October!

Oh wow, how did it get to be nearly the middle of October already? The ferry finished up last Sunday so I'm now unemployed and trying to keep myself busy with my crochet, beach combing and life in general. It's only been a week but it already feels like it's been a month already, not sure if that's a good or a bad thing!

A few things to catch up on this month....

I was absolutely bowled over to have been contacted by the EtsyIreland team and asked to fill in a questionnaire - they wanted me to be their 'designer of the month' for the month of October!!  oh my goodness! It made me feel all grown up and 'official' :) This is still very much a hobby for me and I think it always will be but being asked to take part in something like this is really validating and exciting at the same time :)

Also in Etsy-related business, I'm delighted to have been taking part in their 'mentor month' -- initially I'd asked if I could have a mentor to help me (as I feel I am still learning all the time) but they asked me if I'd like to actually be a mentor instead! Eeek!! Please take a look at the two lovely shops I mentored lovely handmade jewellery and more! and fantastic upcycled silk purses, ties and more!  I hope I was some bit of a help -- I think all of us Etsy-sellers could benefit from a fresh set of eyes looking at our photos, titles, tags etc.

In my own shop, I'm now up to 115 listings, trying to get ready for the (hopefully!) busy 'holiday' season (as well as craft fairs and the like) ---- I'm also up to 442 sales! I'm still very dubious about reaching 500 sales before the end of the year but you never know - if it happens it happens!

At the moment I'm busy making wrist cuffs - and trying to get them listed -- I have another two pairs to get in my shop sometime later today, hopefully. After that I think I'll move on to more headbands and maybe hats again...we'll see... I could happily just make wrist warmers all the time, but it's good to have a bit of diversity in my shop, and especially at craft fairs.

some close-ups of my wrist cuffs and wrist warmers -- oh I love the colours :) all of these are in my Etsy-shop, feel free to have a look!

In beach combing 'news' it looks like I've found something special!!

I found these shells on Loher beach at the end of September, though I'm sure I'd walked past them a dozen times or more before finally noticing that they were something unusual. It looks like they have come all the way from America! -- we're still waiting for a 100% positive id on them but it looks very likely that they are Dendostrea frons (or frons oysters). I'm sending a couple of them off to a marine biologist who is going to positively id them (hopefully!) and then pass them on the natural history museum in Dublin!

It looks like there's only one record of them in Ireland before, from the 1970s in Mayo, though I'm sure they must wash up here more often than that, just that no-one notices them, or bothers to report the sighting. I'm keeping my eyes out for more now though.

I'd better finish up for now, there's more to say, so hopefully I'll be back for another 'update' before the end of the month ;)