*sigh* WalMart bound.

[merimask]

Note to self:  "Self,  never NEVER do small local SCA events again.  Never do Pax.  No more Brass Ring Thing, even if there's an article in the local paper about you.  Also, no more local art & craft fairs.  Just don't do it.  Either they're all teasing you, or no one in this region has ANY disposable income.  By the way, neither do you.  Wasting time and gas on these events is...a waste of time and gas.  That equals a waste of money.  So, y'know, just don't do it."

George Bush has done a great job of strangling the shit out of the middle class.  I'm going to have to get a job at WalMart if this keeps up.  :-(

At least I'm still losing weight.   When all else fails, I can always have the satisfaction of starving myself.  That's not too control-freaky, is it?

*longs for chocolate*

*Derives perverse pleasure in denying self chocolate*

Yeah, I gots problems.

Comments

[shvetufae.livejournal.com]

*sad hug*

[merimask.livejournal.com]

Woe. :-(

But I got you package of recipes & an interesting-looking book in the mail today, so there's that. :-) *hug* Danke!

[shvetufae.livejournal.com]

I like to throw in surprise gifts I grab off my bookshelf. I hope you like it!

[moonphased.livejournal.com]

*big huggles*

Sending you some melon-flavored KitKat would probably not be the best way to cheer you up, no? ^^

Still!! *huggles* I can make offerings of Ookami piano music instead? :D Yes, yes?

[merimask.livejournal.com]

lol...melon (or green tea) Kit Kats are always a welcome diversion for someone here...I just shared the last two packages of sakura kit kat with my daughter & her friend (who also loves all things Japanese). I didn't have any myself, but it was a pleasant vicarious candy experience anyway.

Ooo...Okami music?? Is there a version of that beautiful windmill village theme?

[golden-meliades.livejournal.com]

Uh-oh. When you said you were going to do a little local SCA thing that 'looked like fun' I had this foreboding, because the last two events you have said that about totally bombed. (Psychic fair and craft fair, I mean.) So any time I hear 'little local fun thing' now I think oh no, she won't will she?

Pshaw, must be co-incidence.

I think knowing you have the power to control one part of your life properly is enjoyable, even if it means self-denial. I LOVE being on a diet if I'm actually getting what I want out of it, even if I'm starving! I mean, I'm not happy about the lack of food and especially chocolate and ice cream and such but boy I am just SUPER happy about how my life is going when something I planned to do gets done as I planned it.

[merimask.livejournal.com]

Yeah...you were right. :-( I was being waaay too optimistic. It was a great little event last year & I made a big chunk of money, but no one came this year and it was just plain awful.

Things have been pretty lousy lately around here. The economy is tanking & I need to get my stuff out of area.

[indigos-angel.livejournal.com]

Never never never get a job at Walfart!

*tis my secret/not so secret fear too!!! XDDDDD

In the very least, you could make money by putting together a course on how to make this stuff. You just go to a local College or something and talk to them about it.

I seriously think Vancouver would be a great market for you, if you ever decided to come out here and hit some of the local stores. Golden sent me a great link to some kinky stores out here, and I googled some when I was trying to find some Lancelot and Guinevere stuff. Vancouver's expensive, and I could soooooooo see some shops picking up your masks.

*think gay and in costume* lol

Love from the Angel :)

[merimask.livejournal.com]

I have a few retail markets that I'm looking into...stuff VERY far from here that won't be as squelched as the local art/gift stores are. It's just...depressing to be working at the level that I am and STILL not being able to sell much locally. I have to give that idea up because it's SO not working.

Oh, I'd LOVE to sell in Vancouver (or Toronto, or really any major Canadian city), but without a broker (expensive) the GST fees and import fees (even MORE expensive) are ridiculous. Otherwise I'd be up in Toronto in a flash. It kills me to visit there (just a little over an hour's drive for me) because there is SO much money & yet I can't get my work up there!

[dagonell.livejournal.com]

I share your pain. I recently sent off $400 in handmade jewelry to NYC where a friend was holding a jewelry fair. She said it was the worst fair she's seen in years. No fair goers came from any great distance. The total amount of jewelry sold was less than the average dealer's sales last year. None of my stuff sold and she's shipping it all back. :(
-- Dagonell

[merimask.livejournal.com]

Jeez. You know when people in NYC aren't buying, things are pretty bad. :-( There was hardly anyone at Pax this year. I'm convinced that only locals showed up because the gas was just too expensive for most people to justify the drive.

[moko-moko.livejournal.com]

Ugh, I'm so sorry about it being a shitty event. At least you came to the realization that it's a Bad Idea; some people never learn and continue to pin all their hopes on it D:

Just think of all the chocolate you can hammer for your birthday.

[merimask.livejournal.com]

The woe is thick here today. :-( HATE being broke!

[kls-eloise.livejournal.com]

Hate to say it, hard-core Scadian that I am, but small local SCA events are bad events for merchants. Especially with gas at $3.11/gallon, no one travels any distance to a small, local event unless it's something highly specialized. And Scadians are broke. You and I both know that.

Don't get a job at Wal-Mart. Get a job at Target. Bob did that for a year or so in between consultant's positions. Target treats their employees like compost, rather than like raw manure.

For what it's worth, I'm squirreling money away for what I'm thinking is probably going to be another largish commission. I've got a kimono that my dad picked up while he was in the navy - it's pure tourist export stuff, nothing special. But the embroidery is lovely, and I'm thinking that a mask to hang with it would look really nice. One with all the floppy bits. Shall I send you pictures?

The middle class does still have disposable income - you just can't look for it where you've been looking lately. Say - whatever happened with Gump?

[merimask.livejournal.com]

Yeah...I'm beginning to be VERY worried about Pennsic this year. I keep wondering when it's going to dry up for me & I think this year could be the worst one yet. Guess we'll see. :-/

Eh...I have SO many things up in the air. The West Coast galleries are still interested...it's just a matter of waiting for an opening. Apparently, art sales out there have slowed down too. In the meantime I'm looking into a few large gift/costuming shops in a few strong tourist markets. Wholesale is my best bet right now, it seems. I'm sending a few info packets out this week & I'll see what comes of it.

It's just frustrating to be working at the level that I'm at, & have the market dry up right underneath me.

The kimono idea sounds lovely...bring pictures to Pennsic & we can sit & talk & sketch. That's the best way to find something perfect.

Your winter dragon is coming along nicely, by the way. :-) Do you mind if I post pics of it in here or would you rather be surprised?

[kls-eloise.livejournal.com]

You're worried about Pennsic every year. But gas is at it's highest yet, so I don't know if people are going to be stingy. I'm always feeling kind of free-wheeling because we're driving through PA saying "look how cheap gas is out here!" It's all what you're used to, I suppose. I find it very ironic that as everyone else is tanking, my little family unit is picking up for the first time, well, ever. It's a nice change.

I don't mind at all if you post pics of the winter dragon. Surprises are fun, but I love seeing the stuff in progress. Besides, this way I can sit here and gloat that it's mine. ;-)

[pzb.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

Yeah, I've noticed it lately. Akon sucked... I'm worried about my next in September. Maybe it wasn't necessarily a bad thing that I missed Expo this weekend....

[merimask.livejournal.com]

Apparently it's getting crappy everywhere. The only places where art is still selling unabated is in tourist areas...every other market is drying right the hell up. I was wondering when it'd come to this place & here we are. I'm so stubborn though that I'm not giving up just yet.

Noted between the condolences

[bonnietognetti.livejournal.com]

Sorry about your event, or non-event as it was. But in the comments of condolence I couldn't help noticing a line from Eloise, "... but with gas at $3.11 a gallon ..."

ONLY $3.11 a gallon!!!! Holy Monkey! We just paid $3.39 at the cheapest place around. Thank God we've got a hybrid!

Re: Noted between the condolences

[merimask.livejournal.com]

Yeah...yeesh! Things have always been a little depressed (economically speaking ) here but I've always managed to do ok in the past by dropping prices & making lots of low-end gift-type things. Not so much anymore. I guess I have to utterly give up on the local market.

I even talked to several local galleries...everyone's just having showings to keep up appearances but NO ONE is buying. The art community is still kicking, but they're doing it for the sake of appearances alone. Anyone still "making it" as a local artist sure isn't selling locally. Big markets are Florida & Vegas & Hawaii...& they're SO competetive to get into. *sigh* It's more than frustrating because honestly, my work has never been better.

It's 3.07 here for the cheap stuff, but only at the biggest discount pumps (like BJ's). 93 octane (which is what we're SUPPOSED to use in our car) is up at 3.40.

Re: Noted between the condolences

[kls-eloise.livejournal.com]

Yikes! I guess I need to stop feeling sorry for myself! We just gassed up in New Hampshire for $2.79, and I was doing a little victory dance in the parking lot. I was suprised two weeks ago - usually when we cross the border into NY I see the price drop dramatically, but not this time. It's just icky all over. We've got decent cars for gas mileage, but the husband has an hour commute to his job. No good news to be had on that front, I guess.

Bought a ticket to ride in your boat...

[(Anonymous)]

Day three, no smoking... the pets are cowering in fear...

You can't have chocolate, and I have to chew this cigarette gum, which tastes pretty
much like rubber eraser and black pepper...

so... keep it up! Good for you, good for me... bad for anyone
within shouting or striking distance...

kidding... pets are fine! But I'm getting no perverse pleasure
from denying myself a smoke... I AM getting a little interesting withdrawl
symptom I like to call "itchy sweaty back of neck."
It's not itchy, or really sweaty... I just keep rubbing it the way bad soap
opera actors do when they want to non-verbally express agrivation... aggr...
anger!!

f*** you spellcheck! Did you check on the net about Boulder City's artfest yet? Now there's
an artshow with disposable income!... 116 degrees today...btw... ugh...
yuck...
whine!
Sick of typing now... so I'm goi

Re: Bought a ticket to ride in your boat...

[merimask.livejournal.com]

lol...it must be running in the family today. I wonder if Nancy is having a rough day too?

I MUST do something in Boulder City. Thanks for reminding me. The logistics have me wondering if I can rent some kind of display setup or something...can't imagine how I'll mail a 100 lb EZ Up tent to your house...

Re: Bought a ticket to ride in your boat...

[merimask.livejournal.com]

Waah! Nevermind Boulder City...They DO have the biggest coolest ginchiest art show in all of the southwest (the site says so!). BUT! The deadline for applications was in April. Who applies for an October show in April?? *grumps*

Puckernuts.

Building Character through Adversity

[bonnietognetti.livejournal.com]

Okay, I am being a smartass with that subject heading but supposedly that's what happens when things go "south." So here we are, beginning a new week: Merimask faces a possible lifetime without chocolate, Eloise laments the price of gas and nobody is selling shit. Plus Meri's bro is trying to quit smoking. And, after a lovely overnight interlude to the Napa Valley, I find myself once again having a &^%# post-menopausal ... uh ... "time." Okay, so that's waaay too much information. Dear Meri's Bro: instead of chewing that crappy gum, try this: Every time you want a ciggie think about all the money those companies spent getting Bush elected and realize that every time you light up you are contributing to the election of what could be somebody like him. Worked for me. (Well, thinking that PLUS having a heart attack worked for me.) I have had stops and starts and stops. Eventually you get to "Stop!" Besides, you really don't want your gorgeous home all stinky! Love, Bonnie

Re: Building Character through Adversity

[kls-eloise.livejournal.com]

LOL! Well in that case I'm going to have to make do with whatever character I already have. Because for the moment (knock on wood), things are Pretty Damn Good (TM). I'm doing well enough for the first time in my life to *buy* Andrea's beautiful pieces instead of just admire them. Hooray for disposable income - it's new to me, and it's fun!