Cats and dogs

"Plötsligt händer det!" = Sudden, it happens!
If you say that to a Swede, they will think you have won the lottery. Can't be any Swedes out there that hasn't heard or seen the commercial that has been going for several years, always saying: Plötsligt händer det. And it's a commercial for winning the lottery =)
But no, I didn't win the lottery, but the block I had, that made me throw all wool away as soon as I tried to make a needle felted dog or a cat, it's gone (for now). You know I did make a dog recently, the white unknown breed Birgit named "White cuties". =) And then I just started two cats and yet another dog, and then one more. Maybe it's the sun, I have been sitting outside in the sun everyday, needle felting a bit.
My cold is getting better, I have been feeling low for a long time, coughing. But now I hope it will go away completely! (And never come back :) )

Below is a loooong text about Etsy problems, if you are not interested, just scroll down to the pictures =)

I had a set back, I don't handle set backs well.. I sold a thing on Etsy, sent it. And then I got complains that the mail didn't arrive, I told her to wait a bit, but still no mail. I have no idea what happen to that poor tiny sheep, but it's lost. And since she didn't pay for traceable mail, the mail office told me it's impossible to trace it. So, I sent her a new one, after a few days she told me she didn't get it (but mails take at least 10 days to USA so that was not strange..) But now the 10 business days has gone by, and I really hope it will arrive this time, I couldn't afford traceable mail myself, I have already lost money on this deal. So I just hope it will arrive. I have never experienced lost mails before.. She hasn't contacted me again, but I just saw on paypal that they refund her all the money. So I didn't only lost 2 tiny toy sheep on this, I also paid for shipping (twice) and Etsy and Paypal fee and then she got all her money back, so I lost a lot of money on this deal.. =( I had no idea that Paypal automatic refund all money just if a buyer ask for it. I had nothing to say in this.. because I didn't send by traceable mail. (Which I offer all buyers, but it cost a lot more than regular mail so I see why noone wants to pay for that.. and even more if you just take back all your money after awhile..)
I have written in my Etsy policy that I don't refund money for lost packages if the buyer doesn't pay for traceable mail, but that apparently doesn't matter..
Am I angry? oh yes. am I sad? Very much. Feels like I'm accused of something bad, but all I did was send not only one, but two mails. I have been feeling very bad for all this for several weeks now, but now I just have to let it go.
I wish I could block the buyer from buy from me again, but Etsy doesn't allow me to, they don't block anyone. So I am taking a break from Etsy. This took to much energy from me, it should be fun selling a few extra things now and then, but instead it got stressful and made me sad. We'll see if I want to try again later. But for now I lost the fun in it.
Sorry for all the negativity in this post, but I wanted to tell others how Paypal can take back money just like that, so it doesn't come as a surprise, like it did for me..

Now to funnier things. When I decided to needle felt just for fun, no selling intentions, I got a lot done, I might collect stuff for a new fair some day, but for now everything stays,  and when I get really crowded again, I can always look through everything and maybe send a few to friends or collect a bunch for the fair =) It feels great not having to stress anything.

A cat relaxing while washing himself out in the sun

This kitten needs eyes, I don't like eyes.. They are too hard. So I saved that annoying thing for later.. =) Sometimes I manage to do eyes in polymer clay, that looks OK. Then next time it looks very strange, then I have to go back to wool again. But wool looks, like wool, not like shiny eyes =) I'll see what I can make for this little one.

I often end up making cats like this, in this colours, maybe because my Dad has a cat in this colour, a Persian, with a cute flat nose (but that is hard to make..) =) I have to try more colours, but it's nice to do something I'm used to, then challenge myself more and more, if I try something too hard at once I just give up..

Then I missed my dog again, and I took out the little mini I made of him, that actually has hair from him. And that inspired me to do another try. In the beginning I needle felted quite loose, now I felt harder, and I have learn to cut off the extras, to give them a cleaner look. It's nice to see progress in my work =)

I gave this first mini-Ossian a little "haircut", to give him a cleaner look, but didn't want to change too much. Here is a blogpost when I just made him: http://hannahsminiatyrer.blogspot.se/2012/10/miniossian.html
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia0s-Y99c598QpcHyf5Nqa7G4wmOPmMxL7tXnD3Cql3vu3-bxobRjhSFO2ZkQYAQGMDhJt7v9iEttxxUi8YO49DUq4s1QQHN5C14LiGCE6N45AhpXic2WIH1YuVbK7qJ3nx0iHAbSfbdg/s320/DSCF0001+(2).JPG And the real thing, with the mini on top.

Sometimes it just feels good to do something you are used to. Like when I did a lot of teddy bears in a row =) Other days I get bored when I try to do something I already tried. But right now I love doing Chinese Crested dogs, and I plan to do at least one more =) I'm in a loop...

Chinese crested number 2

A whole family of Chinese crested dogs. They got smaller and smaller =) Old to new ones from the right to left.

The two new ones. 

My box of both finished and ongoing projects. This is a good inspiration for me, I just sit with the box awhile, and then I feel like doing something new =)

Take care

Hannah