trunkt.org
my trunkt portfolio
I wish I could tell you my first craft show was wonderful but I cannot. There were great things about it but overall I came home discouraged.
I met some great people. I met people who read my blog, see me in flickr and fellow etsy sellers. The organizer was a very accommodating wonderful woman who recruited the women in her family to help us anyway possible. The problem was we had no shoppers. I think maybe 20 people from the outside showed up. I sold a few inexpensive earrings and a way underpriced bracelet and that was it.
I had over 25 pillows and 24 shirts and many other items to sell that needed to be unpacked and then repacked for the 3 hour drive home. I was hoping to have sold some of these bulky items. My items seem well received but just not enough real shoppers there.
I hesitate to try again but I know I have to get out there and hit the right show with people ready to buy.
My husband kindly hinted that I make things that are not so difficult to carry and take up so much room. :) - gotta love him.
craftsfromtheheart.etsy.com
Up to this point I had planning for my parents' 50th anniversary to keep my mind occupied. Well that happened on Sunday and it went off without a hitch. Now comes the anxiety about having my first craft show appearance.
I am taking part in the Creative Bazaar in Hyannis, Ma. on Oct 13. I made sure it was out of state so noone I knew would witness this inauguration. My husband is coming with me and is so excited about it! He hand carved a sign with my business name on it and he is planning how our booth will look. I, on the other hand, am consumed with making things in hopes that I will sell something.
I have been selling on etsy for a year and have done well. My items have excellent feedback ratings but there is still that nagging fear that I will come home with all the items I brought to sell.
I am sure this happens to many crafters at their first shows but it doesn't make it any easier.
If you have any advice for me it would be greatly appreciated! If you are in the area, stop by. It will be in the Four Points Sheraton in Hyannis. Maybe you can even buy a little something.
Linda
craftsfromtheheart.etsy.com
Once again my husband and I are living in a house divided. What is causing this division? TV. My husband had to watch Desperate Housewives because of Eva Langoria (although he wouldn't admit that). I on the other wanted to watch a show with more substance, Side Order of Life.
At first glance Side Order seems it may be as trivial as DH but there is so much more there. They have all the pretty faces but the characters are so 3 dimensional that I can feel empathy with them and care which direction the show takes them.
How did we solve this dilemma? I watched in the bedroom, husband in the living room. As is turns out we both were flipping between the shows. Doing so strengthened my decision to watch Side order and he agreed it was the better show. Cool. maybe we won't be a house divided any more.
Back to creating.
http://Craftsfromtheheart.etsy.com
Time to start pulling out the pants and long sleeve shirts. Ain't fall grand. Football games, soccer games, basketball, fall has it all. Let us not forget Halloween which is becoming bigger than Christmas as far as decorating the home goes. People love to deck out their houses and will spend lots doing it.
The little ghosts and goblins will appear at our doors, with the occasional teenager - just dressed as themselves looking for candy.
I have some capes that I am selling in my etsy shop that have glow in the dark trim to help keep them safe on those dark halloween nights and some cute totes for them to carry.
Come take a peek
http://craftsfromtheheart.etsy.com
My son starts school tomorrow. He is a sophomore in high school so this is not a new phenomenon but I will miss our summer together. I like the lack of schedules, the lack of watches on wrists and just knowing he is safe.
Tomorrow things change. He is out of the home and into school. Parents used to await this eagerly. Let the teachers watch them for a while. Today things are different. We worry about shooting in schools, drugs, teachers having sex with students. School is no longer a safe haven for our children. I am sure perception is much worse than reality but does that really make one feel better?
Tomorrow I will see him off and I hope his teachers, admin., coaches and other students treat him with respect and care as I expect him to treat them. If you fell your child is a danger to himself or others please get him/her help. Do not send them to school and rely on professional there to help them. They are overburdened as it is.
Tomorrow I will have a smile on my face and wish my son a great day at school but inside I will worry. That’s okay that’s what moms do.
Well my nineteen year old, "not sure what I am doing next semester," has just bounced his first check - that I know of. He says it is impossible he has been putting in money from his paycheck every week. "That bank is wrong!", he says. So I ask "Are you sure you are putting money in your checking account and not your savings account?" "Yes mom I always check checking on the deposit slip."
Ok so he checks the checking box on the slip but puts in the savings account number. Couldn't someone have caught this once and let him know? Argh. He is nineteen, he should be able to do this, but, as I said, is he a young man or a big boy?
Please visit my shop at http://craftsfromtheheart.etsy.com for fun dorm furnishings for those children (young men and women) returning or starting college. Good Luck.
Do you think online friends are just as fulfilling as offline friends you can actually see and do things with? Can you really get to know someone over the computer? Will they really be there for you in times of crisis, times of celebration? The best of both worlds would be to have both I imagine but in this world of technology we live in there isn't enough time in the day to email and see people.
What are your views? Do you tell your online friends think you would never tell your offline friends and vice versa? Have you made lasting friendships online? Let us know. Thanks.
Well our family trip to Niagara Falls was really nice. My nineteen year old was awed by everything and my fifteen year old was not impressed with anything (at least he would not admit to it). This is my third trip to the falls and it is still overwhelming to see the amount of water that rushes over the side of those cliffs.
We did the Maid of the Mist Boat trip and we were so wet it was almost too much. We couldn't even open our eyes to see the falls sometimes but it really does give you perspective as to the pressure of that water. My sneakers are still drying out. I recommend crocs if you do this trip. :)
One day we drove into Niagara on the Lake, a small city about 20 minutes away from the falls. It was like something out of a movie script. The houses along the way were gorgeous, the vineyards lovely, the downtown was fashionable but quaint and there was a peach festival going on. What more could one ask for?
The next day we left for a trip to the Thousand Islands which was a 5 hour drive from Niagara. I expected a hotel on the lake where we could rent canoes and swim. In reality we got a best western on the main stretch of road with a tiny room, tiny trampoline, small outdoor pool - getting the picture? I did ask for a larger room and they were accomodating. Then the rain came in and we didn't really get to do much in the area. The scenery on the way there and the way out was worth the trip though.
Yesterday we made our 8 hour trip back home, stopping at mom's for dinner and now I am glad to be home and out of a car.
The boys were well behaved for the most part. Problem lies in the fact that the older son is more adventurous then the younger and gets disappointed when he doesn't join him on rides or swim outside while it's raining. Oh well, we can't have it perfect can we?
If you plan a trip to the Falls, take an afternoon to visit Niagara on the Lake, you won't regret it.
Craftsfromtheheart.etsy.com
First of all let me say I have two sons, 19 and 15. I forget sometimes that they are no longer 9 and 5 and I get these ideas in my head of doing things together as a "happy" family. I start imagining the perfect vacation we can have together so I begin making plans. I tell my husband the plans and he says "do we have to take 'them'? I can't believe he would consider not taking my wonderful little boys. He starts telling me it is an 8 hour car ride, do I really want to be in the car with them for 8 hours each way. Well, of course, I want to be with my boys for that time. They grow up so quickly after all.
Tomorrow our journey starts. I have a house/dog sitter, our id's, my husband is all packed. Now I will not be packed until the last minute because I cannot believe we are doing this again. Everytime we drive a long distance with the kids we all end up angry with each other. What was I thinking?
Once we get to our destination, will they want to sightsee? No they want to play video games in the hotel room. Their favorite part of any trip is the hotel room. At least now they are old enough to leave in the room so my husband and I can roam if we want to.
I just want to fill their heads with happy memories of family vacations. Am I being pollyannish? Maybe but they are my boys and I want to keep it that way for as long as possible. Wish us luck. Will report back how it went on Tuesday.
Have a happy weekend.
Don't forget to shop on website http://craftsfromtheheart.etsy.com
I am so excited that my handmade pillows have been accepted to appear on the website trunkt.org. It is a juried site that produces minimags and catalogs to potential commercial buyers.
I feel like it gives me a legitimacy that I questioned when starting online sales.
It is hard to judge when creating an object how others will feel about it. You may think wow this came out pretty well but it will just sit in your shop. Other times you will sell things that may not necessarily be your own style and get wonderful feedback.
I think it is true that we are our own worst critics. Even with my 98 sales on etsy and my acceptance on trunkt there is still that little girl in me that says it is all a fluke. Although, you know that voice is not as loud as it used to be.
A Sampling of what you will find at my shop at
craftsfromtheheart.etsy.com. Enjoy shopping!
I'm clearing out part of my online shop at etsy, so, I am selling individual handmade cards for a buck each. Can't beat that. Sets are only $3.00. Come help me clear out and achieve a goal of 100 sales. Thanks.
It is hot an muggy where I live, there is no air conditioning in my craft room which is in the second floor of my cape home (attic). Do you see why I may be on the cranky side? Money is tight in the summer because I am a substitute teacher and do not get paid for summer vacation. I was hoping to fill in some income by selling my handmade treasures online but considering summer is a slow time for retail, this plan has not been one of my best. I do have the time to create things for the busier season which is good but getting through the summer when tax bills are do can sometimes make for some nail biters.
I guess we will be eating spaghetti a bit more often until the buyers come back. In the meantime I will be up in my craftroom with my cranky self.
Well these hot summer months are what weed out the part time sellers from the professionals. As a professional seller, you know that every year this slowdown is inevitable. Buyers are on vacation, spending time with family, or just getting out of the house. There are no major holidays to shop for, hence, no need to spend disposable income.
This is the time a smart seller uses to get their inventory ready for the busy months, increases their advertising presence, and pretties up their shops. It is not a time to sit around and whine about the decrease in sales, be proactive not reactive.
If you carry lots of summer items in your shops, you may want to have a sale to generate interest. The key is to still turn a profit. Do not undervalue your hard work. Whether it is time you spent creating an object or the time you spent looking for the item to sell. Of course buyers are always looking for bargains but you can make them feel they Need what you have.
Make sure you have professional photos, excellent descriptions, and offer excellent customer service. Packaging is key for return buyers. Make a buyer feel like he/she has just received a gift in the mail. Enclose a few business cards so the buyer can pass them on to friends. Include a hand written note whenever possible. Let the buyer know you are willing to work out any issues with them.
Now go out there and make the best of these slow days, maybe take a day or two off yourself.
This latest death is taking a toll on my son. He watches these wrestlers every week and he has his favorites and not so favorites. He becomes attached to the "good guys." That is the premise of this soap opera.
The problem lately is that these wrestlers are dying at a relatively young age. Are steroids affecting their mental state? Is the pressure to keep up too much?
I don't have any answers but lots of questions. My sons are over 15 so it is hard to say don't watch this, but I worry about them. So much sadness, so much lost hope. To think a "hero" may have killed his wife and child is just too much to bear.
Hug your spouse and kids today and tell them life is not all bad.
What is up with Pat Summit? Does she not care about the game of women's basketball? She is setting it back 20 years. The UConn Tennessee rivalry is what brought millions of fans to women's college basketball. Ms. Summit why are you doing this to the young girls who look up to you. To them you are wimping out.
I know you and Geno are not friends, who cares. What matters are the fans and the future players. You may not like UConn's way of coaching or recruiting but that doesn't mean you get your ball and go home. You strive to make your team better. What about your future recruits that want to play UConn? Why do you get to choose the schedule?
I know you don't like to lose. That is what adds to the rivalry and makes the sport interesting to watch. I really fear for the sport if this rivalry is ended. It would be like if the RedSox never got to play The Yankees again.
Please reconsider your decision. Put the game before your ego. You owe it to your team and to all women's basketball fans.
Is it over yet? Why isn't it over? Have we accomplished anything? Is Iraq better off now? Are we better off now? Do we want our young to keep dying? I know these are tough questions but we need to get the brightest minds to come up with a way to resolve this. Obviously they are not in government offices. We should be able to settle disputes without bloodshed. It should be a give and take. Please, if you can help these governments officials end this war, come forward, party doesn't matter. This should not be a political issue, it is a humanitarian issue. We can no longer lose lives our or theirs.
http://craftsfromtheheart.etsy.com
