Small Craft Business: Monday To-Do List

• Print artwork for B's necklace
• Make B's necklace
• Do publishing retail taxes
• Arrange necklaces in organza bags, etc.
• Send emails re: wholesaling

Small Craft Business Friday: To-Do List Update

• Make necklace for Seek (order)
• Make artwork for B's necklaces (order)
• Print artwork for B's necklaces
• Make B's necklaces (One is already done--and sold to her on Friday)
• Gather things for vending on Friday
• tablecloth
• banner
• necklaces
• Squareup and money bag w/change
• charged phone
• receipt book
• business cards
• jewelry care slips
• silver polishing cloth (p.s. Everything from necklaces on down fits in one backpack.)
• Make Valentines (Monday night)

It's been a productive week.

(Also, I don't know why I put a To-Do list up on Monday, and don't update it later on, for you. I think that's the natural Friday post. We'll see if that works better than my previous plan.)

Small Craft Business: Wordless Wednesday--

From finegardening.com

Small Craft Business: Monday To-Do List 13 February

Week of 13 February To Do

• Make necklace for Seek (order)
• Make artwork for B's necklaces (order)
• Print artwork for B's necklaces
• Make B's necklaces
• Gather things for vending on Friday
• tablecloth
• banner
• necklaces
• Squareup and money bag w/change
• charged phone
• receipt book
• business cards
• jewelry care slips
• silver polishing cloth (p.s. Everything from necklaces on down fits in one backpack.)
• Make Valentines (Monday night)

(When I look at it, I really don't have too much to do. Gathering things won't take long at all, as I've already procured the things--it's just putting them in one place.)

Business Blogger: I am very busy and important

When I'm actually functioning, I blog here about business and crafting, yes? And now I've got another gig! 


I am happy to announce that I am the Biz Tuesday blogger for Horseshoe Craft and Flea Market's Blog! Hooray! Twice per month I will share insight over there, about business and crafting. 


Yipee! 


So, what should I write? What do you want to hear on Biz (every other) Tuesdays? Here, here's a more specific question:


What vexes you most about starting a craft business? What is holding you back?


If you have a craft business, what stuff always throws you for a loop?

As Promised: My New Honey Badger Project

Honey Badger Don't Care.

Honey Badger don't give a s*%#. Look at him with that cobra.

My roller derby necklaces are taking off locally. I'm hoping it will move nationally soon, as I'm doing a giveaway for them on a popular roller derby blog. 

The honey badger necklace came to me when watching the video in the previous post. Rollergirls are a tough sort of cookie, and I knew they would enjoy these. But I can't draw very well.

So I hired it out. My good friend Laura Hansen, of Red Eft Studio, agreed to the job. I knew whatever she came up with would be perfect, and I was right.

The commissioned artwork, therefore, is enhanced by me with glitter sauce, and encased under glass. The components are sterling silver. I have another idea to use a map of the U.S. and heart charms. I'm still trying to figure out exactly how to cut up the map. 

Click either of the photo captions to read more about these necklaces. If you care. (Which honey badger don't. I know.)

Neglectful

I have been ridiculously neglectful of this blog! The reason? I've been blogging every day at:


derbyfitness2012


which tracks my progress on a 90-day fitness challenge.


It's a reason, not an excuse. There is no excuse for my actions. 


To atone for my absence, I will today photograph my new necklace project, and post the photos here. They are amazing. You will want one.


Yes, you! Trust me. To get you in the mood for these necklaces, I offer your daily belly laugh in the form of a YouTube video. Enjoy.

Random Tutorial Generator

Click here for crafty fun times! Happy weekend!

Small Craft Business: Wordless Wednesday

Small Craft Business: Vendor Tuesday: LYS

LYS = Local Yarn Store.


Check out your local listings. Yelp is a good place to start. Find your local yarn store, and check out what they've got. JoAnn Fabrics doesn't count as an LYS. It has to be an indie place. 


Feel new stuff. Look at new colors. Try something made of cotton or bamboo, or both. 


Buy local, and support an independent business.

Wacky Search Terms, Installment Deux

Why is:


maaaaaaapapa


a search term for my blog? (Seriously! 3 times!)


Or perhaps


foot care diploma


makes sense?


Tired small business owner


actually does make sense.

Small Craft Business: Vendor Tuesday--eBay

Is eBay still in fashion?  Maybe? 


Maybe not. But my husband was reminded of the wonders of bargain shopping when he discovered he could purchase his favorite guitar strings on eBay for less than half the price of retail. A few years ago he was busy selling things on eBay--mostly rare and/or valuable CDs. He stopped it when he realised how expensive it was to sell there.


Digression over. I recommend you search on eBay for supplies you need. You may find them at a discount, and you just might be supporting an independent business owner. It's worth a shot.

Small Craft Business: Monday To-Do List

• pack Fae's and Ashlee's orders for Tuesday night derby practice
• wait for email from Juno about necklace
• update soap website for out-of-stock items
• make ref necklaces
• update supplier list for recipes book
• begin new formatting for first book
• find photos for book
• wrap gifts and mail

Vendor Tuesday: Fancy Tiger

 Fancy Tiger is a local craft shop that is quickly becoming legendary. We can all take  a lesson from Jaime and Amber. They have amazing style and a great sense of what the community wants and needs. Their shop offers classes, supplies, and they host the most popular craft show of the year here in Denver--Holiday Handmade. 


If you are in the Denver area, I command you to shop there, just once. ONCE! You will be converted quickly. If you aren't in the Denver area, I command you to shop at an independent, local craft shop this holiday season. Just once! 


Buy local. Buy handmade. Save the economy, one crocheted slipper at a time. 

Freedom Friday: Putting a Fine Point On It

I would like to be free from:

• being interrupted by people who think their work is more important than my work
• being told to solve other people's problems
• getting up before dawn when I don't want to
• working in a place where most people hate themselves
• listening and nodding my head when I really want to kick that person in the teeth
• caring for everybody else, and everybody else's children, instead of myself and my own child
• being treated badly by children
• being treated badly by the media
• the idea that I MUST keep this job because of the economy and because it has health insurance for my family and because so many others are suffering
• this is all there is.

Time on Task Thursday: Craft Fair Looming, Still, Plus my To-Do List

Since this appears to be Slacker Central, I will attempt to redeem myself by combining To-Do Monday and Time-on-Task Thursday.  My tasks today involve getting ready for the Sugar Plum Bazaar. This is the big show I will do this year, and I'd like to have good sales. 

This involves having SOMETHING TO SELL, I realized last week. Ha ha. 

So, my to-do list (that I lost yesterday, because I foolishly had it on paper) for today and tomorrow are as follows:

• garland w/lights
• small extension cord
• wrap salts and sugar scrubs with twine
• make solid lotion and label
• make face lotion and bottle and label
• get change from store
• cut fabric strips
• stamp more labels
• pack ladder
• pack soap dishes
• buy bag of mini candy canes

The ones that are crossed off are being done by my husband, who works for my soap company. Bless his heart, please, when you are doing your daily blessings. Or some such thing. 

I have to complete all of that before 5pm tomorrow. TOMORROW.

Another Wordful Wednesday: Craft Fair Looming!

I have a HUGE show coming up this weekend, and I'm trying to get ready. Couple that with roller derby championships last weekend (I sold some necklaces!), and I'm scrambling. I have had to make a to-do list for both my husband and myself. 


This time of year is absolute MADNESS for a crafter. Tell me of your madness in the comments, wouldja?