The Penguin Pages: Goodbye, May... Hello, June

I had high hopes for May...

I ran a giveaway on my Facebook page. 346 people viewed it, 10 entered.😟

I barely got any work done on projects I had hoped to finish.

I entered a crochet-along contest with over a dozen prizes over the course of the month... and didn't win. 😟

I had a customer place a custom order. She seemed so nice, and was so insistent that she had no problem paying my suggested price that I started work, then sent the invoice. She said she couldn't find it, had me re-send it. I finished the order, showed her a picture. She said she loved it, and said she would check her e-mail and pay the invoice ASAP. That was two weeks ago... she stopped answering my messages. Why do people do things like that? I know I shouldn't take it personally, but it really got to me.

Even though I ended up with three sales in May (two Etsy, one local), I'm sort of burnt out with my business.

June is my birthday month... and my anniversary month (32 years!), so I'm not setting any goals for the month. No crochet-alongs. No contests or giveaways. No quotas. No striving to set new sales records. No planning on finishing anything. Just do stuff that I enjoy doing, and if it sells, it sells.

Maybe I'll buy myself some pretty new yarn, too!

As I finish up my fun projects in June, I'll post pictures here... and hopefully by the end of the month, I'll be out of this low spot I've been in with my crafting endeavors.

Project #1 - A Piggy Tissue Box Cover

Project #2 - Hansel the Hedgehog
Sold already, heads to California tomorrow!

Project #3 - an owl tissue box cover

I made some more egg scrubbies to finish up an order... then back to my random projects. I found some fun fur / tassel yarn in a box of yarn and thought it looked like the perfect yarn for a hedgehog!

There was enough yarn to make a Mama and Baby hedgehog! They're in my shop already! I'm also working on a baby blanket with some bulky yarn, and it's looking so pretty!

I figure I'll have it finished in about three days! I started with 20 small skeins of yarn and I'm down to 8!

Finished! And made a matching bunny!
In my Etsy Shop!

Used some "Unforgettable" Yarn to make a cute little cowl
And it's in my shop too!

6/12 update... I've gotten a few sales this month, and have a few custom orders to work on... and yesterday I went yarn shopping. It was probably my biggest yarn shopping trip to about two years. I took advantage of Hobby Lobby clearance (75% off), 30% off regular prices, and over $60 in gift cards.

As a result, I brought home 39 skeins of yarn with a value of over $225 for about $5.

Finished another baby blanket / bunny set.

I found this adorable pattern, and have added it to my "must make" list... I envision matching it up with a ripple baby blanket in the three colors of the puppy.

Quick but cute project... matching baskets!

Custom mermaid, try #1. Rainbow tail not quite rainbow enough!

Playing with new metallic eyelash yarn from my Hobby Lobby clearance purchase!

Custom mermaid order - much better!

Oops, did I say no CAL this month?
Well, this dishcloth CAL is quick work. Here's a starburst bobble dishcloth in shades of pink.

Custom order Monkey Hat... done!

Cuddly bear done, now on to matching baby blanket with same yarn!

June 21...a friend asks me if I would like to do a craft show with her next month... an outdoor craft show (she has a 10x10 tent) at a BIG street festival. Over 5,500 people visited last year. Yikes! All of a sudden, my "no quotas, no planning on finishing" theme went out the window. I'm trying to get a bunch of little stuff made up, to make sure I can at least make back my fee (which is more than double what I usually pay for a show).

I figure if I make an egg scrubbie, a reusable water balloon, and some other small item, like the octopus finger puppet shown, I'll have enough for a great day of sales!

Time for a fun project, a rainbow rug!

Finished the matching blanket for the cuddle bear!

The next installment in the dishcloth crochet-along was one calling "Picking Posies" by Sweet Potato Crochet Creations. I chose to go with patriotic colors for the 4th of July!