Where does the time go??

I just realized I haven't posted on here in almost a month.  Thats because my camera phone is on the fritz and pictures have been shoddy.  But there is good news.

I got a professional to come out and shoot for me the whole set.  2 and a half hours of pictures.  With lights, and professional digital camera, the works.  Now i am going through the process of editing and stamping them all with the kanzashi temple logo. 

I haven't heard much from my webdeveloper friend, he's been pretty busy, and I have been as well.

I am not adding new pieces to the Etsy stop, but new made to order listings.  By building up a variety of examples, I hope to build a different kind of business there in which I sell only custom orders and made to order, instead of paying for stock pieces that don't move.  Those I am sending to storenvy.  With all new photos, and a new website, a new face book store integration, that matches the blog.  Its a complicated network, but worth it to finially have a logo or theme i can stick with.

I will also be changing the etsy site name from lilyashes to kanzashi temple.  But i wont activate that until I get closer to opening the Storenvy site.

We are EXPANDING

OK SO!

I am working with a web developer friend of mine to get the Storenvy shop open and looking beautiful.  I am still keeping Etsy but lilyashes.com will no longer be pointed at it.  It, along with all pre-made merchandise, will be moved to the custom built site. Etsy will remain open for made to order and custom items.  I might keep a piece or two in there, but most everything will be  moved to Storenvy.  I won't be opening until middle of september, so I can do a major relaunch with new photos on the new phone.

And my friend is so wonderful, he's even going to look at the blog for me.  Because I am a css and html and ruby and liquid dummy.

I am currently working on different kind of kanzashi like barrettes in different sizes with the snowflake design.  I am also working with a new technique of satin kanzashi to bring that back into the store.  If I can master this hot glue technique without burning the hell out of my fingers (which has happened. A lot.) then I can really expand the inventory selection.  Headbands, barrettes, broaches, etc. would all be nice. 

So with all that said, I am hard at work but it will be a while before any new listings come up.  Keep checking here and on my Facebook feed for examples of the upcoming products.  I had a few up already. 

Winter Snowflake Hair Bobby Pins

I was requested to make a couple of sets of these winter snowflake kanzashi bobby pins for a Frozen theme gift.  They turned out pretty well, and I think I am going to expand upon this design and add it to the made to order section of the shop.  My customer requested several variations on this theme, so I will have different color choices to show where usually its just the one picture, that is like from the opening of the shop.

By the way, I will be doing a re-shoot.  AGAIN. 
My phone is due for an upgrade in September, and where I have a pretty outdated camera, I am going all in on the top of the line 120 megapixel with stabilization and focus technology.  My husband already got his (and yes, I am burdened with a severe case of phone envy) and the pictures on it are just incredible. No fighting the light or focus at all.  Just snap and go, the way digital was meant to be.  I am really excited about it and plan to put it to use as soon as it's in hand.

I started playing around in store envy today, got an account set up and a store design laid out.  Haven't had much time to work on it and I am not by any means committed, just wanted to see where the hidden costs were. 

Etysian no more???

So after much debating....I am still debating.

Etsy is changing the shop layout pages and I hate them.  HATE THEM!!!!

I sent them a scathing response about the crappy way they are presenting the shops now. 

I am thinking about pulling my site from Etsy and going with BigCartel or StoreEnvy or somehting else. 

I have been a member of Etsy since the shop opened 3 years ago, and this is the most horrible, drastic change they have done with the visual representation of the site, like evar. 

There are seveal things they haven't carried through with either, like shipping changes. 

I have heard among other shop owners that I am not the only one to feel this way, so I don't know if they will go through with it or not, but I am starting to think opening a shop with just some made to order pieces would not be a bad idea.  And if Etsy decides to shoot themselves in the foot with this change, cause shops are going to start dropping out of that site fast.

Gathered Wisteria

The wisteria is finally gathered with all its pieces, and I think it is big enough not to have a shidare as well. It does need a few accents, like some bright green leaves, a few twisting vines, and a butterfly, in pink I think. 

I have also started the custom order, so there will be pics of that soon, as it will be taking me a few months to get it all done. 

New Comission

So did you know that kanzashi makes great gifts?  Someone does. 

I just had an order request for a hair clip in chirimen, a hair stick in chirimen, 6 sets of bobby pins, and 4 satin kanzashi.  All to be given out as Christmas gifts. Glad she got her order in early! 

So my work list goes as follows -

Finish wisteria kanzashi.

Start custom order.
Finish custom order.

Start more ornament balls.
Hopefully before christmas.


fun Fun FUN!!!!

Fuji Work

The front four of the wisteria are completed.

Honestly I think they are a little too long to have a shidare, I will probably end up skipping out on that and just making this a senior maiko piece. 

Other than that decision, I like the way the colors are blending.  The back three falls will hang in varied positions as to be seen better, but will include more purple than the front four with mostly pearl. 

I still have leaves and vines and decorations, but this picture is a general position of how the front should look.