My Corner of the World (or the Drum Room, at least!)

I knew the de-clutteredness wouldn't last long, so I snapped this with my phone--not so bad!

This is where the magic happens, folks. HA! :) But really, this is where I do all my hammering. It is, of course, a work in progress, but here's how it's set up:

1. The work bench. My aunt, a yard-sale extraordinaire, found this for $20 I want to say. It was unfinished, so she finished it and used it in her own kitchen until she moved and it didn't go with her new house. I happened to be visiting her when she arrived at this conclusion, and it subsequently rode home from Houston with us. It is SOLID. I love it. Mike is going to add some locking casters onto the legs, which will give it a few more inches of needed height and allow me to roll it out so I can more easily access my shelves. You can see my pretty new jewelers bench block chilling on the counter, as well as my tiny desktop trashcan. Love them both.

2. Shelves. Michael put these together for me. Already, I have plans to rip it up and redesign them--which is completely like me, perhaps to the annoyance of the man I married. :) It's just that, after I started working with them, I realized exactly what we could improve to make them more functional. In ANY case, on these shelves I store all necessary materials: Everything from blanks to jump rings to bubble mailers and boxes with ribbon can be found here. SUPER convenient, SUPER compact.

3. Pegboard. Installed as part of the shelving unit, this keeps my pliers and hammers at the ready in an organized fashion.

4. Green organizer & magnetic holders. On the left side of the shelves, I've organized thank-you cards and business cards, along with a few of my favorite writing utensils, so that we can easily include them as we ship out Etsy items. The green pouch helps us keep track of orders that I've stamped but that are yet unfinished.

5. Stool. It doesn't match, but it was $4.95 at BB&B. Sold.

6. Lighting. Pretty sure this is one of the surviving pieces from Mike's college dorm. I'm in the market for a better one. In fact, I just purchased an OttLite, but as of yet I remain unimpressed, particularly with regards to price vs. quality. I'd also like to purchase one that attaches to the shelving so that it doesn't a) get smashed accidentally by a hammer or b) be ruined by the reverberations of my hammering metal. Long story short: The OttLite is going back to the store just as soon as I can get it back into the box, and the search will continue...

7. To add: My beloved llama prints that I've found over the years. I love them. :)

Well, that's probably the extent of your attention span--and mine!--so I'll say goodbye for now. Before I go, I wanted to let you know that Becca Winslow Hand Stamped Jewelry will be featured on a blog during the first part of January, and--drum roll please--we're sponsoring another giveaway! I'll have more details for you the closer we get.

Enjoy the day...AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Christmastime is Here!

My new favorite! This will be available in the shop beginning January 1.

Wow. Sent out my last two holiday shipments today--just in the nick of time. I upgraded everyone to Priority mail in order to avoid disappointed (angry!) customers who didn't get their shipments on time. Now I simply I hope, hope, hope the USPS holds up their end of the deal. So far, they haven't let me down (excepting that Global Express mail to Canada, which is currently held up in customs. Come on, Canada!).

I learned A LOT during my first Christmas season in business:

1. When customers have a good experience, they will come back. We had SO MANY repeat buyers--thanks to all who allowed us to create gifts for you! It is truly, truly an honor that you would choose us. We had a blast, listening to Christmas carols and stamping the names of your dear ones.

2. STOCK UP ON SUPPLIES! I ended up 2-day shipping jump rings (of all things) just so I could sleep at night rather than stay up wondering if I'd have enough to make it. 200 of each size I keep in stock arrived on my doorstep within 48 hours, and I slept like a baby that night. Actually I slept like a grown adult who has a baby who sleeps all through the night. I do NOT understand that expression--sleep like a baby. My baby didn't sleep!! Now she does, though, and we are all good dreamers again. BIG :)

3. Stamping has become my creative outlet. I hadn't realized how completely true this is until I didn't have time to make anything new because I was stamping so many Christmas orders. Finally, I had had ENOUGH and stayed up until the wee hours of the morning so that I could master my first rivet--a feat which I achieved at exactly 2:16 a.m. on Sunday, December 12th. I was like a woman possessed! Here's a photo of the fruits of my labor:Check OUT that beautifully riveted flower! This will be available in the shop beginning January 1. I guess the real lesson I learned is to MAKE TIME for creativity. When I don't, I become a very unhappy lady.

4. If I'd like to do this volume of business year round, I need to implement additional organizational strategies. I've spent the past few days thinking on this and putting a few things in place and plan to continue doing so throughout the first of the year. We'll see...

All in all, we're having a lot of fun...but I'd be lying if I said we're not enjoying this brief space of time that the shop is closed. :)

Thank you for stopping by the blog and taking a moment to see what we've been up to. As a small thank you gift from us to you, visit the shop and use the promotional code "CAPTIV8" January 1-31 to enjoy 10% your total order.

Here's wishing you a tremendously joyful Christmas!

I Heart Canada. Among other things.

I've been working steadily on Christmas orders that are already coming in. I swear I need a shirt that says "I'm big in Canada." Canadians love me!...and the feeling is mutual. :)

I'm also getting ready for my first-ever craft show. It's a small one, but I'm really excited about the opportunity to get my feet wet. Not to mention it's at one of my favorite places in the wide world, the Harper Alexander House. I can't wait to sip yummy coffee, look at my friends' handcrafted wares, and stand by my super cute pink, black and white table in eager expectation of new orders.

Anyhow, here are a few photos of things you can expect to find at the craft fair, as well as in my new shop. . .

Mini-tag necklace in fine silver

Little cardinal with flowers and flourishes

A closer view.

Another lovely monogram. I've done several different styles of these, all of which I really like (of course)!

FYI--At this point, I think I'm only going to try to publish weekly. With Christmas coming so soon, I doubt you have time to read much more than that anyway!

Enjoy the day. :)