Hastypearl...Backstage!

Hastypearl...Backstage!

I got the idea, to show you the Backstage of a Hastypearl sale, 

after Seth Apter issued a call 

for artists to send him pictures of their Studio Tables!

It has been fun to see the responses and the sad  state of affairs 

of Art Tables from around the world ;)

I wont just show you my table, 

but I will also show you what happens After the table!

Lets face it...Your kitchen, garage, sewing table, garden, office

...anywhere that you are in the middle of a project, 

can turn into a "Chaotic Zone" in a hurry.

Ahh...but such are the Wonders that can happen There :)

So, here is my table this morning.

I'm currently working on some angels.

Not so bad, really, but the piles on the floor 

surrounding it, make me look like I'm playing 

the Twister Game sometimes.

What I thought would be fun to post about today, 

is the "step by step" of what happens when

 I have a sale in my Etsy shop, called Hastypearl.

We will go...Backstage!

And by the way, all you have to do is register

and have a credit card, to purchase something from Etsy.

Etsy has made it Incredibly easy to shop online.

If you haven't shopped there yet, you HAVE to take a look.

Its mostly about Handmade, and Vintage Resale.

A Perfect combination, for me!

So, when you have an Smartphone and you have an Etsy sale, 

you hear the sound of a cash register.

It literally says...Cha Ching!

Mostly Anywhere that I am when I hear that Cha Ching...

I do a Happy Dance!

I LOVE knowing that someone, 

from literally Anywhere in the World, 

has found me and loves either my Art, 

or a Vintage Item that I have found!

I still consider myself an infant in the Etsy game, 

and I have had my Hastypearl Store 

for a year and a half, but I confess, a sale Never Gets Old!

So, yesterday, while I was listing some new items, 

I heard the sound...Cha Ching!

Happy Dance Ensued :)

This time...a sale came from Houston, Texas!

My sweet... dear, deer...was to leave home !

I keep most of my items, in labeled boxes in a closet.

That way, I can dependably get the purchases out the door, in a day.

I usually get them out the Same day. 

I do the typical packaging that You do when You ship....

However, when I have an item that is extra fragile...

like the ears are on my little polymer clay deer, 

I turn to my dependable egg crate foam mattress!

OK. Its a little unconventional, but its super affordable and 

its worked to safely carry my art all around the world :)

Here is a picture of my deer, safely packed inside.

Im telling you. I felt a little sad. 

Like I was sending a child to camp!

He looks so cute, don't You think!

So, I happen to KNOW this Particular customer...

yep, its my youngest Son!

Hes been such a Great customer.

I always feel a little silly...because...he could come here 

and take anything he wanted for free, but he wouldn't.

He constantly encourages me. 

Its nice when you know that someone that loves you, 

is also proud of you, right? :) 

Plus, I think he kind of likes the convenience of 

comfortably shopping, 

and knowing that I will wrap his gift for him ;)

He bought... dear, deer, for his girlfriend Valencia's, birthday.

Shhh. Don't tell her.

Its a surprise!

EVERY person who buys a treat from Hastypearl, 

gets a handwritten thank you note 

from me, and some surprises.

I think this is actually one of my favorite parts.

I love thanking and connecting 

personally with my customers!

I couldn't help but slip in a necklace 

that I had made and a pouch of lavender.

The resin filled charm has 

a piece of vintage ephemera of a butterfly, 

a beautiful piece of vintage bridal lace, 

a garnet bead, and the word...become. 

Finally, it was time to put it all together.

I happily do this for customers, that are sending a gift to someone. 

I added one of my Hand Painted Watercolor cards 

with a message about... becoming.

Etsy is set up for us buy our shipping labels, 

even International labels, through them,

but if I can save money by using the USPS, 

I will use Click and Ship.

Its sooo nice and easy, to buy postage at home. 

By now, I'm in the home stretch.

Three of the One Million things that I have learned 

in the last year and a half are....

1. Never put your packing tape over your bar code. 

It causes issues with the machines 

trying to read the numbers.

2. Use a black marker, and scribble over any other bar codes 

that are on the outside of your box. 

The machine reads the first bar that it scans, 

and your box may go to who knows where!

3. Before you tape, shake your box. 

If the contents rattle inside, add more "stuffing" 

until the rattle goes away! 

You've already seen that I use foam, 

but I also use Larry's plastic,

 that covers his clothes returning from the cleaners. 

Its free and a great way to recycle.

I asked my lady mail carrier, 

if I could put my Domestic boxes in our mailbox 

for her to take to the PO for me. 

Being that we live in a small rural community, 

she agreed. 

That has really saved me time :)

Of course, even though I can buy 

my International postage at home, 

it always has to be checked in

 and scanned at the nearest US Postal Office.

Then, I come back to the house,

 and start the process all over again!

Creating or Finding, Photographing, Photoshopping, 

Researching, Listing and...

 Waiting to hear that Awesome Cha Ching! :)

I always ask my customers what they 

will do with their Hastypearl purchase.

I have heard some of the MOST AMAZING STORIES!

People have the Greatest Imaginations.

Then there are the unusual, 

like four of my Wire Ornament Hangers, 

were used on the set of 

last years top Tony Award winning 

Broadway play, 

and I haven't heard back yet, 

but I recently sent an item to a 

Set Decorator in Burbank, California. 

Gets the imagination going, right? :)

So, Farewell...dear, deer.

I will miss you, but you will bring Joy!

So, I hope that was fun for You, 

or maybe even helpful for you in some way.

Now, you know what its like Backstage...Hastypearl!

And I Gladly join the ranks of Messy Artists and Humans around the World!

Where there is a Mess...there has usually been some Fun!!

I hope that you will consider doing your up coming 

shopping on one of the many Online Handmade sites. 

You cant beat finding original items AND 

having them delivered right to your front door! 

As Always, I'm So glad that you stopped by...

and thanks for the challenge, Seth!

xo Laura

Line Drawings and Gouache Putz House Fun! Hastypearl

Line Drawings and Gouache

Putz House Fun!

Hastypearl

I recently bought a great collection of Putz Houses.

The word Putz comes from the early Moravian tradition

 of decorating for Christmas, 

with street scenes or nativities or even Noah's Ark.

This practice was even more popular than decorating the tree.

After World War II, 

the Japanese started making paper houses with holes in the back,

 to be illuminated with strung lights.

My houses were Made in Japan.

The shapes and colors that you can find, seem to be endless.

So, I have recently been inspired by many, but specifically by the drawings of 

Trudi Sissons of Two Dresses Studio, 

Claudia of blog AdiandBert, Michele Maule, 

and as I have mentioned before, Jane LaFazio.  

I follow all four, either on their blogs, websites, FB or Instagram.

Separately, they each are committed to practice...drawing.

Simple, right?

My husband and I talked about it.

I said...you know, if I did a few sit ups every night, I'd be stronger.

If I practiced a language a little bit every day, I could speak it.

If I drew every day, Id get better.

Most of us aren't naturals at everything, but if we work at it, just a little every day...

we would see a change!

So, this past week, I took up my pencil, and started drawing a little bit...every day.

To make it a bit more challenging, 

I tried to position my Putz houses, at different angles each time, 

so it wouldn't always just be one dimensional.

Am I a Rembrandt? No.

Not even close.

But by the time I put a little watercolor on my sketches, I liked what I saw.

Most of the time, we are so self critical, that we quit.

That wasn't my goal.

My goal was to draw, and draw often.

I decided to make my little scenes, Nighttime Scenes.

I used a product called, Fineline Masking Fluid Pen, for the little stars.

I bought mine at Asel Art Supply in San Antonio, 

but I'm sure that you could find it online.

It has a small pin, that inserts into the tiny delivery system, 

that constantly self cleans and I never had a problem with flow.

When the mask drys, you simply paint over it.

When your paint is dry...you simply rub the mask, off.

It was fun seeing my Twinkly Stars appear in my night sky!

The houses seemed like they needed some wildlife, 

so I drew some Reindeer.

I would like to say that I was "off" on those drawings, 

but truthfully, those Reindeer, have always been a little spooky faced to me!

Maybe you can see that in the Reindeer piece, 

I masked some Holly Leaves and I added some Gold Paint

for the berries and the Reindeer antlers!

After a week or so, I had done 6 drawings.

That's exactly 6 more, than if I hadn't drawn :)

They didn't take long and I really enjoyed it.

In Silence, or with Music going or talking on the phone, it was time well spent.

I plan to continue for as long as I'm enjoying it.

The point isnt to become a slave to drawing...or doing sit ups or learning a language.

The point is to take care, that we aren't just letting time go by, 

without doing things that we've wished to do.

We all know how fast the days go by...

So, I Hope this posting Encourages you, just as Trudi, Claudia, Michele and Jane,

Unknowingly, have Encouraged me!

I'm so glad that you stopped by!

If you would like, there is a place on the right side of my blog, 

to sign up to receive email notices of my hastypearl postings.

I wont overwhelm you. I promise!

I usually check in every couple of weeks!

For those of you living in the Northern Hemisphere, 

I Hope you are enjoying these last days of warmth, 

as we head towards cooler days, 

and for you Southern Hemisphere dwellers

...I'm a little envious of you as you head into Spring!

Happy Learning....xo Laura