Hearts

Sorry for no post on 4-9...Blogger issues!

I love hearts, LOVE them. I have been wearing one around my neck for over 14 years. It took me almost 2 years to find what i thought was the perfect one. I have other pieces of heart jewelry as well. So today I'm just sharing some heart photos from my collection and others. Ya' gotta have heart!

Lesson Learned

So in my last post I ranted and raved about devaluing my work, marking down prices, the value of a sale.
And what did I do? Had a sale!!!! Head hanging in shame? No, this one worked. Why?
Last week was my last show of the season and we all know meeting and talking to people in real life is vastly different than our on-line experiences. I also am well aware of what I call the "touch factor"....beng able to pick up, touch, try on beats examing a photo on the computer. As I was packing for the sale I was thinking how some pieces have been with me awhile. Read that as:OLD! I want them gone!
I decided to have a sale on my hats, gloves and scarves-a pre-holiday draw. I also sent an e-mail blast to local friends, neighbors and previous buyers, offering them the sale price AND delivery. I would never do this at the start of the craft show season but since it was my last, I felt it was worth a go.

Well, it worked! I had a good fair, moved many scarves, hats & gloves and the verbal interaction definitely made the difference. That also included 4 local sales.
The best comment I heard was "Your prices are so reasonable, I feel like I'm stealing!"....to which I replied, "Well, you can pay full price!!!"...she bought.

The lesson learned: Sales may work in real life.
Did I lose any money? No.
Did I network? Yes.
Did I devalue myself? No.
Oh, did I mention I had the same sale going at the same time online? Zip, zilch, nada.
And now I have some extra coin to buy more yarn and make new items. Well, I won't buy any yarn....we all know how huge the stash is.....the photo shows a teeny fraction!

In case we don't 'talk', I hope your holiday is warm and wonderful!

Trends

I find it so interesting to see what sells and what doesn't, especially at shows where you have a concentrated block of sales in a definite time period...well, hopefully!
The first time I sold 9 sets of wash cloths at a show I thought I had the new pet rock!

The first show this season was a scarf and bookmark show....oodles. Yay, terrific.

The 2nd show 2 weeks later,in roughly the same area, no scarves at all but handwarmers and bookmarks.
Now I did have the other odd item here and there-some barrettes, a pin or 2, a tapemeasure but the scarves and handwarmers were the hits and the bookmarks. Now some may say, it's getting cool, tis the season for those sales and that is true but I have a new and different viewpoint. I'm thinking people,in this tense economy, are purchasing the practical. The needed. The useful. Not the decorative little doo-dad that may become a dust collector. Maybe they'll buy those closer to the holidays when gifts are really needed but I'm sensing a shying away from that stuff. Maybe marketing and promoting have to be steered in that direction. What do you think?

Anyway, here's a useful, little doo-dad I just listed. I can't help myself!
And oh, after 2 shows, just 3 sets of wash cloths!

Organizing a Multi-Use Space

I am generally pretty organized. Ask me for something & I can usually find it within one look, 2 at the most. I can proudly say that I rarely lose things downstairs. And then there's the studio upstairs....not my finest achievement!
The studio is also a storage room, access to the attic, exercise room and often a laundry drying room....a not for public viewing space. It really got trashed during and after the shows in the fall and then the holidays came and all that stuff. The holidays ended and the decorations MUST be put away so the craft items, remember I said this was the STUDIO, were still scattered. Finally, mid-January I purchased some craft item and when I went to put it to use, found I had 3. Okay, this has got to stop....buying what you have is ridiculous.
I spent over 7 hours within the last week cleaning and organizing. Throwing out and consolidating. Buying more bins and drawers. Paring down some materials and noting I needed more of others. The hardest part was finding a particular supply or button or piece of paper and thinking "hmmm, I could make a..." and the cleaning got brushed aside. Then this weekend, I had an off-line sale of this button jewelry box~



I realized that was the last of the 7-8 boxes I had made. Off to the craft store for 6 more boxes. About 10 minutes ago, I started to work on a previously untouched cabinet up there. What did I find? Of course, 4 more boxes.
Moral of the story: Keep like items together and KNOW where you put them!!!

Too Thin?

Too thin? Not a problem my body has ever had! But can you spread yourself too thin on the internet? Hmmmmmmm...........! For purposes of promotion and selling my crafts I am currently a member of, selling on or socializing on the following sites:


www.allaboutthebuttons.etsy.com

Go Zabo

Trendy Shoppes

MadeItMyself

flickr

facebook

ning

indiepublic

handmade product directory

craigslist

link referral

twitter

stumble upon

Talent Data Base

Squidoo

Blog Catalog

All About The Buttons Blog

ETSY Secrets Blog

Smidge

You Crafty Lot

DIY City Community

Scrumpy Design

Skwiggazine

and I probably have forgotten a few. There are also the many sub-groups like the ones on flickr and indiepublic. Can there possibly be anything else to do to get your name out "there"? Well, all I can say is PHEW!!!! I'm surprised I even remembered these. I also send promo packs out for those that do shows, and have donated gobs of things for worthy causes. Do I have the next "Pet Rock"? No, but I love what I do and love to share it. Will I stop?


No-No-No! How can I when a simple little beanie cap makes Mr. Bear even more adorable.

Finally, I did it!!!

Did what? Well, I just finished cleaning up and reorganizing the studio. I never had trouble finding anything but it was getting hard to walk around. This is mostly a studio for me but it also is a storage area and a place to dry those clothes that you don't want to go in the dryer. There is also exercise equipment up there that serves as a catch all for other stuff!!! It's a great space, good light and I can walk away without cleaning up because it is the only room upstairs.

#1-ribbons & paper & thread, oh my!

#2-3-4-the wall and table where I 'work'! Buttons,buttons and more buttons!

The neatest, nicest section is where I have all the finished projects waiting to be sold (the last picture)...may that space become empty!!!