Lack of shop time

There seems to have been a conspiracy going on here at my house. It’s all the things that are happening to keep me out of the shop. Broken water pipes, new jobs, more orders for Llama Hardware, taxes to get organized and off to the accountant… you know, the things that are our lives.  

On a side note, we have found a few more barn boards and will be headed out to gather those up and brought home. A few of the projects I have in mind for those are cut outs of the state of Oregon. Some I hope to add chalk board in the opening and perhaps I’ll put a mirror in one of the others.

Still on the “to get done” list are a stack of bread troughs, totes full of roughed out bowls, and a few cutting/ serving platters. I’ll be working on those soon I hope. Additional plans are in the works for a “little library” to be put on the street in front of our house.

  

These little libraries are a place where people walking by can borrow a book, leave a book or perhaps trade a book. They have proven very popular in other locations and we have an old cabinet to use to make ours.

More ideas and other projects to be added to the list soon and finished products will get photographed and put on here as well. 

Insulation

This winter has reinforced in me the need to insulate my work space. When it’s zero outside and below zero in the shop it’s easy to tell that something has to change!

Higher on the priority for this spring will be to get some insulation up on the walls and get it covered by the old boards we have from the bunkhouse we tore down at the old barn site. Something has to change, even if slowly.  

I have been thinning down my “surplus” of items. I no longer have 3 forges, just one. The dark room has went on to someone that has the room and time to make use of it, and I’m gaining room a bit here and a bit there.

The project list is still every growing but that too is getting more organized, with set goals and time lines… as much as the weather will allow at least. And, I hope to be back on a more regulated schedule of blogging as well. 

The year in review

            While it’s a cliché’ I know, I also know it’s pretty easy to be focused on the bad things in your life. The things that you perceive as preventing you from going the direct you desire or think you should be going.

            As a way to prevent that I have spent the morning thinking about all the things that have went my way this year. The things that show that my life is pretty great and that while I may not have reached the goals that I put in my sights, I am still doing pretty good.

            My shop may not be the giant space I would like, it’s far better than some of the shop spaces I have had in the past. In Anchorage I had a 10x12 storage shed out back, no heat, etc… I put up plastic sheeting on the walls in the dining room space and used a shop vacuum to keep the dust down and turned there. Not ideal, but it does make the heated space I have in my shop now seem a lot better when used as a reference.

            Now every time I think to myself that I could sure use X or Y tool, I look around at all the tools there and remember that many others are coming to my shop to use my tools, and that I have been told I must have every tool already…  (I don’t, but I can get things done).

            My wood working business has not taken off in the manner I wish it would, but it has grown considerably over the last year. Much of the issue I know is from my lack of pushing my work. From my own slacking on pushing my work and then after that, pushing it even more.

            I know that if I don’t sell my stuff, than I can’t expect anyone else to do so.  To that end, next year, well starting Now, I will be pushing my own stuff more, to a variety of places and working on stock piling product of a variety of types to show that I am serious about making this work and become profitable. 

Found history, not written history.

We all know historic archaeology is just about validating the documented history of the American west, or do we? The important things that happened in history are all written about, but almost always that is just the highlights, the important moments in time.

Seldom are those important times what life was really about. Those are just the short blips of time that happened between the long periods of simply living. The day-to-day aspects of what was required to be alive when those important events happened.

 The reality is that when we do an archaeological dig, we are far more likely to find the items of everyday life than the items used during that short period of excitement. All those items were noted for their importance and picked up at the time. What is more likely to be left behind are the items considered mundane at the time. The trick is that those items may not be mundane now. Depending on what the location was, what trade the person may have been engaged in, etc…, those mundane items will vary, but always give us more info about what happened on the site.

Think of the stereotypical photo of the “prospector” you see in all the Western movies. Name off as many of those items as you can… Great, now did you list a pocket knife? How about a fixed blade belt knife? How about a salt dish? How about a spatula? Or a Spoon, fork, bread pans, the staples of life? All the items that once you think about your own life, know that the prospector had with him, but are seldom if ever listed as items that would be found at a site.

And don’t forget about the many items that were easily procured at the local hardware store, but became very precious the farther one went from civilization: Nails, hammers, pliers, files, copper rivets, even thread and needles.

If we compare the list of items sold in a general store to the list of items that prospector is said to have, you will see a lot of missing items on the second list. It’s not that the prospector didn’t have or use those items; it’s just that those items were considered mundane at the time and unworthy of being written down. Those same items though tell us a considerable amount about the prospector. How long he might have been planning on staying (10 lbs worth of nails verses a hand full), his financial status when he set out (new knives verses well worn knives), what his drink  preferences were (lots of whiskey versus bottles for root beer), the list is long.

The size of pans could tell us if it was a single person, a small group, or an organized party with a designated cook making food for many.

So, while the “important” items might make the history books, it’s the everyday items that will tell us about who the person (people) were at any given site. 

Rehash

 I know my readers have been here before. I know because I have, and yet the solution has yet to make itself known to me…

Few artists are good at promoting, and even fewer are good at self-promotion. I fall into that category. What needs to be done to sell more of my wood working, well more of it must be presented to those that would purchase said wood work. Best way to do that, well that is a good question. A web site is one option, but a web site is only as good as the person promoting it and keeping it up to date. The same goes for other sites, Etsy, EBay, etc., they all require time spent getting items listed and following up on those listings. Like most artists, I’d rather be making items than selling items.

Where is this leading you asked? Well, I’m on the idea that there must be a better way to make this happen. I’m a small time artist so most professional promoters are not interested, there simply is not enough money in it for them. However, if I can round up enough other artists perhaps we as a unit can make it worth the person’s time and effort?

So, this is a call to all my artist friends who would like to possibly join forces. I’m not sure how much it will cost each artist, if the cost is a percentage of sales or a certain fee per month; I need to have a few people on board first to get that information. Nothing will be set until all the details are worked out of course.

If you have an interest, please let me know and we can go forward with finding a promoter and get some details on the cost and type of payment. 

Importance

            We have all heard it, most have at one time or another thought about it… what is important in our lives. I know I know, somewhat cliché, but so be it, I’m still going to ramble on about it

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            My wood working tends to happen in spurts. Some months it’s the main thing I do in my off time. Than all of a sudden I realize I have not been in the shop for a month or more. There are many factors in that, temperature, other things I’m doing, calls for my time from other people or for other projects, the list in long and varied as I’m sure yours is as well.

            What it really comes down to is how much priority or how important a project is or how important we think the time is spent in the shop. If it’s not thought of as important, we won’t do it… now that word could mean a lot of different things to different people.

            Is it important because someone wants one? Or important because it’s time spent relaxing? How about because there is an order, or it’s to replace an item that sold in a shop? It could be important for a lot of reason to many different people. The one that matter though is the one that gets you out into the shop in the first place.

            For instance, it’s very important that I get in the shop today, right after the wash is done and the lawn is mown, oh, and the hand rail at my niece’s house is re-welded… importance also has to sometimes take a back seat to things that need to happen Now.

            In the end though, what’s truly important is that you are spending time with loved ones, and enjoying life. If you are not doing that then your priorities are all messed up anyway! 

Promote, Promote, PROMOTE!

As you, my faithful readers know, I have two “at home” businesses that I’m trying to turn into something that makes something in the resemblance of an income. While one really Needs to do so, and I’m gaining, the other is more of a hobby status right now.

Everyone that I talk to about this, the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), the Service Corp of Retired Business Executives (SCORE) says it’s is simply a matter of greater promotion, more advertising, getting my businesses Know and my product in front of people. Simple to say, not so easy to do I’m finding. I do have a meeting next week with the SBDC to work on it in greater detail. It’s a slow process it seems when I am not a slow process personality.

 To that end, I’m back to doing more blog posts, getting photos of my product up in a regular basis, and doing as much promotion as I can, with little to no budget. So, that brings me to how to do that… for now, it has to be word-0f-mouth… a.k.a., YOU!

So my friends, would you please help me with this? All I ask is that you share my blog posts, my posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram… If you have accounts on those and I am not following you, please let me know, I’ll change that Now. If you know of any online stores that might be better than Etsy, let me know. I’ll check them out. I’m finding that it takes a ton of inventory to sell in more than one place and am working on correcting that as well. If you know of someone that has mentioned having something specific built/ made, give them my contact info, I can do a lot of different projects.

Thank you for your time and, please, share my info far and wide, as often as you can!

The latest batch of darning eggs for my fiber arts customers.

A cedar post vase, with glass tube so you can add water, it's more than just a bud vase.

A few of my tea light center pieces. Making up your table for a holiday or just family dinner, these add that touch of class you need to make it a Wow event.