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Just a little book buzz… š¤
A place for creative folks to mingle.
04 Jun 2021 1 Comment
in crafting, creative outlets, creativity, Editing, writing Tags: art, blog, community, crafting, creativity, design, discontinued, failed projects, new adventures, painting, promotion, writers, writing
Hi!
I started this blog, “Reaching for Reprieve” several years ago with the intention of creating a place for creative people to hang out online. Unfortunately, I never really got this project off of the ground. I had good intentions, but I had limited time. I was working two jobs and attempting to juggle my fledgling writing career. Plus, I was maintaining my online Etsy shop, Reprieve’s Corner (www.etsy.com/shop/ReprievesCorner). That was a lot of juggling!
As a creative person, I found myself frequently choosing to spend my limited free time working on creative projects–like my writing and crafting– rather than blogging. As a result, I often went months without updating the blog. It’s not surprising that the blog didn’t get much traffic– which also meant that people didn’t leave many comments on my post. So, it wasn’t the fun online hang out place that I envisioned.
Like millions of other people around the world, I lost my day job last year as a result of the coronavirus. The silver lining was that I now had more time to”work from home”- which translated to more time to work on my creative outlets. I spent a HUGE amount of time working on editing and revising a novel that I recently self-published titled “Alternatives” (available on Amazon).
So, it turned out that even when I had the time, I wasn’t working on this blog… š¦
Part of the problem is that I feel like I’m being pulled in too many directions and there are only so many hours in the day. I’ve also been attempting to maintain several different blogs– this one and two dedicated to my writing (one on WordPress and one on Blogger). On the occasions that I was inspired to write a blog post, I found myself copying the same posts on all 3 blogs. This made sense for my two writing blogs– since I created them both so readers would have the option of using their preferred platform (WordPress or Blogger). But, I felt like this blog should have had its own unique content.
After giving it a lot of thought, I’ve decided to discontinue it. I’m going to wait on deleting it in order to give my handful of followers a chance to read this post and the option of finding me on the blog that I do update semi-regularly, “H. S. Contino” (the blog dedicated to my writing).
So… sadly, this will be my final post for”Reaching for Reprieve.”
I’d like to take a moment to thank my handful of followers for hanging in there despite my infrequent posts. I really appreciate your support,and I hope that you’ll check out my other blog (and hopefully subscribe).
Have a great summer everyone! And happy creating–whether you’re an artist, writer, crafter, or whatever!
~ Hannah š
23 Nov 2020 3 Comments
in Uncategorized Tags: coronavirus, crafting, discount, Etsy, holidays, promotion, Sale, struggles, writing
Good morning and welcome to my blog. Thanks for stopping by!
Okay, let’s face it: 2020 has been a major challenge for all of us. Between the world-wide pandemic, job losses, natural disasters, and nose-diving economies around the world, it’s been rough.
On a personal level, I was furloughed from my day job in March then officially let go in July. In late September, I applied for and was offered a new position which I started in mid-October. Things finally seemed to be looking up; then I overheard part of a phone call between my new boss and a co-worker– who had the call on speaker phone– about things “not working out” with me. After only a month on the job, they let me go– while I was home sick and the day before Veteran’s Day. (How’s that for honoring veterans? Letting the only veteran on staff go the day before the holiday intended to honor them).
I’m not the only one that has been struggling. I have many friends who also lost their jobs due to the coronavirus (either during the shutdown in March or later when businesses re-opened with limited capacity). I have other friends who have been battling major illnesses and disease. One friend’s husband had a major stroke this suffer, but he survived. Another friend’s husband had a major heart attack, but he didn’t make it. Fortunately, he lived long enough for his family to come to the hospital to say goodbye.
So, like I said, it’s been a rough year!
In an attempt to simultaneously increase the sales in my online Etsy shop and make the holidays more affordable for the many people out there that are struggling financially this holiday season, I decided to run two big sales:
Starting today, ALL of my handmade crafts and crafting supplies are 50% off of their regular prices. And, all of my autographed books are 25% off (personalized messages available).
I’m calling it my 2020 Blow⦠out sale (since this year seriously blows)!
Sale runs through December 23rd, 2020.
Please, feel free to check it out:
Reprieve’s Corner 2020 Blow-Out Sale!
As always, thank you for taking the time to read this blog post. I appreciate the support– especially during such trying times. I read somewhere that 2020 was the year that “people came together while staying apart.” While we all practice “social distancing” to slow the spread of the coronavirus, we have the opportunity to come together virtually through social media, blogs, and other online activities.
Wishing everyone health and happiness during this unusual holiday season. Fingers crossed that 2021 is better– for everyone!
Until next timeā¦
~ H. S. Contino
04 Oct 2020 Leave a comment
in Uncategorized Tags: promotion, Sale
12 Aug 2020 Leave a comment
Etsy sale!
Hi!
Just a quick post to let everyone know that Iām running a promotion in my Etsy store, Reprieveās Corner. From now through September 6th, you can save 25% off store wide. This includes signed copies of my books!
I hope everyone is enjoying their summer. Despite all the craziness going on in the world, weāve been having some really gorgeous weather here on the Oregon coast. I enjoy opening most of the windows in my house to let in the fresh breeze. Iāve also been enjoying extra long walks with my Labrador, Loki.
Until next time!
~ H. S. Contino
Loki Swimming at the Lake, August 2020
04 Aug 2020 Leave a comment
I really enjoyed reading this blog post, and I hope that you will too. Raphael Simon’s new book sounds amazing– and contains just the type of messages that kids need to hear– and I can’t wait to read it!
Next year I will publish my twelfth book, but I am as nervous as a first-timerābecause The Anti-Book will be the first book to appear under my own name.
Already I can see myself obsessing over the Goodreads reviews: Remember, itās just one readerās opinion, well, one hundred readersā opinionsā¦Okay, so maybe the book stinks, that doesnāt mean you do! I think you smell quite niceā¦
Ā
Until now, my career as a childrenās author has been about hiding my identity. āThe infamously anonymous Pseudonymous Bosch, secret author of the Secret Series.ā The pseudonym was a gimmick, sure, but the anxiety was real. I wanted to write, to express myself, but I didnāt want to be exposed. So I disappeared.
Funnily enough, my new book is about a boy who wants not just himself but his entire world to disappear.Ā (Spoiler alert: it does.) The Anti-Book is the mostā¦
View original post 603 more words
13 May 2020 Leave a comment
Well worth the read! I agree completely with her assessment that libraries (and books) are magical!
via On Dragons, Mismatched Socks, and Magic Librarians by Maggie Tokuda-Hall
23 Aug 2019 4 Comments
in crafting, creative outlets, farmers markets, Uncategorized Tags: art, business advice, crafting, creativity, design, feedback, opinion, painting, poll
Good morning!
I’d love to have everyone’s feedback on something.
I created my online Etsy shop, Reprieve’s Corner, back in 2011. Personally, I love the name. Reprieve is my favorite word in the English language. As I explain in my shop’s “about” section, my logo is a frog taking shelter under a mushroom during a rain shower. I relate the image to the items in my shop since pretty much everything could be given as a gift. They’re like my “little moments of reprieve”– things to cheer someone up or make them smile. Eventually, like the frog, they’re going to have to step back out into life’s rain shower; but, hopefully,Ā the items that I sell will help bring them moments of happiness.
The problem is that I’m finding that most people don’t understand my concept and they find the name of my business both confusing and hard to remember.
So, I’ve been thinking about changing the name of my shop. I’d like something catchy and easy to remember. The hard part is finding something that “fits” since I sell a variety of different products. I’m a published author, so I sell my books– which, like my crafts, cover a variety of topics. And I sell handmade crafts including jewelry, greeting cards, plush toys, hand painted wooden signs, pictures, and magnets. I also recently started making items out of clay (figurines and jewelry components).
The following are some of possible shop names that I’m considering and my concerns about each one. Please feel free to leave a comment on your favorites or add a new suggestion. (I use the free version of WordPress, which doesn’t offer the option of creating an interactive poll).
Hannah’s Handmade (although this doesn’t completely fit my books)
Contino’s Creations (but, I worry that people will have trouble remembering my last name)
Hannah’s Creative Corner (too vague?)
Hannah’s Hodgepodge (covers the variety, but I worry that it implies that I’m unorganized)
Hannah’s Handmade Gifts
… ?
Thanks everyone for your feedback!