My First Etsy Purchase!

About a month and a half ago I was trying to think of a really great thing to get my husband for our anniversary. Only six years of marriage and my mind is blank. So I go to the Etsy site, and on a whim I type "anniversary" in the search box. And I skim through each page--photos, jewelry, cards. Whoopideedoo.... *yawn*

Then for some reason I notice this black and white photo that looked unusual so I clicked on it. It was for a custom name photo, pictures of a location or thing deliberately taken to look like a letter. My eyes got wide and I mouthed quietly "wow." Then it hit me, why not have this be made into our name with our wedding date on it. Oh man, he's gonna love it!!

I couldn't believe how easy it was. I ordered it and paid for it, then almost immediately I got a response from the seller with details about how I wanted my picture to look. I got to pick out the background, letter style and color and what I wanted it to say. Needless to say, when I received it in the mail it was simply awesome. And yes, he loved it.

www.JavaJaneDesigns.etsy.com

Etsy! As in Etc.?

So I found this Etsy thing and thought I'd give it a try. I opened up my very own virtual shop and am peddling my first creations. We all have to start somewhere, right? I started with a stuffed pillow that serves to comfort a child who is hurt or sick through a heated rice pillow you can put inside of it. I thought this would be a cute idea in place of the usual "boo boo bags" I've seen that are just square shaped and blah. Especially for smaller kids, like my oldest, who is four and loves stuffed animals. So primarily it would be used at bed time or quiet times for calming purposes.

Then I decided to add more therapy items directed at adults too, like neck wraps, eye pillows, wrist pillows for keyboards, etc. for some variety. I've always been interested in ways to treat myself naturally instead of getting prescriptions for weird chemicals that usually end up having side effects. I started researching aromatherapy and natural treatments probably 14 or so years ago. That was about when I started hearing a lot about organic stuff. Organic foods, organic medicine, organic gardening. So I'm kind of on that kick right now. And thinking about how I can implement aromatherapy with natural healing.

The Beginning

So today felt like a good day to start this blog thing. I usually hesitate when it comes to sharing personal things or just writing in general. I'm self-conscious, shy and prefer to listen over talking about myself. I just don't do it. Now, here comes the "but."

I started a new project that most would call a business but I can't swallow the definition of "business" just yet. I feel a business is something that a person is successful at and confident about. I am neither. I almost giggle though because I really have to believe that I'm confident and successful. My baby step is persistence at this point. So here I am, talking about myself and this business thing, hoping my persistence will lead me to confidence and maybe success in the long run.

Earth Angel Studios is a place where I can put all my creative ventures. I have piles and boxes and bags of craft stuff that I've accumulated over the years from whatever was inspiring me at the moment. I have an interest in just about everything from knitting to auto mechanics (obviously not a crafty thing). Hopefully, all of it will fit inside this little "business" package.

My darling husband was hired by me (he got paid with cookies) to make a logo that represented me in some way. I gave him a hint of my vision and what you see is what he came up with. I'm very proud of it even if it took him the better of 6 weeks and countless nags from me.

The little angel is a representation of the innocence and purity of youth (and obviously, that my name is Angel) and how I feel as an adult--the little girl trying to show the world who she is and being accepted.

The kitten is a representation of the first creature to show me unconditional love, my blue Burmese cat, Tiger. I struggled through many losses, failures and disappointments in my teens and early 20s. I thought that true love and devotion did not exist and my life would carry on unfulfilled and unhappy. When Tiger came into my life, everything changed. (Don't people say that about kids)? He would comfort me when I was sick, wait by the door when I came home from work, talk to me when no one else would, hug me when I needed it most. Twelve years later and I know I wouldn't have survived without having him. Animals do love.

The world is a symbol of all things that are bigger than us, and that we should all have a sense of purity and innocence on this earth. That we should take care of it and one another. So basically, that's it. I'm just this lonely girl who found acceptance from an unexpected creature who wants to make the world a better place through heartfelt and handmade.