A Few Months Later

Things just don't turn out as you plan. My goal was to drop my Apron and Accessory line and Boost my Felt Flower Jewelry line with an added touch of Product design.

Well the flowers are selling, but certainly not enough to live on. But the Aprons and Accessories (especially after adding Bow Ties and an eBay store) is booming. The one business that I wanted to eliminate. So, now I'm building a website (poppysgardengate.com) for that business and seriously considering ending my line of Eco Felt flowers. Well not entirely. I may just move everything to a free store and shut down that Artfire shop. I'm thinking maybe storeenvy.

Maybe it's just that I need to focus on just one line, but I can't focus on just that one, because I make my income off the other. I suppose it's like having a full time job and trying to sell my craft. I guess if others can do it so can I. But they're on Etsy and I'm perma-banned. So until there's another alternative, other than eBay, I just have to do what I need to do.

On a cheerier note. One of my designs sold to a major retailer. Here are the statistics on that one. I spent 3 weeks, about 400 hours on 28 designs. 9 designs were selected for presentation. One design sold. My income at this time, about $1000. If you can't calculate, that's about $2.50 an hour. Not so great eh? Sounds like working for your craft?

There are other possibilities though. More of the designs can sell, or I can sell the designs to other clients, and I can alter designs to use for other clients too. And the retailer that bought the product is only introducing them in 200 stores, if they do well they might increase the line. So my dollar per hour will increase. Lets just say, I'm confident enough in my design, that it will do well and sell through another season. I'll let you all know what it is, when it's on the shelves next spring.

I've also resigned myself to making my Aprons and Accessories for income. I still get to work at home, and my income this year has doubled what it was last year. I just love my flowers and hoped that more than the few who buy from me would love them too. Oh well, maybe I can incorporate them into my lighting designs.

February 3, 2012

I spent a little bit of time today working on Taxes again. My daughter Poppy did very well. I did not. She is very resilient. When things start to go sour, she just perks up and does whatever it is that earns the money she needs.

I've been trying to make a go at my business and spending so much time at it that I didn't notice how hard the change has been on my daughter. She has finally decided to close her designer clothing shop. It just doesn't have the sales that she had on Etsy. Artfire is a different type of site to sell at. She does very well at her genre merchandise. I mentioned that I make almost all of my sales in my genre shop. It is not my favorite thing to do. I am sure that what she is selling is not her favorite either.

I blogged a bit about her shop closing. It's been a rough year.

January 31, 2012

I have a little confession to make, well, besides the fact that I have just not been motivated to do something with my flowers since I was booted off of Etsy. One of the reasons I don't make longer necklaces is that the flowers sitting on chain tip. They sit nice close to your neck, but if they are hanging on a chain they tend to go all wonky. There I said it.

So, I guess if I want to make longer necklaces, it's back to the drawing board. The flowers sit well on a crocheted or fabric band, but I think chain would be nicer (although more expensive as I'd need twice as much for each necklace. I'd love to come up with some kind of recycled eco bead that I could wire. Maybe that mass of dryer lint we always have.

Back to the flower pendants. I could either make a “ballast” on a single flower, with maybe a stone hanging from it's chain loop, or I could make some kind of posey pouch that the flowers hang from, like a little envelope with chain on either side and filled with 2-3 flowers. I kind of like that Idea. I think most of the necklaces need to be simple. Maybe a tiny flower vase or handmade “stems”

I have another confession. I hate artificial flowers, or silk flowers. Always have. You might think, “why is she making artificial flowers and trying to push them on other people”? I think of my flowers as not reproductions of real flowers, but little impressions of the flowers we love. Kind of like an impressionistic painting. I love paintings of flowers, like Van Gogh's Sunflowers or Art Glass flowers, like the ones L. C. Tiffany made in his mosaics.

I'm glad I'm writing this blog, because it's giving my mind clarity about what I want to do with my flowers. And I'm finding that that is my heart's desire. Which is a good thing to know. Is it starting to show?

I was also inspired today by this post on Handmadeology by Tuckoo and Moo Cow. It's short, so please take the time to read it. I think this is why I haven't sold much, and what I am missing.

January 21, 2012 - Wake Up Call

I suppose if I want to make a press kit and do some more promotion, I need to think a little more about branding. Branding. I really need a good logo, good headshot of me (lol) and a good tagline. I've stolen a line from Matisse, which I love, but I think I need something better. Something exclusively me and in my own words. Do you think, “I make great shit, buy it.” will do?

I think I have it. The Morton Salt Girl. I need something somewhere between my current business card and the Morton Salt logo. I am only branding my Eco Felt Flowers.

I found some recycled glass rondelles that I can uses as my flower centers. Too expensive for now. Must remember later.

I also just realized today, that I've been brainwashed by Etsy. I haven't sold there in over a year, but I'm still brainwashed. Everything they encourage their sellers to do for exposure, benefits Etsy. They don't really encourage you to make a press kit or sell your wares to brick and mortars. Why would they, when they can get commission off your sales online? They also encourage you to up your prices (don't undersell yourself) which means more for them too. Not that I don't think that a business shouldn't do all it can to succeed. I think it would be better if they not pretend they are the good guy whey they are just as greedy as the next corporation.

God I'm running my business just like the seller who made crafts in Girl Scouts and thinks she can make a living off of it, just because there is a site and a store with her name on it. There is so much more to running a business than just making pretty things and I should know better. I should just slap myself across the face, knowing that I didn't wake up sooner than this!

If I want this to work, I have to promote, and put a name and a face to it, and hit the road. I need to create in image and get me some press. I am a designer. If I can design lighting, I can design a business that can sell and be viable. I know I can. I just need to take a look at all the parts I need and assemble them in the most appealing way and voila!