Hey everyone! How have you been?
I know, I wanted to create columns. I said I was going to post regularly. Be on time... But at least I'm posting!
I fell down my steps last Monday and probably broke my tailbone. I didn't go to the hospital since they couldn't have done anything anyway, but I've been in a lot of pain since. It sucks!
My fair on Sunday was disapointing to say the least and I'm feeling really stressed over our finances. I don't know how I'm going to pull of Christmas for the boys.
Everyone keeps telling me how beautiful my creations are, but compliments just don't pay the rent and sales have been very slow. It's a good thing I have face painting, because it's been my lifeline. I was hoping to make my month of January from my November and December sales, but alas this hasn't happened.
Still, I keep on trecking. A bunch of artisans from the Gatineau area have gotten together to rent a space in a mall in Aylmer called the Galeries d'Aylmer.
We are only open for 15 days from December 15-31, but it's an amazing experience and I'm so proud to be part of it. I was so surprised to see the incredible work that was done to make the store really look like a store, not just a craft fair. Response has been great so far, customers are enchanted, and it makes me want to open this kind of store year round. I used to dream of owning a bed and breakfast, with this kind of boutique and a little breakfast-lunch restaurant. That still sounds fabulous actually, as long as I get to run the store and someone else runs the restaurant!
They've left a small area for us to bring in our material and work a little bit on site. I haven't gotten a chance to do that yet, but I seriously can't wait. One of my new friends is participating as well, and it's really nice to get a chance to spend some time with her.
We met because we were members of various facebook groups for artists and artisans in the ottawa-gatineau area, and I saw her in person this summer when I was doing a facepainting contract in Aylmer and she was there with her beautiful glass jewelry. We'd chatted a few times and then got to do a fair together in November. She mentionned that she had a box polymer clay because she'd dabbled in it before deciding to go for glass instead... And she wanted to give it to me. Oh my gosh talk about Christmas come early. There are over 60 blocks of untouched clay in almost every colour of the rainbow. It's too pretty for words! You wouldn't think so, but it's very heavy!
Anywho, so that's my life in a nutshell right now. Though I'm not seeing the results I'd like, I keep on forcing myself to see the good side of things.
My kids are healthy
I've reached 27 sales in my Etsy shop, Felicianation Creations
I've reached 374 fans on Facebook. My page likes have more than doubled in the last six months
A post I shared through that page has now reached more than 5000 people and gotten over 900 engagement. That has never happened to me on facebook. (Even on this blog, my two most viral articles about current events reached a maximum of 2500 people... Though those numbers are much higher now but that's over time)
My google+ profile has been viewed over a million times.
If you search google for Felicia Stevenson, Felicia-May Stevenson or Felicianation, it's mostly me. Clicking on images will show you almost every photo/illustration I've done or shared over the past 3.5 years
I've won a table at the Gatineau Business Show, which should be amazing for my personal shopping and assistant service. I've been wanting to push the business side of my services and this will be a great opportunity to reach my target audience.
I continue to come up with more ideas for new projects and am excited about new products to be launched in 2015... Stay tuned!
I have wonderful amazing parents and great friends, and have made some amazing business connections
I won best kiosk and best customer service at a large fair I participated in this year
Apparently 2015 will be the year of money for me. Geez I hope that's true. I resisted the arts as a career choice as a teen because the whole starving artist thing never appealed to me. Being broke sucks. Worrying about bills, rent and food is exhausting on its own, add Christmas in the mix and it's enough to drive a girl nuts!
I am very excited and in full production as I gear up for two art fairs in November. Only 9 sleeps left until the first one, so I'm creating non stop, really hoping to do well in these shows. I'm not holding my breath, since my flea market experiences were so disapointing, but I keep having to remind myself of a few things. 
The second show is for a wonderful cause, the "Maison Mathieu Froment-Savoie", who helps people with terminal cancer. I have a friend who's mother spent her final days there, and it is a wonderful organization. I'm proud to be associated with this craft fair / charity event.