Secret Holiday

Sneak-peek: Little Quilts

I'm not sure if you noticed, but I wrote a post a couple days ago that was a little bit like a confessional. I woke up that morning feeling kind of awful after a pretty bad week and needed to let it out. Shortly after publishing the post, I went to work. When I returned home I was still feeling awful, but then also super embarrassed that I maybe sounded silly and like a whiny baby. So I removed the post and tried to pretend it never happened. That's not so easy to do. I actually struggle more than I would like with this whole writing for the world to see thing. I want to be honest, but at the same time I am running an online business so in many ways I know I should try to keep things chipper and positive and confident. I'm pretty sure I've mentioned before that when I'm not feeling so great I tend to disappear from the internet so as to not contaminate things with my bad feelings...

But I'm not here today to dwell on those things! Focus Ashley! I wanted to admit that I removed that post because I just put it back up (see below). It's really not so bad. It is what it is, you know? I'm feeling much better today -- with a great positive outlook and I feel like I need to just go with my gut. If someone decides to not buy something I made because I admitted I've been having a hard time and sales have been slow... well, geez, oh well. Right?

I covered someone's shift at Sweetie's today and then came home and sewed for hours. It felt so good! I finished a quilt top I started a couple days ago and I'm feeling really great from the progress and it's exciting. I've been cranking out these quilt tops lately that I am so in love with, so excited about that I just can't wait to share them!

But that's not what I'm showing you today. Instead I am finally posting a couple photos of the Little Quilts I made a few weeks ago. I haven't uploaded any images of them yet because I haven't been able to get any photos I really like. I'm really needing a large white wall with lots of natural light, but that just can't be found in my house! All of our walls are painted *other* colors.

These few photos were shot in the too-small-to-photograph-a-quilt front hallway downstairs. Tomorrow I am planning on shooting some film photos of these guys. I finally realized that it is super silly that I prefer to shoot film when taking regular ole photos, but then use my digital camera exclusively to shoot product shots. And then I'm never really that happy with the outcome. So silly! I'm excited about the photo shoot I have planned in my head for tomorrow! Hopefully it won't downpour all day like it did today, though I do love a good downpour :)

Sale! (and a few honest words)

I just thought I should pop over here to announce a big sale I'm holding in my shops this weekend:

You can use the discount code in my big cartel shop as well as my Etsy shop.

This seems to be about the time of year I start thinking about getting a "real job". This is a struggle that is plagueing me often, though I always avoid talking about it on here...

Do I get a full-time suck-the-life-and-creativity-out-of-me job and put my art making on the back burner for a while? Or do I keep plowing ahead, struggling financially, but doing what I love? Becuase it feels like I would be wasting all these years I have put into my little company if I just dropped it for a steady paycheck. Though a steady paycheck could be so nice...

Things have been kind of tough lately and I think whenever this happens I feel this huge pressure to make a big decision about what I am doing with my life. A huge decision that I am obviously incapable of making. I keep holding on to these little side jobs to help out with bills when sales are slow, but then sometimes I feel like that is just a distraction, a low-paying distraction that isn't quite helpful enough. So would I be better off finding one full time job, ditching the side jobs, sew my own things less, but have a little money for once? Probably.

I was supposed to come on here and tell you all about my sale and act like it is purely a "celebrate the fall!" sale, but let's be honest: I love this time of the year (it's my very favorite!) and am happy today is the first day of fall, but I would be even more happy to sell a couple things this week. I am going to be totally straight forward and announce that my sales have been low and it is hurting. I know, I'm not supposed to say these things. But I need to be honest today. It feels good to put these things out there and not pretend like my life is super perfect all. the. time. Because things get hard and ugly sometimes and that is just how it is.

Alright... rambling done. Thank you for listening! I'll come back soon with cheerful news of a couple projects that I have in the works that really are terribly exciting (fern animals, quilts - - finally, almost - - and a pop-up shop!!)  Stay tuned, ok?

new tiny bird

I've been busy with lots of visitors and outside-of-the-studio work for the past couple of weeks. It's been really nice at times, but frustrating too! I feel like this time of the year always brings on new ideas and inspiration for projects, so when I can't find the time to work on anything, I start to feel like I'm going crazy. Yesterday was supposed to be my first studio day in weeks, but of course it was co-opted by work and errands. I did find some time in the evening though... I worked on a few banners, and then made this new bird:

I've tried to make a smaller ornament-size bird in the past and always ended up unhappy with the shape. Somehow, this one just worked on the first try! It was meant to be!

I am excited to have this new smaller bird available and also to have something at a cheaper price. Creating these little birds out of felt means they are simpler and I don't have to spend as much time pinning and stitching deligently. These still take time, but compared to my other Love Birds, they seem so quick! It's fun! You can check this little one out HERE.

Also, you'll notice that link sends you to Etsy... but not my fernanimals shop... I will be closing that old shop soon because I think having my username and my shop/banner name different is confusing. I wish Etsy would just let you change your username. But, yes, I am moving everything over to ashleyannabrown.etsy.com. (Please update your links) I'll still be using my Big Cartel shop as well, but it's been kind of fun reinvesting myself in Etsy. I think I like the whole circles thing!