Sophie the Pearl

Etsy Banner Change

OK. I just had to try something different for my Etsy Shop banner. So here it is:

Raw Materials

I have a nice stack of beautiful cotton fabric waiting to be made into Heart Stuffies! I have plenty of poly stuffing, vintage flowers, hand-dyed ribbon, vintage ric-rac and vintage buttons! In fact, I just got a card of baby-blue vintage buttons in the mail today, which I procured on eBay! One of the neatest things about collecting the buttons (and everything else) for the Stuffies is that I can keep some of each for myself! Oh joy!

All I need to do now is cut out a gazillion pieces, sew them together, stuff them and attach the trimming — then I can take their pictures and post them on my Etsy Shop!

I wonder if anyone else has the heebie-jeebies when they are ready to step out into the shop for the first time! I'm a little jittery, but I know that's just my Inner Critic flappin' its lips!

I'm excited to be so close to getting things added to my store. I'll be contacting a selection of fellow bloggers to let them/you know what's happening, and ask them/you to please add a link to my blog and Etsy Shop. I'm also going to have a Give Away, and will post what the prize will be.

For now... I am going to search online to see what wonderful Audio Books there are out there so I can have the library acquire them for me from Pittsburgh's system. I find that listening to an Audio Book is an Excellent way to augment my work energies, whereas I'm too distracted by movies to do a good job on my sewing. There are, of course, some parts of the process that are easy to do while watching a movie -- like stuffing and cutting out. Everything else takes my Eyes and Attention to come out right. (the last Audio Book I heard was "Lisey's Story" by Stephen King. Excellent!

Right now, I'm in the beginning of watching Season 3 of Deadwood from HBO -- I really love the storyline, as well as the very intricate and highly-polished dialogue. I don't even notice the swearing any more! I'm wondering if this is the last season, since I can't find anything else online that talks about it. I signed up for the Deadwood Newsletter, so maybe I'll find out there. I love this series! Has anyhone else been to Deadwood? I was there before they cleaned it up, but not before the famous saloon was burned down -- the one where Wild Bill Hickock was killed. We tried to see the graves of Hickock and Calamity Jane, but the road to the graveyard was too steep for our pickup truck (no 4-wheel drive). It was an interesting town, but I think NOW it has better restaurants than when we were there (early 1980s).

I want one of these!

I saw this on Cute Overload, and fell in love!

IF: Poem

Close and closer

I've made one more step toward opening up my Etsy Shop, and that is opening up my Etsy account. I've designed a banner, much like my blog banner above, so by the time I get ready to post my stuffies, things will be ready to go! I'm getting excited, but still wish I had a huge dose of Energy to help me keep things moving.

The banners for my blog and for my Etsy shop (they're just a wee bit different), are fashioned after my first Heart Stuffy. I scanned the print fabric and button, but the red stripes were done in Photoshop -- so much easier than another scan. Since I first came up with the original design for my Stuffies, I've come up with a few more ideas for stuffies with the same feel. The whole process has been amazingly enjoyable! I know many of you understand what I'm talking about, because otherwise, there wouldn't be so many beautiful blogs written by such talented and creative people! I feel I've grown a lot since I started reading blogs earlier this year, and it's because you all are so generous in sharing your thoughts and encouragement to other creative people who read your blogs. Perhaps once I get up-and-running, I will get less withdrawn and be able to share more of what my experiences have taught me.

I do hope my designs are popular, since the whole idea of designing and selling them on Etsy is to help pay for gas to my reenacting events! At the same time, I know myself well enough to realize that taking orders will not be a good thing for me. I've done it in the past, and I don't seem to be able to handle the stress of finishing the work, even if I give myself plenty of time. Then there's the factor of my fluctuating energy levels. It's sad and strange: when I'm working for someone else, I ignore when my energy is way low, and actually have no problem whatsoever with the stress of meeting deadlines. I can guess what a shrink would say about that!

That's what I like about Etsy! You post what you have to sell, and if you don't have anything to sell, your store stays right where it is. No rent. No pressure. Being able to announce new postings on our blogs is like flyers sent in the mail! I like this setup, and think that whoever founded the site was a smart cookie indeed!

At any rate, if you're reading this, please say a wee, silent little prayer asking for energy and gumption — for me, and for everyone else, 'cause we all need both one time or another!

Oh my dog...

First of all, notice my new banner. It's fashioned after the Stuffies I've been designing, and I'm really getting excited.

Next, let me explain the title of this post: My favorite animal video is the Talking Cat on UTube. Everyone I know says they've seen it too many times, but I still try to visit it 2-3 times a week. The cat reminds me of one of my own kitties (Mattie), and the fact that there are words that can be understood.. well, it just cracks me up! It's gotten to the point that I say "Oh my dog!" instead of "Oh my God!" Which reminds me of another really good joke: Did you hear about the agnostic, dyslexic insomniac who stayed up all night wondering if there really was a Dog? (you may groan, now!)

I've been busy doing other things for the past several weeks... mainly, sewing items for my reenacting life: a new pair* of stays, otherwise known as a corset, for the French & Indian era, and a button-cap for the Civil War era. The picture above is of an extant (meaning original) set of stays, and is probably stiffened with baleen, better known as whale bone. It has the consistency of a horse's hoof, and there are many strips of it inside the baleen whale's mouth to filter the plankton — their main food source — from the water as it goes through. Alaskan Eskimos are legally able to harvest these whales, and in turn legally sell the baleen to US citizens. (I have been lucky enought to purchase some; more about that later, perhaps.) Also, there are some amazing Native artists who weave the baleen into baskets, which you can see here.

Usually, reenactors use spring steel bones, and sometimes half-round basket caning to stiffen their stays. However, I've found that using mostly hemp cording, with only minimal use of steel bones, makes for a much more comfortable set of stays — ones that will not prevent the wearer from bending or breathing!!

Anyway, what kept me away from blogging besides sewing is attending the annual French & Indian War encampment at Old Fort Niagara right at the spot where the Niagara River runs into Lake Ontario. It's my favorite event, and this year didn't disappoint me! I drove up on July 5th, and stayed over until July 9 with 4 other members of my group, Gordon's Royal Americans (British). The weather was great, although a bit hot during the day if you weren't under the trees for shade. The fort overlooks the lake, and the view is magic, especially if there's a mist that blots out the lights of Toronto across the lake... because once the public leaves, you can almost imagine yourself back into the 18th century.

I've been highly involved in my own personal research for the Civil War, as well, since I also started reenacting that era this summer. But I won't go into it now. It seems like too much upheaval and pain to duplicate into a blog. The war, not the reenacting.

And finally, I am On The Verge of opening my Etsy store, "Sophie the Pearl". I've been having a dearth** of energy, lately, in spite of the beautiful summer weather that's been gracing Pittsburgh, so haven't felt like working on anything since I returned from Niagara. But once I get started, I hope to have several of my stuffies finished, photographed and posted. I'll let everyone know when, because I'm planning to have a Giveaway in honor of the opening, and contacting some of my favorite bloggers to help spread the word.

I've been told of a new drug recently approved by the FDA to help alleviate the pain and fatigue of fibromyalgia, which is the biggest detriment to progress in my life. I have to make an appointment with my physician, and hope that she has/can get lots of samples, since the insurance I have gives only a 10% discount on drugs. I'm in the process of job hunting for something full time -- something that pays more than minimum wage, and that will not hurt me while I'm doing it, like schlepping bolts and fabric or lifting huge cartons of drinking water over the scanner. Once I do find such a job, I won't have the free time I have been enjoying, but I will feel a lot better for not having to worry about my finances. Everything has its ups and downs.

I do wish I had photos to share, especially of the encampment at Fort Niagara, or the hills of Eastern Pennsylvania as I drove on I-79 North to get there. Or even a photo of the garments I've been sewing. Alas, I had forgotten to take my camera, and therefore, no chance!!

*pair [of stays] - in the 18th century, the stays were constructed in 2 or more pieces that were then laced together. This allowed for natural flucuations in a woman's body, especially during pregnancy.

**dearth — n., an inadequate supply; scarcity; lack: There is a dearth of good engineers men.