Arts and Crafts

It feels like I've read a million words or more on blogging; what and what not to do...one article that has bothered me since reading it, basically said that if you blog about arts and crafts you shouldn't say you blog about arts and crafts, instead you should use the phrase Artisan Entrepreneur, not that I have anything against fancy names, but, la-de-da shut the door and give me a crown!  Forgive me if I shun the vernacular of the day, I AM a DIY arts and crafts person, always have been and always will be and I'm proud of it.  

So, now that I have that off my chest and have finally decided I'm going to stop trying to be what someone else says I should be, it's time to get on with things.

After all these years I am finally going to take a class in running an Arts and Crafts business.  I've been doing this for decades and have never consulted an expert on how to manage the business end of what I do.  I believe the biggest challenge we all face in this line of work is how to price the items we create.  Crochet, knit, quilts, hand-made jewelry, whatever you create, takes time, energy, thought and there are expenses involved (sometimes, a lot of expenses) and that elusive component...creative talent.  If we are to sell our creations at a fair price to everyone, we have to include every facet.  At least that's what I think.  This is a struggle with each item I create and I don't think I've ever gotten it right.  I believe I price too low because the majority of the people I have sold to are friends and I don't want them to spend too much.  But, is that fair to me and all the time I have put into an item?

I am looking forward to this class; it starts August 21st, on-line through
Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, KS, and runs 6 weeks

Week One

*finding your own niche
*choosing a business name

Week Two

*work space options
*setting up the workspace

Week Three

*creating a marketing strategy
*pricing

Week Four

*how to be a salesperson
*getting your crafts to the marketplace

Week Five

*selling retail
*craft shows

Week Six

*setting up for a successful craft show
*teaching your craft

I'm very excited to take these classes and so happy they are on-line.  I suppose it seems a bit backwards to be taking classes now for what I've been doing for decades; but I think it's cool and will re-ignite my passion for my crafts and hopefully help me sell a few more.  Can't believe I'll be taking quizzes, doing projects and taking a final!  It's been a long time since I've done that...I'll let you know how it goes.

Knitting Beaded Bracelets

Two of my most favorite creative endeavors are anything to do with yarn and designing jewelry.  

When I can combine them I'm a really happy camper.

I've recently started a collection of knit beaded bracelets.  

The supplies are pretty simple, a variety of small decorative and seed beads;

Cotton thread or polyester embroidery thread and knitting needles

 The cotton thread comes in a nice selection of colors as well as some metallic and is quite easy to work with.  One ball will make several bracelets

The polyester embroidery thread has a shimmery look and is 6 ply.  It can be a little more difficult to work with and I have learned the hard way that some of the beads may actually tear the thread.  Bracelets usually require 1, 2 or 3 skeins.  This also comes in a nice variety of colors.

String the beads on the thread first.  The bracelets pictured below use about 200 beads; for me, this is the longest part of the process....getting all those little beads onto the thread.   Most of the patterns I have used call for about 9 stitches for a size 2 knitting needle.  Begin by knitting 3-4 rows without any beads.  You will want to leave an edge on each side for sewing up your tube when you have reached the length desired.  Two stitches on each edge is a good rule of thumb.  Depending on the size of your bead, you knit in 1, 2 or 3 beads with each stitch between the edge stitches.  Knit to the desired length making sure to knit 3-4 rows at the end without any beads to match the beginning, sew the long sides together, attach a clasp and you're done!

The picture below shows the 4 bracelets I am currently working on.  I have finished all the knitting and now need to sew the edges and attach the clasps.  As you can see the design possibilities are endless.

I'll share the finished product in another post.

Something New-Tatting

Tatting

Have you ever tried tatting?
 I haven't....at least not yet.
Since I already enjoy so many needle arts it seems natural to me that I would want to try something new every now and then.  This time it's tatting.  I am most intrigued with tatted jewelry.  With it's lace like look, tatted jewelry is feminine, maybe a bit Victorian looking, a bit bohemian and a
great way to wear art.

According to Wikipedia, tatting "...is formed by a pattern of rings and chains formed from a series of cow hitch or half-hitch knots, called double stitches (ds), over a core thread."
Well OK...let's see what that looks like...

I think it's really pretty and I can never have enough jewelry.

I have purchased a few supplies and a tatted jewelry instruction book.  After looking through the book, I can see that I will be purchasing some additional supplies in order to complete my jewelry.

 I'm planning on making this new needle art my project for our upcoming trip to Canada.  Since I will have a lot of down time in the car, I might as well make the best use of that time by creating something new.  And I usually have time in the evenings while we are there when I can work on my latest project.
Maybe I'll even get my step-daughter and granddaughter interested in learning!

I'll share pictures with you when I have some completed items.

Where Do I Begin (part one)

I Did It; I Admit It

I can't believe what I just did! I've been experimenting with design elements, fonts, colors, etc. on my blog, trying to get the look that fits where I am right now. At this point I think I'm ok, BUT I wanted to go over my page called Cat's Tale/A Bit About Helen, and as I was working away...I deleted it. Gone, kaput, no more, I have no draft, I didn't write on paper first. I'm an idiot, a numbskull; 

just a wee bit frustrated and angry with myself right now...

I think I will take old fashioned pen to paper and try to re-create what I had previously written. Hopefully it will be better, at least that's what I'm telling myself right now.

New Necklace for Debbie

 So, my post today is really about taking a pendant a friend gave me to design the necklace from which to hang it. The necklace and pendant were a gift from her children so she wants to keep it, but she does not like where the pendant hits her body, kind of an "awkward" place as she says. 

 So I have been gathering supplies, she pretty much gave me free reign...

("just don't spend $100" is pretty much all she said).

This is the pendant.

These are all the supplies I have gathered....

I've never had a challenge quite like this. Normally I would scour the jewelry isles at local craft stores, garage sale/thrift store items I have, trinkets I have collected, things people have given me because they know I design jewelry and are so generous to give me broken bits and pieces they have and I even repurpose old jewelry of my own, try different combinations until I'm happy with a finished piece. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. But good or bad, I never stop enjoying the process. So now my brain is in full gear (after some great new tea I discovered, Stash Chai White Tea)
and off I go to the kitchen table to create for Debbie.
Check back for the results....

Where Do I Begin?

Social Media vs. Creative Time

I have yet to find a comfortable balance between the time I spend being social and the time I spend creating what I want to be social about.  Everything I make is made just by me, I'm not  part of a group, I don't have any helpers plus I have 40+-hour a week job outside my home and a family.  So I struggle daily with how much time I devote to blogging, tweeting, pinning, instagram and Facebook (I'm on Google+ but I haven't had time to figure out what that is yet)...and then there is the time I spend reading the blogs I follow.  

So when do I create?  If I don't have anything to promote, why spend the time trying to promote it and if I don't promote, why bother creating?

I know if I want to get anywhere making a brand/name for myself, I must promote, advertise, be social, get my "stuff" out there.  It's daunting and  I do wonder sometimes if I'm just chasing an elusive dream...

For as long as I can remember I have always been creative; and I have over the years dabbled in promotion and sales; craft fairs, home shows...so far word-of-mouth has been my best source of customers.  But, what do I do if I want more, want to be bigger, reach a larger audience, really make a difference in the number people talking about my work and ultimately of buying customers?

Today with all of the social media venues; and the relatively cheap cost of using them, the opportunities  are truly endless.  As I get further into social media I am learning how to make one "click" work in more than one  place at a time and that is a HUGH step - the 'ole work smarter not harder!

But even as I type this post, I can hear that stash of yarn over there calling me and the headbands that aren't finished (and are already sold!); and then there's the jewelry I'm fixing for a friend and the pendant that needs a necklace, and the hair bows, the shopping totes, the purses, the doll clothes.....I could go on and on and on.  Yes, I feel as tho I'm in a revolving door...so, where do I begin?

Any suggestions?