Sales, Smiles, Sunburn and Sighs

Smiles all around as we had a GREAT week at the gallery with lots of visitors and a large number of sales.

In the past two months I have sold four stone necklaces out of the gallery, as well as a 16x20 framed photo. I also sold out of notecards in the gallery as well as the motel that sells my cards in the lobby. Several other members had large sales too -- so everyone is extremely happy.

My latest sale was a one-of-a-kind Owyhee picture jasper necklace that looks like the Nebraska Sandhills where I live. The focal stone looked like rolling hills, with a soapweed growing in the foreground. It was strung with gold-filled corrugated beads along with desert jasper, cream fossil and black onyx beads with a handmade gold-filled chain and clasp and matching earrings. It was called "Soapweed and Sandhills."

I also sold a pearl bracelet and a pair of earrings through my Etsy shop, so the last two months have been good to me. :)

The caboose has been moved and I realized, while on my way home from serving as an EMT at the 50th Annual High School Rodeo out at the Thomas County Fairgrounds this weekend, that it is almost invisible to people coming from the east and west. I have been wracking my brain to come up with a solution to this problem -- but no luck so far. I think it means the caboose needs to be painted red and yellow, but since the lettering does not show up well on the red, I'll have to change it up a bit.

I think I'll paint the ends of the caboose red but trim it out with yellow on the railings, soffit and landing, as well as on the stairs. The sides will be yellow, with red trim and red lettering outlined heavily in black.

I will also put up HUGE signs -- especially to the east and west, angled so they can be viewed from the overpass as well. I see a big investment in plywood and stencils coming up! I'll use the same paint I use on the caboose to tie it all together.

I need to do another mockup of the caboose with the new paint scheme to see how it looks.

We had a good weekend, with a family fishing trip on Sunday. We didn't catch any fish, but we did catch a lot of sunshine and the sunburns that go along with that -- despite copious amounts of sunscreen. The kids had fun playing in the water in the livewell while hubby and I tried many fishing applications to entice the walleye to bite. We ended up catching three short fish we had to throw back. It was a day of family fun despite the fact that we didn't have fresh fish for supper.

The sighs come in from the waiting portion of this whole process. I am by nature, an impatient person, so this several month long loan process has me tied up in knots. I am still so positive that I can make a go of this business, but the past few days the waiting has gotten to me and despite surprisingly good P/L projections, the doubt has had time to creep in -- not doubt that I can manage the business -- but doubt that the loan will be approved. I can't see why it wouldn't be -- the numbers are good -- but I just want this so badly that it scares me!

My husband was even surprised by the numbers that came from a very conservative P/L projection and is now fully on board with the idea -- after realizing I could actually contribute to the family coffers instead of possibly just putting us into debt with the loan.

I think he was simply humoring me before -- although he was supportive -- and now he is excited about the prospect as well.

The board hopefully will convene this week to consider my loan application further. If they agree the business is viable, we will proceed on. If they don't, I am dead in the water -- which would be SO disappointing -- for me as well as for the owner of the caboose who is really excited about the possibilities with this business as I am.

I guess I will just keep praying, as I have a number of area residents who are also waiting with high hopes and a number of repair jobs for me to do.

I guess for now I will just prepare the 4-cheese lasagna I am taking to the community dinner at noon and try to keep my mind off this whole process for a little while. I will also work on a new picture jasper necklace to replace the one that sold.

So, I'm off to cook and create!

Jewelry On My Mind

Want it so bad I can taste it!

I recently attended Camp Comeca, the GPCAA creative arts camp. I was an instructor, teaching basic photographic composition. Fun! I was also able to take some classes myself, and I chose to hone my skills in an area I already work in (jewelry design). So, I took the Metals workshop and the Precious Metal Clay workshop. Cool! I came away knowing where my future lay -- and it is in PMC! I loved the metals class and I will be incorporating many things learned there into my jewelry design. However, I think my true talent lies in the PMC, with which I have so many design options, and the custom jewelry aspect of it is never ending! I made some glorious jewelry that I am very proud of and I hope to make much more of it.

Many of you know that I have been working to get a brick and mortar business open and have been in the process of applying for a loan. Today is a bleak day for me, as I have run into some glitches that may be a deal breaker, whether I can get the loan or not. I was planning to put my jewelry repair/design shop/art gallery in a cute little caboose located at the intersection of two major highways near where I live.

The problem is the cost of running utilities to that cute little caboose. Running a power line to within 100 feet is going to cost $2800 and running water and a septic tank costs another $5000, before any of this is even hooked to the caboose!

The loan board does not want to loan that kind of money for a building I don't own (can't blame them for that). I can't afford to do it myself, and the owner of the caboose doesn't want to put out that kind of money either (very understandably) after paying to move the caboose from one side of his building to the other so they can put in a new railroad overpass.

Beyond all of this, I still have to get the loan, which also won't be easy. So, right now everything is kind of on hold. I've been in this process for almost three months now (seven if you count the first building I was looking at) and it is such a letdown to be ground to a halt.

All I can do is pray, pray, pray, I guess. Any other prayers are welcome as well.

My soul is crying out to work with PMC! This would help the family finances as well. My hopes and dreams are all wrapped up in this project! I want it so badly I can taste it!