Trying out a new way of showcasing craftyfolk

I came across this useful site via a friend  who had used it on her blog. I have been struggling to put together a showcase for ages now, as Blogger and I don't get on very much.  This widget looks like it may solve all my problems with creating a nice looking showcase.   I made a treasury on Etsy, featuring several artists from the Craftyfolk team.  I based it on this silly poem: 

Spring is sprung
Da grass is riz
I wonder where dem boidies iz
Da little boids is on da wing
Ain't dat absoid

Da little wings is on da boid


So here it is, hope that it works now!!!

Panic stations!

No crafting this afternoon for me because when I was finishing my housework today I spotted TWO of my indoor cats in the garden. I rushed out to get them in as soon as possible as it was just getting to the really busy time on our road past the house.   So as I ran into the garden calling  the cats I heard a loud hollering from the top of the house.  Expecting to see one of the remaining rotters in a window lamenting the lack of adventure in the garden , I looked up and spotted my big Ginge sitting in the guttering.

He was absolutely terrified. I decided to get the other cats in first, hoping fervently he wouldn't chuck himself off the roof in the meantime.  When I got round to the front of the house my two escapees were clammering by the front door to be let in. Having admitted them I rushed upstairs to the loft rooms to get some idea of how to get Sumo the Ginge of the roof.  Looking through the window he must have busted out off, I realised that the blanket I had brought up was nowhere long enough to reach him. I had to try from the window in the next room as that came down lower on the roof. I threw the blanket out and expected him to clamber straight up it and have it all over and done with but he had other thoughts.  He was too terrified to turn around so he would only look at me over his shoulder.  I talked and cajoled shouted and threatened for ages until he got enough courage to turn around so he was facing me.  Then he got a brain short circuit and could only move backwards , so he actually lost all the ground he gained whilst moving round.

 My daughter then turned up (she took the photos). She came upstairs to remove the other cats from the loft as they were getting very worked up and were making loads of silly noises. She called all the cats and Sumo decided to look up at the window.  I suddenly could see the cogs turning in his silly little catbrain. I stretched out of the window and continued calling and cajoling him.  He then decided to stick his head UNDER the blanket.  Understandable,but not very useful. I pulled the blanket off his head and tried to convince him to CLIMB.THE.STUPID.BLANKET.  For crying out loud he's got claws, what's wrong with him?  He looked up at me again, his normally pale pink nose now bright fuschia and his eyes HUGE. I think  he just thought " Stuff it I, am going for it"  He started up the blanket and as soon as I could grip him, I nabbed his scruff and hauled him in. Pffff..... safe.  His thanks was a soaking wet tail in my face.  Cats....who'd have them!

Making a list of things to do.

Time is running away with me. I have hundreds of ideas but rarely get to do any. Why is this? Obviously a household with seven people in it takes a lot of time and effort but even that doesn't explain why I seem to be so short of time.
I really need to sort out what is going on. I suppose it doesn't help that my arts and craft stuff is all over the place. My craft room is in the conservatory and it just has been too cold to sit in there, so I drag my stuff to the sitting room. The problem with that is that I get distracted by all the goings on in there and everything gets muddled up and I spend a large proportion of time just finding things. (or the cats try to make of with my newly felted items!!)
I also find all the promoting of my website and Etsy shop hard work. Facebook and twitter don't come naturally to me and I am sure I do it wrong most of the time. It is rather frustrating to read all the experts telling you you need to "engage" your audience by asking them questions or giving them options to choose from and when you do this you get feedback from just one person and she is your old granny...
So what to do?  My plan is to make a list that includes all the things I need to do to make me use my time more economically. This will include clearing out my craftroom, throwing away a lot of  "it may come in useful later" items and make a schedule for Facebook and Twitter time.
And of course I need to blog more. But at the moment it feels like I just do not have much to share.  My daughters are encouraging me to do some Youtube videos too, but again I can't think what kind of things I should show. What I hope is  that when I start to organise my crafting I may actually be more creative and that that will then lead to more sales too.
So  I hope I haven't bored you to death, and you wil be looking in from time to time looking to see if I have improved!
To finish off, I have been making stuff, and over the last three days I have made some felt earrings. Please let me know if you like them.

They will be for sale on my website. And yes, I have finally remembered to put a direct link on here today. Just click on the Astrid's Garden button at the top righthand of the blog and you will be whizzed of to there!