It is easy to get caught up in the dreams you set your sights on. In my experience impulsiveness is risky and not such a good idea. There are things I am wanting and craving more each day, and it is really hard to stay focused about making responsible decisions.
"Patience is waiting. Not passively waiting. That is laziness. But to keep going when the going is hard and slow - that is patience."
Whatever dream you currently have really think it out and plan how to reach it steadily as well as successfully. It's like a seedling that needs the appropriate nurturing and proper care before it can grow into a beautiful plant. It's cute to even think of yourself as a curious kitten waiting to pounce on a ball of yarn or a creeping little insect. Focus, concentration, and patience.
Thank you so much for reading.
-
Christina
CM Designs dba 1337 Art
http://1337art.etsy.com
Elite Art for the elite at heart. Featuring jewelry for men and women, art collage, awareness items, bookmarks, cell phone charms, hair accessories, key chains, kilt pin brooches, wine charms, and more.Custom orders are accepted.
Have you signed up for our newsletter? Sign up here!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Etsy Artist Feature 22: BellyBabies
It is important to show the world the charm of handcrafted items, and I plan to do it one artist at a time. Today I feature BellyBabies.Below you can find her interview:
1. What is the first memory of crafting that you can recall?
My first memory of crafting is when I was about 5 years old, I was sitting at a table behind our kitchen making Valentine's Day cards with my mom and brother. My next memory was probably about 3 years later, knitting a set of little leg warmers for my dog (it was the 80s).
2. What are some of your favorite past times?
Even though I do graphic design in my day job, one of my favorite past times is designing! I have done several of my friend's wedding invitations as well as business cards and logos for their own entrepreneurial pursuits! I also enjoy sewing -in addition to completing a slip cover for my sofa, I have also been working on plushie versions of all the Belly Babies characters. You can check out my plushie penguin here: plushie penguin
3. What do you specialize in?Belly Babies specializes in cute and fun onesies and t-shirts for infants and toddlers. Bellies - pregnant bellies and babies bellies are what inspire me! Each of the Belly Babies characters was designed starting with the same round belly shape!
4. What made you decide to open up a shop on Etsy?
5. How did you choose your shop name?
That was easy! Bellies and babies - that's what Belly Babies is all about!
6. What are your hopes for the future?
7. How do you feel about custom orders?
8. Try to sum up your workspace in as few words as possible.
Oh wow, my workspace is my desk, my backyard, the dining room table, the basement, a big corner of the bedroom...the list goes on! It's taking over!
9. Is there anything else you would like to add?
How can people get in contact with you?
http://www.bellybabies.etsy.
Thank you so much for reading.
-
Christina
CM Designs dba 1337 Art
http://1337art.etsy.com
http://1337art.silkfair.com
Elite Art for the elite at heart. Featuring jewelry for men and women, art collage, awareness items, bookmarks, cell phone charms, hair accessories, key chains, kilt pin brooches, wine charms, and more.
Custom orders are accepted.
Have you signed up for our newsletter? Sign up here!
Monday, September 22, 2008
Farmer's Market from a Crafter's Point of View
My friend and I have attended a summer long Farmer's Market consisting of 22 Sundays from 12pm - 4pm. It was located in a small town, and the only advertising done had to do with the food portion of the market. There were 4-5 other crafters at any given time, and the community didn't know we were there!
This was the first Farmer's Market in the area, and we had prepaid for the entire summer at a discounted rate. There were pros and cons in this experience, and you can read about them below:
Cons:
1. There was no advertisement for crafters.
2. There were two other jewelers. My friend and I shared a booth, and we also made jewelry.
3. The market was held in a small community.
4. A lot of people didn't anticipate crafts so they didn't bring money.
5. We spent a lot of time setting up and taking down our booth with little overall profit.
Pros:
1. We had the opportunity to meet people and to let them know we are here.
2. We reminisced with people we haven't seen in a long time.
3. It was really a community event where everyone knew each other.
4. We made our booth cost back with some profit :)
5. We gained experience on good days vs. bad days.
Advice and Tips:
1. Share a booth with a friend. It keeps booth costs down, you have support, and you can take a few moments for yourself when need be. You both probably sell different things with a different style, so more people would be drawn to your booth.
2. Check out the other booths. Not only do you get to check out what other great crafters/farmers there are, but if you make friendly contact with them they are more likely to come visit your booth. Vendors are customers too.
3. Offer discounts. You can offer scratch cards that give the customer a chance to win a percentage off of their purchase, or you can put a coupon into the packaging after they purchase something. I didn't think of it in time, but I had postcards with a discount code on them that I handed out with each purchase. This will definitely be something I hand out at every upcoming show.
4. Offer a variety of items in a wide price range. Perhaps someone dropped by to check out the market as they were heading out to buy a friend a gift. Maybe a kid has a little spending money and wants to use it in your booth. It's important to have a little something for everyone.
5. Don't get discouraged. It was a farmer's market after all. We had high hopes, but we learned from the experienced and met a lot of interesting people. We got our name out there, and we did have our good days. It really put me in low spirits when people walked right past our booth without even looking inside because they immediately think "Oh. It's just jewelry." We offered more than jewelry, and some people didn't give us the chance. Perhaps we didn't stand out enough. Perhaps they stereotyped us. It was the moments when one person came in and looked carefully at everything, took a business card, and said with sincerity, "You really have some amazing stuff here" that made me forget about the rough time we were having.
Perhaps you have or will have a more overall profitable and successful Farmer's Market in your area, but before getting a booth it is best to check out the market to get a feel for it. Ask the vendors what their opinions are on how successful the market is, and if they would attend again. Also check into how the event is organized and advertised.
I hope this has been helpful to you, and thank you so much for reading.
Christina
CM Designs dba 1337 Art
http://1337art.etsy.com
http://1337art.silkfair.com
Elite Art for the elite at heart. Featuring jewelry for men and women, art collage, awareness items, bookmarks, cell phone charms, hair accessories, key chains, kilt pin brooches, wine charms, and more.
Custom orders are accepted.
Have you signed up for our newsletter? Sign up here!
This was the first Farmer's Market in the area, and we had prepaid for the entire summer at a discounted rate. There were pros and cons in this experience, and you can read about them below:
Cons:
1. There was no advertisement for crafters.
2. There were two other jewelers. My friend and I shared a booth, and we also made jewelry.
3. The market was held in a small community.
4. A lot of people didn't anticipate crafts so they didn't bring money.
5. We spent a lot of time setting up and taking down our booth with little overall profit.
Pros:
1. We had the opportunity to meet people and to let them know we are here.
2. We reminisced with people we haven't seen in a long time.
3. It was really a community event where everyone knew each other.
4. We made our booth cost back with some profit :)
5. We gained experience on good days vs. bad days.
Advice and Tips:
1. Share a booth with a friend. It keeps booth costs down, you have support, and you can take a few moments for yourself when need be. You both probably sell different things with a different style, so more people would be drawn to your booth.
2. Check out the other booths. Not only do you get to check out what other great crafters/farmers there are, but if you make friendly contact with them they are more likely to come visit your booth. Vendors are customers too.
3. Offer discounts. You can offer scratch cards that give the customer a chance to win a percentage off of their purchase, or you can put a coupon into the packaging after they purchase something. I didn't think of it in time, but I had postcards with a discount code on them that I handed out with each purchase. This will definitely be something I hand out at every upcoming show.
4. Offer a variety of items in a wide price range. Perhaps someone dropped by to check out the market as they were heading out to buy a friend a gift. Maybe a kid has a little spending money and wants to use it in your booth. It's important to have a little something for everyone.
5. Don't get discouraged. It was a farmer's market after all. We had high hopes, but we learned from the experienced and met a lot of interesting people. We got our name out there, and we did have our good days. It really put me in low spirits when people walked right past our booth without even looking inside because they immediately think "Oh. It's just jewelry." We offered more than jewelry, and some people didn't give us the chance. Perhaps we didn't stand out enough. Perhaps they stereotyped us. It was the moments when one person came in and looked carefully at everything, took a business card, and said with sincerity, "You really have some amazing stuff here" that made me forget about the rough time we were having.
Perhaps you have or will have a more overall profitable and successful Farmer's Market in your area, but before getting a booth it is best to check out the market to get a feel for it. Ask the vendors what their opinions are on how successful the market is, and if they would attend again. Also check into how the event is organized and advertised.
I hope this has been helpful to you, and thank you so much for reading.
Christina
CM Designs dba 1337 Art
http://1337art.etsy.com
http://1337art.silkfair.com
Elite Art for the elite at heart. Featuring jewelry for men and women, art collage, awareness items, bookmarks, cell phone charms, hair accessories, key chains, kilt pin brooches, wine charms, and more.
Custom orders are accepted.
Have you signed up for our newsletter? Sign up here!
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Etsy Artist Feature 21 : clairelaraine
It is important to show the world the charms of handcrafted items, and I plan to do this one artist at a time. Today I feature Claire Laraine from North Yorkshire, United Kingdom. Below you can find her interview:1. What is the first memory of crafting that you can recall?
Since I can remember I have had a love of fabrics, colour, pattern but most importantly, creating. I have spent years gathering and hoarding scraps of fabrics, beads, buttons, ribbon, anything that I thought might just be useful for something!
2. What do you specialize in?
I specialize in making accessories (bags, purses, pocket mirrors, jewellery, notebooks etc) and follow the mantra of 're-new and re-use', no little scrap of fabric can escape, I am always on the hunt for faded remnants, or a fragment of jewellery I can bring a new lease of life to. My mission is to find all the 'forgotten' fabrics in the world and make them beautiful again. I like the idea that when you make a purchase from Claire Laraine, you will be helping us to do 'our bit' for the environment together.3. What made you decide to open up a shop on Etsy?
I already had my own website with an online shop, but decided to become a part of Etsy because I liked the idea of being 'surrounded' by other great creative people.4. How did you choose your shop name?
I chose to use my actual name!
5. What are your hopes for the future?
In the immediate future I hope to continue to build my online business, and branch out into other areas, I hope to be able to provide every accessory anyone could possibly want! Then further in to the future I hope to be able to open a bricks and mortar shop, and sell all my lovely handmade creations, as well as some of those that I have featured in my 'Partners in Crime' venture.
6. How do you feel about custom orders?
7. Try to sum up your workspace in as few words as possible.
Quite small but very full! Inspiring to work in, and it says lots about me.
8. Is there anything else you would like to add?
I would also like to mention in more detail about my 'Partners in Crime' blog, where I feature other
How can people get in contact with you?
email me - mail@clairelaraine.com
Thank you so much for reading! Feel free to visit Clair Laraine's Etsy Shop today!-
Christina
CM Designs dba 1337 Art
http://1337art.etsy.com
http://1337art.silkfair.com
Elite Art for the elite at heart. Featuring jewelry for men and women, art collage, awareness items, bookmarks, cell phone charms, hair accessories, key chains, kilt pin brooches, wine charms, and more.
Custom orders are accepted.
Have you signed up for our newsletter? Sign up here!
Monday, September 15, 2008
Relax...just relax.
When you're told that you "don't seem to just relax anymore" it puts you in a kind of perspective...a take a step away from yourself for a few seconds perspective. You ask yourself those questions: are you happy with your current living situation? are you happy with yourself? are you being productive? are you giving off positive vibes? It is okay to take a break and just relax.
Just relax.
I light candles, dress in comfy clothes, and cuddle up with a book or a movie. Sometimes I even drink coffee and listen to music. If you can't focus on yourself you can't focus on your creativity.
I admit to being occupied with the computer far more than I should lately. I'm young and ambitious...what can I say?
But I do have a new system going. A couple years ago at a Renaissance fair I bought two leather journals, and neither of them knows what it feels like to be written in. So I have decided, after being inspired by an Etsy forum link, to do this (see formula below:)
September XX, 2008
What are five things you've done to improve your business?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What are five things that you have done for yourself?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Write one creative sentence:
The above is going to become a nightly exercise before I go to sleep. I am going to train myself how to balance things in my life. My writing has been severely lacking in the last couple of years...it's really time to kidnap my muse, tie him to a chair, and make him inspire me.
You are more than welcome to try the above formula yourself. You can even buy a fancy notebook and pen to make it more exciting. (I'm tempted to buy a fancy pen for the occasion myself.)
Thank you so much for reading,
-
Christina
CM Designs dba 1337 Art
http://1337art.etsy.com
http://1337art.silkfair.com
Elite Art for the elite at heart. Featuring jewelry for men and women, art collage, awareness items, bookmarks, cell phone charms, hair accessories, key chains, kilt pin brooches, wine charms, and more.
Custom orders are accepted.
Have you signed up for our newsletter? Sign up here!
Just relax.
I light candles, dress in comfy clothes, and cuddle up with a book or a movie. Sometimes I even drink coffee and listen to music. If you can't focus on yourself you can't focus on your creativity.
I admit to being occupied with the computer far more than I should lately. I'm young and ambitious...what can I say?
But I do have a new system going. A couple years ago at a Renaissance fair I bought two leather journals, and neither of them knows what it feels like to be written in. So I have decided, after being inspired by an Etsy forum link, to do this (see formula below:)
September XX, 2008
What are five things you've done to improve your business?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What are five things that you have done for yourself?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Write one creative sentence:
The above is going to become a nightly exercise before I go to sleep. I am going to train myself how to balance things in my life. My writing has been severely lacking in the last couple of years...it's really time to kidnap my muse, tie him to a chair, and make him inspire me.
You are more than welcome to try the above formula yourself. You can even buy a fancy notebook and pen to make it more exciting. (I'm tempted to buy a fancy pen for the occasion myself.)
Thank you so much for reading,
-
Christina
CM Designs dba 1337 Art
http://1337art.etsy.com
http://1337art.silkfair.com
Elite Art for the elite at heart. Featuring jewelry for men and women, art collage, awareness items, bookmarks, cell phone charms, hair accessories, key chains, kilt pin brooches, wine charms, and more.
Custom orders are accepted.
Have you signed up for our newsletter? Sign up here!
Saturday, September 13, 2008
5 Reasons Why the Night is Inspiring for your creativity.
During the day I get so swept up in the rush and laziness of stress and all of the things that need to get done that I find it hard to focus on creating. When I don't have to work the next day I usually stay up late because that is when I am most myself and most capable of being creative.
1. Silence. The only sounds that you hear are the ones you make yourself. No telephone, no lawnmower, no screaming toddlers...the silence follows your lead.
2. You're the only one awake. You do not have to converse with anyone or fix anyone a snack. You are left to your own devices where your productivity doesn't have to take a break.
3. No responsibilities. There are no phone calls that need to be returned. The groceries and bills can wait until the morning. You have no need to feel stress; this is your time. The only thing you need to focus on are your own needs.
4. Relaxation. You can light candles, drink tea or coffee, write down new ideas while you are soaking in the tub with a new (and slightly expensive) bubble bath. Take this time to be one with yourself so you can open up to the endless possibilities.
5. Research. The computer is finally yours to use. This is the perfect time to look up new tools and supplies, new and upcoming trends, and to look up helpful articles that will point you in the right direction. Take this time to expose yourself to what is out there...new tips, new tricks, new techniques.
Thank you so much for reading. I hope this list inspires you to focus on whatever it is in your life that you can't seem to focus on.
-
Christina
CM Designs dba 1337 Art
http://1337art.etsy.com
http://1337art.silkfair.com
Elite Art for the elite at heart. Featuring jewelry for men and women, art collage, awareness items, bookmarks, cell phone charms, hair accessories, key chains, kilt pin brooches, wine charms, and more.
Custom orders are accepted.
Have you signed up for our newsletter? Sign up here!
1. Silence. The only sounds that you hear are the ones you make yourself. No telephone, no lawnmower, no screaming toddlers...the silence follows your lead.
2. You're the only one awake. You do not have to converse with anyone or fix anyone a snack. You are left to your own devices where your productivity doesn't have to take a break.
3. No responsibilities. There are no phone calls that need to be returned. The groceries and bills can wait until the morning. You have no need to feel stress; this is your time. The only thing you need to focus on are your own needs.
4. Relaxation. You can light candles, drink tea or coffee, write down new ideas while you are soaking in the tub with a new (and slightly expensive) bubble bath. Take this time to be one with yourself so you can open up to the endless possibilities.
5. Research. The computer is finally yours to use. This is the perfect time to look up new tools and supplies, new and upcoming trends, and to look up helpful articles that will point you in the right direction. Take this time to expose yourself to what is out there...new tips, new tricks, new techniques.
Thank you so much for reading. I hope this list inspires you to focus on whatever it is in your life that you can't seem to focus on.
-
Christina
CM Designs dba 1337 Art
http://1337art.etsy.com
http://1337art.silkfair.com
Elite Art for the elite at heart. Featuring jewelry for men and women, art collage, awareness items, bookmarks, cell phone charms, hair accessories, key chains, kilt pin brooches, wine charms, and more.
Custom orders are accepted.
Have you signed up for our newsletter? Sign up here!
Friday, September 12, 2008
Silkfair Artist Feature 1 - madeformebyoaklie
It is important to show the world the charm of handcrafted items, and today I wanted to introduce a new feature for artists selling their handcrafted items on Silkfair (an online venue to buy and sell.) Today I feature Anne of madeformebyoaklie. She currently resides in Saint George, Utah. Below you can find her interview:1. What is the first memory of crafting that you can recall?
I was very young and my Grandmother was teaching me to embroider... I was working on a pillow case and rolling right along... I stood up to got to the kitchen to show her and discovered I had embroidered the pillow case to my night gown! Real bummer but quite funny!
2. What are some of your favorite past times?
I love to play piano and watch movies. I can create and work on my scarves with the Movies... I am afraid my piano playing has taken a back seat lately though!
3. What do you specialize in?
Knitting and crochet - Scarves is my biggest items followed by baby booties.
.
4. What made you decide to open up a shop on Silkfair?
Affordable and great Admin Team. They are very supportive and the other shop owners are very friendly too!
5. How did you choose your shop name?
That was tough! My 1st few choices had already been taken (discovered when setting up my website) so I ended up with Made for Me by Oaklie. A nickname given to me many years ago by my brother.
6. What are your hopes for the future?Health for myself, family and friends... and of course - success with my new business!
7. How do you feel about custom orders?
I think they are great - I take custom orders upon request. They may be a little tough at times and take a little longer to produce but the end product is truly Unique!
8. Try to sum up your workspace in as few words as possible.
Small, Full of on-going projects - and Mine all Mine!
9. Is there anything else you would like to add?
Buying hand made is truly a great way to find special items for that special someone. Your items are truly Unique and the odds of finding another one like it is rare!
You can contact madeformebyoaklie via her website:
http://www.madeformebyoaklie.com
or her email:
info@madeformebyoaklie.com
Thank you so much for reading.
-
Christina
CM Designs dba 1337 Art
http://1337art.etsy.com
http://1337art.silkfair.com
Elite Art for the elite at heart. Featuring jewelry for men and women, art collage, awareness items, bookmarks, cell phone charms, hair accessories, key chains, kilt pin brooches, wine charms, and more.
Custom orders are accepted.
Have you signed up for our newsletter? Sign up here!
---
Featured in this post:
"Cheetah" Fluff Scarf
African Safaria Scarf
Gumdrop Fluff Scarf
These items can be found for sale at madeformebyoaklie's Silkfair Shop: http://madeformebyoaklie.silkfair.com
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Less business; more personal.
The title says it all. Perhaps the reason why I don't update as regular as before is because I don't want to bore my audience with business type things. You can find my new items in my shops. I'm also developing a newsletter that will have that information inside. You can sign up for my newsletter by clicking on the link at the bottom of this post.
What I am going to do with this blog now is still in the works. I do want to do [more] artist features from Deviantart.com, Etsy.com, and Silkfair.com every Friday night. I do want to post promotional tips as I do currently. I also want to offer more of a behind the scenes of 1337 Art, and the person behind it [me.]
Sometimes it doesn't seem like it, but I do have a life outside of the Internet. I want to focus on life, not businessworkjobmoneystress. With the holiday season approaching along with three upcoming shows I can't help feeling stressful and wanting to make the most out of the season. I think if I have time to "chill" I can be more productive than I am now.
Thank you so much for reading.
-
Christina
CM Designs dba 1337 Art
http://1337art.etsy.com
http://1337art.silkfair.com
Elite Art for the elite at heart. Featuring jewelry for men and women, art collage, awareness items, bookmarks, cell phone charms, hair accessories, key chains, kilt pin brooches, wine charms, and more.
Custom orders are accepted.
Have you signed up for our newsletter? Sign up here!
What I am going to do with this blog now is still in the works. I do want to do [more] artist features from Deviantart.com, Etsy.com, and Silkfair.com every Friday night. I do want to post promotional tips as I do currently. I also want to offer more of a behind the scenes of 1337 Art, and the person behind it [me.]
Sometimes it doesn't seem like it, but I do have a life outside of the Internet. I want to focus on life, not businessworkjobmoneystress. With the holiday season approaching along with three upcoming shows I can't help feeling stressful and wanting to make the most out of the season. I think if I have time to "chill" I can be more productive than I am now.
Thank you so much for reading.
-
Christina
CM Designs dba 1337 Art
http://1337art.etsy.com
http://1337art.silkfair.com
Elite Art for the elite at heart. Featuring jewelry for men and women, art collage, awareness items, bookmarks, cell phone charms, hair accessories, key chains, kilt pin brooches, wine charms, and more.
Custom orders are accepted.
Have you signed up for our newsletter? Sign up here!
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