy. 

Weekly update. . .Happy Thanksgiving

Ok, so the plan was to "take a break" but honestly not posting last week felt really weird, like I was forgetting something even though it was intentional. 😏 Not sure if it's the OCD or just habit but I felt like posting an update so here it is. 😉  

I did get my noodles made for Thanksgiving 👍

and not just one batch but 5 batches as a matter of fact 😎

my shoulder ached for 2 days 😒

I plan to cook the first turkey today.

In other news, slightly business related, I really do not like the shoving AI into everything, every browser, every search and now even blogger apparently. I have not used any of it, I don't let chatgpt write my product descriptions, I don't let it edit my photos, I don't use it to make social media posts, and I certainly do not plan to use it to write my blog. 😠😐

I do not need a G button to stick random references in my writing, because I am writing, ya' know a human with a mind and thoughts to express, no pop culture references needed. 

Weekly update. . . Holiday break

Well, it is November the holidays are approaching, and I think I'm taking a break from business, social media, etc.  I'm not closing or anything crazy, the shops will remain open, and any orders will get processed and shipped, but I'm not planning on advertising or posting (much). 

I am feeling pretty frustrated and burnt-out and have other things to worry about. This has literally been the worst year of sales for RainbowMaille in its' decade of existence. I'm pretty sure I said that last year but with the move this spring and months of being closed on top of zero in-person events. . .yikes. 😒 Aside from the existential "what's the point?" spiral there are other things in life like my health and my husband. 

I know I don't usually do many details on either. 😅 However, I did mention last week that I had a "minor medical procedure" that was the removal of a Nexplanon implant no big deal really that's a tiny incision that healed well, I'm fine. Ok, as fine as a woman menopausing can be. 😣 Are hot flashes supposed to come with gut-wrenching nausea? How about dizziness and vision changes? Is this frozen shoulder thing normal? Why do I gain weight when I don't eat?  If you are a man, be glad you will never understand the hell that is a woman's hormones. 

Circling back to the point of the post I'm taking an extended break for my health, for my mental health, and oh yeah, we are likely moving again soon. 

So that art photography project is never getting finished, which is fine my cat killed part of the succulents I was using as photo prop so the continuity I was going for in the photos was going to be impossible anyway.  

In the meantime, I have noodles to make so. . . .

Happy Thanksgiving

Merry Christmas

I'll see y'all after New Year 😇

Weekly update. . .time change

Welcome to fall, the time has changed, the leaves are falling along with the average temperature, and my desire to do anything. 😏 

I had a small medical procedure on Monday and basically got not a single thing done this week. 😒 Well at least nothing business or creative wise, I did go grocery shopping and bought Halloween candy and cooked and cleaned, ya' now household stuff. I'm actually kind of surprised and a bit disappointed that we have so much candy left, this subdivision is very "neighborhood-y" there are a lot of children, and I honestly expected more trick-or-treaters. 

Since I have no business news, I think I'll use this week's update for Merlin. The tiny (1.2lbs) orphaned baby kitten my husband found in a car in his work parking lot 2 years ago. Merlin was so tiny and in  terrible distress when we found him, his first vet visit they used an entire tube of ear mite drops on each tiny ear because they were full. 😔 He was too small for the flea drops and they could only give him 1 dewormer medicine at a time, we later found out he had 2 types of worms. It took multiple visits and more than a little $$$ to get him healthy. He lived in "quarantine" for the first few weeks until we got rid of the parasites. 

He was so tiny, and I didn't like having him locked up alone, but we have other cats who didn't need fleas or worms so no choice really, but he would cry so loud and I felt terrible

I would go in and play with him and cuddle him until he fell asleep, so he didn't feel all lost and alone 

He has grown but he is still small compared to our other cats, I think he may have been the runt of his litter and that may be why he was lost/left. He is now health as can be, but he does not have the best vision, and I think he may always be on the small side. His attitude may be what has grown the most, he walks like a lion and thinks he's much bigger than he actually is. 😅

He has learned to drink from the faucet, although there are water glasses and fountains around the house, sometimes he just likes to play in the sink

In spite of his willful independence, he is working his way to becoming a lap cat very slowly. You can't pick him up and force him, it has to be completely on his terms and time, but he does occasionally come nap on my lap. 

It doesn't happen super often, but it does make me really happy when he chooses me, because he's just so cute 😍

weekly update. . . no luck

I have tried to take photos of the new dragon, but I can't get them to look decent. I tried on the photo table, I tried selfies wearing it, every photo I took looks like crap. 😒 I know you're probably thinking "oh it can't be that bad" but I assure you it is. 

The angles are bad, the lighting is bad, the color looks off, I mean I know I suck at selfies but damn 😞

honestly, I don't know what I'm going to do about it either, I don't have or own a mannequin, the laying flat really doesn't do anything for the look of the piece display wise

I guess should not be surprised that she continues to be the most frustrating dragon to date. 😅 Awkward at every stage, frustrating on the bench and now impossible to photograph, I think I shall name her Mondragon. Funny to me because of the "dragon lady" librarian from high school, but also because it has caused me a month-long case of the "Mondays". 

Weekly update. . .time suck

A "time suck" is something that wastes your time, there are a variety of things I do that take up time that could be more productively spent, some of them I do for fun, some of them I do because well they need doing, some of them come from outside sources and are not really a choice. 

I like watching youtube reaction videos, waste of time I know but it's fun and I usually do it while doing other things like cooking or chainmailling so it's more filler and not a total waste of time because other things are still getting done. 😎

I have 3 cats that require a lot of care and attention, I don't like calling them a time suck because I love them and they make me happy but scooping 3 litterboxes 5 times a day along with the feedings, and in and outs they do take up some time. 😅

Lately I've had some strange messages on my etsy and etsy messages kind of have to be responded to or they penalize your shop. So, starting back in August this guy messages me this; 

"I have been made to order a rainbow option choker by my Master"

Now I don't judge and there is a part of me that doesn't care at all who does what with whom, but seriously I did not need to know. Since it's an etsy message it included a link to the listing he messaged from which is a rainbow necklace about 20 inches long. 

I assume he wants a length adjustment to "choker" size, so I replied with an explanation of how it's made of anodized aluminum so take care when measuring and leave a bit of room for neck flex because metal maille does not stretch. 

This of course led the conversation to where I already knew it was headed and I had to explain that I sell Jewelry and anodized aluminum is not the material he's looking for, that for his application he needs someone who works in stainless steel. I recommended someone else and he thanked me for the explanation and advice. I breathed a sigh of relief because well it could have gotten creepier or he could have ordered and then broke one of my necklaces which would have been a return/refund issue my shop has NEVER had in 10 years. 😥 Honestly, I'd rather not get a sale than have somebody order and be unhappy or worse break something that took me days to make.  

About a week later I get another message from the same guy (new message chain) linked to a different listing but similarly questionable message. 

" My Dom wants to use the front loop as if it were a handle to be led around with.  "

So, I explain (again) that I sell Jewelry not adult play equipment and that anodized aluminum is too soft and not fit for purpose, that he would be better off with a different material, shop, product. 😑 Because really who doesn't love writing out the same explanation over and over. He replied " Oh gotcha, I forgot about you saying that already" and I rolled my eyes and moved on.

Or so I thought because a couple weeks later he messages me again on the existing message chain about the same bloody necklace. "I love having that second pic with the hoop type position to be led around with. That's what he wants to do with me, but he probably won't do it. " Now at this point I am getting annoyed but telling off potential customers is bad business, so I reign in my desire to go flaming dragon and instead link him to what he's really looking for. 

That really should have been the END.  Well, Friday night I got yet another message about my necklace listing, a bit weird and didn't make much sense to me as he was asking about a loop in the second photo, but the second photo in that listing is the chain lying flat in a spiral so no loop. 😕 And he said "before I order" and I'm just like 😫 

Saturday morning, I responded I tried my best to remain polite but did end up telling him point blank. "Please do not order soft aluminum Jewelry for BDSM play purposes, I do not wish to be responsible for a claim if it breaks." His response was to basically admit he'd been out drinking, I did not respond and I will not be responding further and if he messages me again. I am seriously considering marking him as spam because I think I've somehow gotten into a very one-sided relationship with a crazy person. 😟

Weekly update. . .so close

I am soooo close to finishing this thing

I really have been trying to finish this, but it seems Merlin has become jealous of it, lately when I go to work on it, I only get a few rings in before there is a cat on my bench kicking rings around and crawling on my shoulder. 😏 I have achieved length, I got the clasp on yesterday, I just have the few scales along the end to place. She is 27" inches total and will sit up like the other dragons but can be comfortably worn as a necklace.  😎

Once finished I'll need to do a ring count and get some good photos. I was hoping it would be done already and there would have been a photo of me wearing it in this post but cat-interference, maybe next week. 😌  

Weekly update. . .wasted day

I wasted a day this week, not intentionally it just worked out that way. I dip my plier tips in a product called Plasti-Dip it serves a couple of purposes, but the main one is it prevents me from scratching rings while I work. Back before the move, at the beginning of the year, I did a double coating on all my pliers and threw away the open can. I chucked the open can because I didn't want to take any chances of it spilling in transport, the stuff dries out overtime away, and I've never had a problem finding it. 

See that last bit is the problem, in all my years I've never had a problem finding/buying the Plasti-Dip I use, so I never anticipated a problem this time. Being back in Indiana and close to a Menards I didn't think twice as I popped over to the store until I'm standing in the isle and . . . .

there is literally a whole section of "Plasti-dip" that is SPRAY?!?! 😖

no pop-top can to actually DIP stuff into?!?!? what the hell??

It literally has DIP in the damn name why is it all spray now?!?! Who wants plastic over-spray everywhere? I'm sure the product serves some kind of purpose (even if I can't think of one) just not useful for me. After chatting with the chick working there she looked on her computer and suggested the Ace Hardware (the website said they had it) so I left disappointed in search of an Ace. 

After an annoying drive thru some crazy traffic, I found myself at the Ace Hardware where my disappointment multiplied because they only carry the spray in the store 😕 they can order the other but don't keep it in stock. 😠 So why is it listed on your stupid website if you don't actually physically have it to sell me?!?!? 

Moving on, I located a Lowes and drove back thru more annoying traffic to a 3rd store, now hours into what should have been a simple 20-minute thing. Luckily Lowes actually had it in stock, so I bought 2. 

I have since peeled/stripped the coating off the pile of used pliers and started the process of re-doing them all. 😇

after 2 coats and some drying cure time I'll be back to work next week and will finish that darn stubborn dragon 😅

Weekly update. . .September ends

Well September is nearly over, I had a nice Birthday, my ring order finally arrived. 🎉 I have continued to fail in the whole finishing off the art photography project, but other life stuff and weather just keeps complicating things. 😏 

When I pulled the package out of the mailbox, I saw the tears and was worried that some of the stuff may have escaped, luckily it was only the outer paper that tore, and all my stuff was inside. 

I double checked and counted everything against the invoice to make sure it was all there, a task in itself considering the number of different but similar things. 😅 Rings and scales in various sizes and colors.

I also did something that some people may think I'm crazy for doing. . . I ordered "mixed" color rings, instead of buying a large bag of each color I sometimes buy bags of mixed color and sort them out, you don't get as many of each color but with certain sizes that I don't use many of it is cheaper to buy a couple of bags of mixed color than to buy more bags that are more expensive. I know lots of people would not want to spend hours hand sorting rings by color, but it actually makes my OCD happy. 😁 

The bad news for the dragon on the bench is the longer it lays there the less I like it. 😒 The good news is I think I finally picked a pattern flow for the taper and now I have the rings to do it. Hopefully it goes well and I like the way it looks, otherwise me and this thing are gonna have words, likely curse words. 😅 She doesn't have a name yet so if this goes poorly it may be a naughty name in the end. 

Weekly update. . .still waiting

I am still waiting on my ring order, but I at least have a tracking number and some idea of when it will finally be delivered. 😏 In the meantime I'm still not really happy with the new dragon's tail, I did remove the mobius rope section and tried again, then removed that and tried a modified byzantine. It's ok, not ideal but I may just go with it to get this one finished. 

The art photography project is still on going, slow but progressing, I may be at it until the end of the year though. 😅

I am mostly happy with the shots I'm getting, but there is a limited window of time each day when the sun is right and the kitten often decides that is when he wants to play. 😏 The other day I had to stop because he tried to eat the cactus.

Ok so it's a "succulent" not a true cactus but still spikey and not really cat friendly for chewing. 😑 Plus for continuity and consistency of website photos it would really be best if he didn't eat my photo props. 😕

Weekly update. . .weird week

Times are weird and things are hard, here's your weekly blog post. 😅 That's a joke based on an old Christmas card if you don't get it, I'll understand just know that I'm laughing.  😉 

It has been one weird week and ended with a dental cleaning, so you can probably guess, not as productive as I had planned. I did photograph some paintings, but I haven't added or updated listings yet. I did work on the new dragon but I'm not liking the tail. 😒

it may sound crazy, but I am thinking of taking the last few inches off, I'm just not happy with the pattern transition, actually not happy with the pattern either 😏 

I think I will likely remove the rings in between and just take the mobius rope off the end and extend the boxchain portion a bit and try transitioning to a different pattern. It would likely be easier if my damn ring order would arrive, so I had the right color in the in between size I need to do the taper properly. 😔  I placed the order about 3 weeks ago, normally it would have arrived by now, but it hasn't even shipped yet due to. . .well let's not get into it (tariffs). 😶 

On a happier note, my birthday is coming, I'll be 49 and my big plan is to do . . . Nothing. 😆😅 That's right I chose nothing, my husband spent weeks asking about various plans and trips and what I want to do, and the truth is I don't want anything. I don't want to go anywhere, travelling with 3 cats is not easy but I'm not leaving for days and leaving them home. I don't want anything; I have everything I need and I'm not really a materialistic person anyway. 

Oh, sidenote he lost his iphone the other day and when he found it, it had been run over. 

so, if you have ever wondered this is what the inside of an iphone that has been run over by a semi looks like 😂😆

Weekly update. . . September!

Another week gone and minimal progress has been made. 

She has scales, but the wings are not attached, and I haven't decided on tail patterns and length. 

My shoulder has been bugging me which makes me work in shorter intervals and is slowing me down. 😒 

Hoping this week will be more productive. 😉 I am a bit frustrated with myself, the weather, the needy kitten and all the other factors involved in the art photography project not getting done. I can't believe it's September and I still haven't finished. 😔

Weekly update. . .is it fall?

Well technically it's not September until tomorrow and actual fall is still weeks away, but this shifty weather has it feeling a bit like fall already.  It's been another week of just doing the same things, photographing art and working on the new dragon project, neither have progressed as quickly as I would have liked but I also have cats. 😅

Little Merlin has been a bit needy of late, wandering through my photo shoots and jumping on my workbench, he's a great little distraction. 😏 His demands for attention are often very poorly timed and thoroughly unhelpful to me actually getting things done. 

But he is precious and adorable and I do love him, so when he shows his butt and demands I hold him, I do stop working and love on the baby, if I don't give him the attention he wants, he gets petty and destructive, walking through my rings, knocking things over. 😅  That being said I did manage to get a few paintings relisted and have photos for a few new listings too. 

Some progress has been made on the dragon project

There are wings and a body now, I just have to attach the head to the body through the scale fringe, then ya' know add a tail and cover it in scales and . . . finish it.😅

In business news: I have removed all art from MakerPlace and it is now exclusively available on goimagine.com also I removed all international shipping options from my etsy shop. 

Weekly update. . .what's next?

Well, this will be a short post, another week has passed, and I have continued to add art to the website, even though the weather has not been helpful in trying to shoot photos.  Since my workbench has been "cleared" I am now starting a new chainmaille project. 😎

I need to order some more scales and rings. I want the large scales in more colors, and I am running out of rings in a certain size, so I'll have to start a list. 😉 For now I'll just end up with a few red scales in a mostly pink dragon. 😅  

I have eliminated all art listings from MakerPlace and I plan to remove the Canadian shipping from my etsy. These steps to shrink my business are part of my plan to focus more on goimagine.com which is now the only place the art is listed. Also, I have never liked international shipping, the costs, the forms, the delays, so I'm just going to stop doing it. 😐