DIY Wax Paper Lanterns

Today's Silver Price: $32.17/t.oz.

And now for something completely different... wax paper lanterns.

Happy 1st Day of Spring!

One of the really fun parts of planning a wedding for me has been finding bargains, deals, and DIY projects. I found a great website recently called A Practical Wedding which offers tips and ideas on planning an affordable wedding without all the unnecessary fluff and ridiculousness.

I really should stop looking at all of these websites and articles. So far I've changed my idea for centerpieces three times. Maybe four. I started off wanting to use wine bottles for centerpieces somehow. I was thinking of cutting the bottles and putting candles in them. Then I thought I should probably have a florist do the centerpieces. Then I thought I could do the floral and greenery centerpieces myself. Now however, I have stumbled upon the next great idea. Wax paper lanterns, or luminarias as they are called in this article (from A Practical Wedding).

The luminarias are made by ironing pressed flowers and greenery between two sheets of waxed paper. The crafter has created cubes using four waxed paper walls taped together. Simply put a candle inside and you've made magic! I think I would make taller structures to get a more dramatic look, but I love the possibilities with this project! I was out for a walk today and I was taking note of all of the bushes on my route that could possibly be used. I would also use battery operated tea lights as I think open flame might be risky.

So until the next great idea comes my way I'll be experimenting with pressed flowers and waxed paper. Sounds like fun to me!

Quick Tip- Raise It Up!

Today's Silver Price: $32.70/t.oz.

NEW CONCEPT ALERT!

Today I read a very brief tip on wire-sculpture.com that suggests jewelry makers raise the height of their tables at fairs and craft shows. This way the customers do not have to bend over to look at the jewelry. By simply adding some PVC piping to the legs of your folding table you can raise your display up closer to eye level. Brilliant!

I suppose this does present a challenge when trying to find a table cloth for your new MacGyver-style table, but I guess an extra long piece of fabric from the craft store will do. I'll have to try this out! I think that actual eye-level would be too high though. Maybe a foot above regular table height would be good. Chest-level, maybe?

Any time you can bring your product closer to your customer you are increasing your chances for a sale!



~~~{Blog Playlist}~~~
Modest Mouse, "Float On"
Franz Ferdinand, "Take Me Out"
The Chieftains w/Sinead O'Connor, "Foggy Dew"

Plans for the New Year

Today's Silver Price: $28.91/t.oz.

There are a few things I would like to accomplish in 2012 with regards to my business.

Upcoming holidays to plan for:

Valentine's Day, February 14th- lots of jewelry with hearts!

St. Patrick's Day, March 17th- shamrocks, celtic knots, lots of green!

Mother's Day, May 13th- all kinds of jewelry... maybe some pearls? Faux pearls that is.

2012 Business Goals:

Incorporation. I would like to transition from a Sole Proprietorship to a Limited Liability Corporation. When you incorporate a business you completely separate the business legally from your personal finances. I have to do a lot of research on this, I believe I may need a lawyer to incorporate. Also I should meet with an accountant and start paying quarterly taxes if this is to be a real business.

I also have to open a business bank account which I should have done a long  time ago. I spoke to a banker once about opening a business checking account but I did not go through with it. Once I have a bank account I can open a  merchant account, which would allow me to accept credit card payments. At craft shows and fairs the ability to take credit card payments could increase my sales dramatically.

Creative Goals:

Necklaces! I want to introduce necklaces into my jewelry line. Necklaces require more materials and I can charge more for them. I am also looking into using silver-filled wire as a cheaper alternative to sterling silver. I need to increase my working knowledge of copper, I have yet to master this material.

I am planning on starting a collection of hand-painted wooden wall signs for home decor. As my watercolor paintings have received many many compliments and praise, they have not lead to many sales.

Planning: I have to make a list of events I will attend in 2012. There are a few festivals that I know I want to participate in, and I think this will be the year that I start doing outdoor craft shows and fairs.



2012 looks to be a very exciting year. I hope to grow my business and to become a successful small business owner. With some optimism, perseverance and a whole lotta work, I know I can achieve my dream of self-employment!

Forbes Gives A Shout Out To Crafters

Today's Silver Price: $31.35/t.oz.

Over the weekend I came across an article on Forbes.com which suggested that entrepreneurs look to the craft industry for guidance and direction. The article entitled "What Every Entrepreneur Can Learn from the Crafting Industry" discusses the surge in small business development amongst crafters and artisans and how these entrepreneurs have found success.

One of the major tools that an artist or crafter has is their creativity and ability to think outside of the box. Creative and inventive marketing strategies help to promote a new or expanding business. While creative people may not have great business sense, imagination and problem solving skills can go a long way in developing a business. One area where crafters are recognized in having an edge is social media marketing. Many crafters put a lot of time into Twitter posts, Facebook updates, Etsy pages, blogging and other social media outlets in order to grow their business. This is often how crafters and artisans establish a customer following.

The article cites a couple of craft-focused organizations that are aimed at assisting crafters and artisans grow their business and steering them towards success. One of the things I have learned in my internet surfing is that there is a tremendous community of creative minds out there that are eager to help one another. I am finding more and more blogs, forums and conferences that specifically discuss the business of crafting or art and how to be successful selling your creations.

It is very satisfying and validating to see that Forbes has recognized the craft industry as a source of knowledge and experience in the small business field. The article encourages anyone thinking about starting their own business to take a look at crafters for inspiration. Crafters and artisans are motivated by their imaginations and dreams and have envisioned lives lived on their own terms. Creativity and innovation are essential to any entrepreneur in any field so anyone pursuing self-employment should think about connecting with their inner-artist!

Debriefing

Today's Silver Price: $32.00/t.oz.

Level of success? My success was moderate this weekend. I did sell a lot of items, but unfortunately I won't be quitting my day job... yet.

This past Saturday's event was a craft fair at a local high school. Quote of the day: "Oh, I knew a girl that made jewelry but it was crap. Yours is really nice!" LOL. I was also asked twice if I go to school there. Mmmmm no, but thanks. I guess I should be happy that I can pass for 15 years younger than my real age!

Anyway, this craft fair was not so great. The vendor next to me said that the fair the school holds in November is better attended. Dammit. I made a little more than my table fee, which is to say I didn't make much profit. AT LEAST I made that table fee. It's a sad day when you lose money doing a craft fair (which I have).

Sunday's event was much more successful. A friend of mine held a vendor party in her backyard. It always helps when the customers are a bit liquored up... haha! The best thing about this event was there was no vendor fee, so everything I made was profit. I sold several bracelets, several rings and a few pairs of earrings. I found it very interesting to learn that what sells at one event will not necessarily sell at another event. Remember those dangle earrings I told you about? Didn't sell one pair this weekend. I was quite surprised.

Last night and tonight I've been posting my leftovers on my Etsy site. I've given my card out to a few ladies at work so I'm hoping I'll start getting more activity on the site.

That's all for now. I'm quite tired after not really having a weekend, so I'm off to bed early tonight!

Craft Shows, Vendor Fairs, and The Pickle Man.

Today's Silver Price: $32.18/t.oz.

When I started thinking about selling my jewelry and paintings at craft shows I figured I should do some research on the subject. I knew absolutely nothing about it. How do you find shows? How do you get into shows? How much does it cost? Do I need my own table? Do I need a tent? Do I need a permit or a license?

I read a great book called "Crafts and Craft Shows: How to Make Money," by Philip Kadubec. This book showed me the world of crafting and craft shows. It got me excited about pursuing a career as a craft vendor. Kadubec helped his wife turn crafting into a full time business. Together they sold baskets at craft fairs throughout the country for many years. The book gives an excellent look at the life of professional crafters, artists and artisans. Kadubec tells you what works, and what doesn't work at craft shows. It includes everything from work schedules to pricing; booth display to customer service; cost of materials to paying taxes. Also the author tells you what to watch out for, i.e. event organizers that take advantage of vendors. One big thing to watch out for are event promoters that collect booth fees, but then don't spend any money advertising the event. An event must be well advertised within the community in order to get the maximum amount of attendees.

I found a picture from my very first vendor fair. It was held at a local volunteer fire house. It was the First Annual Vendor Fair of I Don't Remember Who/What. I heard once you should never go to the first annual ANYTHING. Apparently the best shows/fairs are the ones that have already been running for several years and people already know about them.

Looking at the picture now it's a little embarrassing- I had nowhere near enough merchandise! The table is almost empty! LOL.

I was very excited about this show. I had high hopes. A couple of hours into this show I realized that this was NOT my target audience. Hardly any of the women there were into jewelry. They weren't wearing any and they weren't interested in mine. I sold a pair of earrings to a teenager, and I sold a few elastic bracelets. A few of my friends stopped by and we had some laughs, but it was a disappointing day. I did not 'make my table.' Oh, did I mention there was a nor'easter that day? Yeah, so the event was not well attended. The terrible weather made packing everything back into my car a miserable experience.

One of the most surprising things about this event was The Pickle Man. Now this was a vendor show, so people were allowed to sell whatever they wanted. There was a Tupperware table, an Avon table, a Pampered Chef table, a woman selling handbags, etc. Hardly anything handmade. And then there was The Pickle Man. This guy shows up with four huge buckets of pickles and sets them up on a table. He scooped them out of the bucket and put them into plastic containers and sold them. Guess what? He sold pickles like they were going out of style! People were lining up to buy pickles! Unreal! The guy made a killing selling pickles! I later found out that he had driven to Brooklyn that morning, purchased the buckets of pickles, then brought them back out to Babylon to sell them! Come on! This was not the kind of show I wanted to be in. I was pissed off because this guy put no work into the product he was selling. Also reinforced the realization that this was not my target audience! Maybe I could sell olives...

So a weak display and lack of merchandise led to a flop at my first show. 'Making your table' means that you sold enough items to cover the cost of your table fee, or break even. If you don't make your table, you've lost money. I lost money.

Nowadays my displays have improved. I bought two window screens and spray painted them black, added a piece of wood to stand them up, and use those to display my earrings. I took paint rollers and covered them in felt, and I drape my bracelets over them. I also have small rectangular metal baskets from Staples in which I rolled up three pieces of felt lengthwise and placed them inside, creating slots for my rings to sit in.

I have a table rack for my watercolor paintings, and I'm considering bringing my easel to my next show. I'm almost to the point where I could fill up two tables, and eventually I will start using two, but that means twice the table fee. Outdoor summer shows are a whole different ball game, for those you usually pay for a 10'x10' space and bring your own tent and tables.

The most exclusive of shows are juried craft shows in which only handmade items are sold. In order to enter a juried show you must submit photographs or slides of your work to the show's organizer. They will choose which vendors to allow at their show. These are some serious shows. You must have a tax ID number and it must be displayed in your booth. You must have your own tent and tables. Vendors at these shows are professionals and go all out on their booth displays. Some vendors use lighting and require electrical hookups (which is another fee). Many organizers require that all fabric in your booth is fire-retardant. This is a whole other ball of wax than what I am involved in. This type of show is my goal. As Kadubec explains in his book, a vendor must prepare months in advance for these types of shows. Most vendors plan out there events for the entire year, budgeting money for entrance fees 12 months ahead of time. This is when crafting becomes a full-time job, as I hope it will for me.

For now I'll settle for the vendor fairs... but I've got my eye on bigger things...

Swarovski Crystal: A Rant

Today's Silver Price: $31.68/t.oz.

Let me tell you something about Swarovski Crystal. I don't like it. I don't like the way it looks, I don't like the way it feels, it's hard to spell and hard to pronounce.

Swarovski Crystal was the latest rage a couple of years ago. The craze seems to have died down a bit but it is still very popular. I suppose people like the crystals because they resemble diamonds. Well guess what? I don't like diamonds! Diamonds are not this girl's best friend. I don't like faceted gems in general. They feel sharp, harsh and jagged.

Once when I told a coworker that I made jewelry she immediately asked if I used Swarovski Crystal. She was very disappointed that I didn't. Again, as with gold, I should expand my jewelry collection to include Swarovski in order to appeal to a wider audience, but I really don't want to!

To me it seems like a passing fad. A part of the ridiculous 'Bling Era' in which decadence is the style. Rappers wearing diamond encrusted necklaces makes me laugh... are they serious?? I remember when everyone was ordering tiny Swarovski rhinestones to glue all over their cell phones.

Here's some irony for you. The thing that made me realize I could make my own jewelry was a Swarovski beaded bracelet. Ha! I had ordered a bracelet online that I liked and also helped support victims of domestic violence. It is a multicolored crystal and silver bracelet with a heart charm that says "courage." Half of the Swarovski beads were square and smooth; half were tapered faceted beads.  After purchasing the bracelet and wearing it almost constantly, I started to look at the components of the bracelet and how it was constructed. It was made of course with beads, and the other materials were bead wire, crimp beads, jump rings and a clasp. Until then the only way I knew to make a beaded bracelet was with elastic cord or with fishing line, both tied closed with a knot. Realizing that I could make real bracelets with clasps was very exciting. I could make this bracelet- but I could make it better because I wouldn't use Swarovski Crystal beads!

I can understand the attraction. They are shimmery and shiny and dynamic. It's just not my style. They seem to scream "Hey look at me!!!" As I said before I feel its something of a fad. I think that smooth round beads are more classic and do not go out of style. I have found some beautiful fire polished Czech glass beads through Rio Grande and I love working with them. Glass is relatively inexpensive and comes in an extensive range of colors. Of course there are different shapes and sizes but I have yet to experiment with those. 6mm round beads are perfect for bracelets!

So, while not the popular opinion, I do not like Swarovski Crystal. You're not likely to find it on my site or on my table at a craft show.

I'll take smooth glass beads over faceted crystal beads any day of the week.