Small improvement on my benches.

So since I make benches mostly in pine I decided to change the size of the handles on the legs.
Here is the new bench.

Why my Etsy shop is "On a short break"

Sometimes people write me asking when I'll be back or complain that my shop is closed that I'm just "teasing" them.   So who is Handywoman and why is her shop "On a short break"?

Oh how I wish there were two or three of me but of course there isn't and I do not have any helpers.  My husband has his own job so  I'm a one woman show.
I don't have an office help, or a cleaner, there is no one to design the product I want to sell or to write the manual.  I don't have anyone to write build instructions or to help in my daily work.

I'm an over 50 year old woman that is over weight and that has a progressive disease trust me when I tell you I'm going as fast as I can.  I close my shop so I can restock so that every day isn't a mad rush, or so I can make that idea in my head a reality.  It takes time to design new items for my shop and oh how I love to be able to offer new weaving or spinning tools.

My day.....

I wake up in the morning (thank God for that).  As I drink my coffee I update my order to do list and enter my orders into a system I use to track the taxes I'll owe at the end of the year and make shipping labels and thank you cards. (I feel it's always important to thank your customers!)  I then take my list and tape it to my garage wall and begin making the ordered items.
Everything is hand made so  there is A LOT of saw dust which I have to vacuum up frequently during the day so I don't drown :) .
Sometimes I have to let glue dry on one project while I start another.  Then once all my orders are made I work on getting a finish on them so then I'm off to waxing and buffing or putting on a poly finish.
While my finish is in between coats I begin packaging my orders that need to ship that day and this is always a mad rush for some reason, the good thing is I created all the labels and thank you cards while I was drinking my morning coffee.
Once I've gotten all the orders out that were on my shipping schedule ready, I drive them to a shipping location.  (The post office can not be trusted to pick up packages, they often forget!!)
Then I get on with finishing orders that will go out the following day as well as making extra's so I have some items in stock and ready to ship.
Then finally I need to clean the garage (and it's a mess!) so I will have a clean place to work the following day.
So....
Sometimes I close my shop so I can restock or even more fun work on that idea I had for a new product.  I am fairly quick at making those ideas into a reality but it does require time to create a prototype so improvements can be made and then finally writing build or use instructions or both.

So there you have it.  I am the designer, the purchaser, the manual and build instruction writer, the book keeper and secretary,  the logistics manager, the manufacturer and finally the janitor.  Well "finally isn't actually completely true because I'm also a wife and house keeper and trust me that takes time too.  I'm just a house wife that wants to make weaving tools for you at a price that is affordable.  That's it, that is my entire reasoning for working so hard; oh.... but I am also very happy when I get kind words in a review, some days that's what really keeps me working hard so keep them coming.

You can follow my adventures and see what I'm up to by clicking "follow" on my blog.  I generally am not so wordy and you might get ideas or find a tool you just couldn't live without.

All my best,
Janet

New stuff! Rare finds in wood turned into boat shuttles and a squirrel cage yarn swift finally in production!

I'm always on the look out for beautiful wood.  I LOVE burls but my sources rarely if ever have this wood available in anything other than tiny little pen blanks.  Some of them like Camphor burl is rare to find.  Oh and when you cut into this stuff, the aroma that fills the air is amazing.  My garage never smelled better!  So you get bang for your buck, or bucks :)  Yes it is very expensive and since my goal is to offer tools for weavers and spinners that don't break the bank you might wonder why I'd try to find it and make weaving tools with it.  Well, I'll still offer the lowest possible price and I do believe that even those of us of meager means also deserve super nice stuff!  Oh anyway here is my beautiful new super slim rigid boat shuttle. (I'm working on an inkle boat shuttle too and will update with pictures once she's all shiny).

Oh I did mention my new Squirrel Cage Yarn Swift is now available didn't I?  Well yes it is and I'm super excited about it.  I posted pictures of my prototype and I was not happy that the cages were not the same wood as the frame and well it was a bit wobbly, not bad and I will find a home for her but this one is the final product and will be available in my shop.  So without droning on here she is.

New Carry bag for my Box Tape Looms

Finally, yes finally I've taken the time to design a carry bag for my cute little looms.  They so deserve their very own bag don't you think!  Anyway, it took me one entire day well 6 hours to design my new bag so that my little loom fits perfectly inside with plenty of room for other goodies to take to weaving bee.  :)  I'm super excited.  Mind you, I'm thinking of finding a staple fabric that will always be available so that all my bags are the same color  but for now I used this designer quilting fabric that I just love.  I hope someone else loves it too.
So here she is, a new bag just for my box tape looms.

Elephant adorned box tap rigid heddle loom

It's so exciting to have new designs for my little box tape looms.  I am proud to present and Elephant inspired loom.  Elephants are for some reason my favorite wild animal (besides Foxes)
So here she is all finished and shiny :) ...I think who ever gets this little loom will treasure it for years to come.

And when she was born from solid cherry 1/4" wood. 

and of course you can get different epi heddles for all my little box looms.