In person craft sales can be fickle. One show you sell a ton of one thing, but nothing of another. So you focus on making way more of those for next time, only to find out no one at the next show wants them. And yes, I speak from experience.
All Shows Are Not Created Equal
I remember my first craft show (that is the first show I actually sold something!). Cards were the item of the day. Birthday cards and baby cards sold well. I was so excited! Thinking I knew what I was doing, I went home and started planning out new birthday and baby cards right away. It looked like I was all set for the next show. Or so I thought. You know what? I didn’t sell a single birthday card at that next show. What did I see? Gift tags. Of course I sold no gift tags at the last show.
Get Off the Sale Merry-Go-Round
If you are not careful, you will make yourself crazy going round and round trying to figure out what to sell. As I see it, you have two options. One, you can do what I did and make what you sold last time. And then have a ton of overstock. Two, you can work smarter and continue to make good products that people will want to come back for. Here’s a little hint…if you always have at least a few of everything I have found that people are likely to order from you if you sell out.
So never compromise. Research the trends and adjust. But not to the point that you forgo one product for the sake of another.
My Priorities Were Screaming at Me
Are your priorities screaming? While they may not be screaming at you, I bet they are screaming at other people. Probably without you even knowing it. I know I had no idea that my priorities were on display. And what they say about you may not be what you...
Your To-Do List is Not Set in Stone
A few weeks ago, I realized my to-do list was not working the way it should. Or more realistically the way I wanted it to work. So, I decided to sit down and really look at my daily and weekly tasks. Planning For The Weekend Now my weekly chore chart works great up...
How to Get Out of a Rut When You Don’t Know You Are in One
Have you noticed that some things are harder to find lately? I know we are in the middle of pandemic. But really, how much cross stitch floss or scrapbook paper are people using? As much trouble as I am having finding craft supplies, you would think there are mass...
You Mean You Don’t Have Cleaning Spider Webs on Your To-Do List?
Today, I thought I would give you a little glimpse into my weekly routine. I will be the first to admit it is not always pretty. And there are definitely days when not everything gets done. But I have found that doing a little each day and knowing what to do each...
Why Do You Want to Waste Your Time?
I cannot tell you have many times people ask me that. “Why do you want to waste time making cards?” “You do know people don’t send cards, anymore right?” “It is much easier to grab a card while you are buying groceries.” I bet if you are a crafter, you have heard...
Three Ways to Keep Your Full Time Job from Choking Out Your Hobby
"So, what do you do?" It's a question people ask all the time. And if you are like me, your first impulse is to say what you do for a living. In my case, I used to tell people I am an architectural historian. And, while that is true, I realized it is not what I...
Shop In Your Home
So 2021 is underway, and January is already gone. Has your New Year's resolution followed? If one of your resolutions was to get organized, I can tell you there is still hope. And bonus, you may not even have to buy anything new or even leave your house. From...
Holiday Planning 101
For any of you that have read my blog, you might have picked up on something. I love to plan! I especially love a plan with lists, lots of lists. And with the holidays coming up, I thought now would be a good time to share my holiday plan with you. You can begin...
Change Your Perspective – Halloween Style
So, Halloween is almost here, and I have to say I really enjoy Halloween. I love decorating, picking just the right costume, trick or treating, and now handing out candy. I even went trick or treating in grad school (and let me just say the "treats" you get are way...
Don’t Let the “Ings” Dictate You
Have you noticed how many "ings" are clamoring for your attention? The ring of your cell phone. The ping of new email. The bing of a new social media post and the ding of a new text message. All of those "ings" have been drowning me lately. And now, as everyone...
How to Get Out of a Rut When You Don’t Know You Are in One
Have you noticed that some things are harder to find lately? I know we are in the middle of pandemic. But really, how much cross stitch floss or scrapbook paper are people using? As much trouble as I am having finding craft supplies, you would think there are mass...
Why Do You Want to Waste Your Time?
I cannot tell you have many times people ask me that. “Why do you want to waste time making cards?” “You do know people don’t send cards, anymore right?” “It is much easier to grab a card while you are buying groceries.” I bet if you are a crafter, you have heard...
Where Do You Find Inspiration?
If you have been creating anything for a while, you know there are sometimes when you hit a wall. You just can’t find the right design. For me this is usually the point where I give up and go do something else. Sometimes an idea will come and sometimes I just get...