My Website (Google Sites) Woes--& what I have learned

First of all, I'm very surprised and pleased by the interest in my Glass Enameled/Copper Tatting Shuttles!!!  8 of them have been adopted and are now on their way to their new tatting homes.

I do have several more Glass Enamel/Copper Tatting Shuttles done, photographed and ready for purchase but have been having problems with inserting the photos into my website.  Whenever I try I get a message that says "....server error, please try again later".  I own my domain name (TheShuttleSmith.com) but use Google Sites as my hosting site.  So after repeatedly trying over several days and then asking my computer-genius husband to turn his thought-waves in the direction of my problem, we came to the understanding that I had used up all space for this particular website on Google Sites.  So I deleted a bunch of stuff thinking that if I purge some photos and pages I can add the ones I want--Right?  WRONG!  I learned that you can delete everything but it still remains (somewhere in computer twilight zone!) and counts as still there.  ARRRGGGHHH!  My current website is full...soooooo the only thing that I can do is 'MOVE ON'.  Right now I'm in the process of creating another Google Sites page with my information.  When I get it mostly done, I will redirect my domain name to this new site.  In the meantime, I am trying to learn, understand, and write a new website in WordPress.  All the website work is very time-consuming to me....time that I would rather be spending either tatting, designing, creating patterns, or making more glass enameled copper tatting shuttles.  My hope is to bring back my website and my blogging activity to one location---that being my domain name website.  (Don't abandon this blog yet!  I haven't).  I may double post on two blog sites for awhile...I haven't come to that bridge yet.

To further communicate what I learned about Google Sites:  My main problem was that I uploaded alot of photos to my website.  If I had linked to the image in a storage file, I would not have used up my space like I did.  If I do go to a WordPress platform for my website, I have been assured that I can have all the space I want....my husband owns the cyber space. 

Right now I need a 'new best friend' who is savvy with WordPress.

Problems with my website

I have been trying to post pictures of my new Glass Enameled Tatting Shuttles on my website to no avail!!!  I got a few pictures up with no problem and then I started getting "Upload Server Error. Try back later" messages.  I tried (without results) all weekend.  Today at work, I can upload images  BUT I don't have the shuttle photo files with me---ARGGHHH! 

I have about 10 more enameled shuttles created and ready for adoption.

When I get this issue resolved I will post here.

On the flip side 8 of my shuttles found new homes this weekend!!!  I was so excited that tatters actually want them! 

Karen / TheShuttleSmith

My Copper Enameled Tatting Shuttles are For Sale

I have a few shuttles on my website FOR SALE.

I have been working all morning and afternoon trying to figure out how to make PayPal buttons and put everything on my website. 

I will continue adding in shuttles to the website as I have time and the internet connections allow--it has been flaky at times!

Go to:   www.TheShuttleSmith.com

At the top of the list on the left are my items for sale.

Copper Enamel Tatting Shuttles made thus far

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The ShuttleSmith Enameled Copper Tatting Shuttles as of June 20, 2014

DH was gone last night and I was all alone for the evening so I high-tailed it to my studio and made more copper enameled tatting shuttles.   I had received my order of sampler-sized packets of 166 different colors of enamel on Wednesday.  Now I am overwhelmed by the color choices that I have!  I try not to overthink (though I am rarely faulted for 'overthinking' anything) my color selections when I am working on the process....thus the final result is usually a surprise--even to me.

I decided to keep track of what colors I use on the shuttles and make a library of each shuttle I create including a photo and the enamel color names and numbers.  That is why each shuttle is sitting on a paper with handwritten notes.   This way if I ever want to recreate a particular color combination, I'll have the formula noted.  Each shuttle is kinda like my child....I'm not sure I am going to be willing to part with it/sell it.  So I can comfort myself with the fact that at least I'll have a picture of  'my baby' (aka shuttle) if  I have to 'give it up' (ie sell) for 'adoption' to someone else.

I am still figuring out how to sell them.  I think that I shall place a few at a time on my webpage with the option to purchase via PayPal.  But I have some work yet to do regarding that end.  When they are up for sale, I will report that happening here first.

My enamel powders have arrived

Last night I raced home to see if my shipment of a sampler package of 169 colors of powder enamel had arrived.   IT DID!!!!!   So I spent the night sorting through the packages of color, writing the names on the packages and organizing them by colors.  There are two groups: opaque and transparent enamels.  Then I stayed up late prepping the metal into shuttle shapes so that when I get home tonight I can start actually adding the enamel colors to my copper shuttles.  With so many colors to choose from, it may be quite the delemma.

My ties to Pilger, the town in Nebraska destroyed by a tornado



My old church in Pilger, NE after June 16th tornado--all that's left

I understand that the tornado that ripped through the tiny town/village of Pilger, Nebraska  (in northeast Nebraska) on Monday, June 16th, made national (& probably international) news. 

It was one of my home towns.  I grew up on a farm equal distance (about 7 miles each) from both Pilger & Wisner.  I have stronger ties to Pilger because it was where I went to church.  The church (St. John's Lutheran Church) that was completely destroyed by the tornado was my church--where I was baptized, confirmed & married, family funerals.  All my family now lives in Norfolk, NE--20 miles away.  Many of my old farm area neighbors however did suffer damage.  One our family friends lost all their farm buildings but the house was still standing.  However the damage to the house was so extensive that it was considered a total loss and the family is moving out.  I really don't have any news to add to what you can read on the internet, papers, of on TV.  The damage is bad! 

Two years ago Pilger celebrated its 125th Anniversary as a village.  It motto was: "The little town too tought to die".  There really wasn't much commerce in Pilger--a convenience/gas store, post office, bank, senior center, bar/cafe, library, and volunteer fire department and farmer's cooperative.  We'll have to see how many businesses rebuild.  I heard on the TV news that the farmer's coop vowed to rebuild. 

Businesses that did survive:  the library, water tower, city park and swimming pool. 

Copper Enamel Tatting Shuttles Debut

The ShuttleSmith's Copper Enameled Tatting Shuttles

Announcing the first photo of The ShuttleSmith's Copper Enameled Tatting Shuttles.

I received my new torch in the mail Thursday and then promptly locked myself into my studio for the last three days using it, working to produce the first  The ShuttleSmith Copper Enameled Tatting Shuttles.  Friday night I produced the two on the right.  Then on Saturday I made the other five.  Last night I made two more....not photographed. 

I love the process and the colors but am limited to the sampler colors that I bought.   So once I pulled all the processes together and proved to myself that I actually COULD make this work, I ordered a color sampler of all 169 colors of enamel that the company makes!  Now I am again checking the mail everyday, waiting for that to come in.   I will probably be so overwhelmed with the colors that I will be stymied. 

I will be taking the day off from shuttle making today to travel 100 miles to visit my parents in honor of Father's Day.   Then tomorrow I have to go back to my real job (the one that pays for the enameling supplies!) so I won't be able to get back to my studio---Sad face.  Copper Enameling is proving to be quite an addiction for me.