I was reminded today about the whole Cinderella thing. I think I may have mentioned why the name Cinders. It has to do with being called Cinderella as a young child in the hospital. Endearing terms for an ailing child, by interns and nurses. I was a pretty sickly little kid. I spent so much time in the hospital, that when I was finally healthy, I really missed it.
I began to think of myself in terms of Cinderella and her life, even getting a stepmother and 2 step sisters. I thought that when I grew up, Prince Charming would come and rescue me (never gonna happen). I loved the birds and the little mice too.
Cinders is a combination of Cinderella and Cindy and also my favorite Hans Christian Anderson tale, the Tinderbox. And it also represents recycling to me. From the cinders (or ashes) I can make something beautiful.
I didn't finish this post last night, so some people might have gotten my post emailed without the balance of my thoughts. Not that anyone is reading this one anyhow. My life has been so hectic lately that I'm leaving out steps all over the place. I just remembered that I forgot to cancel my car insurance 2 weeks ago. No car, no need for insurance. I have quite a few more important things too, before I get to that.
I spent the day sewing and then spending time with my cousins. I didn't even have a chance to draw or work on my brochure. But at least I got all of my sewing done. Hopefully I get more finished Tuesday, but it's not looking good. My daughter's birthday is tomorrow, I have to watch her baby while she works, package my sewing, grocery shop, and make her favorite cake.
March 20, 2012
March 19, 2012
March 18, 2012
Today was a crafting day. I also worked a bit on my next design project. I have to get them in by the end of the week. A few phone calls, one from the person I am designing for to discuss the project, and one from my cousin to arrange visiting my sick cousin. I understand he has a terminal illness, but is feeling very well considering. Terminal doesn't mean the same thing it used to. Many people with terminal illness can live longer than those without. As I've said before, my son who we were told would not live to adulthood, has outlived many of his friends.
I was reading this wonderful post on Handmadeology about Offline Marketing for Online Businesses. I can't even begin to tell you how much Handmadeology has helped me put together my approach to promoting my business. It's almost as if they are reading my mind and know the next stem in my progress. Are you watching me Tim?
Speaking of watching me. I've noticed that certain places like Groupon, Facebook, Vitacost and of course eBay and Amazon, seem to know what I'm browsing and coincidentally send me ads in key places. I even get ads on Google or AOL that relate to emails I get. I'm not sure I really like being spied on like that. I suppose one day I'll have to invest in software that block spying, because my freeware doesn't seem to be doing the trick.
Back to Handmadeology. The post is about cross promotion and using shops or other venues to get your product seen. I hadn't considered this before. It's about not just taking your wares to a shop and dropping it off to sell, but also offering a service to your shop. For instance, I have a fairly large following on Twitter. I suppose I should grow that following locally too. But I could promote the business that I might sell at too. I could promote myself to local papers and say that my product is available at .... cross promoting them as well. It's just brilliant.
I know you would like to think that your product alone is what would sell you, but we live in the real world. Remember that Our past president couldn't pronounce the simplest of words and got all D's in school. It's not all about the product, a lot of it is the packaging.
I also think that I need to be using this information in my everyday life. Even in my design business. I need to sell myself. I've been working on my design portfolio website, and haven't even made a front page yet. I finally realized what it is I need to do to promote myself. High End design at Low manufacturing cost. Brilliant epiphany.
I was reading this wonderful post on Handmadeology about Offline Marketing for Online Businesses. I can't even begin to tell you how much Handmadeology has helped me put together my approach to promoting my business. It's almost as if they are reading my mind and know the next stem in my progress. Are you watching me Tim?
Speaking of watching me. I've noticed that certain places like Groupon, Facebook, Vitacost and of course eBay and Amazon, seem to know what I'm browsing and coincidentally send me ads in key places. I even get ads on Google or AOL that relate to emails I get. I'm not sure I really like being spied on like that. I suppose one day I'll have to invest in software that block spying, because my freeware doesn't seem to be doing the trick.
Back to Handmadeology. The post is about cross promotion and using shops or other venues to get your product seen. I hadn't considered this before. It's about not just taking your wares to a shop and dropping it off to sell, but also offering a service to your shop. For instance, I have a fairly large following on Twitter. I suppose I should grow that following locally too. But I could promote the business that I might sell at too. I could promote myself to local papers and say that my product is available at .... cross promoting them as well. It's just brilliant.
I know you would like to think that your product alone is what would sell you, but we live in the real world. Remember that Our past president couldn't pronounce the simplest of words and got all D's in school. It's not all about the product, a lot of it is the packaging.
I also think that I need to be using this information in my everyday life. Even in my design business. I need to sell myself. I've been working on my design portfolio website, and haven't even made a front page yet. I finally realized what it is I need to do to promote myself. High End design at Low manufacturing cost. Brilliant epiphany.
March 18, 2012
March 17, 2012
Today I was asked to do another rendering of a light design I had done freelance. This means that the Store I had designed for has chosen 6 of my designs to sample. It does not mean that they will buy them, but if the company I make them for can make nice samples at a good cost, it might mean that in 2013 they will be in the retail store and I will make commission.
I find that I definitely like designing product much better than sewing. There is a toss up between making jewelry and design though. Right now my income has doubled what I was making last year because of the design work, but the majority of design work is just this time of year.
I will be having a lot of work this time of year which will let me focus on getting my jewelry to shops at the end of April as I had planned. I need to focus more on my website to get the rankings up. I planned on having a giveaway in March, but I've been too busy. It think I need to do it anyhow. I'll do a quick giveaway of the Pick your own mini bouquet brooches. They will get them in time for Easter/Spring holidays. I'm hoping that I will bring traffic to my site and also have people recommend my flowers. I'll plan for Wednesday.
I find that I definitely like designing product much better than sewing. There is a toss up between making jewelry and design though. Right now my income has doubled what I was making last year because of the design work, but the majority of design work is just this time of year.
I will be having a lot of work this time of year which will let me focus on getting my jewelry to shops at the end of April as I had planned. I need to focus more on my website to get the rankings up. I planned on having a giveaway in March, but I've been too busy. It think I need to do it anyhow. I'll do a quick giveaway of the Pick your own mini bouquet brooches. They will get them in time for Easter/Spring holidays. I'm hoping that I will bring traffic to my site and also have people recommend my flowers. I'll plan for Wednesday.
March 17, 2012
March 16, 2012
No matter what you do, or what your plans, something will happen that will make a change in your life. It might be a good thing, or it might be a bad thing. You never know. Something bad might become something good in the end. I used to have a job and a nice house in New York State. I lost my job and eventually lost my house. The job market was terrible there, and I had a choice of moving, or freelance work. I chose freelance to keep my family there. I was so tired of moving.
When the economy crashed, things got much worse. Eventually we had to abandon our home and move back to our hometown, where relatives had a cheap rental we could live it. They had it because it was a mess. It actually rained in the living room when we moved in. The floors were mush from all the water, and there was mold everywhere. I had to staple up a plastic dropcloth with a hole positioned in just the right place to funnel the water into a trash can, that we had to empty regularly.
The bathroom was a horrid mess. The tub so bad that we would only shower with our eyes closed. It had been painted and peeled and stained rust with the iron in the water. I tried to remove the paint, but underneath was a pink, iron stained tub.
Eventually the relative put on a new roof, no ceiling for a year, but a roof. We eventually got a ceiling too. And we remodeled the bathroom ourselves, a display tub and relatively new sink and cabinets from a friend who remodeled their new home. It was so nice to take a bath again.
About the same time we lost our house, my cousin and her fiance lost their house too. Her father lived with her, and they all moved back to Cleveland. Her fiance got cancer and eventually passed away. But they were in town with his son and all of her family. It was a good thing that they lost their house.
Now her father, my cousin has cancer. It's not good. He may last a while, but it's not good. I just found out today, and have spent much of the day crying on and off. He and his brother are more like my brothers than my own brothers. I wasn't raised with my brothers, but I was raised with my cousins. I love them dearly.
This morning while I was waking up, I realized just how lucky that we all were to have lost our houses out of state. I haven't seen my cousin much, even though he lives close, but I've seen him a few times a year. I'm even glad I didn't have a car, because he drove me to family gatherings, and we spent even more time together. I'm even glad he got lost that one time and we were a half hour late to dinner, because that was more time to spend together.
You never know what can happen and you never know how a bad thing will be a positive. That's why when bad things happen, I usually don't complain or cry (except this time) because I know that sometimes it changes things for the better.
The recent events have put a damper on my sleep though. I barely have enough time as it is to accomplish all of my goals. Now I have to work till late in the evening to get work done. I'll be spending a bit more time with family so I'll be having less time at home. I'm sure though that something wonderful will come of it all though.
When the economy crashed, things got much worse. Eventually we had to abandon our home and move back to our hometown, where relatives had a cheap rental we could live it. They had it because it was a mess. It actually rained in the living room when we moved in. The floors were mush from all the water, and there was mold everywhere. I had to staple up a plastic dropcloth with a hole positioned in just the right place to funnel the water into a trash can, that we had to empty regularly.
The bathroom was a horrid mess. The tub so bad that we would only shower with our eyes closed. It had been painted and peeled and stained rust with the iron in the water. I tried to remove the paint, but underneath was a pink, iron stained tub.
Eventually the relative put on a new roof, no ceiling for a year, but a roof. We eventually got a ceiling too. And we remodeled the bathroom ourselves, a display tub and relatively new sink and cabinets from a friend who remodeled their new home. It was so nice to take a bath again.
About the same time we lost our house, my cousin and her fiance lost their house too. Her father lived with her, and they all moved back to Cleveland. Her fiance got cancer and eventually passed away. But they were in town with his son and all of her family. It was a good thing that they lost their house.
Now her father, my cousin has cancer. It's not good. He may last a while, but it's not good. I just found out today, and have spent much of the day crying on and off. He and his brother are more like my brothers than my own brothers. I wasn't raised with my brothers, but I was raised with my cousins. I love them dearly.
This morning while I was waking up, I realized just how lucky that we all were to have lost our houses out of state. I haven't seen my cousin much, even though he lives close, but I've seen him a few times a year. I'm even glad I didn't have a car, because he drove me to family gatherings, and we spent even more time together. I'm even glad he got lost that one time and we were a half hour late to dinner, because that was more time to spend together.
You never know what can happen and you never know how a bad thing will be a positive. That's why when bad things happen, I usually don't complain or cry (except this time) because I know that sometimes it changes things for the better.
The recent events have put a damper on my sleep though. I barely have enough time as it is to accomplish all of my goals. Now I have to work till late in the evening to get work done. I'll be spending a bit more time with family so I'll be having less time at home. I'm sure though that something wonderful will come of it all though.
March 16, 2012
March 15, 2012
So much for crocheting my new headbands today. I really want to make and list the Wedding headbands, I think they would be so lovely for brides who want something a little non traditional. I want to design something with a lacy triangle that peaks over the forehead.
I didn't get a chance to work on them because in the morning I was finishing my solar light designs and in the evening I worked on my daughters taxes. Seems I didn't add up all her expenses like I thought I did and I had to spend the whole night going through her statements and PayPal receipts. Took about 3 hours I wasn't expecting to loose.
Although I must admit I did take a break between both tasks, by drinking a couple of beers and watching some video. I really needed a break. I even took a tiny 10 minute nap. I never do that midday. I've been so exhausted. I don't have much time left to get my product ready to place in shops. I need to finish my catalog and samples to send out.
I could really use a nice vacation.
I didn't get a chance to work on them because in the morning I was finishing my solar light designs and in the evening I worked on my daughters taxes. Seems I didn't add up all her expenses like I thought I did and I had to spend the whole night going through her statements and PayPal receipts. Took about 3 hours I wasn't expecting to loose.
Although I must admit I did take a break between both tasks, by drinking a couple of beers and watching some video. I really needed a break. I even took a tiny 10 minute nap. I never do that midday. I've been so exhausted. I don't have much time left to get my product ready to place in shops. I need to finish my catalog and samples to send out.
I could really use a nice vacation.
March 15, 2012
March 14, 2012
I haven't been able to sleep much lately. Maybe I have too much on my mind. I'm not sure that's the problem, because I always have a lot on my mind.
I contacted an old work associate today. I feel like I'm being dragged away from what I have invested the past four year in. Of course I invested many years into product design too. There were things I didn't like about my jobs though. But I guess there were some pretty wonderful things about it too.
I also received some pretty bad complaints about my jewelry today. Really horrible. I've been making it for several years now, and no one has complained like this. I did have a complaint once, that a buyer lost a bracelet while she was wearing it, but I think she just didn't have the toggle clasp closed right. She didn't know, but blamed it on me.
I know there are people out there who are just trying to play you. I guess there are good and bad people in every walk of life. There's the dishonest seller, who steals ideas, and there's the ones who will give you the shirt off their back. I've gotten help from people I barely know that I'm just amazed at. There are wonderful buyers who keep coming back, just to show support, and there are the ones who complain just to get something for free.
It's the same way at a job. Some bosses send you home crying and others will bend over backwards to promote and support you. I just seem to attract (or be attracted to) the bad ones. I might be able to return to work with a good boss. I might be able to marry again with a good man.
I contacted an old work associate today. I feel like I'm being dragged away from what I have invested the past four year in. Of course I invested many years into product design too. There were things I didn't like about my jobs though. But I guess there were some pretty wonderful things about it too.
I also received some pretty bad complaints about my jewelry today. Really horrible. I've been making it for several years now, and no one has complained like this. I did have a complaint once, that a buyer lost a bracelet while she was wearing it, but I think she just didn't have the toggle clasp closed right. She didn't know, but blamed it on me.
I know there are people out there who are just trying to play you. I guess there are good and bad people in every walk of life. There's the dishonest seller, who steals ideas, and there's the ones who will give you the shirt off their back. I've gotten help from people I barely know that I'm just amazed at. There are wonderful buyers who keep coming back, just to show support, and there are the ones who complain just to get something for free.
It's the same way at a job. Some bosses send you home crying and others will bend over backwards to promote and support you. I just seem to attract (or be attracted to) the bad ones. I might be able to return to work with a good boss. I might be able to marry again with a good man.
March 14, 2012
March 13, 2012
Must be that conjunction of Venus and Jupiter in the sky, but life has just gotten too busy the past few weeks. I'm so darn busy that I can't even find the time to finish my daughters taxes so she can get money, or sent my client an invoice so I can get money. Maybe we'll have enough to fix our car, or buy another. That would be nice.
I've been working on design drawings for a client, but I keep thinking about the new headbands I'm going to make, because I have new yarn. I sure hope I find the time to make them. Not that I can get to a model to photograph them. I wonder if I can set up a photo shoot in the park across the street with some hungry models. I can walk or ride a bike there. It's a bit of a walk into the park, but not too bad.
The weather has been so nice here too and I'm working all day and night and can't seem to get out and enjoy it much. I'm thinking retirement is looking better every day. I should have invested wisely. Oh well.
I've been working on design drawings for a client, but I keep thinking about the new headbands I'm going to make, because I have new yarn. I sure hope I find the time to make them. Not that I can get to a model to photograph them. I wonder if I can set up a photo shoot in the park across the street with some hungry models. I can walk or ride a bike there. It's a bit of a walk into the park, but not too bad.
The weather has been so nice here too and I'm working all day and night and can't seem to get out and enjoy it much. I'm thinking retirement is looking better every day. I should have invested wisely. Oh well.
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