Climbing up that hill

Me and Bunnies

This is not an easy blog..well..apart from the fibre on offer and the club sign ups…..lol…but apart from that it is not an easy blog to write.

 I am fighting. I have been trying to keep my head above water for a long long time now and most of you know me as a lucky go happy all out there person with my bunny ears . I am struggling. It’s not easy to work 20 hours a day , 7 days a week. I never shut off or down and it is starting to leave its mark.
 Also, It is a very tough “gig” being a fibre artist there can be discussions here there and everywhere by well meaning fellow artists saying we have to fight for a fair fibre wage but at the end of the day..every “gig” I do I pay I do not get paidor hardly get paid at all…and if I do, it hardly pays for fuel. I try to support a lot of people, helping them out when they ask me to do stuff and I do and I say YES ofcourse.. by either doing work for them or being part of events and getting people to support them and not getting paid myself. Yes, I cannot say no……..
Staying alive and paying the bills as an artist is very tough and it gets even tougher when you try and do the best you can and others who are doing it on the side as a hobby or who want to undercut or copy  are surfacing and doing your head in.

It is doing my head in how a community and people who should be there for one another , are in fact, competing in stupid ways and hurting the community more than anything. This is a very hard discussion to have and what I am saying here is just the tip of the iceberg. Wait til you give up your day job and try and make a living off the art works you sell. Try. It is not hard.. it is very hard!! It is a tough world. Craft people should stick together and instead we get bombarded with people selling their work or “just” reselling UNDER the regular retail prices. Even if it is just 1 dollar, it makes a huge difference. In the 12 years I have been professionally trying to make a living selling my art or craft, it has actually gotten worse and worse and it is harder than ever.

When you see me at Bendigo or at any show, You see me but at the same time , it takes lots and lots of work and lots of effort. Every time I tell people I am actually very shy..they just laugh at me. I know people think I am this out going extrovert kind of person but .. really I am insecure, always doubting myself, quiet, introvert and very afraid. I have lived through some amazing bad SH*T and survived all my life, be it bullying, abuse, neglect, violence and total utter despair. And every time I hit that utter low at the bottom of a bottomless pit I have to fight.. I fight and I smile and I create. It is hard and tough but every time I have to realise and talk to myself that other people are doing it tougher than I am. I need time. I need to “re-group- to make my pain logical .. to make the struggle easier. I have been there before..and with hard work I know I can get out but I need time.

It’s not that I can take time off work. I can NOT STOP creating..I  have to keep going… Creating is not the chore, it is trying to fight my mood, the feeling I have to help , the feeling I have to fight injustice, unfairness and by doing so, being unjust to myself..by not allowing myself even a day off. And yet… I do ….I have to….re group. This is a really hard blog to write because I am still working very very hard. The farm doesn’t stop…the bills come…promises have to be kept..always…and at the same time I realise that even when I was fighting cancer, I did not take any time off..never.. because I never thought that was an option…so I kept on going like an energiser bunny…and an energiser bunny I remain.

I will get out of this pit of despair..lol…I know I will,,because I am blessed with a good sense of humour and great coping mechanisms, but at the moment it is hard. I am doing it tough. It is just all a culmination of …stuff and very VERY hard work and ….stupid actions of others that I cannot fight because the actions of others are theirs not mine.
I have to learn to speak my mind if I have to, and not to let things get to me so much they break my heart. I will get there..I will get better.. I am still me..myself..but … I am just going through a rough patch. I think I need a holiday…
I should get hold of that Tardis and leave today and get back yesterday with a two week holiday under my belt and nobody would even realise I had been gone… I think somebody needs to invent that.

Have a fun weekend and please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions! You know me: I always love to enable! Custom spinning and dyeing and creating blends Please contact me: I am here to help .

All my contact details are to be found at the end of this week’s blog entry. Have fun and stay warm!!

Mulberry Silk Tops   

50grams AU$26

Velvet-sold-

Turquoise desert-sold-

Send in the clowns

Mawage

Love is all

Indigo-sold-

Buttercup

Bougainvillea-sold-

Amathyst-sold-

New IxCHeL Club sign ups are open ..but only for another week OR until the spaces fill up and it’s totally getting very crowded!

for the months : October, November and December 2016 

(til quotas are reached or until October 1st)

For all our international club fans there is a possibility to ship all three clubs together to save on postage if you want :-) Just pm me and enquire about the options available.

IxCHeL Fibre Club October, November and December 2016

The subscription is for a period of three months and you will receive one special hand dyed top/roving per month to the value of AU$24 or more

All the tops will be hand dyed and will be especially made for the members of Ixchel Fibre Club ! Price to join the IxCHel Fibre Club #30 and receive your special hand dyed top :)) for three months (October, November and December) 2016) is AU$72 + postage (parcel post or airmail). AND there are good value double serves available !!!

For Australia : single serve $72+$28 postage (parcel post), double serve $136+$28 (save $8) or triple serves $204 (save $12!) + postage

For USA + Canada: single serve AU$72+AU$56 (Airmail) double serve AU$136+AU$56

For UK,Europe, rest of the world: Single serve AU$72+AU$69 (airmail) Double serve AU$136+AU$69

For Asia: Single serve AU$72+AU$50 (airmail) Double serve AU$136+AU$50

If you want to receive a fibre surprise every month then join the IXCHEL FIBRE CLUB #30 now. Numbers are strictly limited ! The October 2016 Club is going to be shipped out end of October. Payment via direct deposit or credit card or paypal. Just PM or email me your details

The IxCHeL Sock Yarn Clubs October, November and December 2016

Every month for three months (October, November and December2016) you will receive: enough hand dyed luscious yummy yarn to make a pair of socks or a lush shawl or scarf ofcourse! (the hand dyed yarn will be exclusive for the Ixchelbunny SOCK-IT-TO-ME Yarn CLUB and will range from a sockweight yarn or a 3ply or a 4 ply); Every month a new sock pattern, tips and instructions ! Now is that GOOD or is that GOOD ??!

I will even offer a double serve for those of you who like their socks extra long !

For Australia : single serve $78+$28 postage (parcel post) double serve $130 (= one skein FREE!!!) +$28

For USA + Canada: single serve AU$78+AU$56 (Airmail) double serve $130 (= one skein FREE!!!) +AU$56

For UK,Europe, rest of the world: Single serve AU$78+AU$69 (airmail) Double serve $130 (= one skein FREE!!!) +AU$69

For Asia: Single serve AU$78+AU$45 (airmail) Double serve $130 (= one skein FREE!!!) +AU$45

Numbers are strictly limited ! 

Payment via direct deposit or credit card or paypal . Just PM or email me your details 

  By the way: you don’t HAVE to knit socks if you don’t want to.. the hand dyed yarn is amazingly nice for scarves, cowls, beanies and even tops ! Anything goes .

IxCHeL Funky Bunny Batt Clubs October , November and December 2016

Here are all the details and just pm me when you have any questions or want to be part of the funky bunny batt club Movement ;-) Welcome to the blingy dark side ;-D

The subscription is for a period of three months and you will receive one special hand dyed funky bunny batt per month to the value of AU$40 or more .

The batts will range in weight from 140grams to 180grams with luxury fibres like camel , angora, cashmere, silk, yak, llama even wolf and bison and rare sheep breeds !!!! All the batts will be hand dyed and will be especially made for the members of Ixchel funky bunny Club ! Every month you will receive a HUGE luxury funky bunny batt !

Sign up now and you will receive an Ixchel Hand dyed , super luxurious funky bunny batt for October, November and December 2016.

Price to join the Ixchel Funky bunny for three months is :

For Australia : $108+$28 postage (parcel post)

For USA + Canada: AU$108+AU$56 (Airmail)

For UK,Europe, rest of the world: AU$108+AU$69 (airmail)

For Asia: AU$108+AU$45 (airmail)

If you want to receive a fibre surprise every month then join the IXCHEL FUNKY BUNNY BATT CLUB now. Numbers are strictly limited ! The first installment is going to be shipped out end of October Payment via direct deposit or credit card or paypal. Just PM or email me

Have a creative week!

Dates to put in your Calendar !!

OCTOBER

2nd of October
Black n Coloured Sheep FIELD DAY  in Cranbourne!

Landscape dyes 

 100g tubs   AU$11 

Want to dye your own with easy to use acid dyes? I have been selling these Landscape dyes at my workshops and shows for a long time :  They are extremely easy to use and come in great shades.
Just contact me with the name of the colour you are after and I will get right back to you.

Have a creative week!

Please don't hesitate to contact me at any time if you have any questions okay? : Always happy to enable.

All my contact details are here:

How To Order:

1. You can email me on ixchel at rabbit dot com dot au or ixchelbunny at yahoo dot com dot au
2. Message me on facebook or 
3. Message me on www.ravelry.com  where I am Ixchelbunny.

I will email you right back with all your order details and payment methods.

Any questions? Any custom orders for yarn or dyeing fibre? : Please don’t hesitate to ask! Always happy to enable.

Thank you so much for your help and support !

 RABBIT ON !

((hugs))

Charly