Onward to a New World

I have to admit it right at the start...I haven't been able to post since July of 2013.  Very quickly I will relate why...My husband, Rick, had his second seven hour surgery to remove the remains of his sternum eight days after my last post. Why? Because he contracted MRSA in the hospital during his three way by-pass surgery in March.

I thought "Oh terrific. We are on the right track now". Wrong. The next phase of this medical story continued with the "episodes" which then followed until January of 2014 where he would lose complete consciousness and I would have to "bring him back". I lived in constant fear that I would fail and not be able to revive him. Shaking became a daily state for me...waiting for another episode to strike. I literally never left him alone.   Luckily for both of us wearing a portable heart monitor picked up the fact that his "new top of the heart" wasn't communicating well with the bottom of his heart. The only way to get them back into a conversation was to implant a pacemaker....so yes folks it was a very difficult year.

I used to kind of roll my eyes whenever a Senior was telling the story of their latest Medical situation.
Now I find myself being that Senior...and telling my own story.  Forgive me if you can.

On to the REAL reason for this blog post...

I found the CraftStar when it was in it's infancy. Bethan Davis was posting on Facebook about her new "dream format" for sellers of crafts online.  I was fascinated. Why? Simply because I could tell immediately that the CraftStar was going to be completely different from my current (which will not be mentioned here) sales site.  First and foremost Bethan made herself totally approachable. I was amazed whenever I would write and ask questions that within the SAME day I received an answer.  Bethan had me at "Hello Linda".

I immediately tried to open a shop.  It was so difficult.  I nearly gave up. Then the programmers started to really get things right and I started posting...it was Halloween and thus most of my items were for that holiday.

Every time I had a question I was referred to Rhonda Green.  Who is Rhonda? She is a wizard from Pickens, South Carolina who "schooled" me in all things Google+.  She opened my world to a fabulous place on the web which was wide open and growing like wild fire.  The CraftStar is all about Google+.

After I spoke with Rhonda I started posting more and more items to my "shop" called Warmth:
                     http://www.warmth.thecraftstar.com

Approximately two weeks ago Rhonda sent me an email and asked if I'd like to do a LIVE Easter Show on the CraftStar.   A LIVE show?  I had NO idea what it entailed but suddenly I was hearing myself say "SURE!".  She asked for the mice I would like to feature and for a coupon code (20%).
I sent them to her.  Next I started going to Google+ each and every day like I used to go to my favorite team page on my "other site".  I watched the Live broadcast on April 1st over and over and over again.
Bethan was so personal, so interested in "her" crafters and so enthusiastic about their items. I fell head over heals in gratitude.  Anyone working and crafting at home, day after day, week after week needs someone to be enthusiastic about the labor of their hands. After 31+ years of making mice I needed someone to be welcoming and enthusiastic.   Sometimes a complement means as much as a sale.  It keeps a crafter/artisan focused and it makes them seek to become better and better at whatever they create and offer the public. The CraftStar makes that kind of interaction possible on a daily basis.

For me it is kind of like having Grandchildren...people can tell you how marvelous it is but you have to EXPERIENCE to believe them.

So...tonight I go LIVE.  It is a new adventure for me.  Way back when, in 1995 QVC I was selected to be in the 50/50 Tour when it came to Connecticut. They filmed each of us (12 Artisans) on the lawn of the Capitol in Hartford.  If I can do that I can do this....

Wish me luck...and oh by the way....give the CraftStar a new look.  It is the future. I believe that.

Linda
the Mousemaker