This was made from repurposed fabrics (it used to be a t-shirt), and sterling silver earwire (finding is not sterling). What do you think?

This month surprised me with lots of sales. I started see them coming at the end of November, but it was for the weekend of my birthday (December 5th) that they really kicked off! Well, is not that I became millionaire (I wish!) but it is really encouraging! I sold lots of scarves and I’m kind off running out of yarn, which is wonderful! I’m thinking that I won’t be buying much more, so I can concentrate on making mosaics and developing a new line for next winter. How cool does that sound?

But the BEST part of this month, have been my costumer’s emails. If the sales are the bread and butter, these emails are the marmalade! It feels so good when someone takes the time to write you and tell you how much they liked their scarf (I have this kind of reaction with my scarves, mostly), how they used them, how you help them to make a special gift….

One particular client wrote me the other day, and even sent me a picture! I thought it was so cool that I had to post it here, and he agreed, so here it is:

So I have to say… I received your scarf a few weeks back.. Im addicted to it!
It is a black white and red ring scarf… Which just happens to be my trademark colors.. ( my website, my promo pieces, my bizz cards ) (I’m a photographer)

I love this thing so much I hope you never stop making them.. Im going to try to purchase one or two more after the holidays. I wear it a few different ways but the really cool thing is…. when I find myself inside… like on a recent trek through the Brooklyn Museum… It got to be to warm… sooooo
I threaded one end of it through my belt loop!!!! Made for an instant Steven Tyler/ Nikki Sixx rock n roll look! Really snazzy was JUST long enough to keep from touching the ground ( Im only 5′8″ )and it looked soooo rock and roll!
I wish I had a pic to show you. I AM attaching one image of me wearing it. Hope you enjoy! If these things were half off Id probably wipe you out!

So guess who’s the one on the picture? Jason!!!! Thanks so much Jason, you cheered me up!

So you all people who own a “Sol del Sur original” as someone told me the other day… send your pictures! Tell me your story! It will just pay off all my work… I love it!

I’m so excited with this giveaway! But a little worried about the newsletter, I must say. I’ve never made one and don’t know how long is it going to take! Hopefully I send it by lunch time!

Ok, so the participants for this giveaway came from two sources: those who added their name to the list during last weekend’s Global Bazaar, and some of my Etsy customers, who opted-in through email. The number assigned for each one came from the order in which you guys registered or opt-in.

AND THE WINNER IS……..

NUMBER 7!!!!

Esteen, Congratulations to you!!!!! You were the last person who signed-up for the newsletter last Saturday, and we had a great time chatting. Your earrings will be sent shortly.

Thanks to everyone for subscribing and participating, I hope you enjoy my newsletters!

This past Saturday was the Global Bazaar at the Crafts and Folk Art Museum. It was such a fun experience! The cute little patio was filled with different kind of artisan made goods, mostly jewelry. All the vendors were super friendly, wanted to know about my items, made good comments on my displays, and were willing to share excellent information.
I had two very friendly ladies sitting next to me: Valerie from Fastenations on one side, and Genie from Distinque on the other. I exchanged emails with both and probably will be sharing table with Genie in the future.

I also enjoyed talking to costumers, answering their questions and having fun! Which is a lot to say, considering how tired I was. Unbelievable! Last week was crazy preparing my items and all the displays, but I think was very worth it. Some of the assistants also signed in for the newsletter I’ll start sending this week, and entered the drawing of this set of earrings. I’ve been asking my online costumer to sign-in too, so they are up-to-date about new products, sales and special offers! That IS fun, but also a lot of work!

So, I’ll leave you now. I have to design the new Gift Certificates that I want to put on sale in my shop.

Ok, so I finally made it. I had been thinking about that for a couple of weeks and finally decided to create a Facebook Fanpage. Only because it’s been raining for two days and that really makes me feel unbalanced. You know, like uncomfortable. It’s weird. So I don’t feel like doing too many things… although I have quite a lot of things to do! So, I decided to use what otherwise would be wasted time on creating the famous page. I hope I get some fans! LOL

I added some pictures already, and I wanted to add an application showing my items in Etsy but that was impossible. So, I just left it like that. I posted enough links already, so I guess that’s enough.

It’s raining. I said that already. It’s the weirdest thing. I think it stopped, finally. It makes me feel tired and dehydrated. Like if my body was asking me for an excess of water, just like the “outside” is having.

I am very excited to announce that I got my first wholesale account for my jewelry this week!
It was the best thing, the shop is wonderful, it’s in the Craft and Folk Art Museum in Los Angeles! You can not be a crafter and don’t love Crafts museums! In that sense, I have to confess I had no idea it existed.

Anyways, it was such a coincidence that the day before they contacted me, I got an email from the Chilean embassy announcing that they were doing a Chilean Crafts Trunk Show right in the same place!

So, this woman that runs the museum’s shop contacted me, told me that they were having an event called Global Bazaar, that if I wanted to join that and that if I had a line sheet of my jewelry Of course I didn’t have anything, but luckily I had some bookmarks about that so I did it that same day, sent it to her, and the next day she put her order! It is not a huge order, but I’m very happy about it!

The Chilean event was today and it was lovely. We ate empanadas, drank wine, talked to chilean people and even bought a beautiful rari framed art from a shop called Cuenco. Visit the link and you’ll find out what rari is!

The place looks wonderful from the outside and inside too! Apparently they are always changing the exhibitions, and the shop is just great, they have lots of handcrafts from the whole world! I’m so proud I’m going to be there too!

Oh, and I said yes to the first show on November 7th. They’ll have another one on December but I’m not so sure about that…. we’ll see.

Today was my first day of work, and I’m ridiculously tired. The good thing is that I drove the car all day, so I guess by the end of this I’d had lost all my fears related to driving. But today I want to leave record of something great! When I got home I checked my email and found out that the Treasury I made the other day made it to the Homepage of Etsy! So a couple of the people that were in the Treasury sent me messages about it. This is the second time that one of my Ts make it to the Front Page, and one of my items made it too, all under Sol del Sur. Definitely this shop has a better aura than Creasol Mosaics, although that one is giving a battle too, this weekend I made another big sale on coasters! Yipiiii
So here is my Treasury:

And here is how they rearrange it for the Front Page:

I guess they don’t like caramels

Ok, so the idea I had about copying here what I write for my English class hasn’t worked as I thought. Actually, hasn’t worked at all. BUT, I’m right now writing here, instead of my journal! So, maybe I will do the opposite and copy what I write here on there. Whatever.

I’m very excited and nervous and a little stressed too, because I have a lot of things to do and hopefully will have more! I booked an add on the Modish blog for the month of October! I REALLY hope that will bring more traffic to my shop. I also booked an sponsor spotlight, which is a post that Jena (the woman behind Modish) writes, actually doesn’t write, only chooses some pictures of items on your shop and invites people to visit it. I did that because of course draws more attention than a little banner on the side of the site, but also because the post stays on the site forever. Or almost forever… so, it eventually will draw people even after October.

I also bought a postal scale, which I must say is one of the best things ever! I feel definitely more powerfull now that I have one. Not that I was going everyday to the post office, but still. I print and pay the labels from my house and also save on Delivery Confirmation. And, can calculate accurately the shipping rates for the costumers, from the beginning. Great thing. But the best thing is that I got it at the Goodwill shop next to the place where I’m having the Census training. Yes, Census again! Hopefully this will be even shorter. I really want to put more attention into my LEED credentials, but of course can’t say no to money. But I was talking about the Goodwill store. OH! It is SO wonderful. Best thrift store I’ve been to. Everything is arranged by style and color. It’s just perfect. It’s like I was meant to go there! Ha ha. No, really. Tomorrow I’ll take a closer look to the clothing, because the other day I went I was carrying lots of papers and wasn’t very comfortable for trying those wonderful black leather jackets for $25. Sounds sweet, doesn’t it?

I just used the scale for the first time for my first wholesale order! YAYYYYYYYYY. I should’ve taken a picture of it… mmmmmm. It looked AWESOME.

Yes, yes, I abandoned the blog. I’m sorry. I’m back. I promise I’ll do better this time. Specially because I started English classes today, so I’ll be writing a lot. At least I’ll have some material to upload if I don’t feel like writing something special for the blog.
I’ll try to be brief, because I could be writing all night with the stories I have and of course we all know I won’t do it. So:
After the census job, we had vacation time at home (meaning: husband was at home every day. good, but after 3 weeks not so much. Just don’t tell him, ok?).
At the end of May, we finally took a plane a flew to Colombia. There was my father in law and his wife. We visited Bogota, Medellin and Villa de Leiva. Beautiful and special. I was born in Bogota and never went back until now.

Then, plain again to My beloved Santiago de Chile. Family, friends, mom, mom, mom, mom. A little collapsing on my side. I won’t talk about that, now I’m doing fine.
Plain to Buenos Aires. Family there, although everyone seemed a little busy. Shopping, cold, handsome brothers, friends from USA visiting. My dad looks happy, so I’m happy.
Back to Chile. some city tour with American friends. Valparaiso. Maitencillo (amazing beach) with mom ans step dad.
Friends, family, you know. Home condensed.
Business ideas, shopping for materials. Some very interesting “work trips”. I talk later about that.
Yarns and ceramics, my new re-discovery.
Back to Los Angeles. Putting my new business together. Lots of work.
Sol del Sur is launched.
Sales! It feels so wonderful!
HUGE mosaic sale in my shop on 1000 Markets. Life is wonderful.
Wholesale inquiries for Sol del Sur. One never get back, other does, but hasn’t paid yet, so we’ll see.
Life is beautiful
I decided to start studying for the test for LEED credentials. Cool. Being environmental friendly and all that.
Today I started my English classes. I’ll also be taking a class called Small Business Entrepreneurship, online.
Did I mention that I got the driver license before the rip, and that I’ve drive twice since we got back, on my own? I’m proud of myself!
Oh! And I quit smoking, five and a half weeks ago. Awesome.

Ok, I promise to write more from now on, and explain some of all this craziness.
Good night!

Yeah, so I was working, but not anymore. It was short and intense. I got a great tan, lost a couple of pounds, saw a lot of things, and have a little fun. When I was getting used to it, was over. And then, I had to get used to be unemployed again and it might sound weird but it was hard. I’ve come to realize I love to work and earn money. It makes me feel awesome. I complain a LOT about having to work in the same thing everyday, and I really don’t like that (routine), but I really was missing the feeling of being making money. I was in a great mood, and although I was really tired, I felt like going out and talk to people. Really. ME talking to people. I felt like I was back on me. Just like I used to be back in Chile, when I had job, apartment, friends, a common language and all that stuff.
I made this Treasury in honor to my job:

So it was good, but now it’s over. And now not only I am unemployed, but Cris is in a break from his job too, so we both are home now, looking for things to pass the hours. Obviously is not that hard.
We started doing a $5 yoga classes last week, that’s been great. And also practicing my driving, of course. I’m having the third try for the driving test in two days. We went to the optometrist also, terrible experience (and I’ve been wearing glasses for 15 years). And getting some stuff for the trip. We are counting down the days for our trip down home: Colombia, Chile and Argentina. We are leaving next Wednesday! YAY!