On My Workbench this Week...

So the little elves are getting busy for the dash to the finishline. Where did November go? I don't have a clue. Between finishing last custom dolls and getting a few new nightgowns in my Etsyshop I barely get out of my little studio. I love that new kitten fabric. Isn't it the cutest thing ever?

Good thing I put up a lot of pesto for the winter. When I get in a pinch I can pull a few cubes of pesto out of the freezer and make a delightful meal in a flash. The kids love it, and  soon after I can go back to my workbench. Now I just need someone to do the dishes and laundry for me...

Other than that I have to keep up with my two posts per week on the NaturalKids blog. I hope you get a chance to pop over there and read my latest contribution about why I am agains canned food. Not like I have time to waste on cooking beans these days. But let me tell you, they taste so much better than what you buy in a can.

So I am sorry for checking not in much this week. I hope I'll do better once the workbench get's less crowded and the elves finish the long list of items Santa ordered them to make. Good thing the elves love their job. ;)

About the Purpose of Blogs...

Maybe you didn't know. I am also the blog leader and editor in chief over at the NaturalKids Team blog. Sounds grand, nope? Well, it's not an easy job. But I love my team and Etsy, and Natural Toys. So it all makes sense.
I put many many hours into blogging. I often get complaints from my husband and family. Why are you doing this? Why do people blog?
It's hard to explain. What is a blog? Is it merely a diary of sorts where people share trivial information about themselves? Or is it a business tool to promote the stuff you sell? Or is it a chat room where you can visit with people all over the world who have similar interests.

I guess all of the above are true for Blogs. Blogs. They are a weird thing. But I love both blogs I'm involved in. They make me feel happy and connected. They make me feel heard. It's my own little newsroom where I can broadcast what is important to me. If people care and comment, fine! If they don't, that's all right, too.

Oops, and while you may find the contents of this particular post not interesting. Here is some good info for you. Please, go over to the NaturalKids Team and visit. There is even a cool Giveaway going on. Every Saturday we have an item up for grabs. This week's Giveaway is sponsored by the great doll artist Cynthia Toy. How cool a name is that, when you make toys?

Treasury Troubles..

So I found this cool tool for generating code to put treasuries on one's blog. But it is driving me sheer crazy. I have tried it in various sizes, with and without letters. But I can't manage to use it, without having a large white space appear at the beginning of my post(see below).
I am trying to decipher the code. If only I knew how to read code. But it might as well be written in Chinese. I don't get it. Please, if you are a computer geek, and know how to fix it, tell me how!

'A Handmade Harvest' by theenchantedcupboard

I just love this time of year!

Autumn Leaf Child T... woodmouse $15.00	Heart of the Fall F... BeneathTheRowa... $12.00	Green Acorn Pocketd... germandolls $17.50	Noodle stoneware Se... OneClayBead $27.00
Boston Beanies Cott... bostonbeanies $22.00	Pumpkins for Fall, ... justhatched $17.00	Colorblocked in Cha... CamilleStar $59.00	Acorn Girl Bendy Do... Dannielle $12.50
FREE US SHIPPING--O... babus $11.85	Carrot House Play S... MuddyFeet $140.00	Fox and Dragonfly C... MapleShadeKids $39.00	Autumn Crochet Pump... dlf724 $12.99
Tiny Acorns -8 doze... cookierush $12.00	Fall Pixie fairiesnest $30.00	Leaf Acorn Charm Br... weebeader $38.00	Lovely Autumn Tree ... prettydreamer $26.00

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

Found & Lost

I am soooo sorry! Have you ever had trouble with comment moderation on blogger? I really wish I did not have to use it. But since I kept getting so many offensive comments - mostly links to nude pictures - from spammers, you know, the ones with the Chinese characters one can't read, I had to do it.

Today I accidentally rejected three comments from good people. I apologize profusely! I did not mean to reject your wonderful comments. I just hit the wrong key by accident, and gone were my comments. I tried to get them back but my efforts were futile. Looks like my comments are lost forever. Please forgive me, dear readers who left the sweet comments. I did read them on my email and appreciate everything you said, I swear!

New Banner?

I have been reading a lot about blogging lately. I am not very good when it comes to the technical stuff...But I am so happy that I finally I figured out how to make a personlized banner for my blog. The first time around I cropped a picture of some spools of thread I took. What do you think?

Next I cropped a picture of my Pocketdolls tucked into a hat. It's not quite perfect yet, but I am happy to have pictures of my dollies, instead of the canned banner that came with this template. Now for the backgrounds. How does one change them? It will take me a while to figure that one out. LOL Any suggestions? I could use some help from experts...

NaturalKids Team Blog-A-Thon Spring Event

The NaturalKids Team was started by Amber or woodmouse in 2007. Early members included faerierebecca, fairiesnest, cozycottage.
It was a small group, with a small presence on etsy. Since that time members have come and gone but our mission has stayed the same. To be a group of sellers dedicated to creating natural products for children. We are a diverse group of artisans who make natural toys, utensils, clothing and accessories for kids. Our sellers work with materials from the Earth, such as wool, cotton, silk and wood. Our goal is to support, promote and have fun together while building our businesses. One of our 1st Team Blog Post read as below and it is still true today.... We are a diverse bunch from all over the globe who have at least one thing in common: we all work with natural materials in our products for children. Oh yeah, and we're all pretty darn crafty & talented too! Wool, wood, cotton...just simple materials direct from the Earth.
So who are we?
Some of us are mothers of small children.
Some of us are mothers of grown children.
Some of us make dolls, some of us make hats, some of us make toys.
Some of us have been selling our wares for many years.
Some of us are just starting to discover our talents and start selling. Some of us work with natural materials for environmental reasons.
Some of us work with natural materials as part of the Waldorf educational philosophy.
Some of us work with natural materials because we believe they are healthier and safer.
Some of us just like working with natural materials.
Some of us sell our wares for a living. Some of us sell our wares as a hobby.

Since that time, some of us are fathers.

http://natural-kids.blogspot.com/
http://thereluctantcitydweller.blogspot.com/
http://thefairiesnest.blogspot.com/
http://sewnnaturalstudio.blogspot.com/
http://www.tribaltimes.blogspot.com/
http://www.katsinthebelfry.blogspot.com/ http://www.polarbearcreations.blogspot.com/
http://fairtradefamily.blogspot.com/
http://germandolls.blogspot.com/
http://www.curlymonkeyandco2.blogspot.com/ http://www.bananabottoms.blogspot.com/
http://woolies-woolies.blogspot.com/
http://birchleafdesigns.blogspot.com/
http://pinpon-dayanara.blogspot.com/
http://sqrlbee.blogspot.com/


PS: I did not write this article, but I wanted to ad some comments to it. My Etsy team started as a mere chat group in the Etsy forums, where one day I stumbled upon a group of people who had the same interests as me: they were dollmakers, stay-at-home moms, loved natural toys, and really good people. It was love at first sight - so to speak. Back then people lovingly referred to me as >the German<. Gosh, we had such fun hanging out together. I think the picture of my dolls huddling together discribes it very well.
Yes, we have had people come and go over the years. But being on an Etsy team is sort of like a marriage or any good friendship. One has to work really hard to keep them happy and healthy. I am so glad to be a part of this great team! Thanks so much to everyone who has contributed over the years to make it a strong team. Thanks to the person who initiated this Blog-A-Thon. We love you, Beccijo! What a great idea! Since this post is already so long, I would like to feature some of the spring items from my beloved teammates and friends spread out over the next few days...

Books on Blogging...

Do blogs have birthdays? It's been two years since I started this project. I am not sure whether to celebrate or feel sad. I really feel so inadequate at blogging. In fact, so much so that I went to the library the other day to check out some books on blogging. See picture for the titles I found.

After two years I still don't have a clue how to do many things. I wish I could afford some expert help to spruce things up around here. Then I started reading Blog Schmog by Robert W. Bly, one of the library books mentioned before. Reading the first chapter it's pretty obvious that the man does not think very highly of bloggers. According to Mr. Bly the majority of bloggers are people who don't know how to spell, punctuate a sentence (very true for me =), and the content of most blogs is banal and downright silly. I could go on with his list of put-downs. Wow! That guy really hates bloggers, and his book depressed me.

Funny though that he has a blog of his own and invites readers to comment on it. Should I pay his blog a visit? I am sure his blog is perfection.

Does my blog suck that much? Is it worth the time and energy I have been putting into it?

Luckily I found some other books on the subject that were more positive and hopeful in their outlook. For example, Blogging for Bliss by Tara Frey looks like a fun book. Do you know of any books that helped you along the way? I admit that my biggest challenge when it comes to blogging is the technology part. How does one become an expert and still have time to be a mom and wife, make great dolls, plus run a business and household?