One of the things I enjoy about doing bazaars is telling folks about the things I sell. But last week after hearing me telling people the same thing over and over he suggested I put together a story card so folks could read the info rather than my having to repeat myself. I suppose this would let me talk about other things with my shoppers.
So I pulled a template for a trifold and set it up to be cut apart so I get 3 cards for each page.
Now I just need to get them printed before next weekend when I do my next bazaar.
And of course all creativity gets put on hold when winter chores like moving snow around gets first priority.
Update: I finished the cards and created some for my skulls as well. They are turning out to be more effective than just business cards.
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Those little stories
The other day I had the opportunity through normalish conversations to hear some very funny stories. Normal for me means I have conversations with just about anyone including fellow swimmers in the locker room, folks at the bus stop, or even people on an elevator.
They were not long stories but they were funny and spoke a lot about the lives these people had lead. And I thought about how wonderful it was that they shared these with me, but I am guessing not with many other folks.
I think that we all have stories like this in our lives if we are more than 20 years old. and through time have gained the perspective to see the humor in them. Wouldn't it be a wonderful thing to find a way to share these with a bigger audience? And really couldn't we all use the pick me up of an amusing anecdote in our day?
So now these ideas are just starting to bubble but I think there might be something to them. Anyone want to add to the idea or give suggestions?
They were not long stories but they were funny and spoke a lot about the lives these people had lead. And I thought about how wonderful it was that they shared these with me, but I am guessing not with many other folks.
I think that we all have stories like this in our lives if we are more than 20 years old. and through time have gained the perspective to see the humor in them. Wouldn't it be a wonderful thing to find a way to share these with a bigger audience? And really couldn't we all use the pick me up of an amusing anecdote in our day?
So now these ideas are just starting to bubble but I think there might be something to them. Anyone want to add to the idea or give suggestions?
Sunday, November 15, 2015
learning about marketing
Yesterday as I sat a very slow bazaar I had a conversation about marketing with someone who used to do it for a living.
He explained that for someone like me: basically a hobby artist the best form of advertising was exactly what I was doing. Getting out in the community, making connections on facebook, and etsy. Joining art clubs and guilds and associating with people with similar interests.
I do admit I need to spend more time on the Etsy store or explore the facebook store concept. But as a hobbiest I tend to ignore the value of the time spent on promoting since my bottom line is not compelled by successful sales. I do admit I prefer to have a busy sales day at a bazaar rather than not even recoup my table fee. But I do get exposure to people who may not buy this time. but maybe next time as my products are now in their mental catalog.
I am also working on some table cards to go with some of the more "complex" items or the ones that have stories or explanations.
So my take away for the slow day at the bazaar was to learn as much as I could from other vendors and to get some exposure for the work I do.
He explained that for someone like me: basically a hobby artist the best form of advertising was exactly what I was doing. Getting out in the community, making connections on facebook, and etsy. Joining art clubs and guilds and associating with people with similar interests.
I do admit I need to spend more time on the Etsy store or explore the facebook store concept. But as a hobbiest I tend to ignore the value of the time spent on promoting since my bottom line is not compelled by successful sales. I do admit I prefer to have a busy sales day at a bazaar rather than not even recoup my table fee. But I do get exposure to people who may not buy this time. but maybe next time as my products are now in their mental catalog.
I am also working on some table cards to go with some of the more "complex" items or the ones that have stories or explanations.
So my take away for the slow day at the bazaar was to learn as much as I could from other vendors and to get some exposure for the work I do.
Saturday, November 7, 2015
Storm Update
The cancer diagnosis feels very unreal still.
I think this is in large part due to the fact that I am in the waiting stage. It is the weirdest thing, but with leukemia an early diagnosis is not a good thing or a bad thing.
Right now the treatment options are similar to those of many other cancers. And chemo and radiation can take such a toll on the body the prevailing wisdom is that there is no point in putting a patient through that until the symptoms have become so acute that quality of life is impacted. And that may take a very long time.
Years even. So I am in wait and check status. Getting my blood tests every few months and trying not to be paranoid about every little twinge or sniffle.
I am much more aware of all the new medical developments I hear about for cancer now. And I have some hope that in 10 or so years when I may actually need treatment there will be some new therapies that are not so brutal on my body.
A rainbow does not mean the storm has ended, just that it is off in the distance.
I think this is in large part due to the fact that I am in the waiting stage. It is the weirdest thing, but with leukemia an early diagnosis is not a good thing or a bad thing.
Right now the treatment options are similar to those of many other cancers. And chemo and radiation can take such a toll on the body the prevailing wisdom is that there is no point in putting a patient through that until the symptoms have become so acute that quality of life is impacted. And that may take a very long time.
Years even. So I am in wait and check status. Getting my blood tests every few months and trying not to be paranoid about every little twinge or sniffle.
I am much more aware of all the new medical developments I hear about for cancer now. And I have some hope that in 10 or so years when I may actually need treatment there will be some new therapies that are not so brutal on my body.
Cats and the Creative process
There is something about cats, they seem much more interested in what I am doing while I am making things than a dog ever would be. Maybe it is the nature of cats to turn every stray thing into a game. If I play with wire they are right there swatting and attacking those wobbly ends. If I play with fabric that want to lend a paw to make things interesting. And knitting certainly seems fascinating to them.
It is easy to get creative for my cats. We seem to invent a new cat toy every now and then as they suggest some scrap of this or that is REALLY interesting with a high potential fun factor.
But I solemnly swear I will not be making any cat costumes now or in the future.
Now my sister and I when we were very young used to dress the cats in doll clothes and let them take naps in her doll crib. It was really pretty amusing when the two of us would haul the battle scarred old tom cat from his front porch lair to our bedroom so we could stuff him into a little knit sweater and then tuck him gently into the crib. He actually played the part really well. We could play house with the "baby" napping peacefully away, purring his heart out whenever we would check on him. When he was done he would have somehow shed the little yellow garment and was waiting at our door to get let out to the great outdoors once more.
My parents used to laugh because the old veteran was a stray that showed up at our place only now and then and did not allow anyone generally to show him much affection. But dress up time was ok by him. Maybe it was the tlc or maybe it was just the peace and quite of a warm bed.
In spite of this memory that makes me smile, I do not dress cats up in silly hats or outfits. And I have a very sweet old lady in Texas to thank for my change of attitude. Her obsession was not cats but sea turtles. She rescued the endangered and injured turtles and rehabilitated them back into the wild when they were healed. And she would give presentations in her home where she had aquariums and pools everywhere filled with recovering turtles. Her dedication was amazing. But as she was introducing us to some of her charges she would have them dressed in little outfits and hats. Now these were not the full grown turtles but rather 1 and 2 year olds that weight less than 10 pounds.
The woman must have been in her seventies when I saw her and I think I read somewhere long ago she was nearly 100 when she died.
But the ludicrous sight of those poor turtles dressed in outfits, solidified my feeling that animals should not be made to put on a show for the amusement of others. I realized this woman had probably learned she could get more donations from her audience if she tried making some kind of connection between the turtles and them, but I walk away feeling embarrassed to have even watched such silliness.
As much as I know there is money to be made from adorable doggy outfits and frilly feline finery I will stay out of that create outlet.
It is easy to get creative for my cats. We seem to invent a new cat toy every now and then as they suggest some scrap of this or that is REALLY interesting with a high potential fun factor.
But I solemnly swear I will not be making any cat costumes now or in the future.
Now my sister and I when we were very young used to dress the cats in doll clothes and let them take naps in her doll crib. It was really pretty amusing when the two of us would haul the battle scarred old tom cat from his front porch lair to our bedroom so we could stuff him into a little knit sweater and then tuck him gently into the crib. He actually played the part really well. We could play house with the "baby" napping peacefully away, purring his heart out whenever we would check on him. When he was done he would have somehow shed the little yellow garment and was waiting at our door to get let out to the great outdoors once more.
My parents used to laugh because the old veteran was a stray that showed up at our place only now and then and did not allow anyone generally to show him much affection. But dress up time was ok by him. Maybe it was the tlc or maybe it was just the peace and quite of a warm bed.
In spite of this memory that makes me smile, I do not dress cats up in silly hats or outfits. And I have a very sweet old lady in Texas to thank for my change of attitude. Her obsession was not cats but sea turtles. She rescued the endangered and injured turtles and rehabilitated them back into the wild when they were healed. And she would give presentations in her home where she had aquariums and pools everywhere filled with recovering turtles. Her dedication was amazing. But as she was introducing us to some of her charges she would have them dressed in little outfits and hats. Now these were not the full grown turtles but rather 1 and 2 year olds that weight less than 10 pounds.
The woman must have been in her seventies when I saw her and I think I read somewhere long ago she was nearly 100 when she died.
But the ludicrous sight of those poor turtles dressed in outfits, solidified my feeling that animals should not be made to put on a show for the amusement of others. I realized this woman had probably learned she could get more donations from her audience if she tried making some kind of connection between the turtles and them, but I walk away feeling embarrassed to have even watched such silliness.
As much as I know there is money to be made from adorable doggy outfits and frilly feline finery I will stay out of that create outlet.
busy months
Wow! A lot has happened since my last post.
I got a job. working full time but with different hours. Its still working with kids but a very different population.
My creative outlets have become therapy for me in some ways. My job can be frustrating and overwhelming at times so coming home to twist and manipulate metal and literally bend it to my will is a nice thing. Copper wire is my latest medium.One of the reasons I have gone to the direction of playing with copper wire is we have accumulated quite a bit of it from salvaging electronics and transformers and motors and such. While some of it will go to a recycling center much of the rest of it I can re-purpose to jewelry and decorative items to sell at bazaars.
A nice feature is that I have many different gauges of wire to work with. And that lends itself to a broad range of creative uses. Just looking through the coils and twists in their gleaming heaps whispers to me of things to try.
While there are many times a creative idea comes to me that I have to go out and buy materials so I can realize it , there is something very satisfying in being able to be inspired by what I already have. The tricky part is to make sure that the gathering of stuff does not become its own obsession. I do seem to pick up every stray set of beads I find, from salvaging them off discards at the dumpster to an occasional purchase of "grab bag" of jewelry at the second hand store.
Fabric is another pile that grows from other people's cast offs. I seem to find some of the most amazing fabric in the form of discarded clothing that I salvage. Since most of my sewing is either small work or quilting I do not need fabric in big chunks.
And now of course there is the wire. Dissecting the electronics is almost a meditation. As the screws come out the bits and pieces suggest other uses. And those pieces we do scrap are easily salvaged by others who want to recycle them or use them. The copper wire has some value at the local metals recycler and many folks snatch up every inch of old copper they find with this in mind. But my profit margin is much higher. With 24 inches of 14 gauge copper I can create an object to sell for $10-$15 where the recyclers will get about $.50 for the same piece. I'm not just creative, I am smart. LOL
I got a job. working full time but with different hours. Its still working with kids but a very different population.
My creative outlets have become therapy for me in some ways. My job can be frustrating and overwhelming at times so coming home to twist and manipulate metal and literally bend it to my will is a nice thing. Copper wire is my latest medium.One of the reasons I have gone to the direction of playing with copper wire is we have accumulated quite a bit of it from salvaging electronics and transformers and motors and such. While some of it will go to a recycling center much of the rest of it I can re-purpose to jewelry and decorative items to sell at bazaars.
A nice feature is that I have many different gauges of wire to work with. And that lends itself to a broad range of creative uses. Just looking through the coils and twists in their gleaming heaps whispers to me of things to try.
While there are many times a creative idea comes to me that I have to go out and buy materials so I can realize it , there is something very satisfying in being able to be inspired by what I already have. The tricky part is to make sure that the gathering of stuff does not become its own obsession. I do seem to pick up every stray set of beads I find, from salvaging them off discards at the dumpster to an occasional purchase of "grab bag" of jewelry at the second hand store.
Fabric is another pile that grows from other people's cast offs. I seem to find some of the most amazing fabric in the form of discarded clothing that I salvage. Since most of my sewing is either small work or quilting I do not need fabric in big chunks.
And now of course there is the wire. Dissecting the electronics is almost a meditation. As the screws come out the bits and pieces suggest other uses. And those pieces we do scrap are easily salvaged by others who want to recycle them or use them. The copper wire has some value at the local metals recycler and many folks snatch up every inch of old copper they find with this in mind. But my profit margin is much higher. With 24 inches of 14 gauge copper I can create an object to sell for $10-$15 where the recyclers will get about $.50 for the same piece. I'm not just creative, I am smart. LOL
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)