March 6, 2012

Today I spent much of the day drawing and editing. I also had to finish orders. What a crazy week it's been. Not a lot of time to promote my own work, when I was doing so well. Not that the designs aren't my work, just not by my hand.

My new assignment is not my forte. Cute and kitschy are not my thing, do having a very hard time designing in basically one day. I need more time for that. I haven't heard back from the company yet so I think I might have missed the mark.

On the positive side, I really only have to design my packaging for the Flower jewelry wholesaling. I pretty much have it in my head. Just need to put it to paper and see what happens. Oh and I really need shots of my new headbands. I can have a promo for those. Profit percentage is pretty good.  

March 4, 2012

My head is really spinning with all the work I'm doing. I had to spend the whole day today at a friends baby shower, but all the time I'm thinking of what I have to design and what I need to do for my flower business.

As soon as I'm done with the designs and can take a breather, I'm going to review everything I need to get ready, and look at all I've done. I'm hoping I'm pretty close to completion for my flower jewelry wholesaling. I know I have packing to complete and my brochures and of course samples. But I'm doing pretty well so far. I also need to look at blogs and websites that I can contact for promotion.

I really need to spend a bit of time on my design portfolio. I've been fairly successful with that, so I think I need to make some more contacts. I just need more hours in the day.  

March 1, 2012 - March Comes in Like a Lion

You're starting to know so much more about me than anyone else does, I might as well let you in on a little secret. I promised myself if anything happened, that I had some free time on my hands, I would write a book. Well, for the past four years, I've had lots of time on my hands, but no book. The main reason I'm writing all this down, is just to prove to myself that I can write, four months every day.

It's March, that means I've written for two of the four months everyday. Go me! That in itself is quite an accomplishment. But have I accomplished my goals?

Here's a wrap, this week has been heartbreaking and amazing. There were so many ups and down this week. I haven't had such a roller coaster ride in a long time.

The downs were that our car died, after we put so much money into it. Money we didn't really have to spare. $2000 for a car that only lasted three months and barely that is not good. And then there was the shooting in Chardon. The community we spend so much time in. The school that my daughter's brother in law went to. The school she was considering sending her son to, because his school doesn't have the best programs for him.

First positive was that on the weekend I found I got my Power Seller status on eBay and then Top Seller and later this week I rolled over 1900 feedback with a 99.4% positive rating. Darn that .6% of people who just have to be negative.

And then there were the sales. This week was amazing. I can't believe how many sales I had on all my shops, and at the end of the month. The nice thing is that most of my sales were on Artfire which means I don't have to pay those ridiculous fees on eBay.

Lastly, I got a design commission. I guess updating my profile on linked in payed off. I'll give you a little tip, even if you are a handmade artisan. Join linked in and make as many contacts as you can. Updating your profile sends out notification to your contacts. This reminds people who you are and what you do.

It's been quite a week and I can't wait to see what else March has in store for me.  

February 25, 2012 - Progress Report

Was so tired today, but I did some relatively inactive work. Early in the morning while there was light and the family was sleeping, I took loads of pictures of new product. It looks like I have a lot, because I use the same headband and just add different flowers to them. I'll do the same when I have them modeled too.

So progress for the week. I finished and presented my new website. I had no idea it would take that long to make just the way I want it. And by finished I don't mean really finished, I just mean the overall look and design. I still have to add a shop, but I didn't just want to slap it together and throw on things. I wanted it to look perfectly beautiful and professional. I wanted it to have the essence of what my flower jewelry is about and I wanted it to be enticing. I think I did that (I hope).

Weight loss is a serious meh. Five pounds in almost 2 months. It's progress, but I really have to step up my game next month. I thought that not smelling food for 2 weeks would do something, but I guess the sitting around counteracted the not eating thing. I'm going to start walking more in March. I usually don't hurt myself doing that.

I still have the brochure and display packaging to design, but I've started on that. I was thinking of doing shows, but it still gives me the creeps just thinking about it. I am not a direct sales person, that's why I sell on the Internet. Not that I can't do it, I just hate it. My last boss tried to get me to do sales, he thought he could turn me into a sales person. It really isn't that I can't it's more that I really don't want to. It I have to go to shops and talk to people about my wares, I'll be fine. If I have to go to an interview for a job, I'll be fine. I've managed to talk a lot of people into believing I have talent. But to sit for a whole day at a table talking to people about my work and how much they would love wearing it, not so much.

Once again, I spent no time on the product design portfolio, or the CAD program.

I also got our taxes to the point of near completion. My daughter needs a few more expenses tallied and added and my taxes will be sent in April 15 as once again I owe more.

I finally got my student load forbearance and amazingly enough they removed $2000. Now I only owe 56 K of a 38 K loan after paying for 10 years. Oh how I would love to have the money, to make them an offer for payoff and just get all my debts out of my life. Student Loans, IRS, every creditor I owe.

Well that's about it for the wrap of the week. Back to editing and listing my new merchandise. 

February 19, 2012

I suppose it's just the flu, sinus infection, cough, headache, muscle aches and cold lasting well over 2 weeks, but I'm ready to pack it all in. I'm remembering Maslow's hierarchy of needs and my jewelry is about at the lowest rung of the need ladder. But I guess that's where marketing comes in.

I really have to create need and desire for my product, my flowers. I sometimes think it would just serve me better to do something to earn money, a little closer to base needs. If I asked my friends what they need, I know most would say money. I'm pretty good at making facsimiles, but I might go to prison for that.

So I either have to create a driving desire to possess my product or move a little closer to basic needs, like air, clothing, food, or even love, shelter, health. I know, maybe the flowers should be edible, no, maybe they can be made with like rose quartz crystals to bring love.

Oh I know, they are pretty durable, maybe they can be bath scrubbies. I'd have to mkce the centers with plastic findings instead of metal though. If they were glow in the dark, you could use them as locaters. Maybe I could make them Solar and led lighted, and they can be used for airplane landing strips.

No, I just think they should be pretty flowers that make you feel special wearing them. That is if I don't decide to do something else. Like – what do people need, not want need. People need ______. OK so maybe want – people want _______. I just need to fill in the blanks.

Oh I'm tired and I'm tired of being funny. I just want to earn enough money to live in a tiny place of my own and afford meager food. I can do so well with that. Yesterday I fed dinner to 5 mouthes on about $6 worth of food. I was so proud of myself. Pulled pork on buns and coleslaw. We actually had leftovers for lunch too. Maybe I should write about how to live on a very tight budget. That could get published.

February 11, 2012 - Progress Report

I have been sick and sitting around all week so today I had to catch up on Housework. ALL DAY. I didn't really do anything other than sprucing up my other blog today and doing a little promoting.

I thought tonight might be a good time to check my progress. I'm going to let you know how I did. I made a spreadsheet with completion dates for projects and lets see how good I did.

Weight loss is a miserable minus. I've lost some, but no where near what I wanted to loose.

I did complete, photograph and list Bangle bracelets. But I still have many new things to make, like rings, bouquets and baby photo props. But my deadline for those hasn't passed yet.

I wanted to have my Logo finished by January 31^st and it's almost done, but I can't decide if I need changes or not. It should be soon, because I need it to finish my new business cards, packaging and brochure.

I have almost finished my website. It was so much more complicated than I thought it would be. But I'm very happy with it now. Just a few more touches and I'll start promoting it.

I have 3 more days to master my CAD program and I haven't even started. I'd better get on that. I might be able to use it for my flower designs too. I really like to draw on CAD, I'm just not familiar with the program I have.

I have my Design Portfolio half finished and that is not due until March 1 so I'm pretty good there.

I've also made some contacts and discussed the possibility of working freelance in the lighting industry again.

I have made some progress in the past five weeks. I hope there will be a lot more to come.  

February 7, 2012

I am so excited about my website. It is not perfect yet but It is almost just what I want it to be. I still need to finish packaging and show examples and clean up my bio and some of the information, but overall I love where it's going. I'm not crazy about it changing daily, but I'm not really promoting it yet.

I'm using it as a gateway to my Artfire shop and the Artfire shop as a Gateway to the website. I really rather have my items for casual sale on Artfire and my Shop and Wedding sales through the website. Which reminds me, I need to do a Bridal Page.

I'm really excited about tying up my website. It will drive the direction the rest of my packaging and brochure. Oh and I'm going to do baby props too.

I want to keep the website simple, but there is so much more to do with it. And then there's the design website to do and I gave myself a deadline of February 15^th to learn the new CAD program. Too much to do in too little time. I need to ask others that have set up websites if they are getting any business there too.

January 27, 2012

I spent a lazy day today, working on the house and letting my friends and family work on my renewed line of product. OK I did work on it. But I did get a LOT of help. Here's what they came up with.

My tag line idea has to do with we are flowers. Highlighting wear. That was my idea, and then a few little sayings about how we are like flowers, we need nurturing and sunshine, blah blah blah. One suggested the little sayings are like fortune cookies and I thought that the flowers could be tagged with random saying ie. You are like a flower because..... And my dear daughter came up with the idea of making tags out of tiny envelopes filled with seeds or seed embedded paper. Brilliant! I am still working on that.

Another friend is having a friend work on a logo for me. It needs a little tweaking, but is wonderful so far. Really what I want to express in my name. I really have always looked at myself as a gardener. Or at least Id like to be one, even in my work and my relations with others.

So I'll be spending my time looking for tiny seed packets or printable seed paper and thinking up little sayings, and when my business is up and running, I'm owing some friends a share.

Oh and I forgot to mention how my weigh in went. Not too good. No weight loss, but I did loose another inch in my waist. Really glad I'm measuring too.  

January 25, 2012

To say that I'm leaning my decisions in one direction is an understatement. I know what I want to do and maybe if I just put my focus there, and not anywhere else I will have success. Maybe I needed this time to discover what is is that I really love and make it happen.

That being said, I have only sold five, yes, that's right, five pieces of my Jewelry since this venture began. Not that people don't love it. Maybe it's my clientèle. Maybe the people who love to wear flowers are just hippies who would rather garden and save the environment, than spend money on themselves. I would love to be able to donate a percentage of my profits to a “green” organization. I suppose I could, because after all, I'm not selling any, so even 50% of nothing is still nothing, right?

I've gotten my to do list almost done. I know there will be more things to add to it. So far I have 25 things to accomplish, these are for my jewelry business and for my product design and they include things like learn my CAD program, Design Packaging for my Jewelry, Bangle Bracelet design and even finish taxes and apply for student loan forbearance. I've even set dates of completion for all the tasks. Now all I have to do is get on my horse and ride.

All of this organization has really got me moving. I can't even begin to tell you how much this has changed my outlook on everything I've been doing. I've been motivated, and actually filled with anticipation for the future of my art, what ever career path choose to follow. I love my new logo and the tagline I'm working on. I feel that when I'm finished it will be as professional as any marketing firm can do for a major corporation. I plan to make a few high end hand painted pieces and try to enter them in competitions. I even have met some of my newly set goals already.

I do have one thing I think I'm failing miserably at. My daughter just found 2 sealed containers of Christmas cookies that we misplaced. That was a hint. I'm doing my weigh in tomorrow and I think I hate myself. Not sure yet, but I haven't been able to exercise much because I got carried away and hurt myself. I think I just need to go out and walk, because I can't seem to dance without shaking my hips and it seems to kinda throw them out. We shall see. I'll let you know tomorrow.

January 24, 2012

I tried to make a spreadsheet, and a timeline for completion. I'm not even sure of everything I want to accomplish. Maybe a spreadsheet is a waste of time. I feel like my head is about to explode. I know I'm trying to do too much. I've sold more than I have in a long time. I'm sewing, and jewelry making, and blogging, and tweeting, and Facebook posting, and planning and designing, and I'm chasing my tail and I seem to be getting nowhere.

I think instead of a spreadsheet and all this work, I'm just going to draw a dartboard with my choices on it. And I'm going to lay on the sofa, because I hurt so bad from exercising, I can barely move, and I'm going to throw the dart and where ever it lands is what I'm doing for the rest of my life until I can retire.

Even though my focus is, well, unfocused, I've managed to work out some new ideas. I'm using my computer as a sketchbook, because I just like it. I came up with what I think might be a good tagline. I also decided that I really need to focus on the flowers and remove everything else from my website. I guess I can keep the others on Artfire for now, but I have to clean up the website and have it flowers only.

I wanted something simple, standout, and totally me. I did these graphics. I know they need a little tweaking. The font isn't quite right, but I think I like it. And the tagline? Do you get it? Still not positive about it.

Need to make a new banner for my website, so I'm off to do that before I go to sleep.

January 22, 2012

What I've learned so far:

To make a living at craft, you have to work a lot harder than working a 9-5 job. A LOT harder. But maybe it's worth it.

To loose weight, you have to take your time and get your body in shape BEFORE you start dancing up a storm. I'll be slow dancing for at least another week before I work up a full sweat again with that pulled muscle in my back.

I could possibly make a decent living sewing, if I could tolerate it and focus on that and give up my flower jewelry.

Even though most people like flowers, not everyone wants to wear them. I can live with that. I just need to reach the 3% OK 1% of the population that will.

I can earn a very good living at product design, but I loose some freedom with as well.

I'm getting old.

January 11, 2012

Today I thought it might be helpful to make a list of things I do and do not like to do. After all, at this stage in my life, I'd like to earn money, whatever amount, doing something I enjoy. I suppose in a later post I should list all the skills I have or do not have, because it's hard to be happy doing something you don't have the skills for. Just because it sounds fun, doesn't mean it will be.

I like: to yell (boy do I like to yell) - making jewelry - hammer metal (copper is my favorite) - breaking glass (yes really. I had a job where twice a year we got to smash all the glass samples, then they decided to sell them off instead, boo) - drawing with colored pencils (animal and people portraits) - Photoshop, and AutoCad. I love to do graphics and photo editing - flexible hours – travel – gardening – bird watching – teaching, sharing - designing (anything)

I hate: job interviews - customer service (providing) - 9-5 hours – cleaning anything – sewing, not really, but it's not my favorite thing – cleaning – getting yelled at - walking through mud – presentations – sales (I need to hire a rep) - annoying dogs, cats, people

I'm not sure all this is doing anything for me. I feel less motivated. I'm feeling that My best option is to add more items to my sewn offerings and just get over it. I can sew very well. It is what's supporting me now. Not well, but it is.

I had a dream last night that I went back to my old design company and with it I woke with tons of design ideas. I'm anxious to put them to “paper” I actually am going to sketch the ideas by hand before I loose them. I also came to the realization that I have a LOT to offer a company with my past experiences. And I realized that at my age, they might listen. I do have a different approach now, more insinuating and wise, less throttling and fighting.

I got the most wonderful Idea for a lamp or dining room chandelier. I have to draw it up and render it. Now I'm torn. I guess I could do both. Work full time designing and create on the weekends. It's better than remodeling a house on the weekends at my age.

I started my Portfolio website today too. Looking good, but barely started. I had no idea how many drawings I have done. I have designs of lamps, chandeliers, bird feeders, string lights, post lanterns, bird houses, tabletop water fountains, solar lamps and lanterns. I have hundreds of drawings. Wow I was busy.