Inspiration: Corner Bookmarks

   Last night, I was exploring tumblr and I came across a post with this cute little monster bookmark.  I clicked on the link to the tutorial and fell in love with these little guys.  (Check out this girl's etsy shop while you're at it!)

   Inspired, I immediately began making some myself.  But instead of monsters, I started out making pink girly ones.

    I was really impressed by how easy these are to make, although the heart was a little bit more difficult.  I could definitely sell these in sets of two (or more!)  They would be great as bible bookmarks or a cute little gift for anyone who loves to read.

   I used AC Specialty Paper, which is this awesome textured cardstock that comes in a variety of colors.  It's great for projects like these because it's thicker and more durable than just regular construction paper.

 

    I decided to try to make my own little monsters too, and they turned out looking like little pacman characters!  I just love them, and I'm sure my nephew will too.

    They'd be especially great for kid books, such as Shel Silverstein's "Falling Up" shown here, as well as any books involving monsters or other make-believe creatures.

 

   I used an x-acto knife for the more difficult cutting, for example, the butterfly and the teeth.  And I used scissors for the eyes because they are more efficient for creating curves.  The end result:  four cute creations!

Question: Does a slight increase in prices actually increase sales?

   When I first heard this sales tip, I didn't think it would be effective.  Why would customers want to pay more?  But the idea is that if you increase your prices, it increases the perceived value of your work.  Business was slow, so I decided to try it and find out for myself.

   I increased the prices of a few items in my etsy shop, and within about a week and a half, I had 8 orders to fill, 6 of which were custom orders.  That might not sound like a lot of orders to you, but to someone who has just started their business, it was an exciting week.  However, I can't prove that this drastic change is solely due to the slight price increase, it is definitely a factor to consider.

   I have also found that many sellers, especially artists, on etsy undervalue their work.  When I see items similar to mine that are significantly cheaper, I think, "How is your time not worth more than this?"  I try to charge what I think is fair, but even I feel I'm not charging enough for how much time I put into each piece.  But it's all about perceived value.  Is it better to have prices too high or so low you're not making what your time is worth?

How-To: Stay Organized

   Running a business can become a scattered mess very easily.  You have so many things to keep track of:  money, marketing, fees, bills, orders, ideas, etc.  It can be overwhelming if you let all these things you have to get done consume you.  The key to keeping everything in order is planning.

   For me, the easiest way to plan is day-by-day.  I have a very flexible schedule since I am working at home, so it is extremely easy for me to get side-tracked and not get anything done.  But I try not to let slothfulness take over by writing out a To-Do list for every day.  And it doesn't have to be limited to only business related things.  (I include things such as laundry in my lists!)  I write down everything I want to get done in a day and so far, it has worked well for me.  And don't worry if you can't get everything on your list done in one day, just carry those things over to the next day.

   Some of you might find it easier or more effective for you to make weekly, monthly, or yearly goals for yourself.  I have not set any long-term goals for my business, though I do have some marketing ideas to try to bring in local customers once our other laptop is fixed!

Custom Alpha Bracelet

Sorry these sketches are a little rough; i did them quickly. I tried out several different R's and personally I like the second R in the first picture, though I can do any of them.  Just make sure that you choose colors for the lettering that will be easy to read against whatever background color you want.  The pricing (not including shipping) will vary from about $14 - $20, depending on what design you choose and how long it takes for me to make it.

Custom Order Options:

• Two Colors - Background and lettering

•  Striped lettering w/solid background

• Striped background w/solid lettering 

• Bordered

Inspiration: Large Bracelets

For my first post, I'd like to share with you the Etsy shop that inspired this large micro-macrame bracelet.

Rustic Diamonds Friendship Bracelet

  

This was the first bracelet I made that requires over 12 strings.  This pattern uses 22 strings!  When I first decided I wanted to start making larger bracelets, I was overwhelmed by how many strings I had to keep track of.  But once you get past the first couple rows of knots, it becomes just as easy as any other size bracelet.

My decision to try a larger bracelet was inspired by fernsandmoss on Etsy:

Every bracelet in this shop is beautiful, unique, and of course handmade!  I would definitely recommend this shop to anyone looking for that stand-out piece.