Analytics and Nebulae

I am working hard to get more stock for Etsy ready, if the weather cooperates today I will take pictures of more scarves to post.

I am still so excited about making the Etsy front page.  I have a neat tool called Google Analytics that allows me to view various statistics about my site; how many hits each page gets, how long people stayed, where their IP address is located, what browser they used. I had over 200 visits on Sunday! Previously I had only had 33 at the very most, so that is quite a jump.

My next goal for my site is to see 500 visits, I am currently at 442, so the goal is in sight!  Another fun thing I found is that my pages have been viewed in ten countries, on four continents.  Talk about world wide exposure. 

I am trying to build up a business, I sure did not expect this while I was in school or I would have taken some classes on business building and management (insert a wry smile that seven years of college was still not enough...) 

I have been working on posting a line of scarves to Etsy that I am really fond of.  As soon as the first of these babies came out of the dye process in my early experiments they captivated me.  I looked at them and saw the night sky, images from the Hubble Space telescope of distant nebulae and galaxies.  Ever since first seeing these pictures shown on a huge screen in my Astronomy class I loved them, the swirling colors, the endless possibility of creation.

When Marcus saw the scarves and said they reminded him of space, without me telling him my thoughts, I knew it was meant to be.  Thus many of my recent listings on Etsy have been inspired by the sky and science. Here are some of the scarves and the images that inspired them.  (Yes I am a HUGE geek, I know, but I find inspiration in darn near everything, it's just what I do.)

This scarf was inspired by a collection of images from the Orion Nebula, located in the belt of the constellation of Orion. (Click here to see listing)

NASA,ESA, M. Robberto (Space Telescope Science Institute/ESA) and the Hubble Space Telescope Orion Treasury Project Team

NASA, ESA, T. Megeath (University of Toledo) and M. Robberto (STScI)

This next one was inspired by the top portion of the Eagle Nebula. (Click here to see listing)

   

NASA, ESA, and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)

This next scarf was inspired by an awesome X-ray and Visable light combination image of the Crab Nebula. (Click here to see listing)

Credits for X-ray Image: NASA/CXC/ASU/J. Hester et al.

Credits for Optical Image: NASA/HST/ASU/J. Hester et al.

To see more of the glorious images from the Hubble Space Telescope please visit their site: http://hubblesite.org

In other news:  Christmas mayhem is in full swing, I am working on projects left and right for family, friends and family of friends.  Marcus is laughing at me because I have wipeboard full of to-dos and have a lot (don't ask how many, I honestly don't know) of projects in various phases of completion.  And this is all before I am back in Michigan...

My first Holiday build up down here in Florida is bizarre!  It is 80 out side and I am looking at lights, Christmas trees and menorahs.  Don't even get me started on the Santa's in shorts and Hawaiian shirts.  I am still don't really believe that it is already December, my poor northern body calendar is all confused; why is it dark at 6pm if it is 80? 

Squirrel and Bluejays

I was hunting for a title to this post and looking out the window when the title happened.  There was a blue jay sitting in the bush next to my patio when suddenly from the left a squirrel charges in chattering away and takes a running dive at the jay.  The jay takes off squawking and shrieking while the squirrel sits down and chomps a nut from the overhanging palm.  Odd, a little surreal, amusing and unexpected.

Kind of like this morning.  First a sale on Etsy, someone in New Jersey will be getting a lovely batch of costume jewelry shortly.  Sales are still rare enough to be exciting.  As an added bonus now I can pay my December bills in full!  That is a huge relief.

Next I see a note from Etsy, I made the front page!!!!  The Bronze Leaf velvet scarf was there, sadly I did not see the event, but another shop keeper (thank you CheapBoutique!) did and took a screen cap for me, and indeed there it is at the center of the bottom row.

O.K. so the screen capture is not exactly a stunning picture, but it proves I was there. I did it, finally.  I am slowly making progress in my Etsy goals, this might work after all.  One small step for Hanna, one giant leap for The Golden Raven!  It is really the little things that make me smile.