Computer Problems and Creative Lulls

I haven't updated for awhile for a couple of reasons. One is that my home computer was attacked by a virus a couple of weeks ago, so we've had it in the repair shop twice to deal with that. Ugh- haven't had to deal with anything like that in a long time! I guess it goes with the territory of having a 14 year old in the house who likes to do lots of Google searches- perhaps it's time to start looking into parental controls! I'm not convinced that the viruses are all gone...Norton keeps telling us that it's blocking viruses, and all the websites we're visiting are ones we know are safe, so I'm afraid there is something still in there. Time will tell, I guess.

The other reason is that I guess I've hit a creative lull, or maybe just lost some steam for awhile. It's a bit discouraging to have put so much time and effort and creativity into my stuff and not get any sales, or even very many views, on my Etsy shop. I unfortunately just don't have the time to devote to Facebook and Twitter and the like, which is what everyone on the Etsy forums says you have to do to get your products out there for people to find. I've been taking the approach of just continuing to plug away and keep creating and listing, but it is hard when you get next to no feedback. Anyway, my husband and kids were on vacation for a week and a half and returned last weekend, so I've had NO time to do anything since then. I have delayed listing my personalized bookmarks in my shop, but hope to do that this weekend. I do need to get back into just making stuff though, if only to keep the creative juices flowing. I guess I've just been a bit overwhelmed. I recently joined a paper crafts Yahoo group and would love to start contributing, but with the computer issues and having no time, I just haven't been able to yet. Hopefully soon!

I do want to share with you one photo bookmark that I did a couple of weeks ago. My BFF Kendra sent me the most amazing picture of her two gorgeous children that she took in her parents' back yard in AZ. I was so taken with it that I just HAD to put it on a bookmark! Here is the picture:


Can you believe that that is a real rainbow in the background?! I have never, ever seen such a full one before! I just loved the colors in this photo. I had so many ideas for the bookmark, but here is what I went with:



I used that lovely blue handmade paper and some pansies in this one. I do wish that the one blue pansy didn't blend in so much with the paper, but I didn't want to use two identical flowers. Anyway I really like how it came out. Poor Kendra probably has enough bookmarks to last her several lifetimes, so really does not need one more, but maybe her mom will like this one.

Well, maybe this weekend I will dig myself out of my slump and try to make something. I know that the weather is supposed to cool down some (it was 101 here yesterday!!), and that will be much more comfortable if I decide to do some work.