How is everyone doing? For me it’s been Easter school holidays, which always proves difficult in terms of time, but it does mean some time off with the kids (not as much as i’d like) and some awesome family time with my sister and nephew. The kids go back in a week but i now finally have some decent time off, so not back at the day job till next Tues now and am looking forward to just pottering about the house, getting it a little more in order, but mostly spending time with my boys and getting some painting done.

My Faceboook cover for Easter #cutebunny

It’s funny, I’m not sure if it’s because i’ve been so focused on getting my Etsy shop just right and finishing my website (nearly there) but I’ve been feeling really down about orders via Etsy, as they are very slow this month, and it’s so hard when you see others thriving. On one hand you are so pleased for them, but on the other you can’t help but question why you are not getting the same results. However when I actually began to plan out all my orders (not just via Etsy) in my diary I realised I had 5 to book in, with 2 more received this week for the canvases pictured below, before i’d even got a chance to list them on Etsy; and along with the new samples I’m working on, that’s plenty to keep me busy for this month, and more!

Getting started on new Hearts and Stars Collection

Each shape is hand-painted several times…

Finished canvas 15cm x 15cm , available in all colours.

I’m not saying i wouldn’t like my Etsy orders to increase, but I think sometimes we can get so focused on one element of our business that we forget to look at the bigger picture and realise just how well we are doing.  As someone reminded me today, focus less on the negative and more on the positive.

Today for me was about remembering exactly what I’ve achieved since i re-opened my Etsy shop in Dec last year.  I’m busier than I’ve ever been before, I’ve built a new website from scratch, I’ve designed several new collections and will be expanding those into soft furnishings in the next few months.  However perhaps the most exciting was York Hospitals SCBU unit accepting my offer to make them a Welcome canvas for their reception area.  My eldest (now 10) spent the first 4 weeks of his life there and I’m so very grateful to them, this is the perfect way to give back and say thank you!

My little Henry in his incubator born 3lb 8oz

He was over 5lb when he came home, but still seemed so tiny.

Now a happy and healthy 10 yr old!

So you see after writing this I can see I have so much to be proud of, and I would imagine there are quite a few of you fellow crafters out there who might have been feeling the same as I was at the beginning of this, so let’s just remember to take a step back and look at just what we have achieved!

I’ll finish with one of my favourite quotes, it’s shared a lot, but forgotten too often!

Don’t compare your beginning, to someone else’s middle.      Jon Acuff

So how has your week been?

Fay x