Origami!

I've been doing origami lately. I range from paper 1" wide, to 4" wide. I did finally figure out how to make the turtles, and have been filling a plastic container with the little ones. I recently picked up the larger paper and I have plans to make strings of origami to sell as Christmas decorations - growing up this's how my mother and I decorated our Christmas tree every year. :)

Photos!


Doing it production line-style makes it go faster, but is less rewarding.


Jug'o'origami, and some tape for a size comparison.


"A little bit of this, a little bit of that..." Pieces of everything!

Once I get enough of the big ones, I can start stringing them together for trees, though I may put loops of string on some of the existing small ones so they're ornaments too. Too bad I can't take the fumes of shellac (and they'd probably kill my bird too), otherwise I could make really solid ornaments. Anyone know of similar material with less fumes?

Technorati

I'm finally trying to figure out this Technorati thing. I just joined and am now "claiming" my own blog. Check me out below.

Technorati Profile

Fleece Scarves for Winter!

I just sold my last brown fleece scarf with dandelion embroidery, prompting me to relist some more scarves in my Etsy store. I currently have 1 black with white Chinese calligraphy, 2 brown/gray plaid, 3 green with white/gray roses.

Origami Turtle?

I'm freaking out b/c I can't for the life of me remember how to make this origami turtle! It was one of my faves, and now I'm blanking totally!







I learned how to make it from instructions on turtle paper much like those in the above images. And now I can't remember... Anyone either know how and able to describe it - I'm thinking it starts with folding opposite edges to the center - or have directions they can scan in, or able to find them on the net (*cough* "oh_chris *cough*)?

Edit:
Thanks to so many people for the advice! I did find the instructions and now remember how to do them. ^_^

Origami

After my recent move, I lumped all my crafts supplies together. I have LOTS of them. This included a bunch of origami paper and a few completed items. I'm thinking of selling small paper cranes - finished cranes are less than an inch across, and the paper starts off between 1" and 3" across. The smaller cranes tend to be solid colors, while the larger ones are mostly gradients of color. They are intended to be used as materials for others to do more to them, such as making pairs into earrings, putting loops on them for ornaments, stringing a bunch of them together to hang from the ceiling, or filling a favorite piece of glassware, though people might like them as is.

How much do think I should sell them for? Price and how many together? I need to take pictures of them too.

Etsy Expirations

The problem with Etsy is that ads eventually expire - four months after posting them, I think. Unfortuantely with school starting up again, I don't entirely have the time to keep creating new items, updating posts, or even reposting them on Etsy when they expire.

If there's something on this blog that you like, please leave a comment or shoot me an email (zandperl-AT-gmail-DOT-com) and we can work something out - at a minimum I can repost the Etsy ad for you, or you can purchase it via PayPal if you want.

Moving...

Sorry for the lack of updates... I recently moved, and am still cleaning and unpacking. OMG, I have so much crafts stuff, it's insane! So as to not leave y'all entirely high and dry, here's a photo of the new apartment - the furniture inside it is not mine, it's an image the landlord sent us when we were considering the apartment.

Sale!

I've lowered the prices of three items on my Etsy store.

Pink/Maroon Glass Wire-Wrapped Earrings
Hand wrapped with silver wire, these are around 1" long and are made of glass tiles in pink and maroon. Hook earrings come with a backing so you won't lose them, and a maroon silk bag so you can gift them.
Was $15, now $12.


Green Glass Beaded Necklace
This elegant green necklace has a dichroic glass centerpiece set off by antique green seed beads (~1940's) and plastic light green square beads with flower patterns. Beads are strung on a 22" nylon coated steel wire, with a metal toggle clasp. The combination of old (recycling at its finest!) and new (dichroic beads involve an internal thin film surface) is sure to accent any outfit and draw compliments.
Was $20, now $15.


Pink Glass Beaded Necklace
This necklace is composed primarily of glass beads in varying shades of pink and clear. The faux pink pearl seed beads are antique, dating to approximately the 1940's - recycling at its finest! Beads are strung on a 22" nylon coated steel wire, with a metal toggle clasp. The central pink and black bead is approximately 3/4" long and hangs from a silver plated wire.
Was $20, now $15.

Clear Glass and Black Ribbon Choker

A clear/white glass drop 3/4" in diameter is hand-wrapped with silver wire and affixed to a wide sheer black ribbon designed to be tied at choker length. This romantic piece evokes Victorian-era luxury combined with elegant simplicity.

Payment is via PayPal only.

Shipping is free via USPS First Class within the USA, or $3 (US) via USPS Global Priority Airmail to UK.

Buy it here!

Green and Purple Glass Pendant

Green and purple glass beads are hand wrapped with silver wire and hang approximately 1" long from a silken cord. Cord can be tied at whatever length you desire, or you can replace it with a chain of your choosing.

Payment is via PayPal only.

Shipping to the USA and UK is via USPS First Class mail; free with in the USA.

Buy it here!

Etsy Question

Anyone else use Etsy? I just had an interaction with a buyer that went as follows.

• Thurs May 24: Buyer buys item. Etsy informs me that item is bought. As a new seller, I misinterpreted this to mean that the seller had also sent me the payment.


• Fri May 25: I thank buyer for the transaction and inform the buyer of intent to ship.


• Sat May 26: I ship the item


• Sun May 27: I realize that the item was not paid for


• Mon May 28: I send first notice to the buyer, via email and Etsy convserations, that the item has not yet been paid for.


• Tues May 29: I send a second notice to the buyer, via email and Etsy convserations, that the item has not yet been paid for, should be arriving any day now, and that the buyer should pay me to avoid receiving negative feedback and such.


• Weds May 30: Buyer sends payment, says never received the first email, assumed that since I sent the item that the buyer had already paid for the item. I reply via email that the Etsy buyer FAQs indicate that the burden of payment are on the buyer, and that the seller is not required to send an invoice or payment request.

The relevant Etsy buyer FAQ is as follows.

How does buying on Etsy work?
To buy items, you'll need to create an Etsy account (it's free and easy – see the General FAQ for details). You purchase items on Etsy directly from the seller, using whatever payment you specify when checking out (e.g. PayPal, money order, check etc.). Keep in mind that every seller must be paid individually, and all payments must be made within three days of checkout. We ask if you choose to pay via PayPal that you submit payment immediately to the seller. Each seller will have their own return policy (if they have one at all), shipping options and payment terms. If you have any questions about any of these, it's best to contact the seller directly before making the purchase.

http://www.etsy.com/faq_buying.php [Emphasis added]

Did I do things wrong? *Should* I send an invoice each and every time if the buyer does not immediately send me PayPal payment? I guess maybe I will if they don't pay me, but I really honestly didn't realize. What do other sellers do? I know that in the future I will not ship until I receive the PayPal notification, that was my bad, but I don't see that the buyer should be blaming me for their thinking they had already paid me - it's in their PayPal account, for 'sakes, and they wouldn't've had a receipt anywhere. The buyer has more experience with Etsy than me, I would think that paying should be automatic on the buyer's part. *sigh*

And to top it all off, I'm sure I'm going to get bad feedback now.

Green glass necklace

Another one! Put up a few days ago, it's quite sparkly. Unfortunately, the main photo is cropped funny when Etsy does a thumbnail, but I don't feel like fixing it.

This elegant green necklace has a dichroic glass centerpiece set off by antique green seed beads (~1940's) and plastic light green square beads with flower patterns. Beads are strung on a 22" nylon coated steel wire, with a metal toggle clasp. The combination of old (recycling at its finest!) and new (dichroic beads involve an internal thin film surface) is sure to accent any outfit and draw compliments.

Free shipping is via USPS First Class mail.

It's listed for $20. What do y'all think of the prices I'm putthing these things at?

Bird Toys - for sale

And now for something completely different, I've decided to throw away a couple bucks listing a whole bunch of bird toys on my Etsy site. Who knows, maybe someone will actually care and buy one! :-P

Pink Glass Necklace

Another necklace listing on Etsy.

This pink necklace is composed primarily of glass beads in varying shades of pink and clear. The faux pearl seed beads are antique, dating to approximately the 1940's - recycling at its finest! Beads are strung on a 22" nylon coated steel wire, with a metal toggle clasp. The central pink and black bead is approximately 3/4" long and hangs from a silver plated wire.

Free shipping is via USPS First Class mail.

Green Glass Leaf Necklace - Updated!

I've updated the Etsy listing for the Green Leaf necklace with a couple more photos. Check it out!

The economy of crafts

Making clothes used to be a necessity - people did it because there was no other way to get clothes. In my parents' generation it was relegated to something poor people did, because it was cheaper than buying your clothes. Today, it appears to be an idle passtime of the well-off. I mean, just look at the prices of patterns! And even if you're not working from a pattern, the material itself usually costs on par with buying the item already made.

Working with remnants, as I have been doing lately, seems the only economical way to go. However, you can't always get sufficient amounts to make things. Or the properties of the material are not what you expect - this afternoon I finished off a shirt I started last night. The material was a beautiful shiny pale blue, and the form-fitting cut of the shirt - copied near-faithfully from a cotton T-shirt I own, the modification being extra length - would have made a great shirt to wear to work. However, cotton stretches, and this material does not. It is now essentially a size 0 or XXS shirt (I wear size 4 or S). The material only cost a couple bucks, and I was creating it primarily as entertainment, but I am still disappointed I do not get the payout of a nice shirt afterwards. Perhaps I'll try selling it on Etsy, or else donate it to Goodwill.

Brown Fleece Scarf

Posted one of the fleece scarves I made to Etsy.

Green Glass Leaf Necklace

I have a new item up at my Etsy Shop, a green glass leaf necklace! Go check it out.

Pink/Maroon Wire-Wrapped Glass Tile

And I've also now listed the pink glass tile on Etsy.



I edited out the hair for the Etsy listing. :-P

Etsy: Dichroic Orange/Green Set

I have now listed my first item on Etsy! It's the dichroic orange/green set from a while ago. Check it out!

Etsy?

Anybody use Etsy much? I found them through teacherspet. It looks like it's a community just for selling and buying crafts items, but I'm not sure how effective it is.

Hat!

I finally made the hat to match my scarf and socks! I haven't yet made gloves though, or mittens.

Oooh, I found something I can do with the leftover scarves, and any future ones I make that I don't try to (or don't succeed in) sell: my union had an auction with donated items this past Fall. They're going to collect donations in perpetuity for future auctions. Wouldn't that be a great use of the scarves? :) And if I'm lucky, people will start coming to me directly to buy some. ;)

More Scarves!

I made a bunch more scarves for friends and coworkers for Christmas (and other holidays).



I'm thinking about selling the leftovers. Do you think people would be interested in buying them? How much do you think they'd want to pay? Would you buy one, and how much would YOU pay?