Sales are down

I can't figure it out! For weeks I had GREAT sales, and now nothing. It's so bizarre...

New stuff

Well, after a couple hectic weeks, things are slowing down again in the Bowenism shop. The dolls I made were definitely what got things going, but after making about eight of them, I'm a little burnt out and intend to take a bit of a break.

My latest creations are bowls and washcloths. The washcloths are super soft, and have been pretty popular! One customer liked hers so much that she requested a special order of two sets (one for her and one for her sister). Thanks, kellycm!

Today is going to be a car day instead of a crocheting day. The used car I bought a couple weeks ago needs some TLC, and the plan is to meet at my husband's best friend's house to do some work on a motor mount. Betcha didn't know I could work on cars, too, did you? LOL Actually, my husband and his best friend are teaching me a little of what they know. So far I can change brakes, change oil, and install a brake line.

It looks like it's going to be a scorcher today in Albuquerque, and the A/C is broken (%$&#!!!!), so I'm glad to be going to someone else's house!

Taking off!

Well, that doll was the magic item that suddenly got my shop hopping. Within an hour of posting him, he was sold and I had orders for THREE more. Plus, a wonderful woman bought one of my bowls and another bought a catnip toy. It's just so exciting! I hope I can get the dolls finished quickly. While they're pretty easy to make, it's tough when my three-year-old son is running around. As soon as the crochet hook comes out, he suddenly has an owie, is hungry, and lost his favorite toy.



Tomorrow I head to my new job as a dog groomer. I used to own my own grooming shop, but the economy forced me to close it down last year. My panic disorder is easing up enough that I'm trying to go back to work. Unfortunately, the social anxiety component is so severe that I can't really deal with PEOPLE. Luckily I have a friend who owns a grooming shop (officially, the best in Albuquerque--Bath, Brush, and Beyond). She's willing to let me work there one day a week to ease back into the work world.



One thing's for sure, though, I'll never go back to accounting again!

My first human doll!

Just finished this little guy last night. He was really easy to make, but I didn't want to use buttons for his eyes, so I had to wait a week until I got to a craft store to buy felt. Isn't he adorable? My youngest son (three) insists that I made the little fellow for him, so I guess I'll have to make another one. It'll be hard to part with this one. He's been sitting on the couch without eyes for over a week, just hanging out with us while we watch TV. I'll miss him when he's gone!

Right now I'm working on another afghan for the shop, and next will be another teddy bear, since my only teddy bear was purchased a few days ago.

I love crocheting. It keeps me sane!

Washcloths

They're so addictive to make! I mean, they're easy to crochet, make up pretty fast, are beautiful (all those gorgeous cotton colors!), and are really highly functional. What's not to love? I have a new set going up today as soon as I get pictures of it. Yesterday's post was also of washcloths.

I also make mini washcloths. Some Etsy folk call them scrubbies, but I haven't necessarily jumped on that bandwagon. They're basically the same thing you see at right, but only a few inches square. You use them the same way you'd use cotton facial squares: to remove makeup. A lot of people like to use them because they're reusable. You don't just toss them in the garbage where they'll end up in a landfill.

Great idea, huh?

http://bowenism.etsy.com/

Saudi Arabia

I just added my first blog to follow, "Is My English Strange?" and it reminded me of home. I grew up, an expatriate American, in a large American compound, in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. My family was there almost constantly from 1980 to 1995. Dhahran is home to me, although it's been 13 years since I smelled the oily dustiness of its hot air. I'll probably never be able to go back (the cost of a plane ticket is prohibitive), but my memories are something I work hard to keep alive.

I'm what you call a Third Culture Kid, someone raised in a foreign culture who has combined elements of their two "home" cultures. So I totally admire this blogger for learning another language and learning more about Western culture. My language in high school (a fancy-schmancy New England boarding school that I hated, thank you very much) was Russian. No, I've never been there, and, no, I never really intended to. It was just a beautiful language. You knew what they say, though, about losing it if you don't use it. So most of it is gone, despite the five years of painstaking study. Sadly, I recall very little Arabic as well.

Maybe it's all the drugs I did in high school....

It's done!

Well, I FINALLY finished the green afghan at about 8:30 this morning. I woke up very early (around 6:30), before my youngest son could get up and absorb all my attention. The yarn was calling my name very softly from the living room. I tiptoed out, trying not to disturn anyone, but of course the dogs heard me and insisted on being included.

My big dilemma was whether to keep or sell the blanket, but after five week (off and on, granted) spent swathed in its dark green folds, I've decided I just can't part with it.

I did manage to post a new item today, though, a Bowenism Bowl in deep gloaming. I called the color that because it's made from two different colors of yarn: royal purple and dark teal. Not sure the pictures do it justice. It's so hard to take pictures of small, inanimate objects when you're used to photographing children and dogs!

My favorite bowl picture is of the bowl in royal purple. Something about the contrast between the soft, felted purple wool, and the hard roundness of the colorful buttons....