A change of direction for Red Hen Studios

Five years after seriously crafting for income, I've come to the conclusion it isn't the best way to spend my time right now.

While I love creating, and will continue to do it more for fun, selling my wares both online and at craft shows wasn't very successful at generating income.

I do have something "to fall back on" so to speak -- buying and selling vintage goodies. Through Etsy, and a little bit on eBay, that has been lucrative, more so as time passes, as I have quite a following now and have gotten better at SEO (search engine optimization).

Over the past 10 years or so I have accumulated so much in the way of vintage materials, I will have plenty to fill my Etsy shop with for quite awhile. I have already sorted through the colorful trims and still have all the white and off-whites to do, including some very lovely antique laces.

It was like Christmas morning opening up the half-dozen plastic bins that line my workspace. They were filled with mostly vintage linens -- flowery 1970s sheets and pillowcases, piles of snowy white chenille bedspreads, brightly-colored tablecloths plus bits and bobs of small linens.

After all of these are coordinated and listed, I will move on to my fabric "cupboard," actually a china cabinet filled to the brim with stunning colors and textures from the 1940s to present.

Instead of being disheartening, this has actually been a lot of fun for me. I'm more interested in the hunt for treasures and love sharing them with others. It's so interesting in hearing what the buyer will do with these nearly-lost goodies.

Maybe, just maybe, this will get me closer to my goal of eventually having a local shop selling vintage goodies and locally handcrafted items, possibly financing my dream with my destash.