Showing posts with label shopping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shopping. Show all posts
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Sneak Peek!
Why yes, I can do delicate. Check out my latest collection of simple chained necklaces made of top-quality Czech glass and artisan lampwork beads. I'll be offering them up for sale at the Lotus Yoga Pop-Up Shop community event on June 18th in Lakewood (Dallas TX). Lovely!
Thursday, June 2, 2011
New Designs In My Shop!
What didn't sell at the recent Spring Bash and Renegade Austin last month, I listed in my Etsy shop. Every design is my own creation, totally one-of-a-kind and original, and made by me with needle and thread! Hope you likey.
Little Triangle Design
Visit my Etsy shop today (or click here to see all my fabric necklaces)!
Big Triangle Design
Little Triangle Design
Totem Style Design
Stacked Design
Fabric Beads on Ribbon
and more of the clustered art sculpture pendants
Visit my Etsy shop today (or click here to see all my fabric necklaces)!
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
New Job = New Clothes + New Shoes
Now that's my kind of math.
On my lunch hour today I went on a mini shopping spree. With a brand new job on the horizon (Marketing Coordinator for Corner Bakery Cafe), I wanted to update some old staples, replace some cheap and worn pieces, and just splurge a little to celebrate my accomplishment (and my birthday, which was this past Sunday). Living within my means on a daily basis makes an occasional splurge like this possible! Check out my booty:
FROM MY DISCOVER CARD
OUCH!
On my lunch hour today I went on a mini shopping spree. With a brand new job on the horizon (Marketing Coordinator for Corner Bakery Cafe), I wanted to update some old staples, replace some cheap and worn pieces, and just splurge a little to celebrate my accomplishment (and my birthday, which was this past Sunday). Living within my means on a daily basis makes an occasional splurge like this possible! Check out my booty:
FROM ANTHROPOLOGIE
FROM NORDSTROM
FROM DSW
FROM MY DISCOVER CARD
OUCH!
Forts, Crafts and Cocktails: Austin Recap
My birthday weekend was a beautiful mess of toys, hotel fun, crafty sales and cocktails. We hit the road Friday morning - me in my Element loaded with my handmade goods and displays; my mom, Grandy and Ian in their car loaded with 182 toys:
Saturday morning was a whirlwind of setting up my booth, drinking lots of coffee, and preparing for a day of charming customers and making sales. After nearly six years of doing craft shows, I've got my set-up nailed down and had over an hour to kill before the doors opened:
Saturday night Ellen and John (good friends and owners of Holy Cacao) took me and Jason to Haddington's on 6th. We had copious amounts of tiny chi-chi cocktails with names like Devil's Moustache (mescal, a flaming orange slice + a whole bunch of other stuff). We also had tiny portions of fancy food that cost more than my weekly Tom Thumb bill. Everything was incredible.
Sunday was day 2 of Renegade sales. In the meantime, Ian and the family made forts, went swimming and basically had fun in Austin. I didn't get a chance to do any site-seeing or shopping while I was there - maybe next time!
Oh, and then there's this:
Saturday morning was a whirlwind of setting up my booth, drinking lots of coffee, and preparing for a day of charming customers and making sales. After nearly six years of doing craft shows, I've got my set-up nailed down and had over an hour to kill before the doors opened:
Saturday night Ellen and John (good friends and owners of Holy Cacao) took me and Jason to Haddington's on 6th. We had copious amounts of tiny chi-chi cocktails with names like Devil's Moustache (mescal, a flaming orange slice + a whole bunch of other stuff). We also had tiny portions of fancy food that cost more than my weekly Tom Thumb bill. Everything was incredible.
Sunday was day 2 of Renegade sales. In the meantime, Ian and the family made forts, went swimming and basically had fun in Austin. I didn't get a chance to do any site-seeing or shopping while I was there - maybe next time!
Oh, and then there's this:
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Marketing Your Craft: Give It Value!
Okay you guys.
I'm getting real tired of seeing under-priced items riddling the aisles of craft shows and covering the pages of Etsy. While overpricing may hurt the individual seller, underpricing hurts us all.
WAL-MART MENTALITY
You don't have to be a marketing genius to understand that if your price is too low, the buyer is going to think your products are cheap. And "cheap" is the last thing we want people to associate with our handiwork.
When the general shopping public is exposed to an abundance of under-priced handmade work, they are going to start believing that handmade work is tantamount to bulk generic diapers at the Shop & Save. We have got to banish this Wal-Mart mentality when it comes to the art and craft we work so hard to produce.
A DELICATE BALANCE
Keep in mind, you still want to price your items fairly, and not alienate your potential customer base. Here are the things I consider when pricing my items:
+ How much do the materials cost? Include the gas it took you to drive to the place where you bought them, the postage you paid to have them shipped to you, and any other costs associated with acquiring the raw materials.
+ How much is the design worth? If you're working off a tutorial or pattern, this price point should be lower than if you designed the item yourself.
+ How long did it take you to complete the item from start (design) to finish (completion)? At a bare minimum, you should charge yourself no less than $10/hour. Making an item by hand is worth more than flipping burgers - give yourself a proper wage.
+ How are you selling your product? So you have your finished product, but you aren't anywhere near done. Build into the price the cost of maintaining a web site, creating good product photography, and selling at craft shows.
+ What about all that other stuff? Yes, long-term overhead costs should be built into your pricing. Think: business cards, office/studio space, gas/travel, paper, ink toner, computer, internet service, utilities. In other words - all the things you expense in order to create and promote your handmade product.
+ Finally, as a person who appreciates and understands handmade art/craft, I ask myself: What would I pay for this?
GET YOUR HEAD STRAIGHT
If you still feel uncomfortable paying yourself a fair wage for your handmade work and (gasp!) actually pricing it so you make a profit, do these three things:
(1) Say this out loud, "My art/craft has value. If I believe it's cheap, everyone else will, too." Repeat this to yourself until you get it.
(2) Tell the world your story. It's time to get comfortable talking to strangers, y'all. Do craft shows, work on your web copy - tell your story so everyone knows exactly why they should pay $35 for this handmade, originally-designed t-shirt.
(3) Pick up a book at the library on shopper psychology and read it. You'll soon learn why the same shoppers who shell out $98 for a mass-produced necklace at Anthropologie balk at your better-crafted $30 handmade necklace. It's the perception of value. Make people believe your stuff is worth buying, and they will buy it.
I'M BEING SELFISH
I'm not writing this to help you. Really, I'm not. I want all the sales for myself. Okay, that's not entirely true, but I'm not going to lie to you and say I did this altruistically. I want the handmade market to improve, and the only way to do that is for us all to collectively improve the way we sell our items and the story we tell the public.
So get to it! You have a lot of homework to do and the clock started ticking 2 minutes ago.
I'm getting real tired of seeing under-priced items riddling the aisles of craft shows and covering the pages of Etsy. While overpricing may hurt the individual seller, underpricing hurts us all.
WAL-MART MENTALITY
You don't have to be a marketing genius to understand that if your price is too low, the buyer is going to think your products are cheap. And "cheap" is the last thing we want people to associate with our handiwork.
When the general shopping public is exposed to an abundance of under-priced handmade work, they are going to start believing that handmade work is tantamount to bulk generic diapers at the Shop & Save. We have got to banish this Wal-Mart mentality when it comes to the art and craft we work so hard to produce.
A DELICATE BALANCE
Keep in mind, you still want to price your items fairly, and not alienate your potential customer base. Here are the things I consider when pricing my items:
+ How much do the materials cost? Include the gas it took you to drive to the place where you bought them, the postage you paid to have them shipped to you, and any other costs associated with acquiring the raw materials.
+ How much is the design worth? If you're working off a tutorial or pattern, this price point should be lower than if you designed the item yourself.
+ How long did it take you to complete the item from start (design) to finish (completion)? At a bare minimum, you should charge yourself no less than $10/hour. Making an item by hand is worth more than flipping burgers - give yourself a proper wage.
+ How are you selling your product? So you have your finished product, but you aren't anywhere near done. Build into the price the cost of maintaining a web site, creating good product photography, and selling at craft shows.
+ What about all that other stuff? Yes, long-term overhead costs should be built into your pricing. Think: business cards, office/studio space, gas/travel, paper, ink toner, computer, internet service, utilities. In other words - all the things you expense in order to create and promote your handmade product.
+ Finally, as a person who appreciates and understands handmade art/craft, I ask myself: What would I pay for this?
GET YOUR HEAD STRAIGHT
If you still feel uncomfortable paying yourself a fair wage for your handmade work and (gasp!) actually pricing it so you make a profit, do these three things:
(1) Say this out loud, "My art/craft has value. If I believe it's cheap, everyone else will, too." Repeat this to yourself until you get it.
(2) Tell the world your story. It's time to get comfortable talking to strangers, y'all. Do craft shows, work on your web copy - tell your story so everyone knows exactly why they should pay $35 for this handmade, originally-designed t-shirt.
(3) Pick up a book at the library on shopper psychology and read it. You'll soon learn why the same shoppers who shell out $98 for a mass-produced necklace at Anthropologie balk at your better-crafted $30 handmade necklace. It's the perception of value. Make people believe your stuff is worth buying, and they will buy it.
I'M BEING SELFISH
I'm not writing this to help you. Really, I'm not. I want all the sales for myself. Okay, that's not entirely true, but I'm not going to lie to you and say I did this altruistically. I want the handmade market to improve, and the only way to do that is for us all to collectively improve the way we sell our items and the story we tell the public.
So get to it! You have a lot of homework to do and the clock started ticking 2 minutes ago.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Look at my hot fake husband.
Hands off, ladies.Isn't he yummy? This was taken at last weekend's Oak Cliff Earth Day festival at Lake Cliff park - photo courtesy of Oak Cliff People. Read a little recap here courtesy of my gal Pamela of Dowdy Studio. I was sellin' my stuff on the other side of the park while Jason educated festival-goers on the Jefferson Median Beautification Project, a grassroots effort to beautify our little corner of the world. I manage the modest JMBP blog over here.
Monday, April 25, 2011
I've got crazy eyes.
It's on like Donkey Kong, y'all. This Saturday is the 3rd Annual Spring Bash, co-founded and co-produced by yours truly along with a team of fellow dedicated Etsy Dallas members. This will be our 9th show to date and I could not be more excited and downright scared of all the things I still need to do to prepare:+ Cut out labels, write prices, and tape to new display, which I traded with Dowdy Studio for a stash of fabric and my never-ending gratitude. It was black, I painted it straw yellow, it's awesome and covered in fabric sculpture necklaces - loads of new designs. Pics coming soon! DONE!
+ Go to American Store Fixtures to get a ton of gridwall hooks for my fabric wall art. DONE!
+ Take legs off gridwall panels, hose down (or leave out in the rain overnight), set up panels in living room, merchandise the heck out of it, covering it with fabric wall art, magnets, brooches, hair clips and more! (oh so much more)
+ OMG make more fabric wall art.
+ OMG make more brooches. DONE!
+ Go to the bank, get a million dollars in ones and fives, because this show is off-the-hook crazy with awesome shoppers throwing money at us wee Dallas artists.
+ Set-up newly painted pegboard, hang pottery shard necklaces all over it. It's the color of the ocean and it's beautiful.
+ OMG make more pottery shard necklaces.
+ Stop at Michael's to pick up some large shopping bags for my large wall art. DONE!
+ Label large shopping bags. DONE!
+ Pack all this up Friday night, sleep.
+ Wake up at the butt-crack of dawn on Saturday, drink a pot of coffee, put on my new awesome mum, and head to South Side on Lamar to get the space ready for the big show.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Bash Bucks Giveaway Through April 25th
Hey hey Dallas-area people, or those of you badass enough to drive to Big D for the 3rd Annual Spring Bash (co-produced by yours truly), listen up! You can enter to win free Bash Bucks - gift certificates that spend like cash at the Bash - on our Etsy Dallas blog. Click here to read all about it and enter. And if I were to win (yes people, I'm eligible, too), these are what I would buy:
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Cool Art Recap!
A couple weeks ago there was snow on the ground, it was quiet outside and a few of us Etsy Dallas artists decided to hold an intimate trunk show called All You Need is Love + Cool Art. Here're some pics of what happened.
Outside Larry's house, where we held the show. Luckily the snow melted a bit that day. You know Texas shuts down when it snows, so we're really excited that we were able to make it. 
It was warm and cozy inside where we set up out handmade goodies all over Larry's house. Larry, the Kessler Craftsman, and Tefi took over the dining room. 
A close up of Tefi's pretty fabric yo-yo necklaces. 
Here's the Dowdy Studio set-up. We shared the living room with Cut Out and Collect and blocked the TV with our ginormous display. 
That's okay, because Cut Out and Collect blocked the fireplace. We joked about turning it on....but we're too nice for that. Plus we *heart* her handmade bags and like them better when they aren't on fire. Thank you Pamela for the great photo tour of our show!
Friday, January 21, 2011
What's In the Package?
I have always prided myself on pretty packaging (and alliterations!), making it a habit to include a handwritten "Thank You" for each purchase. This year, I'll be wrapping each purchase in pretty tissue paper and baker's twine. Each package will also include a post card with a bio and pic of yours truly. Visit my Etsy shop today and see if something strikes your fancy! 
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Now who wants some free money? Hmm? Anyone?
(reposted from the Bash blog - where you will enter the contest!)
As promised, the artists of the 3rd Annual Jingle Bash are hosting another Bash Bucks contest! Here's your chance to win Bash Bucks, redeemable only at the 2010 Jingle Bash on November 20th at the Palladium. Bash Bucks are like gift certificates you'll pick up the day of the Bash - and you can spend them at ANY participating artist's booth during the event. You can't go wrong. There are two ways to win!
(1) Comment On THIS Post
Look through our Jingle Bash artists and leave a comment below, telling us what you'd spend your Bash Bucks on. Include your email address! The comments will close at 11:59pm November 15th and one lucky commenter will be picked at random to receive $30 in Bash Bucks. You can enter as much as you like, so get comment crazy.
(2) Tweet It Out
Hop on Twitter and tweet about the Jingle Bash all you want. Add #DallasJingleBash and a link to this blog post or www.handmadebash.com in the text. You can tweet as much as you want until 11:59pm November 15th. We'll pick one tweet at random to receive $30 in Bash Bucks and a second tweet at random to receive $40 in Bash Bucks. You'll need to direct message your email address to us if you win. Feel free to copy and paste these tweet examples:
As promised, the artists of the 3rd Annual Jingle Bash are hosting another Bash Bucks contest! Here's your chance to win Bash Bucks, redeemable only at the 2010 Jingle Bash on November 20th at the Palladium. Bash Bucks are like gift certificates you'll pick up the day of the Bash - and you can spend them at ANY participating artist's booth during the event. You can't go wrong. There are two ways to win!
(1) Comment On THIS Post
Look through our Jingle Bash artists and leave a comment below, telling us what you'd spend your Bash Bucks on. Include your email address! The comments will close at 11:59pm November 15th and one lucky commenter will be picked at random to receive $30 in Bash Bucks. You can enter as much as you like, so get comment crazy.
(2) Tweet It Out
Hop on Twitter and tweet about the Jingle Bash all you want. Add #DallasJingleBash and a link to this blog post or www.handmadebash.com in the text. You can tweet as much as you want until 11:59pm November 15th. We'll pick one tweet at random to receive $30 in Bash Bucks and a second tweet at random to receive $40 in Bash Bucks. You'll need to direct message your email address to us if you win. Feel free to copy and paste these tweet examples:
- I'll be at the #DallasJingleBash Nov 20 to buy handmade holiday gifts! www.handmadebash.com
- Retweet for a chance to win BashBucks for the #DallasJingleBash Nov 20 http://tinyurl.com/24rywap
Good luck, Bashers!!
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Hellos, Hugs, and Smiles
Here's my weekend in two words: exhausted and exhilerated. This weekend wiped me out. It was the final - and my fifth - Urban Street Bazaar. Since 2008 it's taken place in my corner of the world, Oak Cliff, home of Espumoso - a little coffee shop in Bishop Arts with the best latte and Colombian empanadas in Dallas. 
I ran into so many people I hadn't seen in awhile, including my favorite councilperson, Delia Jasso. I also met some great new friends, namely my awesome neighbor, Lindsay of House of Introspection. She and her mom, Mary Ann, were just the nicest. 
I had a bit of an epiphany this weekend. It's a simple idea, but a weighty one: I love friendly people. I love people who say HELLO. I love shoppers who make eye contact and smile and tell me they like my work. I love friends who give hugs. Good times.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Sold! New Fabric Sculpture Necklaces
I was pleased as punch when three of my new, totally original fabric sculpture necklaces sold last week. Each one is hand-sewn, backed with sturdy fabric, and strung on 100% sterling silver chain. There are still some left in my Etsy shop, and I'll be debuting these in person at the upcoming Urban Street Bazaar in Dallas on October 2nd and 3rd. Come and get 'em!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Weekend Thrift Finds
In search of a little retail therapy, Ian and I hit the aisles of a few local thrift stores this past Saturday and Sunday. Along with great indie businesses and restaurants, Oak Cliff has a lot to offer by way of thrift shopping, and I scored some awesome finds over the weekend. Don't be jealous. 
This poster stopped me dead in my tracks. There is so much weirdness going on here, I don't even know where to begin (click image for a larger view). Illustrated by Lionel Kalish, I'm sure this 3M ad campaign from the 60's has a message, but I don't know what it is. 
A flirty little French revolution girl plays with a toy and looks all sweet and cute. 
Ian's gotta have his frogs and turtles. Seriously, it's like an obsession. 
Why yes, this is a brand new Fossil bag! 
Ahoy matey! This nautical print will look even better once I paint the frame red. 
Give the little Dutch girl a kiss already. 
I couldn't resist the perfectly plump little basket flower thingies. 
A $13 solid oak mirror. Who could resist? (Hi Oliver!) 
Last but not least, these new shoes are perfect for the librarian look! "I'd Rather Be Thrifting" poster by http://www.blogger.com/www.ashleyg.etsy.com.
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