it's not my fault - see the boss!

 On Friday it was Graham's birthday, that time of year when I illustrate a scene from Gregory's Girl to turn into a birthday card for him.  This year I had planned to go with, "Don't touch the ravioli, it's garbage," but there wasn't a great image to use at that point in the film so instead I went with, "It's not my fault.  See the boss," something we say a lot in our household, always in a high-pitched voice.  It was quite a challenge to create this in between feeding the ever hungry Dulcie, but I managed to have it completed by the afternoon of the birthday itself.  I totally failed to get a present to go with it but used the baby as an excuse (it's not my fault, see the boss!) and was forgiven immediately.

 I've shared these cards from previous years before, but here they are again.

This time next year I will have four Gregory's Girl cards and might consider getting them printed to sell as notecard sets... but frankly, who would buy them?  I have a terrible habit of paying lots of money to get way too many copies of things printed professionally, only to have them taking up space in a box somewhere never to be bought and it seems a waste/mega expensive just to get a handful printed.  I know the error of my ways but will probably not be able to resist doing it anyway.

Talking of making to sell, I'm hoping to get my act together and get back to doing that soon.  My etsy shop has been closed since Dulcie's untimely arrival and as of this week the one bricks-and-mortar establishment to sell my wares (the lovely Made In The Shade Maisonette) has closed down.  I'm very sad about that.  Carrie and Clare are total pros when it comes to selling indie-type handmade items to the unsuspecting public so I had the satisfaction (and money) of selling a fair amount of goodies every month without having to network or keep on top of admin from selling in multiple shops.  I had it too easy.  I've spotted a few local shops that I think certain of my items would look at home in but I'm not sure I have the mental energy to organise it all plus I am a bit shy at the thought of making that initial introduction.  I also enjoyed the pace of crafting for pleasure in 2011 and am not sure I want to run the risk of getting into a situation where I'm crafting to order (most likely the same items again and again and again) and spending more time keeping on top of admin than I am making stuff.  But selling is so temptingly satisfying...   Occasional market stalls are probably the best way to go but I am a bit out of the loop on that front now and do stress myself out trying to make enough stock to fill the shelves of Asda as oppose to a six foot table with the result that I end up adding more and more to those boxes of stock that I'd really like to get rid of.  Hmm, tricky.  I don't think I'll ever find the perfect balance or be able to answer this question.  I'm sure I have asked it many times.