I admit it.
I've been incredibly lazy.
I could make a million excuses, but that just wouldn't be rational.
Here is the current news in the world of Maddie...
1. I have changed the gawd-awful layout at last. It's not a huge improvement, but it should be easier on the eyes. I am still debating whether or not to put a background image or not, but I like things rather plain... after all, it's the text on the blog that makes the blog, not the pretty embellishments.
2. I -do- have some new post-style earrings available, but they haven't been put up in my Etsy shop yet. To be completely honest, Etsy has really gotten me down lately. If you aren't a follower of Regretsy, you definitely should be now. Recently, April Winchell, the author of the satirical blog and leader of the "fat jealous losers" (it's an old joke that I'm sure only Regretsy veterans will understand) that make up the Regretsy community, released a bombshell... That the Etsy featured seller, Ecologica Malibu, whom they interviewed and wrote a cupcakey little article about, was in fact a dreaded reseller. For those unfamiliar with the term, they are people who buy factory-made items, tag them as handmade, and sell them for a profit. In this case the seller was buying Balinese boat furniture wholesale and selling them as handmade pieces that she claimed she had made herself. This goes completely against Etsy rules and guidelines, but they have initiated a great cover-up and cover-ass by saying that Ecologica Malibu is a "collective" and that doesn't break any rules.
This may not seem like the biggest deal ever, but Etsy is a -handmade- marketplace. When resellers join the picture, it's just a fancier version of our good friend eBay. Handmade is extremely important to me. It was the whole idea of a handmade market place that made me say "Hey, I can do this!" and attempt to work with clay in the first place. Making sales and knowing that somewhere out there, somebody else will be holding and enjoying something I created... It's an amazing feeling and incredibly rewarding. Now that Etsy has begun to lose its integrity as a handmade marketplace, I've found it much more difficult to make sales and my listing fees are greater than my profits again. I also don't feel like I want to be a part of a website that doesn't care about its own sellers.
I'm considering making the switch to a WePay store if things don't improve with Etsy's handmade policies. Of course, that means a huge decrease in viewership. So...
3. ...I'm considering expanding Hello Interloper. Right now there's the blog and there's the shop, but if I do end up having to make a move to WePay I'll be buying my own domain and building a website. Hopefully that will give Hello Interloper more of an audience, or at least a better sense of legitimacy. I'd most likely have to put up ads to support site costs though... or, you could just all click an ad here on this blog, it makes me a quarter, haha.
Well, that's about it. Hopefully I'll stop being such a lazyass and update more often. Now that classes are drawing to a close, there's a good chance I'll be able to update weekly.
h e l l o . i n t e r l o p e r
Showing posts with label regretsy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label regretsy. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
The Last Week in a Post
Okay, okay, I know. I've been slacking horribly on updating this blog.
I KNOW WHAT I AM GUILTY OF.
Thing is, life goes on, and problems arise, problems get solved, and baby birds leap out of nests.
I'll start with the crafts, because that's what most of you followed me for in the first place.
This past week I got my earring posts, so I was finally able to glue my little clay owl heads and paw prints. I'm saving them for my next shop update, which will probably be near the end of next week.
I've also been needle felting a lot, since I got a custom order I need to finish. My thumb and index finger on my left hand look like they have a miniature case of chicken pox, but hey, diabetics deal with pricking their fingers all the time.
Still waiting on the adjustable ring blanks, but once they arrive I'll have about 10 rings to post.
And now for some really great news... I'm employed again!
Craigslist is a blessing, I swear. I managed to find a place in the next town over that needed a dog bather/fluffer that was drug and drama free. I jumped on that offer faster than you can say "wet dog smell."
Let me tell you... It is THE BEST job ever. I come in at around 9am in the morning, wash dogs, and leave at about 1pm.
The dogs are obedient, though sometimes fidgety, but never growl or bite.
My boss is a quirky and eccentric woman who is the main groomer in the facility, though also a dog masseuse.
I'm paid per dog, which is based on its size and difficulty. On most days, it comes down to $10-13/hr, which to me is miles better than the minimum wage I made at the frozen yogurt job.
Best of all, I come home satisfied and happy, though tired and smelling like a wet dog. Nothing a shower and a nap can't fix.
Plus the money I make means more craft supplies! (Next in line are clay pendant necklaces, by the way.)
I'll end with our little bird saga.
For the past few days, my mom and I have been checking up constantly on a cardinal nest in a bush near our driveway.
See, normally we wouldn't go up to a nest and disrupt the natural cycle of bird life, but there's a problem... a little feathered problem.
The only egg that hatched has grown up into a rebellious little fledgling that no matter what, does NOT stay put in the nest.
Again and again, we've found him sitting in our driveway, sitting under the bush, or otherwise in a place where he can easily be spotted, peeping away like he honestly doesn't know how he got there.
BUT HE KNOWS. He jumps out, the little bugger. Then mommy and daddy cardinal call him incessantly, can't figure out where he is. They just end up calling for him until we find him for them, and put him back in the nest.
(And trust me, I've watched the mom confusedly hop around the whole bush trying to find the baby. She couldn't realize that he was not only on the GROUND, but also hidden in a plant.)
We've probably relocated him five or six times now.
Also, did I note the fact that he can't fly at all? He can flutter about a foot forward, but can't gain any real ground or generate any lift. He's pretty much an easy lunch no matter how you look at it.
I'm hoping that he either gains some sense soon, or learns how to fly. The first doesn't seem to be happening, so let's hope those little flying feathers of his grow in soon.
Lastly, the April's Army Shop is OPEN!!!
It opened up at 11am yesterday.
I finally was able to make and submit a donation item before the deadline this month. My donation was a little needlefelted bird, and it sold earlier today for $14. I'm so glad that I was able to contribute to a good cause. :)
![]()
I KNOW WHAT I AM GUILTY OF.
Thing is, life goes on, and problems arise, problems get solved, and baby birds leap out of nests.
I'll start with the crafts, because that's what most of you followed me for in the first place.
This past week I got my earring posts, so I was finally able to glue my little clay owl heads and paw prints. I'm saving them for my next shop update, which will probably be near the end of next week.
I've also been needle felting a lot, since I got a custom order I need to finish. My thumb and index finger on my left hand look like they have a miniature case of chicken pox, but hey, diabetics deal with pricking their fingers all the time.
Still waiting on the adjustable ring blanks, but once they arrive I'll have about 10 rings to post.
And now for some really great news... I'm employed again!
Craigslist is a blessing, I swear. I managed to find a place in the next town over that needed a dog bather/fluffer that was drug and drama free. I jumped on that offer faster than you can say "wet dog smell."
Let me tell you... It is THE BEST job ever. I come in at around 9am in the morning, wash dogs, and leave at about 1pm.
The dogs are obedient, though sometimes fidgety, but never growl or bite.
My boss is a quirky and eccentric woman who is the main groomer in the facility, though also a dog masseuse.
I'm paid per dog, which is based on its size and difficulty. On most days, it comes down to $10-13/hr, which to me is miles better than the minimum wage I made at the frozen yogurt job.
Best of all, I come home satisfied and happy, though tired and smelling like a wet dog. Nothing a shower and a nap can't fix.
Plus the money I make means more craft supplies! (Next in line are clay pendant necklaces, by the way.)
I'll end with our little bird saga.
For the past few days, my mom and I have been checking up constantly on a cardinal nest in a bush near our driveway.
See, normally we wouldn't go up to a nest and disrupt the natural cycle of bird life, but there's a problem... a little feathered problem.
The only egg that hatched has grown up into a rebellious little fledgling that no matter what, does NOT stay put in the nest.
Again and again, we've found him sitting in our driveway, sitting under the bush, or otherwise in a place where he can easily be spotted, peeping away like he honestly doesn't know how he got there.
BUT HE KNOWS. He jumps out, the little bugger. Then mommy and daddy cardinal call him incessantly, can't figure out where he is. They just end up calling for him until we find him for them, and put him back in the nest.
(And trust me, I've watched the mom confusedly hop around the whole bush trying to find the baby. She couldn't realize that he was not only on the GROUND, but also hidden in a plant.)
We've probably relocated him five or six times now.
Also, did I note the fact that he can't fly at all? He can flutter about a foot forward, but can't gain any real ground or generate any lift. He's pretty much an easy lunch no matter how you look at it.
I'm hoping that he either gains some sense soon, or learns how to fly. The first doesn't seem to be happening, so let's hope those little flying feathers of his grow in soon.
Lastly, the April's Army Shop is OPEN!!!
It opened up at 11am yesterday.
I finally was able to make and submit a donation item before the deadline this month. My donation was a little needlefelted bird, and it sold earlier today for $14. I'm so glad that I was able to contribute to a good cause. :)
Until next time!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
"Nu Thang"
For anyone wanting some giggles, especially people who are creeped out by Jesus freaks...
You HAVE to see this.
This was posted on Regretsy.com last night, and I laughed so hard.
But then I was reading the comments, and someone recommended turning on the captions.
There are no official captions, but YouTube offers an experimental speech-recognition transcription service.
Let me tell you... at 2am, there was nothing more hilarious that reading the horrible machine-transcribed lyrics to this little kid's rap. I managed to wake up half the house with my laughter, and possibly creeped out my boyfriend.
For your viewing pleasure, I've typed out the computer-transcribed lyrics for all of you to enjoy... since really, this can be way too painful to watch in its entirety.
Nu Thang
Bracing girl, so learned, she says Christ is still one,
Who gives says newline and he's doing, and you think for...
Goes down Phil, and they're back!
You know is down at out of town actor,
You know I was going to, who's doing it?
Distillate under that! You know we've started, now who's doing it!
United's Valentine Day finds that he's doing.
Since time began remained este faithful omitted,
To reason why I think that a crystallized earth unaffected,
Eighteen, anymore five dot doesn't change,
But also tab Paul began to talk back...
You know dot but so much and I left the supply,
Do you still in had used bank.
On slip-up went to London into capitivity,
Doing at noon, our news at we're doing it,
So he can use it dot.
This means gap coming throughout my complexes housing,
It is soft today keeping fine footage of women,
And you know crisis is a wonderful kids!
First in your heart, uninstalled carnarvon,
Though I don't do we spot manufacturing of agony.
Lofty might just matched up to the develop soft,
Dot he's still alive!
And I won't stop week in Lebanon!
Thank you Gene Saks, grad night auctions do it,
And in fact no on newsday.
We do in any inspections so he, Kaelin, using it of off.
Opening apple folks' opiate, depart!
Oh union or pH, going to get out, we've still ahead!
Who's doing it days ago, and I know bank you know restored,
It gal who's doing it!
That is done and their baggage, it always done that goes down under,
Yet we still have to have a right on that flight is gone,
And at that Mackenzie unhittable counterclockwise Joey,
Is a top Somalia proud of the gas tax because they keep widow.
He got no braces every year for Michael Plant,
Species of both G-7.
Feeling blocked off, menagerie nominate,
But you've got to go to a tiny fraction, Townsville!
And news bad, time not so...
We do and then Eugene Pack Dot is doing it,
And it does the high view,
And we do in the news that Phil, he K!
-END-
You HAVE to see this.
This was posted on Regretsy.com last night, and I laughed so hard.
But then I was reading the comments, and someone recommended turning on the captions.
There are no official captions, but YouTube offers an experimental speech-recognition transcription service.
Let me tell you... at 2am, there was nothing more hilarious that reading the horrible machine-transcribed lyrics to this little kid's rap. I managed to wake up half the house with my laughter, and possibly creeped out my boyfriend.
For your viewing pleasure, I've typed out the computer-transcribed lyrics for all of you to enjoy... since really, this can be way too painful to watch in its entirety.
Nu Thang
Bracing girl, so learned, she says Christ is still one,
Who gives says newline and he's doing, and you think for...
Goes down Phil, and they're back!
You know is down at out of town actor,
You know I was going to, who's doing it?
Distillate under that! You know we've started, now who's doing it!
United's Valentine Day finds that he's doing.
Since time began remained este faithful omitted,
To reason why I think that a crystallized earth unaffected,
Eighteen, anymore five dot doesn't change,
But also tab Paul began to talk back...
You know dot but so much and I left the supply,
Do you still in had used bank.
On slip-up went to London into capitivity,
Doing at noon, our news at we're doing it,
So he can use it dot.
This means gap coming throughout my complexes housing,
It is soft today keeping fine footage of women,
And you know crisis is a wonderful kids!
First in your heart, uninstalled carnarvon,
Though I don't do we spot manufacturing of agony.
Lofty might just matched up to the develop soft,
Dot he's still alive!
And I won't stop week in Lebanon!
Thank you Gene Saks, grad night auctions do it,
And in fact no on newsday.
We do in any inspections so he, Kaelin, using it of off.
Opening apple folks' opiate, depart!
Oh union or pH, going to get out, we've still ahead!
Who's doing it days ago, and I know bank you know restored,
It gal who's doing it!
That is done and their baggage, it always done that goes down under,
Yet we still have to have a right on that flight is gone,
And at that Mackenzie unhittable counterclockwise Joey,
Is a top Somalia proud of the gas tax because they keep widow.
He got no braces every year for Michael Plant,
Species of both G-7.
Feeling blocked off, menagerie nominate,
But you've got to go to a tiny fraction, Townsville!
And news bad, time not so...
We do and then Eugene Pack Dot is doing it,
And it does the high view,
And we do in the news that Phil, he K!
-END-
Thursday, March 24, 2011
April's Army
Taking a moment to tell everyone about a little slice of Etsy that's definitely worth taking a gander at.
Regretsy.com has been one of my favorite websites to visit on an (almost) daily basis. The snark, hilarity, and great community there had been a constant source of entertainment and a good way to learn what NOT to do on Etsy.
The site itself is run by April Winchell who goes by the moniker "Helen Killer." She's a spectacular woman who has a mouth like a sailor (a drunken, angry sailor), but deep down inside she has a heart of gold. Her Regretsy Fund has donated thousands of dollars to charities and people in desperate need of aid, whether it be cancer, being on the verge of homelessness, among other things.
Needless to say, it's pathetic when people whine that her site is "mean-spirited" and "horrible." She showcases tragically awful items with a load of snark, and the people deserve it. She doesn't leave any room for excuses, and will be as blunt as possible.
She's also helping people out, more so than any of the whiners probably have in their life.
As April has once said, "I'd rather talk shit and do good, than talk good and do shit."
So on the subject of doing good, there's a new Etsy team in town... April's Army.
This team is made up of Regretsy fans, but they are also real crafters with real talent.
Many of these sellers are unemployed, in financial trouble, or trying to kickstart their business, but have been having a tough time due to the large number of Chinese resellers on Etsy claiming that their cheap items are "vintage" and "original."
...thus their love for Regretsy's snark, and an appreciation of April's hatred for these fakes.
Though April's Army was created by a seller, April has addressed the group and has announced a voluntary charity project for any members willing to participate. Yes, that's right... Hundreds of sellers will soon be featuring items to help someone in need.
To believe that some people are trying to shut this group down... jeesh.
So I urge all of you to check out the sellers who are a part of April's Army.
All of these people truly make handmade pieces of art, not mass-produced items made in sweatshops and incorrectly labeled as genuine. I've been posting and reading the forums there, and it is incredible how many talented people have joined the army's ranks. Every seller also has a story... whether they're a student straight out of college, an unemployed single mom, or someone suffering from a medical condition they can't afford to treat, these are all very real people. They could use the support.
Click here to visit the group... and join if you'd like!
Regretsy.com has been one of my favorite websites to visit on an (almost) daily basis. The snark, hilarity, and great community there had been a constant source of entertainment and a good way to learn what NOT to do on Etsy.
The site itself is run by April Winchell who goes by the moniker "Helen Killer." She's a spectacular woman who has a mouth like a sailor (a drunken, angry sailor), but deep down inside she has a heart of gold. Her Regretsy Fund has donated thousands of dollars to charities and people in desperate need of aid, whether it be cancer, being on the verge of homelessness, among other things.
Needless to say, it's pathetic when people whine that her site is "mean-spirited" and "horrible." She showcases tragically awful items with a load of snark, and the people deserve it. She doesn't leave any room for excuses, and will be as blunt as possible.
She's also helping people out, more so than any of the whiners probably have in their life.
As April has once said, "I'd rather talk shit and do good, than talk good and do shit."
So on the subject of doing good, there's a new Etsy team in town... April's Army.
This team is made up of Regretsy fans, but they are also real crafters with real talent.
Many of these sellers are unemployed, in financial trouble, or trying to kickstart their business, but have been having a tough time due to the large number of Chinese resellers on Etsy claiming that their cheap items are "vintage" and "original."
...thus their love for Regretsy's snark, and an appreciation of April's hatred for these fakes.
Though April's Army was created by a seller, April has addressed the group and has announced a voluntary charity project for any members willing to participate. Yes, that's right... Hundreds of sellers will soon be featuring items to help someone in need.
To believe that some people are trying to shut this group down... jeesh.
So I urge all of you to check out the sellers who are a part of April's Army.
All of these people truly make handmade pieces of art, not mass-produced items made in sweatshops and incorrectly labeled as genuine. I've been posting and reading the forums there, and it is incredible how many talented people have joined the army's ranks. Every seller also has a story... whether they're a student straight out of college, an unemployed single mom, or someone suffering from a medical condition they can't afford to treat, these are all very real people. They could use the support.
Click here to visit the group... and join if you'd like!
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