Memories, Dreams, and Reflections 2011

Instead of a Scavenger Hunt this week, Ashley created Memories, Dreams, and Reflections 2011.  Even though we didn't have to take any new pictures for this, I think that I spent more time on this than I normally would for a weekly hunt.  It was definitely worth it, though.  Enjoy!

1) me

I'm 28.  Don't leave me any comments about how young I look.

2) I Love You

Angel loves both of us equally and enjoys getting this kind of attention from me, too.  (Jake doesn't appreciate comments about how young he looks either.)

3) Still Laughing

I REALLY wish that I had a picture of the time that Angel stole Jake's egg and bacon sandwich right off the coffee table while I was helping him do our taxes back in the spring.  We literally are still laughing about that.  The above picture is one of the times that Angel was "helping" me photograph a bunch of things for Etsy and this blog.  Angel lives up to her name and very rarely does anything mischievous, let alone downright bad, so it's really funny when she does do something that actually isn't very good.

4) Winter Wonderland

I'm cheating and using a picture that I actually took in 2010.  I had a lot of pictures of snow in Iowa by 2011 so I didn't take any more the last winter we were there.  But we still saw this exact picture from our condo sliding doors on several occasions in 2011.  We haven't had any snow like that yet in Milwaukee this winter!  The longer it waits, the better.

5) Birthday

 Jake got this book for his birthday this year from one of his new friends in Milwaukee.

6) Friends

This is us with some of our friends in Iowa on Match Day.

7) I Was Inspired

I am constantly inspired by the materials that I use.  One ideas leads right to the next.

8) Spring Fever

I took these pictures at work a couple weeks after Match Day.  So so ready to be done with the school year!

9)  Travel / Vacation

Jake and I took a trip to the Washington DC area this summer.  This is a picture of part of the World War II memorial.

10) Summer Days

Jake and a friend at the Bristol Renaissance Faire this summer.  Jake and I did this almost every year when we were dating and are glad to have started the tradition again.

11) A Day In My Life

Just about every day in my life involves working with beads, buttons, and/or some other type of crafty material (paper, fabric, etc.).  This was true even when I was teaching full-time.  Finding even 15-20 minutes a day to work on a project is really relaxing for me.

12) All Smiles

My cousin's little one at the Milwaukee County Zoo this summer.

13) Autumn Harvest

One of my favorite parts of the midwest is the seasons here.  Fall is always so gorgeous.

14) Family or Home

We love our new house in Milwaukee.

15) Celebrate!

This is us before the matches on Match Day.  How do we look so relaxed?!

16) Let's Do It Again...

I was able to go the zoo three times this summer/fall.  I am looking forward to going again in the spring.

17) I Miss You

As I said in my 2011 accomplishments post, the part of teaching that I do miss is the students.

18) Beautiful

We got to visit the National Cathedral during our DC trip.

19) Dress Up

At the med school reception before the graduation.  They didn't get to keep those sashes so people borrowed them beforehand for pictures.

20) Macro

I went with the first one that came to mind, as this decision for this prompt would have been way too tough if I spent a lot of time on it.  I still feel like this piece really says "me" and my shop.

21) Holidays

Angel was more excited about my basement floor present storage area than the Christmas tree upstairs.

22) My Favorite

I actually like the picture of us for Celebrate! (#15) more, but I like one a lot, too.  This was part of the post-match picture taking session.  

23) Don't Ever Change

Many neighborhoods in the Milwaukee area have a lot of character, including our neighborhood.  I hope that doesn't change any time soon.

24) Just Because

I figured I'd spare you another picture of Angel and show you something else that I enjoy taking pictures of: ducks.  This is another picture from our DC trip.

25) Hopes and Dreams

I am really excited for this new line that I'm officially releasing this month and for all of my other shop plans for 2012, too.

I hope that you enjoyed this!  Stop by Ashley's blog to check out the other submissions for Memories, Dreams, and Reflections 2011.

accomplishments for 2011

I was going to post this sometime next week, but things are filling up there very quickly so I'm doing it a little bit early.  I'm sure it's not a secret for most of you that 2011 was a huge year for me and Jake.  A lot of great things have happened for us, but it has not been an easy year.  We are both looking forward to 2012 a lot more.  With that being said, I want to recognize our accomplishments for this year before we move onto the next one.

Jake completed his final med school rotations, matched to intern and residency programs, and graduated from med school.  I'm so proud of him!

I completed 4 years of teaching special education.  One of the things that I do miss about teaching is my students.

 

I completed my master's degree in special education in May.  I'm glad that Jake and I were able to complete our post-undergrad education at the same time.

We sold our condo, bought a house, and moved to Milwaukee.  We are really glad that we were able to sell our condo within three months of listing it, and we love our house and life in Milwaukee in general.

 

I created over 130 pieces of jewelry, which doesn't include any of my show only pieces (magnets, tacks, etc.) or some of the multiple versions of single designs that I created.  This allowed me to keep listing 1-2 new pieces on Etsy every week.

To date, I had 78 sales on Etsy (some of which were for multiple pieces of jewelry), 3 successful craft shows, and a handful of sales elsewhere, too.

I wrote almost 365 posts for this blog.

I started my freelance writing career and have written over 230 articles since April.

Thanks to everyone who has been with me through all of this.  Your support has made a huge difference!

Stay tuned for my 2012 goals post in early January!

December EBW Challenge voting and 2011 EBW Challenges in review

I did not have a specific goal for the number of EBW challenges that I wanted to complete in 2011, but I am really proud of the fact that I completed 9 out of the 11 challenges this year, especially with everything that was going on this year.  Among other things, it really pushed me to develop the high-end price selection for my shop, including a brand new product line and pattern for it.  I'm not sure that I ever would have done this on my own, but as an artist, I think that it's important to have this high-end work as part of my repertoire.  I have put a lot of hard work into these challenges this year.  It's high time for a little review.

Before I get to that, here's my entry for the December EBW Challenge Arabesque Style.  You can read more about this piece right here.  It's part of my brand new line of wrap bracelets/necklaces that I will officially release next month.  It's available for sale here.

Voting for the EBW Challenge takes place on the blog today through December 15.  Please check out all of the entries and vote for your favorite.  If you can't see the clickable mosaic, click here.

Here's a look back at my other entries from this year.  Click on any of the photos to see larger versions of them.

 

As part of the challenge aspect, I also created two brand new PDF patterns.

PROS

• While some get a lot more than others, in general, my challenge items get tons of views and hearts.
• Regardless of the complexity of my pieces, participating in challenges always brings a lot of traffic to my shop.
• Every challenge that I've participated in has helped me to grow as an artist.
• As already mentioned, these challenges push me to create higher-end pieces that I most likely would not make on my own.  They are a wonderful showcase for my shop and for my inventory selection at craft fairs.
• For 2011, I created a new line of right angle weave cuffs from this challenge.  I also created two of the first pieces for my wrap bracelet/necklace line, which was a great sneak peek for my customers.
• While patterns are a lot of work initially, especially on top of creating the challenge piece itself, they are lasting products for my shop.  Having two new patterns is a great asset for my Etsy shop.
• In August, my Strawberry Fields Forever Cuff placed 10th in the popular vote and 2nd in the private team vote, which was a huge ego boost.  I have many of you to thank for that popular vote placement!

CONS

• While my higher-end pieces get a lot of views, they don't sell very quickly.
• I have had a couple sales from these new patterns, but not nearly as many as I hoped that I would.  At least they aren't going anywhere and may take off at any point.

What's the plan for 2012?

• My goal is to participate in at least 6 challenges in 2012.  We start the BBA Challenges in January.  BBA members have to participate in 6 of those per year so I don't want to burn myself out with too many challenges.
• At least 4 out of those 6 EBW challenge pieces have to fit into current shop lines or must fit into my current shop style and average price point.  One of my biggest goals for 2012 is to continue to narrow my shop focus.  I will be growing my new wrap bracelet/necklace line and want most of my other new inventory to fit into existing lines with just a few one of a kind pieces in the mix.  My challenge items have to fit into this equation.
• While my EBW challenge items obviously have to have large portions of beadweaving, my BBA challenge items can be any medium.  I may use some of them for shop pieces, but I will most likely be using many of them for other projects.  While I love jewelry making, I don't want to burn out on it.  Also, I will be expanding my craft fair inventory and craft fair display options in 2012, which will include many opportunities to meet BBA challenge themes.

I appreciate everyone's support with all of the EBW challenges this past year and looking forward to sharing my EBW and BBA challenges this next year!