WORKS IN PROGRESS

 What I am Working On

So I have almost perfected a fingerless glove pattern.  When I am satisfied with it I will be making the gloves and posting them for sale.  Just a few more kinks to work out.  I also have some stuffed animals, and home decor I am getting ready to photograph and list.  I hope to have those up and ready for sale by the weekend. 

I have a couple of hats and toddler vests I am getting ready for sale also.  I ran out of the tags I like to add to the items I sell, so am waiting on them to arrive, and I also ran out of pompoms for the hats, again just waiting on them to arrive.  Once they get here I will attach them to the items in question, and they will be ready for picture taking, and listing.  

In the meantime here is a link to a stuffed pig pillow/toy that I have listed. 

 

plush pink pig pillow toy

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

Beginning a Circle with a Magic Ring vs a Chain 4 Start

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)

Haven't Received my Stimulus Check Yet

Apparently I am special.  Even though I qualify for the $1200 stimulus check the IRS says they "cannot determine your eligibility for a payment ". And of course I still can't get in touch with the IRS to find out why.  I click on the link for the phone number to my local branch, they are not there, click on contact us, get taken to a frequently asked questions page.  I have emailed my congressman, and representative, no help there. 

Oh and if you are self employed, and no employees, you cannot get help from unemployment (even though the edd website says you can due to the covid-19 pandemic), and you do not qualify for the small business loan that is specifically geared toward small businesses that have been hurt during this pandemic because you don't have employees. 

So that means I have absolutely no money coming in.  All the craft shows and vendor events I normally do have all been cancelled.  And even though I was not the one to bail, none of them are refunding the booth fees that were paid.  I can see keeping the fees if the vendor cancels, but when the event is cancelled the vendors should get their fees returned, no questions asked.

I hope the rest of you are having better luck getting your stimulus checks.  If you qualify and haven't please contact your congressional representatives and complain.  I know I can't be the only one falling through the cracks.  If enough of us are being short changed, maybe the media will pick it up and something will be done about it. 

If anyone would like to help, please visit my booths on bonanza and etsy and purchase something (if you see something you want).  I am also posting items on for sale on facebook and facebook marketplace under arts and crafts.

Crafty Grab Boxes Now Available

*just a quick update, yes you can specify what sort of items you want in your boxes,  with the only exception being an all clothing (ie: hats, scarfs, cowls, etc) will be limited to the 2 large sized boxes)

So all the vendor events I was scheduled to do this spring have cancelled due to Covid-19.  As a result, I have no income coming in, and major bills to pay (think mortgage, utilities, insurance, etc.)  Because I am self-employed, unemployment insurance is not an option.  So in an effort to generate some sort of income I had to think outside the box. 

I have tons of inventory for the events I was scheduled to do (no refund policies in effect for all of them, so no booth fees back).  I have decided to offer “grab boxes of goodies”.  You know you loved buying those grab bags when you were kids, never knowing what kind of treasures were inside.  In this case I am offering 3 different price points  $15.95,   $29.95,  and $39.95.  These all include shipping to anywhere in the USA.  (no international shipping available at this time).  You will get at a minimum 3 different items (maximum of 5 different items), valued at a minimum of the cost of the box (based on the retail prices I normally sell the items for).  For example, say you would like to order a $15.95 box.  You might get the following, A small mini whale stuffy (5.95 value), a kitchen scrubbie (5.95 value), and a coffee cup cozy (5.95 value).  This is just a general idea.    Each box will also include a price sheet of the items I sell, as well as other items available for sell should you decide to buy more items (I will also ship to friends and relatives for you, provided they live in the USA.  (see gifts are covered).

Some of the items you might get include, cup cozies, key chains, hats, scarfs, small lap afghans, small baby blankets, stuffed toys, crocheted potted plants, fingerless gloves, utility cloths (think dish and wash cloths), potholders, kitchen towels, coasters, home décor (think plant hangers, pillow cases,) cell phone bags, water bottle bags, head bands, etc.  Granted most of my items are geared toward women, or children (just not a lot of great crochet items for guys out there, although I am always looking for patterns that would be good for the guys).  I am including some photos of my booth set up and some close ups of a few of the items I sell.

Hopefully this will at least bring in enough money to cover the utilities I am behind on, and cover part of my mortgage.  And before anyone says it, yes I had savings, but they were wiped out when the last of the events was cancelled.  I usually sell enough in the spring to carry me through the spring and summer, and enough in the fall to carry me through the fall into the first couple of months of the following year, before the spring events start. 

All items are crocheted (there may be a few knitted or sewn items in there, but 99% of what I do is crochet).

If you are interested in a grab box email me, let me know what size box you would like and I will invoice you through square (if you prefer to be invoiced via venmo or paypal please include the id used with the preferred account and let let know which you prefer.)  I will pack and ship your box out the next business day after receiving your payment

   

So You Want To Have A Craft Business

 I am currently in the middle of my busiest show schedule of the year, but thought I would take a few minutes to address some questions people have been asking me over the past few months.

I am constantly getting asked if I am selling enough to make a living.  The answer is yes, and no.  the reality is if you are just starting out don't quit your day job.  It takes a while to find your niche and to be able to start making a realistic income.  Don't expect to just jump in with both feet and start making huge sums of money.  You may be doing what you love, but if you don't treat it like a true job you will be in big trouble when its time to pay bills.

I have had no less than 10 people ask where I get my patterns because they have a show coming up and that item would sell so well.  Hello, do your own research, not to mention most patterns are my own design, or redesign of a paid pattern I purchased.  I am not going to give you my bread and butter patterns.  You can sit down and do the hours of work and research I did.  No one said this was going to be an easy get rich quick business.

I get asked where I sell often.  That I don't have a problem sharing.  Most shows are booked months in advance.  You may get lucky and get in at the last minute, but chances are, at least for the better shows, you will end up on a wait list.  And be ready to fill out an application.  Don't get discouraged if you are turned down.  The show may already have their limit of people doing your type of craft.  But if  you do get in, you will end up getting first chance at a booth at the next years show. 

How did you decided what to sell?  This is a question I am asked often.  I started with what I liked to create and went from there.  There are a couple of good shows I don't do, because the items that sell well are items I hate to make.  And lets face it, if you hate making it, you are not going to enjoy your crafting, you will get burned out, and you will end up procrastinating.  And of course you can't be afraid to evolve, and change things up.  Also keep in mind that certain things sell better at different shows.  That is why I have a wide variety of merchandise in all price points. 

Other things to keep in mind.  Don't undersell yourself.  Just because you only have $5 worth of materials in that item, doesn't mean you should sell it for $6.  You want to be able to support yourself, and a one dollar profit margin is not going to do it.  You need to take into account the cost of materials, the time it takes you make it, and how much your overhead costs are (rent, utilities, insurance, etc).  And if you decide to sell the hat at $25  and can't keep up with the orders, raise your price.  You are worth it.

So these are just a few questions I get asked,  I may try to go more in depth on some of them at a later date.  Until then, I have a busy show schedule I need to prepare for.