PIVOTING

 Time to Pivot

So I am deciding where to host a website, or if I want to stay with Etsy, Ebay, of Bonanza.  While I am deciding, I will be using the blog as my website.  I plan to list items I have for sale with a link to the platform on which they are available.  I will also be doing fewer in person shows this year as opposed to what I was doing in the past.  My goal is to move most of my sales online, do a few in person events just to keep a finger on the pulse of what is selling or not selling, so I can remain relevant with my merchandise.  I promise to do much better with my blogging as opposed to what I was doing in the past.  This is my year to pivot and actually be able to act upon what needs to be done.  Hope you want to come along with  me on this ride.

Faux Fern

Amazon Handmade

Well I finally took the plunge and signed up for Amazon Handmade.  Fees are a bit higher, but chances of getting seen a little better.  That means I currently have an online presence on Bonanza, Etsy, and Amazon.

I will continue to list completed items on all three websites, as well as patterns on Etsy.  I am finishing up the pattern for a cute little monster  that I hope to have listed in a couple of days.  I'll post a picture of Tennie the Tennacle Monster below.  He will be available for $5.00 on Etsy.  If you are interested and want to save some money you can email me and use monster pattern as your subject line, give me an email addy and I will invoice you for $4.00.  When I receive payment I will send your a pdf of the pattern, easy peasy.

If you prefer a printed pattern I will have those available also,  but they will be slightly higher to cover the cost of postage.  Printed PDFs will be available on Bonanza about a week after the electronic downloads become available on Etsy at a cost of $6.00,  I will mail them out directly usually next business day after receiving payment.  You can get a printed PDF mailed to you cheaper by emailing me and using printed monster pattern in your subject line.  Again give me your email addy AND your mailing address and I will invoice you.  The printed pattern will be mailed out usually within 24 hours of receipt of payment.

I will be using square to invoice, if you prefer to pay via paypal or venmo give me the correct email addy for paypal and i will invoice you, for venmo I will send you my venmo id and name so you can pay.

I have a couple of other patterns currently listed on Etsy, that I am going to be reworking.  I plan to offer them as printed patterns as well as leaving them as pdf downloads.  When they are ready to be released I will do a blog post.

On another note, I am looking for pattern testers.  If you are interested email, and let me know.  When I have patterns ready to test I will email, letting you know what type of pattern, and how soon the test results would be needed.  If you want to test email back, and I will send you a copy of the  pattern.  I can't pay for this, but you will get a copy of the pattern when the kinks are worked out. (I do allow people to sell the items I make using my patterns as long as I receive credit for the patten)

Busy Season

So this is the busy season for me.  I have several Craft Shows coming up between now and December 14th.  So I will be MIA for a while.  I am currently working on replacing stock from a very successful farmers market last weekend.  This is a free market hosted once a month by the local Tractor Supply Store.  I almost didn't go, but decided I could use the fresh air.  I only took a small amount of stock, but what I did take was flying off the tables.  Luckily I had more at home for the next show coming up this weekend in Farmersville, but I still want to replace some of the toys.  Luckily they are are quickly made, unlike a blanket or garment which can take a few days or even weeks to create. 

I did find a new pattern for a small dragon.  Years ago, when my youngest niece and nephew were little I made 2 large dragons for them as Christmas presents and they were a big hit.  They also took a couple of weeks to make, because there were a few errors in the written pattern that I had to figure out (2 single chains in each of 6 sc chains around does not equal 15 no matter what math you use).  These take only an hour or so to make and use up very little yarn (just under a 388 yards).  If I can remember to do so, I will take a picture of some of the toys I make this weekend at the show, and post it, along with the links where you can find the patterns.

So, back to work for me.  Will try to catch up even if its just to say a quick hi/bye next week sometime.

First Fall Craft Show of the Season

So the first craft show of the fall season has come and gone.  Not the best, but not the worst show I have ever done.  I actually did better than expected.  As always my jellyfish, and seahorse plushies were among my best sellers.  The mini pumpkins (these were a first time making them craft for me) flew off the shelf.  Had requests for other veggies and fruits, so those will be on my to do list for the next show coming up in October.  Sold several of the do-rag headbands I make and sell  (the pattern is available here).  I will definitely be making more of those. 

Lots of compliments on the few hats and scarfs I took.  I did not expect to sell any of these and took them only to get the responses as to what people thought of them.  I did get a couple of baby blanket orders so those need to be completed in the next week or so. 

And just for those who say they can't do a craft show because they don't have room in their vehicle for tables, displays, canopies, and finished crafts, I have a small 4-door Hyundai Elantra.  granted my back seats do lay down (either right, or left, or both at the same time as needed),  but the pictures below are of my packed car, and my booth set up on the day of the sale.  So don't say never.  Just practice loading your car,  and if you can get the plastic crates that Walmart and Target sell this time of year for back to school/college,  pack your merchandise in them, and use the empty crates to display merchandise on or in. 

                                            booth after set up

                                          view of back seat of car

                                          view from front of packed car

                                          view from back of packed car.

So even if you have a small vehicle you can still do craft shows.   The things I took were 5 small 20 inch x 40 inch folding tables (they fold in half, and the legs extend), a 10 x 10 canopy, a 6 foot ladder shelf (purchased at Tuesday Mornings and painted with a coral color stain), a folding metal table type shelf (purchased at Tuesday Mornings)  a banner (purchased from vista print, and framed in a cheap plastic poster frame purchased at Jo Ann's, and embellished with patterned duct tape from Dollar Tree), 12 crates of product, 1 crate of bags, tape, tissue paper, price stickers,) A small ice chest with water and snacks, a folding wood laundry rack (purchased at an antique show years ago), 8 mannequin heads (I look for them at yard sales and swap meets because they are cheaper there than buying new),  and some cheap 48 inch curtain rods and large 3 - 4 inch S-hooks (I got the curtain rods at Walmart, but you can probably get them cheaper at thrift shops and the S-hooks I got at Home Depot),  and a folding plant stand the kind that folds out with 2 stands on each end that stand from 8 - 12 inches tall with one in the center that stands about 18 inches to 24 inches tall (for a total of 5)  (I set my mannequin heads on these with one sitting on the table just in front of the plant stand.) And a garment rack that is quick and easy to put together (also purchased at Walmart)

There are some good you tube videos on setting up spaces and thinking outside the box as far as displays go.

I hope to check in later this week or next to give you a preview of some of the items I am making for the next show.

Okay, so I suck at Blogging

And what else is new.  I have great plans, and of course they tend to fall by the wayside.  So right now I am getting ready for the first of my fall craft shows coming up August 31st.  Dreading the heat, but looking forward to getting a idea of what people are looking for this season. 

Trend reports can be helpful, but lets face it, trends vary depending upon where you live, the median income of the people in the area you live in, and even the time of the year.  Right now I expect I will be selling a lot of stuff in school colors, since school has just started and kids will want to show their school spirit.  But there will no doubt be a lot of people asking for things I either don't have, or don't make.   But this is one of my cheaper shows, and always a good indication of what I need to focus on for the rest of the fall season.

I am also trying my hand at loom knitting.  I finally broke out that set of knifty knitter looms that had been languishing in the very back of the closet in my craft room.  I have to admit, it wasn't that hard to do a simple hat on it.  So I may have to play around with some more patterns.  Knitted hats always seem to sell faster than crocheted ones, while crocheted headbands out perform knI itted ones, go figure.  It takes me over a week to knit a hat on regular knitting needles, with the knitting loom I finished my first hat in about 2 hours, while binge watching the Librarians on tv. 

I will try to remember to come back and post pictures of my booth either the Sunday or Monday after the show.  (But please don't hold me to that LOL)

That's it for now.  If anyone is in the Visalia, California area, near Church and Main Street, on August 31, 2019  between 10 and 4 come out and shop the show.  If you find my booth (I have a large framd banner with my name Sharon Griffin,  The Sassy Crafter on it) stop in and say hi.  Mention you saw my blog post, and you'll get a small gift.

Its Been a While

Lots of things going on lately.  I do have some updates which I will list below.  I am getting ready for a busy craft show season.  I have 8 shows between now and mid December.  I am also getting into the design end of things, which if things go the way I hope, means I can ease up on the number of craft/vintage sales I do each year. 

I am working on a hat and scarf set pattern.  I hope to have it finished and beta tested sometime in the next two or three weeks.  With a publication date set sometime before Christmas.  My goal is to get at least 4 new patterns written, tested, and published on either Ravelry, Etsy, or Craftsy before July 2019. 

I have already etched out at least 8 different designs I want to work on.  Just have to figure out the right pattern stitches to use.

My current pattern is a cow I named Sticks and Stones  I have it listed on Ravelry  Etsy and Craftsy

Now on to updates.  So my digital scale battery is dead, and I keep forgetting to buy a new one, so no weight loss updates today.  But I have met and exceeded my miles walked goal by more than 16 miles (I will keep walking each week though, as I find I feel much better when I walk than I do when I don't)  I have only887034 steps left to take.  I am actually trying to increase the number of steps I take each day.  If I can up the amount by a 200 or so I am sure I will meet my goal steps wise by the end of December. 

Thats it for now.  I will do my best to post more frequently in the future.

Weekly Updates

Okay, better late than never right.  It's been one of those weeks where time just gets away from you.  I have been busy getting ready for a new to me vintage/craft show as well as a new to me vintage show.  And I've been playing with my new Kindle Oasis.  A bit of a learning curve considering my old Kindle was a Kindle Keyboard.  Liking it so far though.

Quick updates on the personal front, lost another 4 tenths of a pound (knew I should not have had that snickers mini bar, but sometimes you just got to have that chocolate), walked 11.08 miles, and added 75083 steps to the total walked.

I have started another rag rug, and am getting ready to do some bottle lights and trying to figure away to use up some empty creamer containers (the to go kind you get at fast food places) a friend gave me several hundred she had been collecting.  I hate to throw them in the trash.  I am thinking there should be away I can attach them together to maybe make a wreath or some kind of ornaments or something. 

Also in the process of turning a lot of small cupless saucers and dollar tree bowls and votive holders into pincushions.  I sell them for good money and get to use up lots of scrap yarn and left over polyfill. 

Well time to get back to work.  Will try to check in earlier next week.

New Blog, New Start

After a three year hiatus from blogging for my online craft business I decided to scrap the old blog and start new.  Especially since I have decided to take the business in a new direction.  I will still me concentrating on finished crocheted items, but I plan to add my own patterns, as well as other finished craft items, and vintage craft supplies and patterns to my shops.  Yes shops.  I have one on etsy :  EcoDeco and one on Bonanza:  The Sassy Crafter.

After a great deal of crunching numbers, and taking a couple of years off after my Mothers death to lung cancer, I am ready to jump back into the business of crafting with both feet.  I have started slow, with just a few things listed on both sites at this time.  That will change as the days go by.  I hope to have two, fully stocked shops by the end of July.

Along with restarting my business.  I am restarting myself.  I started a diet last year in July when I topped the scale at 247 pounds.  Way too much weight for a 5 foot small boned woman to carry.  I have lost down to 213 pounds just by making better choices in what I eat and walking at least half to one mile daily.  My goal is to be down to 110 - 120 by the end of 2018.

I will be adding bells and whistles to this blog as I go along,  For now its just a bare bones, plain jane undertaking.