Diary of a Cat Lady--Late April Style

Getting chosen for Hunt and Gather has been so good for me...it's been a real kick in my pants!

In a week's time, I've purchased several secondhand display pieces, created and ordered business cards, formulated a real plan re: my Etsy shop, sculpted close to 50 kitty charm rings, and collected more pattern swatches.

As you know, I could (and usually do) go on and on with my ramblings.  I'll give you a break, though.  It's Monday, after all!  Instead, enjoy a mini photo diary of my current favorites...

My cat has decided to hang out on our dryer regularly these days...which is right next to the toilet.  He's always enjoyed being in the bathroom with us, but having him at eye level is somewhat disarming.  But I mean, look at that face...Roland wins again.

The Sparkle Factory by Tarina Tarantino.  I've been a huge fan of Tarina for close to a decade now, but didn't know this book existed, so I was happy to stumble upon it in the library while perusing for random jewelry-making books.  Not only is this book so pretty and scrumptious, it also doubles as Tarantino's memoir...if you know me, you know I am all about anything autobiographical.  Nerd win for sure.  

Last but not least...

Turning this beat-up thrift store find...

...into a pretty ring display.  I've seen this project on Pinterest countless times, and it seemed like a pretty simple DIY.  Sure enough, I was able to whip it together pretty easily.  Nothing a little hot glue can't upgrade, that's what I always say!  In terms of ring displays, I think I'm pretty much set for my table at Hunt and Gather.  Now to fill the displays up with more jewelry!

I promised no rambles and even my captions got rambly, so I am going to shut up, publish this, and go eat a Lean Pocket (because health food).  Goodnight!

Xo*

Jess

Cat Lady Craft Fair Display--Mock-Up #1

With my wheels constantly spinning about the upcoming Hunt and Gather, an impromptu trip to a local thrift shop earlier today prompted me to throw together my first mock-up table display.  I used my sewing table as a makeshift deal, and actually quite like how it ended up pairing with the display pieces.  So much so that I daresay I'm considering just using it for the real deal, if I can find another cute vintage table to pair it with.

Anywho, here are a couple quick photos I snapped of the project...

This is obviously a very mini-display, but I think it's purrfectly adorable!!!  The stacked glassware pieces are the items I found today at the thrift shop, and the gold tree is from Pier 1 Imports.  I'm using old library cards leftover from my wedding decor to display the cat ear clips.  You can't really see in these photos, but all of my more expensive statement pieces will hang from the tree, and then all of the wire-wrapped rings will go in the bowls.  I can totally build on this look as more pieces get finished and more thrifted treasures are found!

I foresee lots of busy nights and stress ahead over the next two months, but also lots of fun.  This is the part where I combine my retail merchandising experience with my creativity, and as always with Lady and the Cat, I run the whole gig, so I have the final say in how everything looks and feels.  Creative control is a beautiful thing, ladies and gents.  

What do you think of my first mock-up?  Let me know in the comments!  And don't forget to share this post on social media if you think this blog is the cat's meow!  As always, thanks for reading and I love you all!

Xo*

Jess

Lady and the Cat: Coming Soon to the Hunt & Gather Pop-Up Market!

Well hello there, friends!

Remember my recent exploits and subsequent ravings afterwards about the Hunt and Gather Pop-Up Market?  If this isn't ringing a bell for you, check out my post reviewing the event in its full glory right here.

Now, I must admit that if you're following my page for Lady and the Cat on Facebook, you already know what I'm about to announce, because I spoiled it big time over on that page this morning.  If you don't follow Lady and the Cat on Facebook, go ahead and do that now so you don't miss anymore impulse posts in the future!  Go on, I'll stick around while you give the old FB page a wholehearted thumbs up...

...

...Done?  You feel better now, yes?  Okay.  So yeah, I announced this morning on Facebook, and am officially announcing right here, that I got a vendor booth for Lady and the Cat at the next Hunt and Gather Pop-Up Market this June!  Here are the details:

As you can see, I have just over two months to prepare for this event.  It's safe to say I have my work cut out for me!!!  But I've wanted to find a market just like this to sell at from day one, and I definitely feel like I'm ready.  Game face is on.  I just generally feel superb about life right now.  If you're in or near Northwest Indiana, please come check out this market the last weekend of June!  It's one of the most unique indie fairs you'll find short of traveling to a big city, and if this next Hunt and Gather is anything like the last one, there will be no shortage of food, fun, and awesome vendors.

I will obviously continue working on my Etsy shop, blogging about the life of a cat lady, and sharing more details about my first show, but I just wanted to pop online really quick to share this important announcement with all of you before I burst!  Thanks for reading...I feel better now and only want to pee my pants a little bit.

I love you guys and hope you're having an awesome and amewsing week!  Until next time...

Xo*

Jess

Lil Bub--LGBT Rights Superstar!

Meow, ladies and gents!

When I first got wind of this story, I was going to just write a quick fangirl blurb about it and share the link on my Facebook.  But I had hardly clicked "Share" before I decided that this would be so much better as a blog post instead.  Trust me, cat ladies, this news is too cool for school!

Earlier today, my wonderful (cat lady) husband referred me to 50 Bands and a Cat for Indiana Equality.  I had to know more.  

(Source Image at http://bit.ly/1FOVsyb)

50 Bands & A Cat for Indiana Equality is exactly what it sounds like...a group of 50 bands, plus feline internet celeb Lil Bub, all from Indiana, coming together to speak out against the recent anti-LGBT state legislation that Mike Pence signed into being (you can read more about that here).  As someone who has lived and/or worked in the state of Indiana for over half of my life, and as someone who has far too many beautiful LGBT people that are a huge part of my life, I care a great deal about this legislation and its potential effects.  So it's really cool to see a bunch of Hoosiers (most of whom I happen to know and love) coming together for a good cause.  Each band has donated one track to this compilation, and one of the tracks actually features back-up "vocal" stylings from our fave lil' Hoosier, Lil Bub herself!  Bub also leaves a note for listeners on Joyful Noise Recordings, reminding everyone why it's so important to support human rights and equality.

The compilation costs $25 and includes 50 digital downloads, plus your choice of song from the comp will be sent to you on a limited edition, lathe-cut, handmade 7" vinyl.  

Now...if you know me outside of the internet, you definitely know that hubs and I are super passionate about music, collecting vinyl records, and of course cats!   So 50 Bands & A Cat is essentially a dream come true for me!!!  It's almost unbelievable...it's simply too perfect a combination of some of my favorite things!

Matt and I haven't decided which track we want on vinyl (so far it's a tie between the Murder by Death and Godspeed! You Black Emperor tracks), but we will absolutely be putting a few of our hard-earned bucks towards this wonderful cause and purchasing this comp immediately.  And I can't speak for her officially, but I'm pretty sure Lil Bub thinks you should probably do the same.  Just sayin'...

Xo*

Jess

Wire-wrapped kitty rings in purrogress!

I got some fresh clay, so I was finally able to start working on more kitty charms.  My first batch of completed charms worked really well in necklaces and bracelets, but not so much when it came to wire-wrapped rings.  I really do think rings could be a great seller for Lady and the Cat, so this batch of clay will be used exclusively for rings!

As you can see, I've only sculpted a few ring charms at the time of this blog post.  The nice thing is I'm getting more adept at creating the shapes I need in the correct sizes, so my work is getting better as I gain experience!  Level up!!!  Not to mention, it takes me about 2-5 minutes to sculpt each charm, whereas it used to take me over ten minutes a pop.  I have high hopes for these rings, ladies and gents, high hopes...

On a different note...

The past couple of weeks at my "real job" have made creating somewhat difficult, because I've worked about 85% late night shifts and for me, that makes doing anything productive outside of work quite rough.  Honestly, my newfound obsessions with the Etsy seller forums and *squeeeeeee* shop prep (more on that in upcoming days, I purromise!!!) have both barely even managed to squeeze their way into my schedule.  Multitasking as of late has essentially consisted of me watching reruns of The Hills while scrolling through my Etsy and Pinterest feeds.  I simply can't bear anything more grueling or tedious than that, nor can I deny my everlasting crush on Brody Jenner and trashy reality dramas.  Such is life...

And while I hate feeling lazy, I have also accepted that, short of growing eight arms, there's no way I can remain 100% productive 100% of the time.  Life happens and there will be weeks where I might only blog once rather than 3 or 4 times, and there will be days where I don't have time to work on jewelry when I get home.  The beauty is in learning to manage my time, as well as in taking a step back to realize that in eight months time, this little labor of love known as Lady and the Cat really has made so much progress.  Watching Lady and the Cat grow and evolve is a wonderful, emotional thing for me, and I can't wait to see how far I can take this pony show.  Long story short, my exhaustion is absolutely worth the results!

Thanks for reading, cat ladies!  I love you all and can't wait to share my Etsy shop link!!!  Like I said, this will be coming very soon!  I just want it on point before it's good enough for my loyal readers! 

Xo*

Jess

Etsy Regretsy--One Cat Lady's Confessions

In 2010, I had a very short-lived Etsy shop.  At that time, I was making button-embellished headbands and getting compliments on them pretty much everywhere I went.  I eventually decided to try selling them.  I took some photos, wrote up descriptions, and threw them on Etsy,the beloved online marketplace that I knew and loved from my years of customizing Blythe dolls (Etsy was one of the only places I could find eye chips or doll clothes at that time).  I shared the link to my shop a couple of times on Facebook.  I knew absolutely nothing about SEO.  I doubt I even knew what SEO was an acronym for.

Needless to say, my shop sold nothing.  Rather than try to push forward or figure out what I could improve, I chose to blame Etsy.  Oversaturated jerkface Etsy!  Forget them, their search engine SUCKS!

Fast forward five years and here I am, completely reconsidering the idea of an Etsy shop.  Yes, the punk rock teenager in me is slightly bummed about Etsy's changes over time, going from a tiny niche market to an over-saturated beast full of everyone and their mother's candle and jewelry shops.  But nonetheless, there's no denying the fact that Etsy did kind of create the online marketplace as we know it.  While Etsy may have gone and "sold out," and while it is indeed over-saturated thanks to the recent popularity of indie craft, it still remains the place to be apparently.  When we want something unique or handmade, we run straight to Etsy.  Hands down, through and through, they take the cake every time.

And I'm not just referring to the e-commerce.  The Etsy seller forums are exactly what I've been stubbornly seeking and not finding during fruitless Google searches.  The bitter 25-year-old in the back of my brain still wanted to hate on Etsy for my previous lack of sales action, and when Etsy forums inevitably appeared first in a Google search for "crafter discussion board," I refused to click on their links.  There had to be other great resources out there.  And there definitely are, but they are few and far between, and my other go-tos are print resources, which are by nature much more limited in scope than an ongoing forum thread.

This is basically just an apology to Etsy, because, man, Etsy, you rock.  There is a reason you rule the internet, and I finally have succumbed.  I bow down to you, the almighty Craft Buddha of the Interweb.

Let's just say this will be the spring of serious SEO-schooling, forum-stalking, drafting, and networking in pursuit of my own Etsy shop.  And this time, I'm going to do it right.  Even my recent exploits on Big Cartel were a hustled attempt to get something out there without having to pay a cent.  As I get more products made, I'm understanding that I now is the time to start doing what's best for Lady and the Cat.  Yep.  There it is.  Lady and the Cat on Etsy:  Coming Soon to a Wifi Hot-Spot Near You!!!

Xo*
Jess

Diary of a Cat Lady--April 2015

Meowsers, my friends.  I have 1000% not had my head in Lady and the Cat over the last few weeks, and for that, I apologize.  Basically, life in general has thrown me for a loop and in turn my anxiety has been higher than it's been in quite some time.  I feel horrible, because I promised lots of things to all of you, like a big shop opening online with giveaways, more posts, etc.  But I will keep it real, guys and gals...your favorite weird cat lady has been a hot mess/ball of nerves lately.  My anxiety was reaching a point where I was becoming crazy pj lady who only leaves home (in aforementioned pjs) to buy dollar Speedway coffee, and then comes back to hole up and hide from being a functional adult.

No worries, though!  While I tend to let stress get the best of me,  I'm feeling better again, have some of my life crises solved, and am overall quite rejuvenated.  And I've still been working on more kitty charm pieces!  I may be down in the dumps, but I can't seem to scratch the "make cute stuff" itch!

What do we think, cat ladies?  Fans or haters?  Would you visit an Etsy shop that sold items like this?  Let me know, because as much as I complain about the oversaturation of Etsy, it is still one hell of a marketplace and I'm contemplating setting up shop there with some of my newer items.  I really love the look of my Big Cartel shop, but it's not very user friendly in my opinion (neither on my end nor yours).  I don't know.  Regardless, please leave a comment with any thoughts, because I'm still undecided when it comes to pawning one's wares on the interwebs.  

As for upcoming giveaways, I am full of tremendous ideas on that front.  However, I don't want to keep running my trap until I square away legitimate details, rules, and timelines (as I intended to weeks ago)!  So updates ASAP.  Anticipation.  And so on.

Want to hear one more exciting thing?  At an upcoming craft fair, I plan on sharing a booth with a family friend.  She happens to be a ceramicist, so I'm super stoked to share a space with her for my first show.  Ever since I started making my hand-sculpted kitty charms, I've fallen in love with the medium all over again...I completely forgot how much I loved ceramics in high school until I got my hands back on some clay.  The show isn't until this fall, so I will officially be utilizing all of spring and summer to basically go DIY-Sweatshop and get some crazy cat lady jewelry made!  It's a smaller show than some of the other amazing ones in my area, but seems pretty perfect for my first gig.

As per usual, shout out to all the cats and cat lovers...'tis you that light up my life and (unfortunately for you) keep me a'ramblin' on this little old blog<3.

Until next time...

Xo*
Jess