The Sales Curse

A few months after I started on Etsy, I decided to post a shadow box I had made which had been hanging in my bedroom. I actually put a fairly high price on it, not being well versed in the art yet. Literally 15 minutes later it sold. Hmmmmmmmm.... I went out, bought the materials for 2-3 more, made them, posted them and there they sat.
Last year I saw something in a catalog I thought I could reproduce better. I did. It enabled me to use the vast majority of mini chairs that I had collected. The finished product elicited raves from family and friends so I posted them. Have you guessed yet? They sat.
I have made dozens of magnetic bookmarks which sell in real life 10 to 1 as opposed to online. Why?
Today I posted a pair of handwarmers made from an upcycled sweater with crochet trim...an experiment for me. One hour later they sold. So the questions begs...do I make more? Or do I not press my luck?!

November?

Okay, so today is November 29th and the month is over and I've been gone from my blog for 22 days. Where was I? Fortunately I had a veritable blitz of special orders that kept me knitting and sewing. I mean, over 9 knitted pieces and 6 embroidery. Wonderful! If not for them, the month, sales wise would have been uneventful. Etsy is getting heavier and deeper and so hard to be seen. I love Zibbet for it's freshness and clean appearance. I'm keeping both going for now. We'll see if anything happens tomorrow, Cyber Monday. I along with a bazillion others have a sale going but who knows? I think my prices are so reasonable,if not cheap, a sale can hurt. We'll see.
So to all my bloggy friends, hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful and your holiday season is productive, fruitful and calm.

Art & Craft Fairs

I have close friends who are dealers of antiques that are quite pricey by most standards. I have been privy to their ups and downs for years and I ache for them when a show is a bust & applaud with them when they have success. The hauling of heavy goods, the endurance of long hours, the muddy field or the cold concrete floors have been chapters in their lives forever. Irregular, unpredictable, and very hard work.
For the rare times I do shows, I think of them & I ache more for them with the preparation, the set-up, the anxiety, the boredom, the cost and on and on. I don't think the general public appreciates the before,during and after effort that is necessary for craft fairs and shows.
I did a local show today and was quite pleased with the results though we are exhausted. It's nice to know that some really care about my work & that their purchase of it supports my dream. To them I say "THANK YOU".
For those that say "Oh, now I know what to do with Grandma's buttons" or "How cute, how clever, I'll have to try that at home" , I say be my guest, do it, try it and call me when you're trying to sell it and I'll come look, and touch, and measure and comment under my breath "Hmph, I could do that".

Stash Scarf

The other day one of my yarn bins flipped over and spilled the neatly placed contents...ugh! A tangled mess. I decided to grab a few balls and see what type of scarf to create. I had the beginnings of a pattern but really winged it by just picking out the largest balls in 4 coordinating colors. It's knit lengthwise so it was about 150 stitches on large needles but only 10 rows so it didn't take all that long. It came in measuring almost 6 feet. Very soft!

Oh, and yes, I still have the crud...cannot shake it. Any suggestions other than shooting myself will be gratefully considered!

Road Trip

We were worried about our NY trip since we were exposed to the H1N1 flu even though we got 10 day doses of Tamiflu. I kept starting to feel sick but it never came. Despite awful, cold, rainy weather we did have fun until the next to last leg home. A five hour stretch took 8 hours and 12 minutes but who's counting......ugh!
Anyway, we got home Saturday afternoon to a fairly clean house, loads of laundry, 5 special order requests AND disease... I am sicker than I've been in years. Better not start the special orders in case I infect them! It's not the flu, just a first class, miserable cold/sinus number and I plan on staying close to my pillow all day tomorrow.

IndieSmiles

Indie Smiles is a neat website run by 2 terrific gals who love to promote independent artists and crafters. To quote them "Indiesmiles is a one stop shopping source of online Indie shops at a discount! Here, you can discover new and emerging talent while shopping around for that perfect gift or unique item for yourself WHILE finding the best indie deals out there."
I was involved with them awhile back in a coupon promotion and now I'm a columnist! I think I've been selling online long enough to offer a bit of wisdom/advice. I certainly read alot, trying to learn more about the web. My first article is Packaging On A Dime and it's all about well, packaging! It was funny because before actual submission, I had to cut the number of words as I had too many. When it was edited what they put in was what I cut! So I guess Sue, El and I are on the same page. Also visit riricreations -her photo accompanies the article.
But before you go look at these my first sale on Zibbet!

It's Done!!!!

Back on August 20th, I wrote about my attempt at a crocheted afghan. I finished! It is larger than I first planned and naturally took more yarn than I anticipated and in fact, I have 2 odd squares left over. It's been complete for about a week now so one month doesn't seem like too terribly long. I did not repeat a color either in the vertical or horizontal row so that took some planning. I actually think the piecing together took as long as the crocheting but I am pleased and so is DH. It is really for his chair IF and when it ever gets cold. An afghan in South Carolina does seem a bit odd but we do have a day or two of chilly weather so now we're ready!