Thoughts

I have been thinking this handmade-business a lot lately. It's been a hard yet very educational summer and autumn, and when I am tired or stressed, I start thinking (read: worrying) and guessing why? who? when? and back to why? and when I spend too much time wondering things on my own, even the smallest of things start to look massive. And bad. 

What I have been wondering a lot, is how to get more balance between work and life, the common problem with people who work from home and on their own, I suppose. It's hard to say no to requests (money is always needed) even you know it'll get too busy if you said yes. The other thing I have been wondering is the hard game of pricing. Huh, that's a tough one. You know what you would like to get out of your work, and at the same time, you know that it just gets the price too high. Tricky. But I read somewhere (I just cannot remember where but THANK YOU! whoever you were), that you shouldn't price the items on the level you (or your friends or your family) could afford, but on the level where you are satisfied, and you also earn some money. So wise! Even I am just a poor crafter, it doesn't mean that there wouldn't be people out there who are happy to spend some money on handmade-stuff they might not be able to make themselves (or just LOVE). So I just need to proudly ask enough (read:more)!

And still one more thing that I have been thinking lately: the craft shows. Mostly happy occasions, yes, and I am a bit disappointed, that this year will be yet an another one I'll be sitting out. My stuff (these cozies in this post included) were displayed a little craft-exhibition in Japan earlier in this autumn. Some were sold there, others were not, and the remaining stuff will be sold in a shop there. These were part of the busy-summer that I still feel it in my fingers, I feel it in my toes (and C-busy-times are just around the corner, blimey), and this was one of the big reasons the national (hah, I'm all international this year!) craft events didn't happen.

I had great plans last year around this time to get organized in January already, and be ready in time for those big fancy Christmas-fairs I visited (as guest) last year. Boo-ho, it just didn't happen. I know sweet Nova is preparing for one, and I think Sini has been busy too with her lovely felts - how do you guys do it?  I mean among the all other things? Please share, everyone who has been there, done that - both happy and not-so-happy stories of craft shows welcome!

Oh man, that's a lot of moaning blabbering, thank you so much for listening! I feel much happier now. It's not raining today either (hooray), so I think I'm going for a little walk, the colors of the nature are breath-taking. Wishing you a ...

Lovely Wednesday!

Yours,
Mia

EDIT. It seems that I can't leave comments at the moment on all the blogs I would like to, I apologize to Beth and Teje at least, I tried several times but no success. I will try later again, but in the meanwhile: your posts have been read&enjoyed even my comments will not be there!

Oh October

It's been a rainy and gray weekend here (again), and to get anything photographed you just need to take a deep breath and run outside. The main thing is to be quick, and both you and the things pictured stay relatively dry. I finally got my autumn-things finished, they were made during several weeks one seam here, an another button there among the other things I have in my to-do list, and here they are:

I found this wonderful orange-yellow-red-wool where colors just slide beautifully and first I made a a little bag of it. There's a little birdie wondering how he could get that wonderfully fat pumpkin home...

... and a little cozy with similar theme. A little yellow birdie and even bigger pumpkin to tackle...

...And still one more to followed, a pouch with some colorful leaves and yet an another little birdie. Colorful inside and out...

 

It seems that more gray and wet it gets outside, more colors and brightness I keep adding to my handmades. That's the way to handle October, I presume?

Lovely Sunday, everyone!

Yours,
Mia

Changes

 

Autumn has definitely arrived. The colors of nature have changed, and the air feels crispy and clear (when it's not raining). We've had our first frosty morning, you could tell even without going outside; the morning coffee was enjoyed with scrap-scrap-car-window-scraping sounds. Even the change can be hard at the times, I quite enjoy this. After a gray and wet summer these bright color look simply wonderful. And inspirational, too! 

 

  

There are other autumn-inspired things on my desk too half finished, but somehow there always seems to be other, more urgent things that need to be done right away. But slowly still, I am getting there, and Christmas is also in my mind more and more often. But after this summer and early autumn's rush I have decided there's no need to tire (read: kill) yourself with work, there's always a way to get everything done without all that stress and anxiety. And there isn't, there's some things too much in your agenda.

Restful weekend and happy last days of September!

Yours,

Mia

P.S. The sale is still on in my shop for a little while, welcome!

Early bird

I am starting to get into a Christmas-mood already, and am planning this year´s Santa-socks and such! I know it's early, but shop-wise I think I am just in time... There's always a first! And because of this unexpected early bird catches the worm-situation, I am having a little sale in my shop for this month. Everything will be -20% with a code RAIN2012 (how convenient in these days!), excluding the shipping costs. So if you have a minute, take a look and who knows: Maybe you'll find something for Santa´s sack already?

 

Happy Tuesday!

Yours,

Mia

P.S. Here's how to use the coupon code in Etsy.

Fabulous four

How you can tell that someone is really a big boy?

 

The Moomins leave...

...and then arrive...

 ....the angry birds.

Oh my.

Happy Sunday, everyone!

Yours,
Mia

Meoooow

Dear, dear friends,

It's been a while (an underestimation of the year) since I last blogged, but I have to say I've spent every minute of my absence working. It's been crazy busy last two months, and as I shipped the last of the enormous order (more of that later) yesterday, I am now back to online. I want to say sorry to all of you lovely bloggers who have been writing great posts and I haven't got the time or energy to comment that much. I will be back, I promise. But back to the latest events! Some of you may remember the summer of the cats? Well this one was one big meooow, and all of it was because I got my first (there's always a first!) magazine-mention in August, and needed to be prepared.

And what a mention it was - a glossy magazine for cat fans and no less than in Japan! As a cat-lover I was really happy about it -can you spot my cat-bag there?

 Oh yes, there it is!

Some of you may already know that my bags and pouches are sold in Japan, but this made me extra proud still! My Japanese skills are not that great *ahem* but my cats and birds and other things seem to be speaking to Japanise people greatly - I will tell you more of that later.

I am now off to sort my working space (it's a MESS), and try to get my thoughts and calendar organized and updated, and will be back with more stories soon.

Happy Tuesday!

Yours,
Mia

My precious

Christmas came early this year.

For the small*...

 ...and the bigger ones too!

Happy Thursday, everyone!

Yours,
Mia


* "My elephant!" he said, and no wonder, it visited us last year too!

The good, the bad and the ugly

In the mornings this week we've been enjoying some whopping +7C, and with constant rain and blow-your-head-away wind I think it's time to sum this "summer" up. The good, the bag and the ugly. I might add some on the good-section later if the weather surprises us in August still but I must say I'm weak in faith here.

The company has been good, real good. I have spent a lot time with a wonderful little guy, and we've had some memorable times. We've also enjoyed fantastic fresh veggies and berries (I love strawberries, raspberries are his favorites) and some fantastic BBQ (less than last summer but still) and ice-cream.

 

I also have enjoyed many bike rides and long walks with my dear(est and only) sister, that is priceless. You get centimeters off your ass and troubles off your mind - it just doesn't get better than that. Rain has tried to keep us off the walking tracks but ha! we have water-proof jackets and trousers and The Northern Exposure-attitude so we just keep going.

 

Work-wise it's been the best summer ever. I have been busy, and have been lucky to get steady stream of orders from June to this date. Previous years May-June have been slow but not this year. Fantastic. That said it also makes this the first summer for a long time I haven't had a proper holidays, and I definitely need some and soon. I am wishing to have a week off everything in a months time but we'll see.

And then the weather. It has been somewhat *#>>>!!* and after two great summers it has been almost physically painful to wake up every single morning to rain. Oh well, there's always a next, and it should be great again and maybe there will be still hot autumn and all that blaah-blaah we us Finns have been making up lately, and that hasn't helped at all. Not at all. But what I have had so much of joy and happiness of in these rainy days are the Olympics! Thank you UK and London, you've been a life-saver for us this summer! And although we have only two medals so far (1 silver, 1 bronze), there's still hope as in half on hour three (yes THREE) of our guys will be throwing javelins in the final (yes FINAL)! I am sure if we get three medals today, this summer turns into great instead of bad&ugly. So fingers crossed!

Happy Saturday, everyone!

Yours,

Mia

**Edit, at 22:30 - we got an another bronze, yippeeee! I think the rain is just about to stop too!**

August

It's August already, I cannot believe it! That said I am almost happy it is as the weather is far better than it was in June&July but still. August is not quite autumn yet but... Here in Finland schools are starting again in a few weeks, almost everyone have had their holidays and nights are getting darker...Scary. I do not mind autumn when it's sunny, dry and crisp which it mostly here isn't. It usually is rainy and windy and all this will end up to winter...huh. But IT'S NOT AUTUMN YET so I'll show you something else instead and we'll forget this issue altogether for a few months still. So quick, quick, quick something I really like... Hmm..stripes? Yes! Matchy-matchy? Definitely! My boys? Perfect, here we go:

 

Nephew-godfather fashion check in Summer 2012. I LOVE IT. And I love blue and white together, and add a little red...

Thank you so much Glenys! I am so happy to receive this award, but as have had one earlier already, I am just thanking you dearly this time, and moving on to these colors:

 

...the great color-combo of blue-red&white, and that's so hot these days as the UK is the most wanted place right now! The Olympics! Oh how I would like to be there, now more than ever as they started to compete in that fantastic stadium too. I am big fan of all Athletics like high jump, javelin throw, decathlon... And we as Finns even have a few great candidates there for medals - I know teams like GB and USA have many golds already, but we're still waiting our first(medal). It might be necessary to say that I love the games come medals or not but it would be the cherry on top. I am now off to sofa one eye on telly and other choosing great colors for some new stripes...

 

...and I wish you a wonderful Friday and happy weekend soon too! Let's all enjoy the games and cheer to all wonderful athletes!

Yours,

Mia