Falling leaves October team chat

[Former_Member]

Best month of the whole year!!

[Former_Member]

I learned what should be our moving date today nov 1st so that means Ill be busy and unable to manage the team for awhile is anyone interested in helping out I know Allison is busy right now so if you anyone wants to help out Judi with the threads while Im away let me know :)

[Former_Member]

YAY~ Vanessa, I am so pleased to hear you have a date for closing!

Sure hope that your listing and selling purge does all it needs to do.

[LovedOnceMoreVintage]

That is wonderful Vanessa--so are you going to post pic's of your new home on your blog???? I sure would like to see it. It is so exciting to get a home of your very own. You can do all sorts of fun things with it!

Yay for fall and for all the pretty colors. I think a nice walk in the fall leaves is in order here pretty soon. It is such a great time of the year.

This is going to be a great month starting oct the 21st and the bathrooms get put together again and then I will start to feel like I have a normal life!

I hope everyone has a good rest of their week.

[Former_Member]

Well, it is done. I have set up my last of the booths in the new stores, I used up nearly all my display things I have kept on hand for them and my garage has more room. Not a ton, but more.

It is about a 35 minute drive to the shop I went to today, so when you go there, you work all day. Just got home and I am bushed. It took me all day to set the booth, I had things I had to re-price, re-tag, re-card, and then I kept adding and taking away until I think it looks really good. It is a large store and not a lot of us are there right now, so I spread out a bit more than I might have. I didn't go whole hog though.
I also sorted everything I didn't put up. Some of it needs to go to one of the other shops and some back to the Girl Scouts now that I can't sell it for them in my shop. I even cleaned out my travel craft bags, down to the crumbs in the bottom! And for the first time in about 6 weeks, both of my back seats are in the upright position without me having to remove stuff from the car to make them so.

Anyway, the shop was dead and there was no music, so I spent a very quiet day, hence the additional chattiness.
Hoping and planning to put a bunch of time into this shop in the next week and then the vintage shop, they have both been just dead and I have done nothing to them except renew for about 2 weeks, maybe more.

I wore uncomfortable shoes, didn't take lunch so I got a huge hot dog at a drive up coffee stand, and now I just want to sit, watch an old movie with my daughter (the guys are both out with friends) and drink a cup of tea.

Have a great weekend everyone!!

[COLDHAMCUDDLIES]

So glad to hear your news, Vanessa. Just take it easy with the packing, and get rid of everything that you REALLY don't need! I have a rule on these occasions - followed it religiously when I just moved - if you haven't looked at or used it in the last 6 months, you DO NOT need it. Therefore, get rid of it. You'll be amazed at the space that ensues (even though it's all been used up in my case, moving here, since it's a lot smaller than my last home!). Good luck, anyway.

Pleased that you've organised yourself too, Judi. Just hope you've not overdone it, because it's not all that long ago since you were flat on your back! Just take care you don't overdo things. Cups of tea with a daughter sound just the thing, though.

Looks as though I might have a custom order coming through for a brand new hand puppet, which could in turn lead to another one! Keep your fingers crossed. Negotiations are still in progress.

Nice to see you around Lisa. Hope you're enjoying the break from the day job!

Must away to have my main meal, so that I can sit, sew replacement golf club covers and watch "Strictly Come Dancing". It's an addictive programme, I can tell you, and this is the first year since it started that I've actually watched it from the beginning.

See you all around soon. Sorry I won't be able to help out here Vanessa, 'cos I'm pretty committed on my other teams, and I've got to have some time to do my work on Etsy!!! Will try to visit here a bit more often though.

[Former_Member]

Isobel, I can't tell you how easy having this appendectomy has been. The 24 hours before the surgery were more painful and horrible than anything after. The new noninvasive way they have of removing it makes it a breeze to heal. the only issue I have had is the incision in my belly button is right where my pants rest, so it is still a bit irritated, but well healed.

Vanessa, I hope your sale went well this weekend. We have had lovely weather here, but I hear back East it is rainy and yucky.

Well, Need to go clean off some boards. They have been outside for a few months and i want to bring them in and built the unit they are part of again. I think with this, I will have a truly workable surface for both EK and her paper and me and my everything else. I don't know why I give her permanent room for her stuff, sinceshe never has time to do it, but this way when she does I do'nt have to walk around it on the living room floor until the project is done, like normal!!

Later ladies!! And Ewan!!

[Former_Member]

Hey all, life must be really busy!

Isobel, I was wondering if you found a new Zumba class to go to?
Getting psyched up to start swimming, myself.

Have a great week!

[COLDHAMCUDDLIES]

Hi there Judi! To answer your Zumba question, I know of one - and when I was up here looking after Clare when she'd broken her leg, just after Peter died a couple of years ago, I actually attended it for the five weeks or so I was up here. Fully intend to re-join, but so far haven't been able to find the time to do so. Am hoping to pick it up again in the next week or so, though, as I get myself into a proper routine once more.

May have an interruption though, as I saw the new doctor today - have had a mole, or large freckle on the side of my face for many months, which was being monitored by my previous medical advisers. Decided that now was a good time to get it investigated, so have an appointment for next Wednesday (15th) at the local hospital dermatology department. Had a similar thing removed, just about the left eyebrow about four years ago, and was warned there might be repeat performances. Karma, you might say - I used to spend an awful lot of time sun-bathing in my younger days, and it could that chickens are coming home to roost!! The other one was benign, but the name of it - basal cell carcinoma - didn't half send shivers down the spine at the time. Hoping it will be a repeat performance - but prayers etc. would be appreciated, if you have the time folks.

Got a custom order for a larger hand puppet, based on my Tiger Head Golf club cover (Head) and a large Teddy Bear (for the body). Should be interesting. Got some lovely fabric, which looks a lot better and more auithentic than the organey colour I currently am using for my Golf Club Covers with the tiger head, and am now sourcing suitable eyes for it. If all goes well, and the Buyer likes it, there definitely will be another Puppet to be made!!! So...... things are looking up, at last.

Take care, everyone. Thinking of you Vanessa.

[Former_Member]

Love the idea of a Tiger puppet! Is the body going to be stuffed?

And prayers next Wednesday - which would be Tuesday for us - on my list!
You are right about the names for benign being as scary as the real things - my troublesome rib has a three part name that makes it sound like the doctors should pay more attention to it than they do, but I have an appointment lined up on the 11 of next month to see a Physiaitrist - specializes in ...? going to see if it is causing the ache and numbness in my left arm, since it has already been proven to not be heart. They think it is a pinched nerve, it will be good to get it dealt with. ACH! I am not even 50 and I am seeing a new doctor every month for somethign! But maybe I can get all this proven not an issue and get to what is really the issue, the pain in my back!

Off to move stuff from one shop to the other for B&M shops. Sooon Soooooon, I hope to be all done with it and back to focusing on Etsy for awhile. Lord be with me that I made the right choice, as i signed a 6 month contract with the organization of shops, so I am in it for 1/2 a year regardless!

Hope someone else checks in - all my teams seem dead right now, and one even closed. Too bad, but now I don't feel guilty for not posting in it - I was the last one to post back in June!!

[COLDHAMCUDDLIES]

Think you're meanng a Physiotherapist, Judi, don't you? Sounds to me like you need a thorough good check over, because it could well be that even the arm is being affected by your back ache. The spine can affect so much of the body and extremities if it's not properly aligned. Hope you soon get help, anyway.

Chatsworth House was great, and I visited a bit that I'd not been to before. Previously had always been to the Farm Shop: this time we visited the Stables/Carriage Yard, which is also a tourist shop, but has more space to accommodate more specialist items and deal with tourists at the same time. We're saving a visit to the inside of the house nearer Christmas Time, when it gets all spruced up for the Festive Season. It's only about 30 mins. drive from where we all live now, and definitely worth a visit. Dog can come too, although she needs to be kept on the lead, because of the sheep and deer that inhabit the surrounding parkland.

On the way home was taken to a fabric shop with materials and prices to die for! Know just where I'll be getting my poplins etc for the toys as and when my current stocks are used up. Ended the day with a meal cooked by Clare and a glass of wine to celebrate the occasion. So, a lovely day - with a present to be enjoyed sometime in November, which is attending a choral concert that Clare's Nottingham Harmonic Choir is giving. She is a member of the choir, but having a rest for the time being - as she's not too sure she's keen on the current choices to be sung!! Added to which the adoption process seems to be moving ahead - potential sibling group (two little boys) have been identified!!! Keep those prayers going, please folks.

Judi - the Tiger puppet is a larger hand puppet, so is not going to be stuffed - the hand and arm act as that bit of the Toy. Fabric arrived yesterday, and the Buyer got so excited by it that he's asked me to do another one from the same piece of material - and there's still the third one to do if the first one works out all right.!!! Eyes are on order from an Etsy shop some of which were selected by the Buyer himself. So, have got a busy schedule ahead of me.

Be back soon - time permitting!

[COLDHAMCUDDLIES]

Got a lot on over the week-end and coming days, so thought I'd post here before I get stuck in.

I have deconstructed a toy Spider which I think will make a great Stocking Stuffer, if I'm too late for this year's Halloween festivities. It's only three pieces of fabric, but quite a lot of sewing (and stuffing) involved, but should make another great puppet, this time of the finger variety! It's currently in bits, having had a brisk wash (it's been in a cardboard box for nearly 40 years and was only discovered recently when Clare and Alan moved house, and it was deemed ideal for a child's "Quiet Bag" when attending Mass or other such activities when quiet is required, rather than the usual bounce! So, he's the latest patient in the Stuffed Animal Restoration Clinic, and will be restuffed once re-sewn, and returned to Clare and Alan. However, it will not be before I've made a template in order to let my imagination run riot with my own version(s). Am normally arachnophobic, but this little guy is quite cute!!

Then have got to do some speedy replacements of the Baby Koalas, three of whom found new homes just as I left Wiltshire and at the first bazaar here in Nottinghamshire.

I've also got the Puppets for the latest Custom Order to do (3 in all) and an enquiry when I was on Twitter a week ago about Squirrels! So, have got quite a lot of sewing to do - as well as all this social media lark. The eyes have been ordered from an Etsy source and it isn't that much more expensive than the source from whence I normally get my eyes - but these are hand-painted, so that much more "exclusive"!

Hope everyone is well - looking forward to catching with folks as and when they come back to post.

[Former_Member]

Checking in
My facebook told me you had a birthday the other day Isobel so happy late birfhday :)

Lisa- When we move in Ill take pictures
Im worried though about maybe having to find a job jobs here are pretty limited and so are my skills... and my agoraphobia hasnt gotten better but I doubt we can afford a house on just one income..plus etsy just isnt making me much money anymore Im pretty much just going to let my stuff expire and quit it I think I spend more money putting stuff up than I make now.

The yardsale went ok Josh sold his guitar which was good because I have never seen him play it in the 8 years we have known each other
and I sold a handful of things it wasnt a large turnout like it used to be though...

[Former_Member]

Hey Vanessa, you never know what will come your way. Have you tried doing Ebay along with Etsy?

If we look professional, I think we sell more - don't you?
I have been trying to present a more business like appearance in my pics and listings but then my camera has been doing this thing where a portion of the photo will be blurry. I would say it was a dirty lens, but it is always in a different place. I hope I don't have to buy a new one ~ ugh!

I have been going through all my listings as they renew and not renewing the ones that have bad photos. I am going to retake photos, re-describe so that new Etsy App still gets all the good info (it only uses your top 5 lines!!), Re-title as it shows only the first bit of the title, and retag so that I get as much information in as possible.

Did you know that you can use multiple words in tags, like Brown blue and it will find both?

And the photos appear on the new apps as cropped, so you need to make sure your photos are centered. I do love that little cropping tool they give you on the listing page. Sometimes I really zoom in on that, as that is what they see on the main page of all the items, and then when they click on it , it reverts to the photo you uploaded - so you can catch their attention on the listing, and then when they open it they get the full photo.

the funniest thing of all is the mistakes I have caught in my old listings - misspellings, bad grammar, not capitalizing what needs to be capped, and even in one - I had two right shoe stretchers instead of a left and a right!! I had shadows in pictures that made the item look damaged, I had blurry pics and in some the item wasn't fully visible in the picture that showed in the listings - like a dolls head was cut off!

anyway, I have decided that I am going to do the work needed to improve the listings, like they were new ones, and see if they don't sell faster the second (or third or fourth!) time around.

Like I have time to do that! but I need to do it anyway.

Well, i missed the mailman - had a small sale to get out, but it just came through and he just came, not enough time between. But I can get it packed and ready for Monday!

[COLDHAMCUDDLIES]

This is the first of my renewals - another coming along tomorrow.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/168592299/golf-club-cover-tiger-head-animal-print?ref=listing-shop-head...

Then the Spider comes next.

Know what you mean, Judi, about missing out words and the need to re-edit stuff. Suppose that's why it's a good thing to relist every now and again, but regularly - if you follow my Irish!

Must away - good television tonight, and I can resew the Spider - and take pics along the way, so I can have copy for 3 blogs, instead of just one! Really beginning to get back into the swing of things - FINALLY!

Hope the moves goes well, Vanessa. You sound like I felt when I was facing the move. Just take things one at a time. See if there's something that you can do from home - like dog sitting. Of, I forgot, your Cat might have something to say about that.

Or see if you can help out (paid of course) at an Old Folks Home or something like that - somewhere not too aggressive or in your public face as it were. That might help you to face the outside world a bit better.

Keep us posted how things go.

[Former_Member]

Thanks guys :)
I spent some of the day packing today...mostly packing up my movies Im not even done with them I wonder how many I have boxes and boxes and I got rid of a bunch...

[Former_Member]

Vanessa, we have that problem too, the kids love watching old VHS and since they are so cheap they keep buying them and buying them. They shelves that hold them cover most of one wall!

[COLDHAMCUDDLIES]

Running late today, but here - as threatened yesterday - is the renewed listing for the Panda Bear Golf Club Covers . Have still got to do the new Yogi Bear ones, but haven't cut them out yet!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/107241362/panda-bear-golf-club-head-cover-black?nc=1

Remembered to crop this one Judi!

[Former_Member]

He is a cutie as well!

Vanessa, hope the packing is going well.

Only 7 more days until Lisa gets her bathroom repaired!

Sold a bunch of books and need to pack them up - I can't ship until tomorrow (nat'l holiday) but I want to be able to just pop them out there.

After years and years of having the best of mailmen, (and women!) we now have the most disgruntled twit imaginable. Each time he picks up packages from our house he makes disparaging noises, we can hear because until recently it was so warm we have had our front door open, but now he has started dropping the packages we are receiving on the mat in front of the door. no door bell, no knock, no putting them down, just dropping them!!
I want to catch him when he comes tomorrow and talk to him about it before I call his supervisor, it is not okay. He should be thanking us everytime we send a package since the postoffice needs all the business it can get. And he has even made rude noises about my son sending off a stack of letter sized envelopes! I just don't get it, if he doesn't want the job then quit!!

anyway, time to make lunch and finish packing my books up.

Later All!

[COLDHAMCUDDLIES]

Three different Cuddlies were selected in these Treasuries today, some from unexpected sources. Thought I'd give them a chance for extra viewing - if anybody is interested in so doing!

www.etsy.com/treasury/MTg3ODkyMDB8MjcyNjkxNDAwOA/give-the-gift-of-love
www.etsy.com/treasury/NDI3Nzg0OTh8MjcyNDM1NTIzMQ/wonderful-handmade...
www.etsy.com/treasury/MTc2MjU1MTV8MjcyNDM1NjgzNQ/christmas-finery

Judi - posties can make or break a day, can't they. Certainly, your present one needs a serious attitude adjustment! As you say, he's there to do his job, not comment on having to do it!!! Hope you can sort it out, but wonder if he's doing it to everyone else as well? You'd think these days with jobs hard to find worldwide, he'd be grateful to be doing what he does each day!!

[COLDHAMCUDDLIES]

Posted earlier this afternoon (UK time, that is) and after I called in before!:

http://coldhamcuddliescalling.blogspot.co.uk/A New Look for Old Friends....

Presenting the latest version of our popular Golf Club Covers - just in time for filling the hole in a Christmas Stocking for that golfing member of your family!

[Former_Member]

Hey, Isobel, how did your surgery go? Relatively easily, I hope?

[Former_Member]

Judi- Same here dvds and Vhs havent went over to bluray yet
I have 2 large shelves that touch the ceiling and they are filled with just dvds the closets are full of vhs but I been getting rid of most of those and just keeping the vhs that have never been released onto dvd like some old DIC cartoons like Maxies World
still have a ton though did you know that some vhs movies are actually worth a lot of money?
My vcr is nearing its end though and I havent found a replacement I was told by some people to check goodwill because they said that they always find lots of movies and vcrs but mine wasnt like that at all it didnt even have movies all it had was clothes...

I like the panda golf head cover Isobel!!
and I must have missed something when reading that surgery did you have to have?

[Former_Member]

Rainy day today.
Just enough wind to blow the top off a rotten tree. We have these wonderful trees that grow fast and then die from the top down and rot quickly. Nature's purpose for them is to fix bad soil by growing and rotting quickly, but they are ugly, they make my nose run, and they don't even turn yellow or orange in the fall but the leaves fall off while green. The only time they look nice is when they are leafing out.
Okay, they have one other really great purpose - the woodpeckers love them and make holes for all the little birds to live in.

UGH

I had energy this morning but it has kind of died down. Hoping to plod along and get some needed jobs done, but feeling like a nap - it must be the rain. UGH

Hope you are all doing well -

[COLDHAMCUDDLIES]

Judy - sounds like you're feeling "autumnal" - we've been told to expect the end of both the latest hurricanes moving up the eastern seaboard, sometime next week. Think they're called Fay (presently near Bermuda) and Gonzales (I think). We've presently got temps in the 20's, with a gale force wind with them! The weather is just going crazy at the moment, but the longer it doesn't get cold, the better, as I know it will feel worse up here than it did when I was down in Wiltshire! Have lived in this area previously!!

My visit to the local hospital - a very modern one which so far has been marvellous - was a good one. I had a couple of moles that my previous quack had been monitoring, and one had begun to change shape and give me a bit of discomfort. So, as I needed to meet my new medical advisers, I went last week and because of the possibility of skin cancer - as a younger person I had basked in sunshine at dangerous levels! - I was referred as a "within 2 weeks" case. The appointment was just one week afterwards, which given the current state of our National Health Service is nothing short of miraculous. The consultant, with the aid of a couple of young students learning their way around, all agreed that they were actually warts - and they were both dispatched without any more ado - silver nitrate, or some such stuff I believe - freezing them off! So no surgery involved, thank goodness. Am waiting for the scabs to form and drop off - and then will treat the scars with Vit E oil/cream, as both are on my neck and face respectively!

Spider No. 2 turned out to be back to front when I thought I'd completed him, so I've had to undo all my work last night and start again. Was spitting nails when I went to bed eventually! All well now, and what with good news from other daughter who is still trying to set up her business - and was taking an exam to gain extra qualifications for work purposes while she does it - things are not quite as dire as it felt when I went to sleep. A good night's sleep does wonders, doesn't it?

Clare found the link to a Craft Fair being organised in Kirkby (town where we live) for December 5 which is coinciding with the switch-on of the Christmas Lights. Should mean plenty of folks in a relaxed (and buying?) mode. So, have booked my table, and Clare has said she'll help me set up and even sell too! Getting the necessary paperwork next week.