T-Rex.

I've been a busy, busy bee the last few days!! Yesterday (Friday) I went crazy with the heat press and made a ton of stuff. One of the things I made was this wicked T-shirt for a friend's sister, Jessie. Here is my beautiful husband, Adam, modeling the shirt for me!

The front/outside.
He made that face on purpose.
Told you he was beautiful, didn't I? ;)

Aaaaand the inside! 

I double checked that I had the placement right about 298 times. Knowing me, I would've put the T-Rex on the inside of the backside, upside down. That's how brilliant I am. /nods.

I posted this on my business Facebook account and a long-time friend was super excited about it and wanted me to make a bunch of them for her to give as gifts! She said she'll get back to me as soon as she knows the sizes she needs!

Today I used that glitter that I talked about last post. Seven different colors of glitter has now claimed half of my kitchen table, the entire floor beneath it, every piece of clothing I'm wearing, and every inch of my skin. I would agree that

"glitter is the herpes of crafting. It never goes away".

<3

Groups.

It's about time to be honest. I'm just gonna jump right to it and tell you the big secret I've been keeping.

I'm addicted to Silhouette Cameo Creations, a group on Facebook. 

For people that have the cutting plotter, Silhouette, it's for people like those to share ideas, projects, and ask and answer questions and advice. I'm constantly on there, looking at other people's creations and sometimes I offer my wise wisdom to those in need. LOL.

Since being in this group for several months, it has increased my creativity, insight, helpfulness, knowledge, and sheer desire to craft. Happy. has REALLY become a business since I joined. I now have started crafting with vinyl instead of paper. I bought a heat press to make my creations professional instead of mediocre. I've thrown Hobby Lobby out of the window and invited API into my world and made them my best friend. I've created a Facebook site for Happy.. (thought to self: I should've really updated my blog AND FB at the same time to keep up with the blogging half of the world!)

I've invested SO. MUCH. into this, it's crazy and I love it. Sitting behind me are shirts in every size from newborn onesies to adult XL (soon to carry bigger sizes),  wine glasses, towels and towels and towels (dish ones), 2 different kinds of ring dishes, tons of plastic storage bins, stuffed animals, tote bags, tote bags, tote bags, and tote bags (SO many different colors, sizes and even patterns!), and in the kitchen are 72 mugs (red, white, and black) ready to be beautifized!

"Funny story" about those mugs... I opened up the first box and pulled out a mug. There was a giant paint "drip" down the side of it, like the color wasn't even and it looked awful and I couldn't sell that! So I went through that box. And the next one. And of course the next one. I found 24 (ONE THIRD) mugs that were defective, had drips like the one I just described, one had a chip out of it...

Most were not TERRIBLE, but definitely not sell-able!

I ordered everything online, and luckily, after several days, they are re-shipping a full box to me and it should be here in the next few days.

Speaking of the next few days.... Yesterday I asked my Facebook friends to choose a color from these options:

and didn't tell them what it's for (I love doing that). They picked the bright pink on the bottom, the dark purple on top, and then Adam chose the dark blue up top.

I'll be posting what I'm doing with the goods soon! I can't wait!! I love glitter!

<3

Nope.

Story of my life.

Vendor.

Today's big announcement has to do with the physical world. 

I strongly believe that mental illnesses are not something to be ashamed of. People should neither be afraid to admit any sicknesses, nor should others have a negative feeling towards those that are sick. I've talked before on my blog several times about my mental issues and struggles, so I don't try to hide it. In fact, I think it's better for people to know it about me so they don't wonder why I never leave the house, why I cry at everything, and sometimes why I am up all night long. Those of you that know me personally know that I prefer things in the internet/computer/craftination station world(s). Dealing with things in person is hard for me. 

One of the issues I'm going to really have to deal with is my agoraphobia (diagnosed by a dr, for reals), because... 

I've been invited to be a vendor at a store in downtown Manitowoc called Favorite Things! 

(Website: http://www.favoritethingsgiftshop.com)

(Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ManitowocFavoriteThings)

A lovely Tammy Potter saw my advertisement on a local Facebook buy/sell page for Easter baskets, and approached me. She said she'd love to see what I had and would love to have me come down to look at the store. 

The store is right smack in the middle of quaint Manitowoc downtown. There are other vendors that have rented space in the store - I guess the whole store is made of crafters/artists that bring their work there for display and purchase. 

I have so many ideas and things that I want to do. I need more time! I want to be able to put everything together tonight *and yes, leave my house,* and go to Favorite Things to drop everything off and help organize but I have orders to fill, pictures to watermark and put on the website or list on Etsy, the rest of my website to finish... then I have to make the product to go on the shelves! And I have to make forms for custom orders! And I have to put together catalogs for certain things - like for vinyl decals.

Omg I'm growing anxious just typing it out. 

Go work, woman!

<3

Keychains.

(I know, key chains is two words, but I only use one word for my post titles. Deal with it.)

I've been meaning to post about more exciting things! Being unemployed really makes you busy! 

....lol. 

No, it's my sleeping. My sleeping pattern has been off for almost a year now - since I opened Etsy and got a few sales near Valentine's Day. I worked so hard and so much that I wasn't sleeping entire nights. I was working straight through them and then working a full day at my day job. 

Come the weekend though, it was filled with sleeping. 

Really, just that. Sleeping.

My record is approximately 62 hours of sleep, accumulated from Friday night after work until Monday morning when it was time to go into work. I was always so tired that I couldn't stay awake for longer than three hours. 

To my defense, it wasn't all my Obsessive Compulsion Disorder which made me work incessantly on Etsy orders, but my brain medication (for bipolar, depression, anxiety, ADHD, and whatever else I can't remember) was all sorts of out of whack this year too. 

My brain medication is quite better now. Adam is very kind, understanding, and is helping me to get my life back on track like an everyday person. 

The struggle to have a normal life is real.

-----

I'm done complaining today. I'm going to share with you my latest product that's not quite up for sale on Etsy yet, but I've been making several for friends around town and trying to catch up on Etsy orders before they go up, but they shall be soon!

CUTE, CUTE key chains!

with so many different styles and backgrounds to choose from, and there are going to be even more soon!

(that's a copyright image, not a Chicago Bears logo)

I made the first (12) key chains for a friend - a sample of what they looked like is in the first picture. She took the key chains to the parents and aunts/uncles in her family to announce that she was pregnant! Howe so, so cute!?

Next up, I'm almost done with an order for one of Adam's coworkers. She ordered five and she went all-out. We added a metal charm and also a bead charm to each one! It was a lot of fun, but a lot of work, too! I made almost 30 bead charms (so that she could have a variety to choose from) and had to teach myself how to make them. FUN, FUN! I love new stuff. Love, love, love it.

Candid photos of her key chains (because I'm too excited to wait until they're *actually* done to show you!):

I should finish up my 2 coupon book orders. That'll make me feel better about being behind.

Contact me if you want a custom key chain order!

Enormous.

This turned into an unexpected, unintentional, enormous post. However, I have pretty pictures, and that makes it okay.

I should really be working right now, but I'm not. I'm here to say "TWENTY-FIVE (25) VISITORS ON MY BLOG TODAY SO FAR!" Whuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut? Since when did I have anyone looking at my blog besides the 52. (52 Reason I Love You) post!? I'm an internet sensation! Ha. I'm hilarious and you know it.

I also see that I'm getting some visitors via Pinterest to my Legoman. post where I shared this awesome card I made for my brother last year:

It's a Lego!

The visits on my Legoman. post are from a pin with over 70 repins! You know what that means? It means that other people like my work. It means I have something in me somewhere that can come up with good stuff now and then. It means that I'm getting better. It means all of the fails for the past (almost) 28 years have been worth it because I have learned from my mistakes and I have grown from them. It means I'm awesome.

How exciting is that?! This used to be a nothing blog. A place where I put my thoughts down and sometimes a picture. I documented a lot about my crafting failures. NO ONE visited my blog. No one except for a dear interweb friend from Australia (I can never spell Australia), Michelle from Amusing Michelle. She's sincerely nice and personable, and very, very good at what she does.

My real joy and excitement in regards to visitors is my Etsy store. One day in June I got 250 views!!!!!211)%$@*&W$)%!!! I have screenshots to prove it! That's a lot for me! I only have a few items in my store, and they're not very common items that everyone is looking for, y'know? 

I just about died when I saw that number go up and up. As you can see, I stayed up past 1:00 A.M. the following day to see what the final number was for that day.

Not only that, but there's a Pinterest pin out there that has 500 some repins! NO JOKE.

----------

I think I've done enough bragging for today. I think now I'll get back to work.

Today will consist of:

• Mailing out a chalkboard coupon book (maybe I'll tell you about that drama tomorrow), which looks a little something like this on the inside:

(I'm paranoid about other people stealing my work, so I put a huge watermark
over any screenshots I take. Sorry for the annoyance.)

• Cutting white vinyl for a HUGE project, which I'll share later,

• Applying to 4 jobs as required by the State of Wisconsin for those unemployed that are receiving unemployment benefits,

• Taking pictures of 2003974 pieces of paper for a custom order to create a custom sized binder. Yes, yes. I have to take pictures of pieces of paper, edit them, upload them to a photo sharing website, then the customer gets to choose what she likes, and THEN I can make the binder. SO. MUCH. WORK. I didn't charge enough... lol...

• Continuing work on my second order of my new Vintage Pink Love Coupon Book (!!!), which will look something like this:

• Sanding a deck of teal colored cards for a 52 Reasons I Love You order, which will look similar to this: 

• Typing reasons into the computer for a reverse blue deck of cards for a 52 Reasons I Love You order, which will end up looking a little something like this:

• Doing other things that I forgot,
• Kicking Nuke (my cat) out of the Craftination Station a few dozen times. He likes my beads. and to jump in my light box. and pens. and my Silhouette Cameo. and stepping on paper. I may or may not want to strangle him sometimes.
• And hopefully I can do the dishes like I've been meaning to for two days. (DO NOT judge me. I will smite you with a curse if you do.)
• Oh, and hopefully do a load of laundry.
• And fold Adam's laundry that he refuses to put away.
• Maybe a little food in there too. 
• Probably a panic attack or three.

If you were me, what priority would you set these items at!? I DON'T KNOW, EITHER! 

/off to go turn in slow circles a few times, trying to figure out what to do first, and then sitting back down with a feeling of dread and hopelessness. Where to begin?

/sigh

Returned.

Well that whole Adoption blog was a bust. I wasn't sure what I could post and if anyone would be interested and if **I** would even be interested... so I never bothered posting anything. lawl.

Despite me deserting my blog for the better part of the year, this place has been quite active. How? Thank you, 52 Reasons I Love You (most colors, blue/teal, & Star Wars)! Dude, those things are so popular! All I did to get where I am was blog about it and link up to 52 Reasons I Love you original maker's website. And because I linked up, tons of people are clicking on my picture and coming to my blog! Not even just that, but some people are going to my Etsy store from my blog! And visitors, as we all know, equals sales (sometimes), which equals money, which equals a newly unemployed Tessa very happy!

There has been SO MUCH crafting going on 'round here. SO MUCH AWESOME with little fails mixed in. Okay, a lot of fail (wait until I talk about the dreadful purple binder). 

I want to document all of this so bad, and I thought Facebook was a decent way of doing so. But it's just not cutting it. I'm pretty sure that I can share whatever I want about my crafts and the sales on Etsy that I've gotten, as long as I don't give names. Right? Does anyone know anything about this? 

Here's to hoping I don't get sued. 

/cheers

Newsletter.

UPDATED: I reposted this with some more photos that I found later HERE.

I have a lot of fun doing little things that end up taking a long, long time:

The Rathsack Family's Second (Not-So-Annual) Christmas Newsletter!

I did a newsletter in 2011, but not one in 2012 (it was a sad year), and decided to do one this year because so much happened!

They were printed on off-white paper so the print on the inside was not a stark difference from the backside.

Did you know that Office Max still charges you $.49 per color copy, even if you use your own paper? RIDICULOUS.

This is how the cover page turned out once printed with some AWESOME lighting... yes. it's awesome. You're jealous. Most of the covers ended up with dirty spots somehow, so I used some iRocks (SHINY!) to cover them up. They turned out pretty random on most, but I don't care. That's how I roll in the first place: Random.

Better Lighting, less bling.

The newsletter was a tri-fold card, and because I like to mix things up to break the monotony, bound either by a ribbon across the folds or by tying the corners together with small ribbon, shiny silver string, or red baker's twine.

I shamelessly stuck my brand stamp that Erin purchased for me a long time ago that I don't really use. I really like the stuff I do, but if someone else doesn't like it, I bet they think "I TOTALLY wouldn't put my name on THAT piece of crap". You know what I have to say about that!? DEAL WITH IT! People are dealing with things now, Ted. (if you know what I'm referring to here, then you just made my day.)

Tri-fold in action.

I forgot to take pictures of the corner-tied cards. I liked these ribbon-on-the-fold cards (as pictured) better, but they were a lot more time consuming, so I didn't do a lot of them.

The first page of the newsletter!

CONGRATS a million times to Adam for his promotion ( and his raise :D )

The second page! 

I posted about this story earlier.
It was like being on an HGTV or TLC show about a poor newlywed couple that got their house made over for free! We are truly blessed.

The third and last page!

It's hard to pick my most favorite part of the newsletter. I think I'm hilarious, so I'd probably have to pick the "© T to the Essa, Inc.", or the "Love, Smooches, Rainbows and Unicorns".

I love the way this project turned out. I had a really fun time making them, even though I stayed up until 2 AM a lot of nights adjusting, re-adjusting, tweaking, moving this or that an eighth of an inch here and there... then they took me hours upon hours upon hours to complete by hand once printed. I only had to make 65 of them.

<.< 

(looks left)

>.> 

(looks right)

So much fun!!

Day 40, 41, 42, 43, 44: Yeesh

I had to boot my computer into Safe Mode this afternoon. Yesterday I was so desperate to watch the newest episode of America's Next Top Model that I went to a shady website to download it. Bad idea. AVG AntiVirus found several objects yesterday and moved them to the vault, but today my computer was inoperable. Literally. I had my cool mouse pointer with a peach background. No icons, no start bar, nothing. It looked a little something like this:

Nothing else. Just a gross color.

I did a full system scan yesterday for viruses and again this morning, neither scan vaulted anything. Now that I'm in safe mode and having a mini panic attack, Adam told me to scan it again after he heard I backed everything up onto his computer. I think he had a little panic attack himself when I told him. Oops.

 

This is what my AVG screen looks like in Safe Mode. And this is it telling me how screwed I am. Six viruses and counting.

I'm so frustrated. I just bought some new music on iTunes and my computer is dumb and hasn't let me burn anything onto blank discs for about two years now. It's probably my hard drive and we've been talking for a long time to get me a new one.

Anger. Rage. Embarrassment.

I had two phone interviews last week. One went OK - it was for a temporary agency to be the person that finds temporary workers, not to be the actual temp worker. The other one went well - it was for Americollect, the company my husband works for. Another company, a law firm in a neighboring city, called me for an interview last a week before Friday and the rude woman told me she didn't want to bother with waiting for me since I was in Utah because of my grandma's death. Heartless woman, I'm better off not wasting my time with them anyway. I had an interview this morning for Holden & Hahn, a law firm 30 minutes South in Sheboygan. It went really well. We'll see!

I think I wanna change the name of my blog. I wanted to be cool and be like everyone else and have my last name and another word that started with the same letter as my last name. (Hense Ridic Rathsacks, my wedding blog, and Rare Rathsack Report). So if I break links so you can't read my AWESOME blog somehow, let me know. I know my bad grammar and run-on rants are the highlight of your day/week.

I'm not going to bother uploading any photos of the rest of my trip until my computer is fixed. I have done a bit of scrapping so be prepared for a usual Tessa-Photo-Overload post ASAP.

Day 3: Fail

This also is not an actual photograph, rather a screenshot of what I call Project Fail.

Erin needed some buttons to be created for her company website. I'm not very good with graphics. I created these from Microsoft Word 2007.

That was the extent of my day today.

FAIL

Day 2: Work for the Unemployed

This entry has nothing to do with photography, but it does have to do with creativity in a sense.

My friend Erin works for a weird company. They are a new business and have a product that they sell to businesses. They have a lot of odd jobs that still need to be done. Erin requested help from me to create an order form. I whipped this up in 30 minutes to make sure I had what she wanted in mind. It happened to be perfect as it was. Easy!