Organized!

Organize is not my word of the year, but I always like to start the year off a little less chaotically than I end it. Lucky for me, my life is often such a mess, it's not too hard to improve a lot.

Here's a big truth nugget:  I lovelovelove when people like the stuff I make enough to buy it. It makes my heart soar.  I sing and dance and am happyhappyhappy...for about five minutes. Then I realize I'm going to have to mail it to them.  In a box.  Using tape and bubble wrap and more tape (which I can never ever ever ever find no matter how many fancy dispensers or how many economy sized rolls I buy) and it needs to look cute and there needs to be a thank you note and I have to remember an invoice and I have to go the post office where I have to wait in line behind the woman who apparently has 876577 grandchildren who all live in remote villages on other continents. ::vigorouslybangsheadondesk::

I have been doing shipping in the most disorganized way possible, I'm sure, because I'm an over-achiever like that.  I basically dumped every possible shipping item into a brown paper bag (at least it had a handle) and dragged it all back and forth to work with me.  At about 4:45 each day I would finally remember there was something I was supposed to do, at which point I would tap the side of my head with my forefinger and think, "Hmmmm, what was that?"  My brain would eventually screech, "MAIL!!!!!!". I would jump out of my chair, grab my paper sack and furiously commence creating a nightmarish mess of tape, paper bits, torn cardboard, crumpled tissue paper, twine and who knows what all else might have ended up in those packages...except sweat. There was probably a lot of sweat. Sorry about that.

I decided to do something about it because, honestly, I can't afford any more brain cells.

I shopped around my own house for the sweet fake wall made of old screen doors (which my handy man brought upstairs for me and cut to fit), the record stand I got at a yard sale for $1, and some bins and baskets; got a couple things at Walmart and an official shipping scale from Sam's.

 Behold my new shipping station upstairs! (Do you hear the angels singing?)

I'm all set now.  I'm going to be a wrapping fool.  Y'all go order something.

<3 Lori

Friday Night Lights

My ability to formulate a catchy title is dwindling, don'tcha think?  

So...it's Friday.  I took the day off from my real job because 1) I'm plumb tuckered out, 2) I wanted to do some stuff for LeissnerArt, and 3) I got my evaluation yesterday and I figured I ought to end the work week on a good note and quit while I'm ahead.  I love my boss.  My job...er..well....not so much sometimes.  But that's why I have this place, right?

I made a light box today.  A friend of mine (Violet at KellyMaeKreations--check out her shop. She makes great jewelry!) looked over my shop for me and gave me some pointers about fixing the place up a little bit.  I knew my photos were not that great, but I just hadn't had time to do anything about it.  Today was the day to get started.  So I watched some videos on YouTube, checked out a lot of tutorials like this one and then kind of winged it to make this light box.

I must admit it. I'm pretty proud of myself. It's only cardboard, tissue paper and poster board, but, dadgummit, I made it and it works.

So here's an image that was on Etsy before of some cute little tea cup art:

And here's the one from the lightbox:

Hmmm...well.  It is brighter, so you can see the details a little better. Since it's pouring down rain today, I surely can't try to get natural light photos.  And since most of my LeissnerArt work needs to happen after working at the real job, a light box will help.  I need different lamps and light bulbs.  After that, I think I'll be able to rock this box. Um...as soon as I find both my camera power cords that are lost at the moment.   I took this one with my Ipad. ::sigh:: Seems like it's always something. 

If you need any info about my light box foray, feel free to hit me up. And check out my Etsy shop for new listings.

UPDATE:  Found my camera power cords!!  Yea!

May the good Lord bless you today with his brilliant light and may you let it shine.

<3 Lori