Blog Roll Favourites & Friends

Posted on by May 28, 2015

How often do you visit blogs & web sites listed in your blog roll? Whether we have business related blogs or not do we take time periodically to visit those we exchange links with? Even if you have a long list of sites listed do you alternate & check in to see what your blogging friends are up to? I’m just curious. I’ve visited sites where the blog roll is so long that I wonder if the blogger remembers who’s who or what each site is about.

Since my forced time-out one of the things I’ve been doing, and which I’m discovering I’m actually quite enjoying, is checking out other blogs and web sites related to them (if there are any). I don’t know if this is the start of blog addiction – I hope not because I don’t really want to spend a whole lot of time blogging although I do enjoy it.

I’ve come across some gorgoeous blogs by visiting sites listed on other sites, which I’ve added to my ‘frequent visit’ list in favourites.

I discovered a lovely blog called The Art of Life over at Marakye plus I was surprised to find a photo of a group of Business Mums Network members from Perth having a get together.

My Cozy Cottage World has a long blog roll but I love visiting & checking out some of the links there. I’ve found some absolutely gorgoeus sites there – you’ll have to visit and take a look.

At Beauty Banquet we share almost the same blog roll but I’ve also found some interesting sites from the Plug Me board. Plus a link where you can find out what your power colour is. It’s another one of those tests – My power colour turned out to be red/orange. I don’t know exactly what to do with this information but it was fun to do. Give it a go :)

Another ‘time-out’ session is over so it’s Ciao for now from me. Happy blogging …. and don’t forget to visit your blogging friends :)

Home Based Business Owners – Take Time Out!

Posted on by May 28, 2015

This may not sound like business talk but one of those things most home based small business owners tend to forget to do is to take time out. This fact in particular has surfaced lately & is close to my heart because of my own experience. Health problems could have been avoided by simply taking time out. It’s easy to get caught up in the flow of work & business management where you just keep going, & before you know it, it creeps up on you and ‘bang’ the time-out factor is forced upon you because your health breaks down or you break down. Then you start thinking about how you could have avoided it all if only you had taken care of yourself. I don’t think we allow this to happen on purpose and there is usually more than one contributing factor which can lead to this. But it does creep up on you like the frog in the pot of water – the water begins nice & cool for the frog & the frog is nice & secure in it’s familiar surroundings that it doesn’t realise the heat under the pot is also heating up the water, ever so slowly, that it may be too late when the frog realises it’s in hot water. 

I’ve been like that little frog and I thank my God that the water didn’t reach boiling point for me. I’ve had to stop, pause my business (only keeping it going slowly) & try regain my health. Slowly but surely I’m now getting back on track with my health, taking things a day at a time, and doing jobs one small step at a time. Hopefully it won’t be too long before I’m back to my usual self….. well, minus the crazy overwork. Although for me it was a culmination of personal circumstances as well as business that brought me to a halt, temporarily, I realise the importance of taking time out. We all know about it but usually continue to ‘soldier on’ believing ‘we can manage ok’ because we have to. Something as simple as going out for a short walk, meeting someone for coffee, browsing through non-business related web sites, or remembering what your hobbies are & get stuck into them again are amongst some of the things you can do to help keep yourself healthy.

It’s those Little things that will help fend off those mind & body break downs which will ultimately force you to stop whether you like it or not, whether you want to or not. We feed our children, take care family, we help out friends, we work, we pay our bills …… but the do we knock off at a reasonable appointed time to end the working day? Do we rest when we’re tired? Eat when we’re hungry? Drink when thirsty? No? This is not good and only adds to the recipe for disaster. It’s best not to wait before something happens but do it now. If you find that things are starting to get out of hand, then slow down, look after yourself, take time out without feeling guilty, before it’s too late, because you are important.

Pin and Brooch Cushions #2

Posted on by May 28, 2015

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I had quite a collection of silver drinkware (& still do). Some of them were given a painted finish & others retained their original look if the silver was good polished up. Here is another of the silver pin cushion designs in my past work.

This little liquer goblet was a plain desgin without any decorative features so the embellishments made up for it; and put together with remnant pieces. Gorgeous tassel fringing, a rossette, and a tiny swathe of beads lend this item an elegant touch.

Like the previous pin/brooch cushion cup, this one also reminds me of 1920’s stylish elegance.

From Hobby to Business

Posted on by May 28, 2015

Browsing through Heart Harmony’s blog Small Business Ideas got me thinking about small business and how some of them come into being. In her post Give a cheer for small-medium business…, Ingrid Cliff talks about the difference small businesses can make to their community. She also writes – “Many times small business doesn’t realise the impact it makes on the community. One employee here, another there all adds up to a significant total. We are the powerhouse behind our local communities and the economy.”

There are many diverse small businesses and I’m always aware of the countless creative hobby-turned-businesses there are. I’m constantly stumbling across web sites showcasing their creative abilities. I do enjoy browsing through their sites even if theirs is a different art or craft to mine.

Recently I clicked on one Google Ad that brought me to three creative sites – the first being Bear Essence. It caught my eye because of recent posts on my EP’s Treasures blog about teddy bears. It turns out that Bear Essence is only approx a 30 minute drive from where I run my business.

From Bear Essence I was led to two more sites Monica’s Attic Treasures – another delightful bear site; and Jacquie Lawson’s E-Cards. Jacquie’s animated e-cards are gorgeously creative.

I do enjoy taking time out to see what other creative people are doing. Some may think theirs is simply a small little drop in the business world, but, as Ingrid from Heart Harmony states in her Small Business Ideas tag line – There are no small businesses – only small ideas.

So, cheers to all small businesses out there.

Ciao for now, Elena :)

Brooch and Pin Cushions

Posted on by May 28, 2015

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Brooch and pin cushions were a popular little item at my past EP Designs Exhibition & Sales. This little ornate silver casing would have had a glass insert as part of its original design & use. When I found a couple of them at an opp shop the glass insert was missing but I already knew what I would do with them once I got them home. I kept them silver (so painted finish was not required), & polished the casing as best I could.

Then all that was needed for this item was the embellishing – Beads, a mini rosette, colour & a petite feather to decorate the cushion and cup.

A Recreated Treasure – A rather elegant piece – it reminds me of the 1920’s era.

Not many of these were photogrphed but another stylish pin & brooch cushion can be viewed at my EP’s Treasures blog.

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