08/09/2026
Happy Sunday, everyone! I hope this finds you all enjoying these last days of summer before school starts up - some of you have kids going back to school this week. Time definitely flies!
Before I get all deep and stuff, I shared a post a while back asking if you knew what I was making - how do you like my goose?
I have been debating about this for a while now, but have finally decided that this year is the last year I will be operating Blue Ribbon Designs as a full-on business. After the two fall events I have scheduled, I will be closing the website, and will not be actively working the business any longer. I'm a firm believer in "if it doesn't bring you joy, it's time to stop doing it", and that's where I am right now. 🙂 I'll still be making items for friends and family, and I have a few regular customers who return to me every year for holiday projects and I'll still be available for those, but I won' t be marketing and participating in events any longer after this year.
There are quite a few reasons for my decision, the main one being that circumstances in my life have changed, along with my priorities. I am enjoying watching my grandbabies grow up, and I don't want to miss that. I had a major health issue last year that really caused me to take a look at my health and made me slow down as well. There are other personal factors as well, but those are the two main reasons.
I also have seen a shift in the maker community - it seems like it's a big "rush to the bottom" as far as pricing goes, and that's not something I'm interested in being a part of. I value my time too much to price items so low that I'm not making any money - I mean, making money is the reason for a business, isn't it? 😁 I wrote a whole post about it a while back and never shared it - maybe I will one day. I love our maker community though, and I love seeing people grow in their skills, so I think I'll just be content to sit back and watch others grow and wish them well. 🙂
I've been going back to my roots of reselling on eBay and have found it to be quite fun. I specialize in the odd/unusual items, and have been doing really great on there. It has allowed me to prioritize my family and not feel like I'm always rushing.
I'll keep posting here until the end of the year, and I'll be sharing the items that I'll have with me at Mountain View and Christmas on the Farm, so keep checking back. I want to thank each and every one of you for your support over these past 12 years - you have made my time with BRD very special, and I have loved being a part of your family celebrations and important milestones. ❤️
