Partial Holding Pattern

Payment for the die hasn't hit the checking account yet.  I only placed the order a week ago yesterday afternoon, so I'm being impatient.  I never claimed that I was patient.

No pictures taken.  No progress on prototype pouch for MuseCon class.  But I did re-sew two buttons on Robin's kilt this morning; one that fell off yesterday, one that looked iffy.  Does that count for anything? 

I had a message waiting for me this morning from a potential Etsy customer.  To answer it means digging out one of the pouches for sale. I e-mailed the listing to Robin so he'd have a picture of the pouch he'd be looking for.  :)  I also told him to go ahead and dig all the merchandise boxes out.  Time to sort out all the merchandise for sale on Etsy and ArtFire.

Although I'm not quite sure when my next live sales event will be (possibly the SCA event Boar's Head), I don't plan on leaving things for sale on-line at home, which means I need a way to identify them when packing up at an event.  There are couple options that don't work: 

• Putting them together on the table.  Except I rearrange things as the day goes on, or at least that's what happens when we have sales.  Customers also move things.
• Bring a list to refer to when packing up.  This would work, but it would be a nuisance, and slow things down.

Not having a radio in the Kia means I actually think while driving.  This morning my brain took on the above quandry. 

Color-coded tags would work, as they'd be reasonably visible.  But tags tend to come in lots of Lots and Lots.  I'd also like them not to be in eye-catching colors that imply "On Sale", as red, yellow, and orange would do. Colors like green and blue would be better. I could color white tags (hah!).  And new tags would mean re-writing and re-tagging, and I'm lazy.  Finally, it would be nice to be able to differentiate ArtFire things from Etsy things, refer back to first consideration re: Lots and Lots.

Then "ribbons" floated to the surface of my brain.  Hmm. The rolls of 1/8" wide or 1/4" wide satin from big craft places are reasonably cheap, but shouldn't look too cheesy. Comes in lots of colors.  Can be tied wherever the tag is, without necessitating new tags, or implying special pricing, as a colored tag might.  Ecru for Etsy and Aqua for Artfire (and one can take a very broad definition of "aqua").

I think we have a winner! 

Tonight and tomorrow Ron, Robin, Marmaduke, and X1 will be working on framing for the kitchen porch.  I'll probably be sorting through merchandise (must check weather to see if I must bring everything in for the night).  Depending on my enthusiasm level I may also throw myself at the dining room, since we'll have several strong young backs to help move the big sewing machine  if  when I decide how far it needs to go.