Thursday, September 16, 2010

ArtFire is running a really good deal right now for anyone who’s been thinking about setting up an online shop. If they reach their target of 20,000 sellers, you can get a Pro shop locked in at $5.95 a month, for life. Etsy is more well-known, but unlike Etsy, ArtFire doesn’t charge a listing or final fee. And also, the items you list don’t expire. They stay in your shop as long as you want them to.

I signed up for the $7 a month for life when they first started up, and I’ve been very happy with them. I find it easier to list things on ArtFire than Etsy, and they have a lot of tools to help you promote your shops, which I really need to investigate and learn how to use.

There’s more info. here, http://www.artfire.com/groupdeal

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Blahhhh, computer problems!!! It’s been going wonky for the past couple of weeks, and this a.m. couldn’t get it to start up. Finally wiped one of my drives and installed a new system. So now it’s getting everything re-installed and back the way I like it.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Scientists think that monkeys are so amazing for their tool using abilities. They should study ferrets.

I have a cabinet that is about 6 inches shorter than the room, so I put a couple of empty cat litter boxes back there to keep the ferrets from going back there and pooping (their natural instinct is to find a dark corner for relieving themselves).

The cabinet isn’t finished, so I have a 24” sheet of wood against it to keep the babies out of it, so there is a gap of a foot between the top of the wood sheet and the cabinet top. Chunk is severely challenged when it comes to limitations. He just HAS to find ways to get into things he’s not supposed to. And right now, getting into that cabinet is his main goal in life.

Hence, the use of the empty litter boxes to further his purpose in life. He pushes them out from the side of the cabinet and around to the front so he can use them to be able to climb into the cabinet.

Monkeys are so outclassed by ferrets.

Here is Chunk using a rubbermaid box as a launching pad. He would jump (and every jump he made ended in a belly flop at least a half a foot from the cabinet), then go back and get on the box for another attempt. Persistent little bugger.
This one looks like he’s going to make it, but he’s a good foot away from the cabinet yet.
Boom!
Yes, ferrets can be very focused if there’s something they want.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

It was a long weekend, my nephews and 4 kids/grandkids came along with, and stayed overnight. Gets a bit hectic with 4 kids 10 and under! But the boys got my kitchen/family room ceiling sanded and 2 coats of paint put on. One more coat to go, and then that ceiling will be done. Sanding is just the pits, and I didn’t even do any of it. It leaves a fine dust over everything. I think Scott was ready to shoot me when I told him there were only 9 more ceilings to go. I hate popcorn ceilings!!! With a passion! They’re dirty and hard to clean or paint. So they are going, and I’m going to have just plain white ceilings, and hopefully, over time, I will get woodwork and ceiling borders put up.

Today they got a gate built by the hay barn, and fencing put up by it, so in the winter if the tractor or snowmobile won’t start, it’ll be a lot easier getting hay to the animals.

Winter, oh yuck!! I hate the thought of it. The days are getting shorter so quickly, and I’ve been getting more and more melancholic. Today I got some pork out of the freezer to have for the boys’ lunch, and it was dated 11/09, and it just hit me that David was still alive then.

Little things like that.

I’ve been working at getting beads ready to list on ArtFire, and here’s some of my favorites, bright, cheery and warm colors, except the last one:
Tomorrow’s Monday, so I get to play at the torch.