Nicole's Visions

Redwood Spirit Tiles are ...

2012-02-13T15:06:00.000-08:00

drying in the sunshine!

ready to photograph, describe & list!

I had a beautiful sunny & unseasonably warm day today to go outside & give the tiles a few last coasts of sealant. I think they look pretty darn nice.

Hopefully words will come to me to give them descriptions fitting to their beauty.

I also have to schedule a nice photo shoot day to capture their visible beauty & showcase them in different settings. It feels like such a daunting task.

One would think that photography would come naturally to me by this point. Not true.

Even tho I have been taking pictures since I was still a teen, there are times I struggle with finding just the right way to photograph things, especially my products.

So many elements come into play to create that eye catching finished image everyone sees.

Here's to being able to bring you more of those beautiful images when I photograph these larger than life Spirit Tiles in the next week!

Spirit Tile progress moves along nicely

2012-02-06T18:38:00.000-08:00

I am amazed. I have put more time, research & thought into these Spirit Tiles than anything else I've made in a long time. I sat again this afternoon at my table. Drop by drop I added more sealant to the crystal stones in each tile. Then one by one I sprayed, again, each tile out in the gorgeous February sunshine. I truly loved seeing the grains in the wood & the stones in the grooves seem to come alive being out in the sun & readily accepting a gentle coat or two of clear sealant.

Tuesday evening all the tiles will go outside & remain there until morning. Tuesday is the February full moon. Letting objects sit in the moonlight like this cleanses, & charges them with much positive energy... This being just after the midpoint of winter, it is especially strong to capture all the positivity of new-ness.. of the returning light, of new growth, of (the not far off) Spring!

I'm excited to soon be able to offer these beautiful tiles to everyone. Whether they will grace someone's altar, bedside or even wall, I believe each one will find its perfect new home at just the right time.

Progress is a wonderful thing

2012-02-01T16:41:00.000-08:00

work in progress, complete with notes!

Today I finished up the research behind all the gemstones I have to put into the Spirit Tiles. Combining both Mystical & Elemental properties while keeping in mind how they will look & work together.

Keeping in mind the importance & significance of numbers as well I have placed 5 of each of 2 gemstones/crystals into each tile & 3 crystal quartz.

All the teeny gemstones I have to work with.

Next step is to add sealant to the crystals. Finish will be a sprayed on coat of sealant for the whole tile.

Last thing before listing? A night of being charged by the February full moon.

The Creation of a Redwood Spirit Tile

2012-01-29T20:01:00.000-08:00

You would think with so many ideas running thru my mind at any given time, getting just one completed would be easy. Apparently not.

showing painted & unpainted crystal grooves

Late last year I had an idea on what to do with the pieces of redwood that I was not going to make into the hotplate/trivets for various reasons. I’d turn them into something along the lines of an altar tile. Something special, that fellow Pagans from any given path could use on their altars or just around the home. Coming up with a name to call them was one thing. Coming up with a way to make them stand out, was another.

With this idea firmly planted in my mind I began transforming the pieces of redwood into the altar tiles. I gave them flat cork feet as opposed to the raised feet the hotplates / trivets had. I wanted these to sit flat & more flush on whatever surface they were on or to even be able to be hung on a wall. The thin cork would work perfectly. I also gave them the same beautiful Danish oil finish as the other wood pieces.

better view of painted/unpainted crystal groove

I wanted more than to just give them a different name & different feet. While we were in Florida in 2010 I picked up some beautiful tiny crystals in tiny bottles. I knew I’d come up with something to do with them sooner or later. Hey! I could put some of the crystals on the tiles. Then the decision of whether to just put them on top glued in place or inset them had to be considered. After much debate I decided to make a groove, slightly curved, to set them in. So began the discussion with hubby on how to best accomplish this. See, we don’t yet have a fully stocked shop filled with all the wood working tools one might need. But, we do have a Dremel. And there is a plunge router attachment that can be bought for it. After buying the needed attachment, & a set of bits we were once again ready to move forward with the project. Right?

Well, since I’m not a pro at using either the Dremel as a router, or a router alone, hubby volunteered to figure out how to make it work. He took the time to create a template so each curved groove would look nice & clean & the same on each tile. Then came lots of practice of both creating that nice curve & determining the right depth.

trial groove w/ crystals. no background color

While he worked on practicing, I worked on how to best seal them in there & whether or not I’d need some color behind them to show since they were set down into the wood. I had 2 sealants to try. After several layers, it was evident which to use. But with just the wood, the crystals looked lost. Now to decide which color to paint the groove, pearl white or metallic silver. Pearl white won out, looking much nicer.

While I was waiting to see if the chosen sealant dried clear enough to not affect the color, I gave some more thought to the finish of the entire piece. I had thought of using a resin type filler in the groove but I did not want the groove to stick out like a sore thumb which I felt would happen with the shine of a resin filler/finish. I did not want to have to seal the entire piece in resin either as I liked the natural look & feel of the piece. I felt sealing the entire piece in resin, like a bar top, would just make it feel more …fake. Like the natural feel of the wood, would be lost.

crystals set w/ pearl white color behind them

Final decision? Using clear satin finish polyurethane to fill in the groove & give the top just once nice coat to blend it all together.For the final pictures, you'll have to wait a few days....

I do love tho, how in the bottom 3 images shared here, you can actually see some of the golden shimmer I talked so much about in the hotplates / trivets. Bottom 2 images showing the set crystals are from one trial piece of wood. The actual tiles will obviously have a much cleaner look!

Almost 6 months after inception, I can finally see the final product & another unveiling!

Giving Thanks by helping others

2011-11-30T16:15:00.000-08:00

On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving (here in the US) Nicole's Visions, Breath of the Dragon & Uber Dreamer Concepts were among the volunteers helping out with the huge Thanksgiving foodbank at the Women's Resource Center in Wenatchee. Nicole's Visions has been helping every week for well over a year now & on occasion before that. Both Breath of the Dragon & Uber Dreamer Concepts have been helping out for a better part of the spring & summer. It is such a rewarding experience for us all. And we are all grateful that we can give back to the community in this way.

These 2 tents provide a bit of shelter while people wait their turn. We had a crappy day weather wise. Tho the rain did stop a few times & it even got a teeny bit brighter on occasion!

Looking down the driveway, we set up tables so we could offer a bunch of different choices for everyone. I was looking to see how much space we had left to add more things.

On our trusty picnic table we stacked boxes filled with ingredients for families to make a Thanksgiving meal. All these boxes (& more were inside) were filled by volunteers, assembly line style. It takes a lot to pull this off!

Including turkeys!

Things really filled in quick as we worked to get all the food out! I'm off there on the far left again... trying to figure out if we have everything ready & together.

We had all kinds of breads & lots of misc foods too. And by the time we were done ... all this was gone.

We even had potatoes, pears, oranges & frozen turkey & gravy. You can see Sunfire from Breath of the Dragon off on the far left there!

And back here ... was a bunch of extra stock ... more pasta, more plums, more oatmeal, more tomato sauce ....

My friend Joe took these pictures so I dont have all the shots I wanted, but he did a great job getting these for me & it gives you all a good idea of what we do for the holidays for all these families. We fed over 200 families that day.

This week was another crazy week. Even tho we had such a huge line & gave out SO much food last week, we had another 100+ people in line this week. Less than 7 days after Thanksgiving. Not sure where all the food went since you would think maybe people would have some left overs at least... And we had a lot of new faces this week. This seems ot be a trend we're noticing. Longer lines each week than we expect & more new faces.

I am thankful that I am able to help out by giving my time. I would like to see if some of us small business people here in town could get together & have our own food drive with the proceeds going directly to the Women's Resource Center. When other places do their food drives in town, we are forgotten. We often dont get any portion of the collected money or food. It makes it harder for us to serve our community.

Marketing Material progress

2011-10-28T14:18:00.000-07:00

Last month a fellow business person on Zibbet & I got together to make a new image for me. I have mentioned this before & you can see the beautiful results not only in the banner on this blog, but in my shop banner on Zibbet, my business cards, my avatars, web ads & last but not least product tags.

product tag designed by Judy

I wanted a nifty tag to use for adding prices to my things. Since not everything is flat photos anymore, I thought something new would be in order.

base image used for biz cards & banner, shot in my yard.

Judy was so patient with me. I gave her some images I shot in the yard to use as backgrounds for all the stuff & she worked her magic on the design front. I really had no concrete idea for the tags so I was beyond pleased when we worked out the details to get the result we got.

Today I went in search of a hole punch & some kind of string. I knew for the smaller tags I would need a smaller than typical hole & hoped I could find something to fit. I did! Fiskars makes not only the typical ¼ inch hole punch but also a 1/8 inch one. And … it was on sale!

Next was the search for string, or twine, or hemp, or yarn. Something fairly thin to use to connect the tag to the products. I saw some hemp in a nice brown at Wal-Mart. Not sure it was a good deal, I passed & headed to Craft Warehouse (where I found the hole punch) hoping to find more variety or something there. I found (in the jewelry dept of all places) something called colored cord. It’s thin, & brown. Wasn’t hemp like I had kinda hoped, but with the 40% off coupon I had, it was priced right.

Product tags printed in various sizes & cut

Now that I finally have my trivets ready to sell, I am looking forward to adding the price tags so they are ready for the local show I’ll be doing on November 12^th.

Small steps, constantly, eventually bring about great things!

Oh & I should mention too that the tags got printed best on nice 65lb cardstock on a laser printer. I tried at home on my inkjet & the color difference was amazing between that & the big printer at my local Office Depot. Well worth the cost.

Oops....

2011-10-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

I totally missed updating today (this is backdated) as planned for the NaBloWriMo thing. I was sick & had to do the food bank on top of that. New entry coming for the 28^th.

Playing tour guide

2011-10-22T21:33:00.000-07:00

For the past several entries I’ve focused on providing some info to help with photography.

This weekend, I’ve spent time taking actual scenic pictures with my camera instead of just product shots. Tho, I did do some of those too, earlier this week.

So often I just forget how much fun it is to go out & take some pictures.

This weekend my husband’s dad & step mom have been here visiting from FL. We’ve been playing tour guide to show them some of our beautiful country up here. I found someone who enjoys taking pictures of everything like I do! My mother in law! It has been fun. I’ll work on uploading & editing some pictures this week.

Know I cant put these off forever like a lot of the other ones I still have to share because she’ll bug me every now & then until I share them all!

So before I head to bed, I better make sure my batteries are charged for one more day of sightseeing & hiking tomorrow.

Backgrounds

2011-10-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

What I would like to touch on today, is backgrounds for product photos.

I think its awesome when folks get creative with their backgrounds in pictures.

But I also firmly believe it is super important to have at least 1 image where there is nothing to distract you from the product.

Nothing.

Unless your item needs a prop to be properly photographed.

Some of the beautiful handcrafted items we all make go great on plain white. Some, not so much.

Same goes for black.

Some look stunning that way. Some, not.

So what are you to do then?

My suggestion would be to find a neutral simple color that goes with most or all of the things you make.

For some people this means using the grass outdoors.

For others it may mean a colored piece of material.

Or maybe a mannequin.

It all depends on what you create.

If you sell mainly one type of product in your shop/website, try to keep the background the same color in all your main photo, shots.

This gives your shop/website a nice cohesive feeling.

When people then click to see more, this is where you can get more creative.

Play with the angles, props, & whatnots.

It’s simple enough. When you are trying to sell something, less can be so much more.

I’m going to leave this simple.

I wish I had room to show you so many more shop items. I'll work on that!

As always, comments, questions & inquiries are welcome!
To see out how I do my shots, check out my shop. I'm always working to change them, too.

Shops in order of photo appearance:
All About the Buttons
BreitWerk
Grandmother's House
Portable Graffiti
Raige Creations
Handmade Fuzzy

Angles in product photography

2011-10-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

So we hit ever so lightly on lighting the other day.

Today I’d like to hit on angles.

Specifically, in product photography.

While it can play a huge role in nature & portrait work, it also plays a huge role in how you photograph your product.

For those of us who sell our creations & works of art online, it is tough to get across just how great our work is, with just words.

We need pictures. Images. Something to help cement that feeling our words tried to convey.

Having a square head on shot of your item is by all means important. But please, don’t stop there. We (on Zibbet) are offered up to 5 images with a basic account & 8 for premium.

Find a way to fill them!

Granted, for some things it may be impossible without being overly redundant. But of others, its easy to take picture after picture. So take advantage of this & play with the angles from which you take them.

Get down to almost eye level to help convey how thick, tall, thin or short, your item is.

Find the perfect angle so the buyer can see the texture of your creation. The shine, the yarn, the grain, everything.

The only caution I have here is to not get too close if your item has natural flaws.

When we create by hand, we have flaws, or they would not be handmade.

So get close enough to show, but not so

close that EVERYTHING shows … ya know?

That beautiful head on shot is great. Take it from overhead if you can.

Now stand in front of your item.

How would it look if you saw it in a store, or on display?

Take a picture from that angle.

If your item is functional, play with the angles,

with the item in use.

If your item is worn, play with the angles, on a model.

You get the idea. Get creative.

Combine these creative angle ideas with the lighting ideas I mentioned too.

Sure, that one great basic shot is important.

But so is the creativity you can convey with the other images allowed in your listings!

While I don’t have the perfect images to show you everything I mean, I know the creative mind in you can see these new creative angles, creative perspectives.

If you ever desire any help, I’m always here. Stuck on what other angles to try? Not sure if something works? I’m happy to help! You can see how I use angles in my product shots both in my Zibbet shop & my daughters ...

It’s all about the lighting

2011-10-13T08:57:00.000-07:00

Well, at least in product photography it is.

I’ve often been told, when people look at my photography, that I have a natural eye for it. At first, I had to ask what exactly they meant by that. I seem to have a very appealing & creative way to compose my images. Wow, how cool is that?

I take a lot of my pictures, with something in mind. Sometimes, I take them knowing I want to be able to put words on them somewhere. So, I make sure to leave space for that when I compose the image before I click that shutter. Other times it may be just a nice composed shot, no cropping or words needed. Or, I may want to make some shape out of the image later; whether that is a panoramic shot, or maybe a square shot.

Tiffani

At any rate, composition is a big deal in photography. But, so is lighting. Lighting can play a huge part in landscape shots, in close up shots of anything, & in people shots. But I want to talk about product shots today.

I have found over the years that I have been doing product shots, that for me, natural light works best & is the easiest to use. I know there are many ways to take pictures with artificial lighting. I never was great at doing any of that. I love how natural light gives things such a nice clean, clear & color correct look. And I didn’t need to buy any special equipment for working with natural light. All I need is a place to set up, near good light.

My Studio in the living room

Using natural can present challenges. There are a couple factors that need to come together to take good natural light pictures.

A bright or sunny day

Time to take pictures while the light is right

Seems simple enough. But what if you don’t live in an area that gets tons of sunshine? Or you work all day & need to wait until the weekend & the weekend is rainy? Or any other off the wall or real world reason.

Taken w/above setup

I am able to be home during the day, almost every day. So I can see when the light will hit my photo area best. And this changes as the suns path across the sky changes with the seasons. I want the bright light, but not the direct streaming sunlight. The direct light for most things I photograph, is too harsh & bright. The bright light before the sun streams in & onto the products is best.

Taken w/ above setup

Try working with this bright light next time you need to take product shots. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at your results.

Making it easier to help

2011-10-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

So on Friday I talked about my efforts to help raise some money for the hungry by supporting our local food bank. While my effort is two-fold, I can understand not everyone can spend right now.

Hunger Awareness

2011-10-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

It’s Friday! The weekend is here! For many this is a time to be off work & spend it with family. One of the simple joys of family time often revolves around food. Whether its snacking on popcorn while watching the game or a movie … or gathering around the family table for a nice home cooked meal, many take for granted the fact that there is always food available.

What if there wasn’t? What if you didn’t have the luxury of a snack anytime you wanted? What if you had to wonder where your next meal was going to come from? Sadly, this is on the minds of countless families, everyday.

Out in our corner of the country, October is also Hunger Awareness month. I say also, because there are other causes this month that overshadow this one. Did you even know there was a Hunger Awareness month? I as made aware of this one day while chatting with the amazing woman in charge of The Women’s Resource Center food bank.

I volunteer there each Tuesday to help things go smoothly at each food bank. We never really know how many people will be waiting in line. It varies not just with the time of the month, but with the seasons as well. We have many seasonal fruit related jobs here in the valley, so when its time to pick, sort & package, jobs are there. But during the off times, jobs are much more scarce. So, our lines grow during these times. But jobs or not, we have elderly & disabled people in line, all year long, needing help.

Did you know, that right here in our country, many older and/or disabled people are forced to choose between buying food or buying their medication? Yes, its true. Another reason we are here to help.

Our center is part of a network of local food banks but not all receive the same amounts of food. Food comes from various sources for each place. I see firsthand how oftentimes we get less. I’ve learned how politics play a part in how much (or little) we get.

But mostly, I see the people. I see their faces. I listen to them talk to each other & to me. I help those who come in wheelchairs, or with canes, get their choices put into bags, a cart or a box. I can feel the appreciation they have for what we do. The occasional thank you, or bless you warms my heart. I always leave, wanting to do more.

This is my point. Doing more. For the month of October, I will be helping the center with each item I sell from my Zibbet shop. It doesn’t matter if its on sale, or not. Big or small. I am taking $2 from every item sold & using that to buy food for the center. I hope you can help me, help others by making a purchase this month. You’ll enjoy an added bonus of 50% off your shipping as well. On all orders, worldwide!

Thank you for reading. And helping if you are able. I will update at the end of the month on the wonderful total we had!

I’ll be back with another post on Monday! May you all have a bountiful harvest on your tables this glorious Autumn weekend!

Reduce, Re-Use, Recycle!

2011-10-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

One of the big things that has driven me is a love forrecycling. For re-using things that have lived their life & been tossedaside, or worse, tossed into the trash/landfill. No, I’m not going to go fishthem out! I’m looking to find things before they get that far.

One of the things I’ve saved from being tossed is someCalifornia Redwood. I know I’ve written a few posts about this wood & theconnected projects already.

I’ve also savedclothes & even material from ending up who knows where. Ah, my pile ofclothes & material. Once I have more of this wood stuff finished I will bedigging into some of that.

More recently (like the other day) I was surfing aroundonline & came across a few more fun up-cycling ideas. I’m in awe of thepeople who think of these things. Making a rake head into a wine glass rack …using the old style 10 speed bike handlebars for a wall mounted bike rack ... making bottle openers from bike forks. Imean come on… how cool is that? Why couldn’t I think of that? Can I do that?

Yup, all those questions & so many more have run thru my head lately. Thereare so many ideas out there for so many fun things. I have to wonder how manyare original & how many have just been duplicated by several differentpeople. Not that copies are a bad thing. Well, I don’t think they are anyway. AndI would imagine (or hope) that each person would put their own spin on theirversion too. Yes? I know I would.

When someone takes the time to copy your idea, it’s got tobe good. Right? As long as they don’t say its their original idea, there shouldbe plenty of room for all of us to sell our fun & creative creations. Am Iwrong? Granted, if an idea or product is copyrighted, that’s another story.

I’ll leave you all with that & I’ll be back with anotherpost on the 7^th.

Launch to begin, a new image & blog writing challenge

2011-10-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

Wow, here we are on the first day of October already. Howdid that happen so fast? I’ve been keeping pretty busy around here. Along with working on getting the RedwoodCollection ready to launch, we’ve had some personal issues to contend with& I’ve been working with a fellow Zibbet shop owner to revamp my whole image,as far as marketing material is concerned.

The launch of the Redwood Collection will begin soon. Justnot today. With a few bumps in the road, things are taking a little longer thanexpected. I promise, one item at a time, you will begin to see them listed inmy shop this month.

My new image has been fun to create. You can see the hugedifference in the banner up there & the avatar on the side, to begin with. The emphasis has been takenoff of just photography. It now includes that, along with everything in my newdirections as well. I have a new shop (& blog) banner, a new avatar, newonline advertising banners, new business cards & even product tags! To sayI’m a bit excited is an understatement!

I’ve also decided to take on another challenge. I must becrazy! Many people have heard of NaNoRiMo which is a national novel writingchallenge. This one, is geared to bloggers & called NoBloWriMo. To make mychallenge more fun, I’ve decided to include 3 of the blogs I have. Since I findmyself liking to keep different aspects of me separated, I thought this wouldbe fun & also exercise my brain a bit more. So, once every 3^rdday after this, you should see a post from me here!

Trials, pitfalls & learning curves

2011-09-18T14:06:00.000-07:00

These redwood projects have been a challenge for both myself & my wonderful helping husband. While we both have a very creative mind, we may not always have enough knowledge to equal the creativity.

The Visions I have for these trivets & soap dishes are so clear in my mind. I can clearly see the finished products in all their beauty. As we go along in this creative process, we are both learning that alterations may be needed. Plans may need to be changed. Visions may be altered. Finished products may look different than those first Visions.

We are both working on these with tools we already have & our own muscle. We first sliced wood at a friend’s house (because we really had no way of doing that here), but to avoid having to go back there for each step, we have been working with what is here, at home. And the knowledge we have here, at home.

You would think this would not present much of an issue. And at first it did not. But somewhere along the line, something happened. It’s funny actually, to think about it. Somehow, lines were just a bit off, angles were just a bit off & there was no fixing them.

So, we’ll have some imperfections. We’ll have some ‘creative’ lines perhaps… but the shimmering beauty of these pieces & the mesmerizing knot work will still shine thru! That is part of the beauty of handcrafted right? The uniqueness & imperfections of each piece? There is no doubt that these did not come off some assembly line in China.

Oh, we're excited too, to have found feet for the trivets. They will be made from slices of recycle wine corks! I played with slicing them this morning & it will work great!

The Redwood Collection … in limited edition

2011-09-14T09:34:00.000-07:00

The exquisite lines of the grain, the breathtaking color, & the eye catching holes & knots combine to make this very limited edition of Trivets, Soap dishes & Elemental tiles.

These pieces were born from majestic northern California Redwood trees almost 25 years ago. From trees of unknown ages, the pieces used to create this limited edition line were thought of as scrap, leftovers, unsuitable for use. Once saved from the mulch pile, they waited patiently to be discovered by my artistic eye. I knew when I first saw them, I could bring their beauty to life again in a new, and yet unknown way.

Once the ideas began to flow for something useful, I began my quest to find the right designs to bring out as much of the wood’s history & character as I could. That is how these beautiful & unique pieces were born. Trial & error led me & my husband to come to the finished designs to be unveiled here soon. No fancy tools were used, as we are simple people, using (fairly) simple tools. 2 saws, 2 sanders & many (wo)man hours is what stands behind these creations. We don’t have endless tools to choose from, so modifications in original designs had to be made. But we still feel the outcome showcases the beauty of each piece.

When you hold these pieces in your own hands, you’ll almost hear the stories within them. You’ll see the natural shimmer in the grains & you’ll feel the history in your heart. You’re hardest decision will be choosing which piece to buy for yourself, after choosing the ones to give as gifts.

Once the products are unveiled & made available for sale, their quantity has very definite limits. When they are gone, they are truly history. I was gifted this limited supply of wood. When the last piece is sold, they will be but a memory… a memory I will cherish forever as an artist.

Unveiling is scheduled for October 1, 2011.Can you wait?

Help me help the animals

2011-09-06T19:17:00.000-07:00

September Promotion

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. How to help out a few local places & encourage sales in my shop. So here it is …

For the month of September 2011, I will be donating $2 from each sale (thats going to be each ITEM!) made from my Zibbet shop to two local causes. The $2 will be evenly split between TheWenatchee Valley Humane Society & the Wenatchee Police Dept K-9 Fund.

Boxer/Pug mix ready to adopt!

Our humane Society is always in need of supplies to help with the care of the shelter animals. Being an animal lover & having adopted 2 dogs from them, they hold a special place in my heart.Right now, I really have my eye on this gal to the left. I would love to give her a forever home right here! Hmm .... I'll keep ya posted on that one!

I was listening to the radio this afternoon when I heard our local police dept was looking for help with funds for their K-9 unit. They need new dogs & training to expand their unit. Knowing they help to sniff out drugs & narcotics & keep us all a bit safer, this also speaks to me. Those dogs provide a huge service. I hope to be a small part of their training by providing a donation!

I would love to have a nice check for each of them on October 1^st. My first goal is just to raise $100. That’s $50 for each cause. That’s 50 sales.Okay, its actually just 50 items which could be less sales if you buy more than one item!!! And yes, even the $2.95 prints are included which means $2 of that will go to these awesome causes!!!

Please, help me help the animals. Every item, every sale counts. And if you are not able, please help me spread the word to those who may be able!!! Thank you all !!! And I will be posting more info about both places soon as well.

All orders will also receive a coupon good for 20% off a future purchase & include a thank you gift!

Sneak peak of soap dishes & trivets ...

2011-09-03T18:53:00.000-07:00

My hubby & I worked hard today to make some progress with the wood pieces. Not only did I get more sanded, but he & I worked out 2 designs for the soap dishes & got to see the first squared off trivet. I have to admit, I’m having more fun seeing the soap dishes come together than the trivets … but it’s all been fun! I’m learning more about sanding as I go … mainly that I didn’t know enough before!

Top is trivet. left is soap dish design 1 & right is design 2.

So here you can see what all three things look like, rough cut.

The trivet has been sanded some. You can see how nice it looks compared to the soap dishes.

The soap dishes tho, are still rough & will be nice & smooth when finished.

And here is how they look when wet. The wet look really brings out the grains & is what they will all look like when finished. I am leaning towards a nice satin finish. For the trivet I believe we'll use a Danish Oil finish. It will soak into the wood nicely & be heat resistant. The soap dishes will have a polycrylic water based finish which is good to use on things coming in contact with water.

The soap dish with just the slat cut into it will have a nice beveled/rounded top edge done with a router. The other soap dish design will have the sharp edges rounded a bit, but not actually router-ed, just softened. The second design has feet too. We talked about making some kind of nice concave area in them but since we don’t have a full blown wood shop at our disposal, doing that would be truly cost prohibitive.

It may be another week before we see more progress, but who knows. Thanks for coming along on this journey with me!

Moving in new directions ... Finally.

2011-09-02T11:48:00.000-07:00

Finally. I’m finally moving in a forward direction. This time, it’s not with photography. It’s with wood. Redwood to be precise. I was gifted several small boxes of what amounts to scrap (2x6) pieces full of knots & knot holes. The lengths vary from 6 to 15 inches, with most falling in between there. My mind began racing with ideas the minute I was asked if I’d like to have them. That was early this year.

I tried to think of things to make that would be both functional & pretty. And not require too much work or work that was beyond my abilities. So far, I have 3 ideas that will finally see the light within a few weeks. One is to make trivets, focusing on the knot holes. Another will be altar tiles, again focusing on the knot holes, but adorned with tiny stones. The last (for now) idea is beautiful soap dishes. I’m excited to create all three. The only difference between 2 of them is marketing & a few stones.

left is dry, right is wet. look how gorgeous the grain is!

I have learned that this wood came from & was milled in Northern California over 20 years ago. It was all cast aside as scrap. Had my neighbor (who worked there at the saw mill) not saved it from there, it would have been ground up into chips & gone … who knows where. I am thankful to have this chance to breathe a new & artistic life into some of the pieces.

I have learned that to preserve the beauty of the wood, I need to seal it. Otherwise, left to weather, it will turn grey over time. The wood will not rot, just weather, as it is a long lasting wood, like cedar. I wanted to keep it natural but wet looking as the beauty of the grain would then be there for all to admire. But, purely natural finishes will wear off & need to be re-applied. That is not practical for items being sold. And for the soap dishes, I needed something that could withstand both water & commercial soaps since not everyone will place only all natural soaps on these. For the trivets, I need something that can withstand some heat. Looks like a nice clear polyurethane finish will do the job for all 3 items. I will have to double check the heat part this weekend.

My outside work area, doing the 1st rough sanding.

Cleaning these pieces up presents a few challenges. Redwood splinters are infectious & require immediate removal. Redwood sawdust is poisonous when ingested by humans & requires a mask be worn when sanding. Fun huh? I don’t’ mind taking the cautions tho, as I know the results will be more than worth it. Good thing about redwood? There are several types of bugs that hate it! I don’t have any around here, but if I did, I would have plenty of dust to shoo them away! Talk about getting an education!

So the creation process began with slicing the pieces in half so they are basically 1x6 instead of 2x6. I then get to sand each piece smooth. Next I will mark on each piece a nice square area around the knot (or knot hole). My hubby does the cutting but I’ve done all the sanding. When he cuts off all the extra ends, we’ll decide on 2 styles of soap dishes based on how much wood is left. We’ll also decide on what type of edge rounding we’ll do on the trivets & the soap dishes. Then will come assembly where needed & finally… a beautiful finish. I promise to take pictures as the process progresses.

Welcome back!!!

2011-08-31T11:58:00.000-07:00

It’s been a … summer. I’ve (obviously) taken quite a break from things over the past couple months here. It was not intentional in the beginning. But it quickly became habit to forget to post something. I did a lot of thinking, some growing, a little listing on Zibbet & not much else business wise. We had a lovely car crash into the house we rent the downstairs of, back on the Fourth of July weekend. Long story way short, things are not finished yet, but at least we have new windows. I used the recent Mercury Retrograde to do some serious Reflecting on several things both business related & personal. It helped.

I have come to realize that I do not have to let go of photography to move on to something else. I can balance them both. Part of my issue was having old supplies & old stock (finished products) still here that was no longer speaking to me since I’ve been looking at it for years. Well, there are still people who have seen it all only once, or never. So, it’s still new to someone, somewhere! I’ve sold some supplies & listed more of my products on my Zibbet shop. I’m feeling a bit better about that. I still have some new photography related ideas, but they will wait as I focus on getting some of my Eco Vision ideas off the ground. I hope you will continue to bear with me as I progress along this journey.

I will continue to do some interviews as we get back into fall. I will be looking for plenty of other opportunities to share with you all as well. For now, have a fantastic end of summer!

Visions of Success with Nicole's Visions

2011-05-25T15:37:00.000-07:00

Well, I’m waiting for more questionnaires to come back so this week you all are stuck listening to me answer the questions! I may be revamping the questions a bit in hopes of getting more replies too. If you know anyone who should be interviewed, please feel free to share this blog or my email & have them contact me.

Let’s start with a quick intro. Tell us about you.

I’m a wife & mom. I’ve had a love for photography since my first daughter was born, when I was barely 18. Now, I find my interests, tho firmly rooted in photography, becoming much more varied & branching out into other areas, mostly in the eco-friendly direction.

Is this a hobby, or serious business for you? Do you work outside the home as well?

I think I am somewhere in-between. I would like it to be a serious business, but I often feel I am lacking skills & money to make it be that way. I do not currently work outside the home. My work at home is finding ways to spend less & learning to make more things from scratch.

How did you decide to go from hobby, to real business? OR

Is there something keeping you from taking the step?

I kind of answered this one above. I decided I wanted this to be more than a hobby when, at the time, people seemed very interested in my products. Since the economy fell, people seem to be spending less on fun extras. Well, at least the people I ran across in my shows. Is there something keeping me from seriously being more business like? I think the current economy is the biggest block. I keep trying, keep pushing ahead … but sometimes it feels like I take a step forward only to then take 3 steps back. I refuse to give up tho!

Do you have a special dedicated area in your home set aside where you create? How does this affect the rest of the household/family life?

We are currently fortunate enough that I can keep my photography related ‘stuff’ out of the main living areas. Unless I am busy producing something, everything is tucked away in storage containers or on shelves. In the past, yes, my work has sprawled out into living areas & had to be stepped over or gone around. it was crazy, but I have a truly understanding & supportive husband who just helps out & rolls with what I am doing.

When you are busy creating, do you keep track of how much time you spend on each piece? If so, how do you factor this into the cost of your work?

For me, this is tough. I spend time once with an image, on the computer, editing it & making it the way I want. Then I am free to create with that image, many different products. So how do I factor that in? Mostly, I don’t. Most of my work & products are priced according to what others charge & what the market will bear. I do try to take into account wholesale pricing when setting up retail prices. Wholesale is by standard, about 50% off retail. Can I sell my items for that? Just something I like to think about in case someone is interested in wholesale.

Once you have all this beautiful work created, how do you handle keeping track of your inventory?

*laughing* keep track? I have tried many ways over the years on how to keep track. Nothing has been the ‘best’ way yet … this is one of the reasons I am asking this question to others!

For your online venues … Talk a little bit about how you handle photographing your work. How important do you feel quality pictures are to successful selling? What is the biggest mistake you made & what is the most important thing you learned?

For me, obviously selling just a print online is easy, as you just upload a smaller version & poof, you are done. Now, the rest of my products? It’s not so easy. I dislike on camera flash & love natural light. I feel the importance of good quality pictures is priceless. Coupled with our descriptions, images are the only other way that a customer has to judge whether or not to buy what we offer. My biggest mistake is probably trying to take pictures in direct sunlight. So much gets washed out for me this way. I would rather add brightness or fill flash in editing. The most important thing? Focus!!! All images need to be in focus. Blurry is just not an option when selling online.

Where do you sell? Do you have a favorite venue?

I currently sell mostly online, on Zibbet. I am so happy there. I have also sold at farmer’s markets, mall shows, and indoor & outdoor craft shows. Online, Zibbet is my fav venue. Other than that I had a small holiday store at the mall one year that was by far my favorite. I made it co-op style & both my artists & the public loved it. Unfortunately the rates & rules to be at the mall were outrageous so we were not able to stay.

If you sell at places other than online …

Tell us about how you came up with the way you now display your work.

best display set-up we had by far.

Do you sit or stand? Is it better to have a ‘walk up to’ display, or a ‘walk into’ display? Why?

This is an evolving answer I think. It also depends on the venue. I have displayed my work in many ways as I’ve grown. I did find that an open or up front set-up works best for shows & the market. People do not like to have to walk into a space unless it is bigger than the 10x10 standard. They feel trapped & then obligated to buy, so they just stay out & walk by. For one show I had a 10x20 with the larger side being open. That worked well as a walk in.

How do you maintain your finances, for your business? Does it involve having a business or merchant account? Biggest/best tip you have for others?

I started out not having anything separate. Within a year, that changed to trying to keep it all separate. That evolved into not only a business account, but I also upgraded my Costco membership to Executive to get the American Express card. Costco was a frequent stop as I got my prints printed there all the time. Now, I definitely say do your best to keep things separated, not just for taxes if you are a business, but for your own sanity!

How do you handle money & payment processing at real world set-ups? Any tips for others?

Once I had my business account, I was able to get a merchant account to go with that, for very small fees. This gave me a knuckle buster credit card machine & the ability to take cards. It came in handy for sure. We had a big double cross country move last year so I closed all that. If I see things present themselves to more business opportunities I will again go that route. I only ever had one bad check, which the person was profusely sorry for & took care of. When I do take checks I verify the address & info is correct & ask for DL info to jot onto the check along with a phone number.

While we’re talking about money … how do you handle all the dreaded back end paperwork/book keeping stuff? Do you have any tips for others still searching for a best way?

This is another one of those questions that I’m asking because I’d like to know how others handle it. I am simple, for now, and just keep a ledger with hand written entries. If I had more business, I would work to find a better way … maybe. There is something to be said about taking the time to enter in all those things yourself, by hand. It seems to make you pay more attention to details.

Ok, money out of the way let’s talk about promoting/marketing a bit.

Can you share with us what you do to promote your business, & where? Are you a social networking junkie? Does that work? Do you pay for advertising? Any tips for others?

Promoting is so hard for me. I feel overwhelmed often, at the thought of having to do every aspect of my business, myself. At times, I have let myself become a social networking junkie. Now I try to keep that in check, as it can drain you in so many ways if you spread yourself too thin. I do feel places like Facebook, MySpace & the like help in getting the word out about you. There is a fine line tho, of posting, & spamming. Its hard to stay on the right side of that line some days. I’ve not paid of advertising, ever. Will I ever in the future? Perhaps, yes, if my business volume grows enough to justify it. My tip would be to not spread yourself too thin, in whatever advertising/networking avenue you decide to go down.

With so many aspects of running a business, how do you keep yourself motivated to move forward? Do you have a good support system?

Motivation is tough for me. When my husband & I were living together with my daughter & her bf, I had much more motivation. The kids & I bounced off each other & that helped so much. Now I am home alone all day, 5 days a week. While some folks would love this, I don’t like it. I need people. I’m working on getting better at things tho, so hopefully I wont be so lacking in motivation for long. I do have a great support system in my hubby & my daughter & her bf. My friends support me too. And I know I have people I can talk to if I ever need a boost.

What do you feel is your least favorite thing about running a business? How do you overcome/deal with this?

Least favorite? I think advertising/promotion. I’m an artist… I have a hard time getting away from creating & going into promotion. I could sell you something someone else made, all day long... but to boast my own work? LOL …. It’s more of a challenge for me. Overcoming this is a matter of baby steps I think. I deal y … just dealing I guess. I take great joy in promoting others & figure eventually it will fall back to me. Maybe?

And finally, to end on a good positive note … share with us what you most attribute your business success to…

I have this here… to see how others answer this type of question. I think for me, my business success is mostly due to having a unique product. When I came out with my notecards, no one else had anything like them. They still don’t. The rest of my work, is all original so that helps too.

So there you have it. Hope I didn’t bore you all too much! Thanks for reading. I hope to have more new interviews soon. In the mean time I will be working on a few other blog ideas… gotta keep you all coming back here right?

Flash Promoting for Zibbet

2011-05-18T15:05:00.000-07:00

So there is a kinda new thing going on with the some of the gung-ho sellers on Zibbet. The idea is to help each other out by cross promoting each others shops. A true, you help me, I'll help you kind of thing. I love the idea! Helping to promote the shops, & even blogs, of other small handcrafted business owners... it can be nothing but a win-win situation!

For this go-round, there are 8 wonderful & creative artisans plus me, who are helping each other out with this FUN idea!!! So go visit them all....

A super cool collection of Stitched and Crocheted creations for everyone on your gift list!

Mimi & Colette

Crazy cool Wood Burnings. (this is my very own daughter!)
Breath Of the Dragon

Fun Key fobs & original Key Straps, embroidered baby gift sets & so much more! (I’ve interviewed her too)
Pop Embroidery

Jewelry is a personal choice for everyone so be sure to check out both of these ladies & their different styles...

Strawberry Fields Art

Sky Jewelry

Creative selection of goodies for babies, the new mom & just around the house.
On Mommy's Apron

Fun hair bows & barrettes for little girls & big girls too!
Lori's Styling Hair Stuff

Gorgeous photography from a new to Zibbet seller

Dream With Me

My shop is getting fuller all the time too ... some great gift ideas for anyone on your list!

Nicole's Visions

Visions of Success blog series recap

2011-05-04T12:24:00.000-07:00

Hello my faithful readers...

I have enjoyed bringing you the Visions of Success series for the past 2 months. Wow, we've already been thru 8 wonderful handcrafted businesses.

As I was getting ready to put together the new few interviews,
Read more »

Visions of Success with Newberry Kitchen Accessories

2011-04-28T11:30:00.000-07:00

I apologize for being a day late... a few unforeseen stumbling blocks, but here we are! This week we meet Julie. She is new to Zibbet but not to creating & selling her wares. Come join me as we get to look into the business of making kitchen must-haves & handling the business side of it all.

Let’s start with a quick intro. Tell us about you.

I'm Julie Newberry. My shop is http://zibbet.com/newberry. Locally, our business is Newberry Furniture & Kitchen Accessories; it is roughly an hour from the geographical center of the lower 48.

We are designers, a team & a married couple. Our creative venn diagram intersects at times. Bill works on furniture building while I design and create kitchen tools. We started our business & our marriage the same year & since we work with power tools we never fight! Harmony is a necessity & not hard to achieve.

Visions of Success with A Crafty Arab

2011-04-20T09:53:00.000-07:00

Today, we go international. I’d like you all to meet Kay Tarapolsi of A Crafty Arab, an Arab living in America. She has some huge obstacles put in place by American society that she seems to overcome with ease. And such wonderful very straightforward answers too. Enjoy!!

Hello and Welcome

Is this a hobby, or serious business for you? Do you work outside the home as well?

This is a serious business for me. I am the only Arab American out there creating handmade greeting cards. I use my cards to showcase a positive image of the Middle East to the world. It is a full time job for me as I am also in five brick and mortar locations and I am always trying to keep up with requests from those stores too.

Visions of Success with Cute as a Bow

2011-04-13T13:14:00.000-07:00

This week we're talking with Jennifer, owner of Cute as a Bow on Zibbet. Read along as we get to know a bit about her, her business & a little insight on how she handles photographing her product.

Let’s start with a quick intro. Tell us about you.

I’m a mother to 2 adorable little girls and a wife of 14yrs. I’m kind hearted, perfectionist, and I love to learn about other people. Laughing daily is a must!

Visions of Success with Artemis53

2011-04-06T08:37:00.000-07:00

Today we are having a wonderful conversation with Diane of Artemis53 on Zibbet. She is an incredible woman who has an enormous love for her life & the lives of others. Join me in getting to know Artemis53, which is the business of Diane Svete-Noxon…

Let’s start with a quick intro. Tell us about you.

I'm a person that wears many Hats. Mother is the first that comes to mind and the most important. Even though my son's are grown and married they keep in touch weekly sometimes just to talk or sometimes for what I hope is 'Sage' advice. They are my greatest teachers and always continue to amaze me. I was divorced when they were young and making it through those days was a 'team effort'. They never let me down. Besides sister, aunt etc., I’ve had the initials of RN after my name for over 20 years. I specialized in ICU and Cardiac and travelled as a nurse. I’ve never regretted my decision to take on that career and am a 'natural born' caregiver. I now work as a Charge Nurse in a Psychiatric Hospital and enjoy each moment and listen intently to the patient's stories. After all, if it weren't for a 'twist of fate' I'd be on the other side of the nursing desk.

I'm an avid gardener and can't get away from the plant section of Wal-Mart or Lowe's. Obsession would be a mild word for it. I'm a historian and glean many stories via oral history from the 'Old Timers' in my tiny, southern town saving them and passing them onto the official town historian. Much of the information was given to me as I supplemented my income doing homecare visits. As I was doing what was necessary, conversations would spring up, old photo albums would be brought out and an incredible look into a word gone by was entrusted to me. It's no surprise that I surround myself with antiques that I’ve restored and have a great interest in Historical Costumery. Becoming a vintage seller was just the obvious next step. I am a child of the 70's So Gunne Sax dresses and vintage jewelry were bound to collide with me someday and collide they have!

NV: Wow, that’s quite the introduction Diane. What a wonderful service you provide to all future generations!

Visions of Success with Millions of Stitches

2011-03-30T10:08:00.000-07:00

Here we are again ... talking with yet another great Zibbet seller... Nancy German of Millions of Stitches. Join me in getting to know a bit more about her & grab a few great tips & ideas.

Let’s start with a quick intro. Tell us about you.

I've always enjoyed doing crafts, especially sewing. We'll be married for 40 years in July (time sure flies!). Our daughter is 35 & lives about three hours away. I wouldn't want it to be much farther. We live in a rural area in upstate New York. I've lived here all my life & my husband moved here from a Detroit suburb when he was about ten.

Is this a hobby, or serious business for you?

This is a business which grew out of a lifetime hobby.

Crafty Business at Breath of the Dragon

2011-03-27T12:20:00.000-07:00

I wanted to take a minute to let me readers know that my daughter ... Sunfire, of Breath of the Dragon, is also doing a wonderful series of business interviews. Her series is titled Crafty Business. Be sure to check it out, maybe even leave a comment... let her know how you found it too!

Helping each other grow & showing support is all part of everyone's success...

Breath of the Dragon's ... Crafty Business

She also has a great Zibbet shop with an ever growing inventory of some incredible wood burned items for anyone & everyone!

Visions of Success with All About the Buttons

2011-03-23T09:34:00.000-07:00

Today we are talking with Barbra La Bosco, owner of All About the Buttons. She is a wonderfully creative person & I'm sure you'll all enjoy reading about the business side of things with her as much as I did.

Let’s start with a quick intro. Tell us about you.

It’s never been easy for me to ‘talk’ about me but I will answer all questions openly & honestly, maybe with TMI…too much information! My father was a leather designer & my mother sewed a great deal & had an artistic leaning. My brother tinkered & built things & still does today. We were a creative bunch. I taught myself how to knit at 8 & shocked my mother & her mahjongg friends. My loving to make things continued as I was an art major in college. I sold many things from cards & scarves, to posters for fraternity parties & sporting events. After college, I chose to go into elementary school teaching & did so for 33 years while still making stuff on the side. In 1993 I inherited my mother’s/grandmother’s cookie tin of buttons. I just sat & played, created & All About The Buttons was established from my kitchen table.

NV: Wow Barbra! What a start! Although I am creative & it seems to have rubbed off on my own children, I can’t imagine how it must have been to grow up in your family!!

Visions of Success with Xquisitely Lady M

2011-03-16T10:02:00.000-07:00

Today we are talking with Marge Hummel of Xquisitely Lady M. Marge is a talkative lady when it comes to business things so settle in for a good read as we explore the business side of Xquisitely Lady M today.

Let’s start with a quick intro. Tell us about you.

I'm a single mom of two amazing young men: Kyle (will be 25 this month) just got out of the Navy as a Nuke & is pursuing his engineering degree; & Rick (who is 23) who is my EMT/artist. I've always loved making things & I have a pretty short attention span with a lot of it (I'm sitting here giggling because that's SO true!) so I experiment with a lot of techniques/mediums. I grew up in the military & have lived in other countries as well as in several states. Those are experiences I wouldn't trade for the world! I'm also a very passionate person. I believe that whatever we do in life should be done with passion & love otherwise so much is lost.

NV: A big thank you to your son for serving our country!

My Masters Degree, which will be finished in March 2012, is in Criminal Justice-Law & I love every second of it. I'm not always fond of writing these papers, but the research is fascinating & I learn SO much! I want to be able to use that degree to help victims of domestic violence as a Victim Advocate. Too often these people are afraid to speak & need someone to speak for them. It's a scary proposition for them either way, but a great Victim Advocate can show these people they have value & worth and help them realize their full potential.

I'm also a huge animal-lover! I am currently on extended babysitting duty for Rick's cat - Steve. I didn't name him that, but it works well. The phone is even listed in Steve's name so that when someone calls asking to speak to Steve, I know they're clueless and I don't want to speak to them. (grins) Steve also gets mail because of this, & even once received $5 in the mail to get him to participate in a radio survey. We framed the money (his first paycheck, ya know!) & I tried to get Steve to listen to that radio station, but he didn't seem too interested. I also told him that he had to get a better job because $5 here & there certainly wasn't enough to even keep him in crunchy treats (that he demands every morning.......twice). I also have Poof - my little Lion-head bunny that I adore. Poof adores Steve (sense a triangle here?) but Steve detests Poof. It's a challenge. I used to breed Golden Retrievers & miss that immensely. Once the back & forth between CT & WV is settled, then I'll be getting more animals, but for right now, this is it.

Is this a hobby, or serious business for you? Do you work outside the home as well?

Oh, this is definitely a business for me! I'm working on expanding it to make it more able to support me. I will be working outside the home to some degree when I finish my major, but this will still be my main form of support. I also work with a committee for promoting CT's 1st Annual Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day & that's become a full-time endeavor as well. They all work to fill my day & make me incredibly happy!

NV: I'm really looking forward to hearing how this event turns out Marge!

How did you decide to go from hobby, to real business?

I was actually sort of forced to take the leap. In 2008, the company I worked for let me go immediately after major knee surgery. My leg was still in a full leg brace when they did that & it really prevented me from even applying for a good many positions that were open because I couldn't walk or stand for long periods. Even sitting for long periods was extremely difficult because of the brace. On top of that, I have other medical conditions that make working outside the home a wee bit of a challenge, so this was a great fit - & the motivation is always there. It's a long, slow process & I’m still learning, but making massive strides.

NV: I definitely feel their loss is the art communities gain here.

Do you have a special dedicated area in your home set aside where you create? How does this affect the rest of the household/family life?

Yes, I do - it's not my "ideal" just yet, but when I get back to WV I plan on rectifying that! Right now I'm with my mom, so I'm very cognizant of her space & try to keep everything out of everyone's way. It's not difficult to do & it lets me just be in my own little world of creativity. The only thing is that it's not convenient to the computer, so that makes things a little challenging sometimes, but it's workable.

When you are busy creating, do you keep track of how much time you spend on each piece? If so, how do you factor this into the cost of your work?

I always keep track of how much time I spend on a piece. I learned this the hard (& very shocking) way. A friend of mine kept telling me that I was grossly undercharging & I didn't believe him. So, I invested in a program to track supplies & time, & one that would then give me retail, direct sale, & wholesale prices on my items - my friend was far more than right! From that, I learned to seriously value my time & energy. I've always believed that something handmade was worth the price & more because of the quality, care, & love that went into making it & now my prices are more reflective of that philosophy. They are also more reflective of my value of myself. When I price out the pieces, I typically charge around $18/hour for the work. It's not outrageous & I'm worth it. (Said with a giggle there thinking of L'Oreal!)

NV: We're all worth it Marge! And for our readers here is the link to the program Marge uses:

Jewelry Double Pack on Etsy

Once you have all your beautiful jewelry created, how do you handle keeping track of your inventory?

Believe it or not, I pretty much have a running inventory in my head of all my work. It's so very personal to me that it's hard to forget a lot of them. However, that may change a wee bit with a line of smaller earrings that I'm working on that are just meant to fill that little void I found in my shop where someone could come in for a small trinket either for themselves or someone else & just have a simple, yet elegant little piece. My pieces run the gamut from very ornate to delicately simple & I want my prices to reflect that, hence the new line. The work is then all stored in jewelry carrying cases in stack trays. When a piece sells, I just remove it from the tray & if I've a home party, then a lot of it is always set up on the display pads - I just have to remove the pads from the trays.

For your online venues … Talk a little bit about how you handle photographing your work. How important do you feel quality pictures are to successful selling?

Goodness, photography is critical to online selling! When we're out in local shops & such we can handle the pieces - & even if we don't handle them, we get a really great 3D visual of them. That's impossible online, therefore the photography takes a much more central role in selling. With the possible exception of photographers, I don't know a good many artisans who relish taking pictures (LOL) - we'd all rather be creating & then leave the photography/listing to someone else!

NV: Marge, I'm a photographer & I can tell you even I don't enjoy the picture taking part of all this most of the time!

What is the biggest mistake you made & what is the most important thing you learned?

I think there are a couple of huge mistakes that can be made in photography: Blurry pictures & pictures that are too dark. Neither of them showcases the talent & work that go into these creations & both are huge turn-offs for buyers. If you cannot see what you are looking at, there's absolutely no reason to buy it. It's that simple. The most important thing I've learned about photography is to keep on tweaking until you get it right - seriously. That's incredibly time consuming but so is the work that is put into the items. Not happy with the lighting? Experiment with it until you are. Invest in a light box or make one, if you have to. I put up a forum about that because it IS so important. Investing $20-$30 to make a light box is so worth it when you think that it's one step closer to getting you those multiple sales!!

her lightbox setup

Blurriness can normally be addressed with the addition of a tripod. These are relatively inexpensive & can be purchased almost anywhere that has an electronics section. Again, if cost is a factor - & let's face it, it really is these days - use a stack of books. The bottom line is that you will be able to take a picture that is steady & without blur. That clarity allows potential customers to see your work more easily & to appreciate it for the fine art it is.

After those two are corrected, have a little fun with backgrounds, props, editing programs, etc. However, those two have to be taken care of first. Having a superb prop is silly if no one can see anything but the prop.

Where do you sell? Online, shows, farmers markets, in a store?

Most of my selling is done online & at home parties. I do have a massive show coming up on April 10 with several thousand people expected. I also have some of my chainmaille in a tattoo parlor in West Virginia & have been asked to bring some to another venue in WV - but I have to finalize my move there first because they only take items from WV residents.

Do you have a favorite venue?

I think my absolute favorite venues are online (really) & home parties because they allow for a little more fun. My favorite online venue is Zibbet - & I've had shops on both Etsy & Artfire, as well. I LOVE Zibbet because, to me, it's more of a community market place. It's sort of like an "online farmer's market" for handmade & that has SUCH appeal to me!! Zibbet has found a magical way of creating a cooperative environment rather than a competitive one & that's incredible! As far as home parties are concerned, I just love these!! I call them "Let's Play Dress Up" parties & that's exactly what we do! I have everything laid out, special little free trinkets for everyone who purchases, & we sit around trying on jewelry & just having a grand time. It's an escape from every day for all of us & lets us just be little kids again - only we can do it with a glass of wine this time!

For your real world venues, tell us about how you came up with the way you now display your work.

For all of my offline selling I display my work both lying down & upright for visual interest. It engages people more because they have to adjust their eyes to the differences in height, the different backgrounds (even my jewelry display pads are different colors), the textures of the different backgrounds, etc. Keeping more visually engaged this way helps get them be more engaged in the entire scenario. Think about it: If you walk into a store everything is not displayed the same way - it should be the same with artisans selling their creations.

Do you sit or stand? Is it better to have a ‘walk up to’ display, or a ‘walk into’ display? Why?

When it comes to engaging people, I prefer to stand to talk to them - although sometimes I do sit, but that depends on how I'm feeling. I prefer to engage the person on his/her level...& I smile A LOT!! People love smiles & readily react to them because it just can't be helped - it's human nature. As far as walking into or walking up, I believe the venue is going to dictate that. We cannot always control that part of the environment, so I focus on controlling what I can. If I had a preference, though, I think I'd rather have people be able to walk into my tent (or stall, booth, etc.) because it creates more of an intimate atmosphere that I feel is important for jewelry.

How do you maintain your finances, for your business? Does it involve having a business or merchant account? Biggest/best tip you have for others?

Keep it all separate!!!!!!! The biggest mistake people make is mixing the two! If they aren't kept separate, it's easy to get into trouble. Business needs to work on a budget just like personal lives do. Keep a separate account, this way you always know what you're making and what you're spending. This is really, really tough in the beginning when there isn't a whole lot of money to work with at all, but it's still critical to your success.

How do you handle money & payment processing in your real world venues? Any tips for others?

Generally, I prefer cash at shows, but I will take a check if I know the person. I NEVER allow anyone to take a piece & then pay me later at these home parties - it happened once with horrible consequences (namely me never getting paid) & I refuse to do it again no matter how well I know the person. If it's a large purchase, & the person absolutely wants to put it on a credit card, then I have tell them that at the moment I only accept those through PayPal. I have started checking into SquareUp, however. It's new so I'm still doing research, but it would allow me to take credit card payments right from my cell phone - & transfer the funds immediately. I'm not one to just blindly give out my checking information, so I'm still looking to see if I can have it transferred to PayPal. If not, then I'll just set up a separate bank account for that one app & then transfer cleared funds from that account. Sure it's a little extra work, but it's worth it to me to be able to offer a more convenient way of paying to my customers & it doesn't compromise existing accounts. It also allows me greater flexibility for home parties, particularly around the holidays.

While we’re talking about money … how do you handle all the dreaded back end paperwork/book keeping stuff?

LOL I handle all that yucky stuff as it comes in. It all gets recorded into a bookkeeping program immediately!!!!!! It takes a lot of discipline to do that, particularly if you've never done it before & have to get used to a new habit, but it's SO worth it! When taxes have to be filed I have it all right there & the receipts are already filed. I have to do pretty basically nothing but transfer numbers on to the tax form & send it off.

Do you have any tips for others still searching for a best way?

My best advice on this? Find something that you know you will stick with & then stick with it! If you fall behind it's a nightmare.

Ok, money out of the way let’s talk about promoting/marketing a bit. Can you share with us what you do to promote your business, & where? Are you a social networking junkie? Does that work?

Wow...who doesn't social network these days? I think that's as critical as anything else, really. I spend a good deal of time promoting myself & others - mostly others, actually - & that works for me. I have 2 Facebook pages, a Stumble Upon account, a Flickr account (that I really need to use more/better!), & 5 Twitter accounts. Is it a lot? Heck yeah, but it's more than worth it. I've gotten a ton more exposure from them - even if that exposure comes from me promoting a really stellar artisan it comes back to me because people realize that my quality is very likely to be on a par with the quality that I'm promoting. Also, they just get curious about who is doing the promoting. Either way, they eventually end up in my shop or on my page & that's wonderful! I think social networking is essential and people who neglect this aspect of their business are doing themselves a huge disfavor. I've seen it increase views/sales for me, & I've seen it increase views for others - I don't know how much my promotion of them has helped their sales, but I do know it helps their views. Those views will pay off sooner or later - they will.

Do you pay for advertising?

The only money I really put into advertising is in the form of business cards & the buttons that Judy of Portable Graffiti made for me. I think it's essential to have at least cards on hand at all times! Right now, because I have the buttons, I carry a couple of them pinned to the strap of my purse & when someone comments on them, I give them one. It's fun, engaging, & always gets me a couple extra views.

Any tips for others?

hhhmmm....advice? Easy: PROMOTE, promote, PROMOTE!!! Don't ever stop doing that! Wear what you make, talk about, bring it with you, have samples, use creative marketing (like I do with the buttons), etc. Whatever works to get your name out there do it!!! Do you ever see McDonalds not advertise? How about Wal-Mart? Sears? Allstate? GEICO? The bottom line is this: Those are massive companies who continue to market & promote themselves. Why? Because they know if they stop they will soon go out of business. If it's good enough for the "big boys", then it's good enough for me!

With so many aspects of running a business, how do you keep yourself motivated to move forward? Do you have a good support system?

My biggest support system is my friends - whether they are online or not. They keep me motivated, challenge my creativity, let me vent, make me laugh.....everything....& I couldn't keep going some days without them. We all have "those days" & it's so incredibly important to have people to whom you can turn on those days to help pick you up. Even if you don't let them know anything is wrong, sometimes just being around them is enough to fill your soul & lift your spirits to get you going again.

I also try to learn new things from time to time. There's nothing quite like mastering a new skill to keep one motivated! It just opens up all sorts of creative channels & makes keeping creative very easy!

What do you feel is your least favorite thing about running a business?

Hahaha! Besides photography & paper work? I try not to let them get too far ahead of me otherwise they get overwhelming & you can start to be buried by something that's actually relatively easy to keep on top of. Just make sure you pay equal attention to all aspects of your business. Let's face it, we all have parts that we like better than others, but they are all equally important in being successful. I have three little plaques that I like to refer to:

1) "Ahhhh...I see the Screw-up Fairy was here again" for those days that I can't seem to get anything right - it always gives me a great giggle;

2) "What I really need are minions!" - because sometimes I just feel that way & it gives me another great giggle thinking of those cute little Minions from Despicable Me; and

3) "Someday I'll have Minions" - because it's my vision of the future, gives me a giggle (again with those cute little yellow guys! LOL), & helps me keep a really positive focus on the future. One of these days I'll be able to afford an accountant to do the paperwork (yayyyy!!! my first Minion!) & that will be heavenly!

How do you overcome/deal with this?

Smiling, laughing, giggling - all those help me overcome my least favorite aspects of the business. So does good, old-fashioned perseverance. They're all so necessary. If you need help getting/staying motivated in part of the business, hook up with a buddy or just walk away for a moment & then come back to it. Or reward yourself with 5 minutes of creative fun time & then come back to it. It's amazing what that can do to keep a positive mind-set.

And finally, to end on a good positive note … share with us what you most attribute your business success to…

This is easy: Love. I love what I do, I love the way it makes people feel, I love the people I've come to know & respect, & I love my vision of the future.

Here is where you can find her all over the web!

Visions of Success with POP Embroidery by PaperOnParade

2011-03-09T09:19:00.000-08:00

First, I big thank you to Terri for being 'first'. I asked alot of questions, & Terri fired back answers to them all. I hope you all enjoy reading about her business as much as I did!

Let’s start with a quick intro. Tell us about you.

Just celebrated my 56^th birthday and have been married to the love of my life for 37 years. We have 3 grown children and expecting our 2^nd grandbaby in June….very exciting! Hubby is retired Air Force, so we have lived in many lovely cities. Our recent move to Asheville, NC was a difficult one but has turned out to be the most wonderful!

NV: Well, happy belated birthday!! And a big thank you to your hubby for serving!

So Terri, is this a hobby, or serious business for you? Do you work outside the home as well?

Sewing has been my hobby for many, many years but also an income with each new move. I knew I could always pick up sewing jobs until a full time job was available. At this stage in my life, I wanted to pursue my embroidery as a full time business. Here I am learning more about online sales than I ever thought possible! I also own TR Office Support Service and offer office support for Home Owner Association management companies, which I run from home.

How did you decide to go from hobby, to real business?

During the unpacking from our move to Asheville, NC I set up my embroidery machine and realized how much I missed embroidery. Instead of going through the application process of another ground-floor job, I wanted to give the embroidery a faithful effort first.

Do you have a special dedicated area in your home set aside where you create? How does this affect the rest of the household/family life?

I have a nice size room for the embroidery machine and inventory, however … I have the final end of the production line on the dining room table. Since we are empty-nesters and usually eat in the living room….hey, we can do that now…it isn’t a problem unless we have company. Of course, I get the table cleaned off and back into the sewing room.

When you are busy creating, do you keep track of how much time you spend on each piece? If so, how do you factor this into the cost of your work?

I enter all receipts into QuickBooks, then I can export to an excel spreadsheet, if needed. In the cost of goods sold, I add shipping, something that is easily forgotten and can eat into your profits. Even though shipping is a different line item for taxes, it needs to be figured into the cost of your items for retail pricing. Although, how to figure my time is the most difficult task for me. I could use more coaching in this area!

NV: Are you talking about the cost of having raw materials shipped to you, or the cost of shipping the final items to the buyers?

Once you have all this beautiful work created, how do you handle keeping track of your inventory?

Another area I am not organized in and I know it is a MUST before attending craft shows this summer. Super basic would be to keep the Excel spreadsheet up to date!

I admire photographers and their creative abilities. I’m learning and have had many, many other crafters help me along the way. Taking photos outside is the best! Now to deal with the shadows, ugh! One of my next goals is to make a light box and have fun experimenting with camera settings and lighting. Photographs are critical to a sharp looking and inviting shop where buyers want to linger. The longer they stay in your shop the more likely they’ll find something to purchase.

Where do you sell? Online, shows, farmers markets, in a store?

Do you have a favorite venue?

I started out on Etsy and Artfire but didn’t have time to give my full attention to either one. I found myself socializing and buying more than I sold. The charge per item on Etsy just ate away at any profit I might have made and the bookkeeping was a nightmare. Plus I was new and overwhelmed with social media. I opened a Zibbet shop in Jan 2010 and loved the one price per month idea, plus they were offering a phenomenal deal…I was blessed to have received one of their lifetime free premium accounts! Response from and interaction with the owners of Zibbet is remarkable. They truly listen to their sellers and take our opinions into account while working to upgrade the site for all!

My favorite venue is Zibbet, if you couldn’t tell that already.

http://zibbet.com/PaperOnParade

NV: How wonderful for you to have gotten the free lifetime account!

If you sell at places other than online …

Tell us about how you came up with the way you now display your work.

Do you sit or stand? Is it better to have a ‘walk up to’ display, or a ‘walk into’ display?

I’ve been a vendor at numerous craft shows over the years and in many different cities. Usually breaking even was the best I’ve done. This year will be different! I’m in a city that very openly promotes local businesses, artisans and crafters.

My first expo is March 12^th and slightly different than typical craft shows. The birthnetwork.org national group has opened their Asheville expo to vendors. I’ll have one table in the Asheville Mall so I won’t have many display choices, other than table top items, such as two small racks for the key fobs and several stands for flyers and pricing pages, plus one doll bed for an extra touch! I like white tablecloths with black stands/fixtures as it displays well, plus you can bleach the tablecloth if needed. If you offer baby items or items for new Moms, please visit www.birthnetwork.org, to see if they have an expo in your city and if it is open to vendors.

I’ve applied to a juried show on May 1^st with another Zibbeter, http://zibbet.com/raigecreations. We are both very excited about this one…take a peek at their site and you’ll see why! http://loveasheville.org/ Doesn’t get much better! We’ll find out the end of March about our entry, if accepted we’ll have a 10 x 10 canopy and a 3 table set up. We plan on arranging the tables to the outside edge (like a reverse U), as opposed to people walking into the tent area. It seems people will hesitate to walk into an area with a canopy unless it is super big. Guess it makes them feel trapped if they don’t want to buy.

NV: This year looks to be an exciting one for you! How wonderful! We will keep an eye out to hear how things go. I hear from others as well that coming into a space seems intimidating to some buyers. Good call!

How do you maintain your finances, for your business?

I do have a separate checking account and credit card.

Biggest/best tip you have for others? My number one rule is to pay off the card each month. If I can’t do that, I don’t buy! The credit card trap can be depressing and keep you from enjoying your craft business venture.

NV: Very good points Terri!

How do you plan to handle handle money & payment processing at your shows this year? This will be the first time to accept credit cards. I’ve opened a Square account, similar to PayPal. SquareUp.com offered a card reader that attaches to your iphone or android cell phone for free. The charge is 2.75% to swipe a card and slightly more for keyed in cards. It is new to me, so I’m hoping it works well and I’ll do a trial run before the first show! Here is their site if you are interested http://SquareUp.com

Any tips for others?

It is best to have another person with you to sell. Each person has a money belt, so the cash is always on your person. It just seems safer.

While we’re talking about money … how do you handle all the dreaded back end paperwork/book keeping stuff? Do you have any tips for others still searching for a best way?

I was a bookkeeper for a builder and used QuickBooks for 6 years, so that is what I am comfortable with. I think QuickBooks offers a free introductory version which might be great to start out on. However QuickBooks inventory is very confusing, so I use Excel spreadsheets and love the program.

Ok, money out of the way let’s talk about promoting/marketing a bit.

Can you share with us what you do to promote your business, & where? Are you a social networking junkie? Does that work? Do you pay for advertising? Any tips for others?

I rarely pay for advertising. When I bought ads on Etsy it was worthless, it brought views but no sales at all. Therefore I choose to showcase my products by asking others to test them for me. I give them a prototype, they test it out and give me feedback and they get to keep it. This works because I have a lower priced item with the mini key fobs. Each crafter has to decide what will work for their shop.

I’ve discovered blogging brings in lots of new people and shoots your online visibility up. I was recently invited to write for IndieSmiles and was honored! Writing is way outside my comfort zone but I am enjoying it. Now I need to stick to a schedule because my production time is way down. Ouch!

On Facebook, I enjoy Link Love and meeting so many other caring and sharing crafters. A lot of my sales have come from other crafters who appreciate the “labor of love” that goes into each of our crafts.

I also tweet but have a lot to learn about Twitter! Plus StumbleUpon and Flickr ... mmmmm ... am I becoming a networking junkie?!

NV: That’s some great advice there & I love your prototype idea. Clever!

With so many aspects of running a business, how do you keep yourself motivated to move forward? Do you have a good support system?

It is tough staying positive and energized! My hubby is my number one fan and encourages me day to day. My children are all supportive and I have many, many online friends that are positive and inspiring. I am blessed!

What do you feel is your least favorite thing about running a business? How do you overcome/deal with this?

Organizing my time, I tend to over-socialize and my production suffers. My number one goal is to organize the hours in my day.

NV: I think you nailed it there Terri. Many of us creative types struggle with being organized!

And finally, to end on a good positive note … share with us what you most attribute your business success to…

Maintain a positive attitude about my abilities to create an original, unique product that buyers will enjoy and buy. Even when sales are low, stay positive about yourself!

Teresa, POP Embroidery by PaperOnParade

NV: Thank you so much Terri, for taking the time out of your busy day to answer all these crazy questions I tossed at you! I’m sure our readers will all learn something from this!

In case you missed her links within the article find Teresa all over the web...

Blog

Facebook

Twitter

Zibbet

Visions of Success

2011-02-23T15:54:00.000-08:00

Are you a small business person who creates handmade? Read on ... I'd love to get to know you better thru ... Visions of Success.

That is the name of a new weekly blog feature in the works. I see so many wonderful interviews out there done by blogs owners, of small (craft) business owners.. all interviewing each other to help everyone gain more exposure. And, we get to know both parties in the interview process.

Here is my angle... I love what others have done, but I (& many other artisans) still want to know more. I want to get into the nuts & bolts of being a small business... whether you are selling online, at shows or in stores... I have a list of questions I know we all would love not only answers to, but insight on. To begin, I want to focus on those who create & sell all things handmade.

So... are you willing to share some of the business part of you? Are you ready to help others learn from not only your mistakes, but your success? Comment here or email me ... NicolesVisions at Gmail dot com.

Book mark winners

2011-02-16T13:41:00.000-08:00

So, a little slow here, I know. My hubby is finally back to work after being laid off so I'm working on getting back to some sort of daily routine here.

As I was addressing the envelopes to the winners, I noticed something... all 3 are going to North Carolina! How cool is that? And two of you chose the same one!

So ... Leslie, Rebecca & Teresa... look for your free book marks (with an added surprise!) in your mailboxes by next week. They will leave Washington state on Thursday!

Since we only had 3 entrants I decided to mail each one their favorite. Yup, just because! Ladies, I hope you enjoy them!

Calendars up for sale!

2011-02-10T22:30:00.000-08:00

It felt like this one took forever but I finally have my calendars all listed on Zibbet. For lack of a better name they are called Flowers in Bloom 1,2 & 3.

Flowers in Bloom

Flowers in Bloom II

Flowers in Bloom III

I have listed them at $12.00 each plus shipping. I'm pretty excited to have them finished, finally. I had one set of each printed & they look amazing. I'm quite happy with the outcome after all the work that was put into them. Now, to watch them sell.

If you'd like to see what each month looks like before buying, you can see them all on my Facebook page . There is an album for each one.

Facebook Fan milestone

2011-02-01T19:25:00.000-08:00

So it's not huge ... yet. We have reached a milestone with our fan base on Facebook. As of today, we have 210 fans. I know this is a lovely mix of small business owners, family, friends, new friends & people I dont even know! Pretty cool.

I made mention that once we hit 200, we'd do some sort of giveaway....

How would you like your choice of bookmark from my collection? How can you have one you ask? Simple.

Be a fan of my Facebook page.
Check out my book mark album
comment here & tell my your favorite! (Be sure to leave contact info with your comment.)

See? Not hard at all. You only have to try & decide from 30 of them! I will pick a random winner on Sunday evening. If we get tons of entries I may up the randomness to more than one winner!

Calendars finished!

2011-01-31T13:47:00.000-08:00

Whew! only a few days later than I had hoped, I have finished all the graphic work on my calendars! Next step is for me to send them off to have a test set printed. As long as everything looks alright in print, I can then photograph everything with the display stand & get them listed on my Zibbet shop.

I had someone mention they would have liked to have seen some without the moon phase info on them. The finished product, as is, is how I first envisioned them. If there are enough people, I can certainly offer a set without the moon information. My only concern with that, is that I placed the bigger box where I did, to allow for the moon info box below. The way these were put together, it would be easy for me to just omit the moon info but if I had to move that box, I'd be starting over since its all done in layers. I'm sure I'll figure out a better way to do these as the years progress, without giving up what I like so much about the current features.

So here is a few samples of a finished month...

Calendar Update

2011-01-26T17:40:00.000-08:00

So, in my previous post I talked about the new idea that has been churning in my brain for about a month now. It took me more hours than I care to count to get to the point I'm at now. I have all the boxes in place.

I added the months & year.

Then I added the number grid for each month from February 2011 to December 2012, on 3 sets of calendars. Next I added the days of the week & a line to separate the days from the numbers. Thought it gave it a nice look.

All this left was how to add the moon info underneath it all. This is the look I think I'm going for ...

To have it look the way I want, it'll be a 2 or 3 step process. First I'll go add the box to all the pages. Then I'll come back & add the words you see. Not sure if I want to add the dates right then, or separately. I'll try it both ways to see which process works better. Now, to think positive that my hard work on all these is worth it! I should have the first listed by the weekend! What do you think?

A new twist on a classic idea

2011-01-17T19:16:00.000-08:00

Being creative all the time can be truly overwhelming on the mind. Sometimes, we just need to take a break. Well, my break came in the form of a year turned upsidedown & inside out. Yes, that was 2010.

2011 promises to be better, at least from the creative standpoint. We’re halfway thru January & I’m loving the fact I even have creative juices flowing after last year.

I had to come up with something that was different. Something useful. And of course, something that reflected me, my photography & my creativity.

The first of 2 ideas is almost finished. The second is in line to be just as fun & creative as the first & even more useful!

I know, spill it already right? Okay. I’m making desk calendars. Not exciting you say? Well, what if I told you they are not the same as the store bought ones? Or not even the same as other artist ones? How are you so different you ask? ….

All the calendars you buy begin in January & end in December. Kinda feels silly to buy new calendars anytime after the very beginning of January right? Not anymore. My calendars will start the month you buy them, or even the month after. Heck, they can start in whatever month you want! And they will run for 12 months from then.

The calendars are full color, a small 4x6 size, complete with moon phase info, & can be ordered for 12 or 18 months. They will come in a clear plastic case/display stand suitable for any flat surface. The first 2 designs released will feature some beautiful blossoms. You’ll see traditional flowers, wildflowers & weeds. Yes, weeds… My favorite is the dandelion bloom I have. I love the yellow, & the cool detail. Plans for a more varied photo selection are in the works as well. The whole flower/weed thing happened mostly by accident as I was browsing thru my pictures. I just found it much easier to pick out beautiful flowers.They were so easily cropped just right for this format.

These calendars are completely custom designed. I looked for templates, but found nothing that appealed to me or that I could understand how to manipulate the way I wanted. So, I worked from scratch! Not the first time, as I did this with all the bookmarks I designed & printed too.

So there you have it. A new twist on a classic idea. I will have actual photos to share as soon as I decide which picture will go with what month. So look for those by the end of the week. For now, here is a sample pic. I have decided to not label them but to instead raise the grid/box slightly & show the moon phases below the monthly grid. If I can identify ALL the flowers I may include a label on the backside of each photo with that information.

getting the word out

2010-12-14T20:00:00.000-08:00

So working on promoting a website on your own can be a difficult thing to learn. I am a photographer. I am an artist. I am not a marketing guru! I am not a social networking queen either. But as a sole proprietor of my own business I have to find ways to learn to wear all these hats & more. Having to learn all these aspects of business is one of the many reasons we turn to others for guidance along the way. This is the reason we seek out other artisans, crafters, & small business people. By joining together, we can all learn from each other & feel not quite so alone in our creative ventures.

One of the places recently pointed out to me was a site called Inspire Handmade. I posted my link ot my new Zibbet shop. I also signed the Handmade Pledge they have. Kind of a neat little site.

My daughter, her boyfriend & myself have joined together to create a local artist/crafter group on Yahoo. We are all artisans who want to help each other grow as well as build a better/bigger community here where we live.

Small steps will just lead to more steps which will lead to more exposure & in the end, more sales. As I go along the promotional marketing & networking journey, I will share here my findings.

Zibbet shop

2010-12-07T21:58:00.000-08:00

I previously mentioned something about new beginnings. The first of those visible to the world is a new shop on Zibbet. Making this move away from Etsy & toward Zibbet was not done in haste. It took a bit of reading, research & lots of talking to my daughter & her boyfriend. A blog post he made recently cemented the idea for me to choose Zibbet for my new online storefront. The way he put things in his post, just made sense.

I opened my new shop on December 6th. For financial reasons I will begin with a free shop. This is something Etsy did not offer. The only way your shop is free there, is if its empty. they charged you both to list each item, and to sell it. The structure of Zibbet is much better in that respect.

But what about my website? it's still there. Always will be. Yes, over the last year & a half I had added a whole product section complete with Paypal buttons for your shopping ease. But promoting your own website is hard. you have no help & must learn the ropes all on your own. With a shop on a site such as Zibbet (or the others out there) you have the power of the main site to help drive traffic to your small (or large!) shop within the site. As for my main site, I am hoping ot make some changes there soon as well.

Etsy has all that so why move? Yes, Etsy does have size on its side. And it is building a name for itself too. and it has gotten really big. So big that small people get lost in the shuffle on there. And unless you can afford to constantly pay to list & re-list your items to stay seen, its very overwhelming to be there. From a cost perspective, it was not for me.

I am happy to be at Zibbet now. I will be listing a variety of items over the next few weeks & into the new year. So far I have listed a couple bookmarks & holiday magnets. It will be a process to get things listed, but I believe everyone will be happy in the end.

New Beginnings

2010-12-07T21:25:00.000-08:00

It has been a long time since I have felt like any progress has happened with Nicole's Visions. This has been a super rough year on a personal level that brought many changes.

The year began with my husband being flown away to Florida for the first 3 weeks of the year. His father was in the hospital & no one really knew how that would turn out. When he returned home, we felt that since he had no job keeping us here that perhaps it would be a good idea to move down there for the sake of being there for his father as well as hopes of a better life. He had gotten laid off from his job last December. We had hopes of finding better work for him & the thought of more art opportunities for me. After all, we had lots of family there, & several friends. Surely connections would help us both start over.

I say start over because we have spent the past 4.5 years here in Washington state. We had enjoyed the life we built here very much. At this point, we let a huge emotional upset rule our minds. That was a mistake me made, & learned from.

So we decided to move & left Washington for what we thought would be the last time in early March of 2010. After arriving in Florida & trying to settle in, I knew it was all wrong. We had tried to come home, & found out that what people say, is true. You cant go home again. We were both different people. We had grown & changed.

It was soon evident that his father would make a full recovery & be back to almost his old self in a short time. We were not needed for his recovery to last. Yes, having his son home made him happy. But his son was not happy being there. Neither was I.

We tried finding work. We tried reconnecting with family & friends. some of it was nice. Most of it didn't work. We were both now miserable. We needed to find a way to come home & fast. Without the generosity of 2 friends here in Washington giving us a place to stay, it would not have come together like it did.

Thankfully, an opportunity came that allowed him to return to the job he was laid off from last year. Finally, it seemed something was going right. This news of us returning home to the Northwest was met with huge disappointment from a few family members. Some understood, some did not. We had to follow our hearts & do what would make us happy. We left Florida just before Labor Day. He started back at work the day after the holiday.

The next obstacle was to find a place of our own again. It took a month. Here we are in our own place, back where we feel at home. It is finally time to get back to life. I am finally getting back to my Visions too.

For the past year my website, web stores, blogs & everything creative have suffered. Our lives have been turned upside-down & inside-out.

I wish to end this year on a positive note. I am working now on promoting my work again so i can sell some stock & make room for new things in the new year. I am thinking of other creative avenues to follow & need to just jump in & try them. They may not always be centered on photography, but I know they will always be creative & mean something to me personally.

Note cards ready to view!

2009-11-06T19:51:00.000-08:00

There is a new album on the Nicole's Visions page of Facebook. Clicking on the cute kitten card will take you right to the photo section of the fan page. I am very happy with how they turned out. Next step is getting them onto the website for sale.

I'm selling them in sets of 4 & 6. Both include domestic shipping. Anything sold in WA will have sales tax added.

A set of 4 will run $12.
A set of 6 will run $18.

If you just can't wait & wish to make you own set ... contact me now via email, a comment here, or a message on Facebook.

I'll be adding exactly how many I have of each card to their descriptions shortly. And once these are gone, I will be making more with new pictures. Most, or all, of these will be retired.