Help Needed

So I am trying to name my shop on Etsy but all the obvious things are already taken (and my name is too hard to remember). I am therefore putting the query out there for good shop names. Any ideas?
Thinking something along the lines of mythology, fairy tales or second chances. The first two as its my inspiration for making jewellery and the third as this is my second chance when it comes to jewellery making :) Will likely stretch to fandoms if its one I'm passionate about and the name makes sense. Any ideas are welcome

Here are some I tried already:

LittleSilverLinings
FairytaleJewellery
SecondChances
Fairytale endings
ShootingStars
Hope
Happyendings
yggdrasil
LifeGoesOn
Phoenix
Fairytaleendings
Fenix
Saga
MySilverLinings

Quick update

To prove I have no intention of going radio silent again I thought I better do a quick post with some updates.

1: I got an FB page now :) Its called  Lina's Silver Linings but I wont post a link as I've not yet set the name in stone (so not decided on the actual page address).
2: I've applied for one Christmas market and am about to apply for one more. If any are confirmed I will obviously post about it *fingers crossed*
3: I'm looking at returning to Etsy but am cancelling my old account and starting a new one (it felt like a good idea considering my RA hiatus and all).

In other news I've finally been given notice at work (the whole team, not just me) :( so need to decided what on Earth I'm doing next. Hiding in bed and pulling the duvet over my head sadly doesn't seem like an option. I'm hoping this turns out to be a good thing but currently it doesn't really feel likely.

Christmas is coming

My making has been plodding on, albeit slowly, and I was thinking it would be nice to do some Christmas markets in the area this year. They would need to be before the 18 Dec thou as I am planning to go home this year for Christmas. I am really looking forwards to that but seeing we got told about work just after I  booked the tickets the timing isn't the best.
Anyways, so far I've only found one market which I've tried to sign up for (still waiting for confirmation). Appears I no longer have a clue where to find upcoming art markets which is both sad any annoying.

Etsy, here I come?

Today is a Bank Holiday in the UK and it’s a grey and wet day here with the rain pouring down. Also it’s gotten cold and turns out my heater has died :( (hoping its just a fuse or something, not that I have a clue how to check), so I'm sitting inside at my computer in a thick jumper and woolly socks where I have ventured into the world of Etsy once again. As it’s been so many years since I used it I am reading up on how to sell on Etsy and wondering if I am able to change the shop name as it doesn't seem to fit me anymore. To much have happened in-between and I feel like my shop name should somehow reflect that.
It feels surprisingly daunting to be looking at Etsy, I mean I never figured out how to make it on there in the first place (not that I spent a lot of effort trying) and used it more to show my stuff whilst selling elsewhere. Trying to make a go of it I am worried I once again won’t be able to figure it out but also because it will be the first place I try since having had an involuntary break and trying to sell anywhere just feels excruciatingly hard. 

I'm still making stuff...

just not as much.

I am aware that since 2010 I've made 2 post on here and one of those was very depressing (true but depressing). Which likely also means not many will be reading this (as you'd probably thought I was gone and deleted me, which I completely get), but it still feels nice to write it. And this one is hopefully a bit more upbeat :)

Since my last post I've done a bit of jewellery, not a lot but at least some. My RA is going up and down but my fingers seems to be faring fairly well (knees, wrists and ankles are the main issue these days but still a lot better). I had as I was worried forgotten a lot of what I learned so not as smooth as I used to be but hoping it will come back as I go on. Also life & work has been taking up a lot of my time (I'm a bit of a workaholic) so the jewellery making has fallen to the wayside a lot due to that, which is bad but at least I'm honest. However it looks like my team might not have a job soon which is making me think about the stuff I want to do outside of work which I've been neglecting, and obviously making jewellery is a big one of those.

On the jewellery and family front I've found out that as well as my travelling great grandfather KnivKalle (text in Swedish) who I've known of all my life, I also have a closer (and alive) relative, an Uncle who makes a living out of making jewellery together with his missus. The are both exceptionally good and incredibly lovely and I'm very happy I've gotten to met them  :) As a jewellery maker without close friends that make jewellery its nice to have someone to talk to and they are very supportive. Also I guess this means Jewellery making really does run in the family... 

Anyway, my current plan is to give jewellery making a go again as I haven't tried to sell any of the pieces I've made since I got sick but just been giving them to friends. I don't have anything I've made recently to show but I do have some bits I'm working on to show I'm not lying.

I'll try to stick to it whilst I can (hopefully for years to come) and not get too frustrated when I fail and also figure out where to try and sell (start with Etsy I think). And I shall attempt to update my blog more than twice a year, thou I know even twice a year would be an improvement :)

So here I am...

I feel the need by starting this post by saying I'm sorry for not writing for so long.
But thinking about it I should really follow that up with  the clarification that it's not really my fault.
Reason for not writing anything is I haven't made anything
And the reason for not making anything is I haven't been able to,which in turns has made me too sad and bitter to even look at anything relating to jewellery.

So what happened you ask? Well if you read my other blog you probably already know the answer to that one (or look at my little profile ditty which changed), I've been sick and still am, and sadly will be for the rest of my life however long or short that might be.
I got Rheumatoid Arthritis which was viciously attacking my fingers (and pretty much all other joints). I am on medication thought (and a lot of it) which is kind of working and my fingers are back to normal (most of the time) and have been for awhile now, but I still haven't made any jewellery.
Now when asked I have a bunch of excuses for why I haven't been making any jewellery but that's all they are - excuses.
I know the actual reason and it sounds so silly I don't want to say it out loud, but the truth is I haven't been making any jewellery because I am scared. I'm scared that I wont be any good because it's been so long I can't remember half the things I've learn, and I'm even more scared that my hands might not been as good as I think and will start aching when I try to do the little details or twist the wire, because I do still have bad days when they get all swollen and achy. And I'm also scared that everything will go fine for a short while and then my hands will get worse again and I'll have to stop, and I think that might just break my heart.

But I don't say that out loud and the people that reads this aren't the people that I ever see, because I know what they would thing and say. They would tell me I'm silly and that I have to try, all whilst looking at me like I'm speaking a foreign language because they don't get how scared I actually am, and they don't get that I know it's silly and that I need to at least try.
So I will try, soon, because the other options might just be worse then the bad things that might happen if I do.
And when I do I'll let you all know, even if it's only something small. And If I fail miserably I will try to tell that too thought I am not sure I can.

Christmas Craft Fair

I've just created a Facebook page for the Christmas fair I'm arranging on the 27th of November. It's the first event page I've ever done so still getting the hang of it! If you are interested in seeing what will be for sale etc please check it out and tell your friends too :-)

Christmas Craft Fair

27th of November 2010
All items handmade.
Coffee and cakes for sale.
Come in from the cold and support local artists whilst buying Christmas presents!
Above RISC and the Global Café in Reading

I wonder if I have bitten of more then I can chew?

I have been thinking for a long time about arranging a place for people to sell there art objects (and mine) but I’ve always chickened out. I mean you have to hire somewhere and get posters and flyers done. Then you have to find people to take part so you pay for the cost of renting somewhere then you have to make sure you get people to come (because can you imagine how horrible it would be if no one showed up?).
And I guess that I’m mainly worried I would screw it up.

Now I am the most organised person that I know (especially when I put my mind to it) and I believe I know a lot of people in Reading, but it’s still scary.But then what’s the point if I don’t do it? I mean isn’t that at least ten times worse then if I do it and it goes badly, because otherwise I will always be thinking what if…

So I’ve looked into it and even reserved somewhere and on Tuesday I have to give a definite answer and sign myself up (or not).

So if I do and whoever reads this lives in or around Reading, you better come along and have a look or I will be miffed! :-P

As it stands the plan is:

Place: Above the Global Café in Reading
Date: 27 November (which just happens to be my birthday too).
For sale: All things handmade!

If you make stuff and think you might want to take part let me know and I’ll send you details.

I just hope I am making the right decision!

Etsy sellers

Etsy is an American website that sells handmade or vintage items. There is so many stunning things on there at all times and I do encourage you to have a look. It doesn't matter if you aren't American since it's now spread all over the world.

When I was in Seattle I meet one of the sellers on Etsy and she even gave me a purse she'd made (it's both pretty and nifty), and today I noticed these...

...absolutely gorgeous brooches that she has posted on there so just had to do a link on my blog:
Ziggybaby On Etsy