Where DOES the time go? It seems only yesterday that I was anticipating the start of summer, and now it is almost over! So much time has gone by, and I don't have much to show for it... I haven't crafted much, nor have I really focused on marketing myself. And for that, I'm sure the business during the holiday shopping season won't be nearly as great as it could be.
Now is the time for me to get serious about this, if I want it to become something big... but it's so hard when I'm having so much fun with my friends in World of Warcraft (a MMO we play). The timing is just.... meh. The new expansion for the game comes out in a couple months, so we are trying our best to get ahead of the game where we can, completing achievements and such. But in a couple months, holiday shopping will be in full swing, and that's the best time of year to sell any kind of customized items (which I do a lot of)... I am torn between two things that I really enjoy... and it's not fair to you, my friends and fans, for me to neglect one of those things.
As of today, I promise to you, that I will do something each day to help out my business, whether it be making sure to post updates on Facebook, working on the stand-alone site (setting a date and getting it ready for re-launch), crafting something new, or just hopping around sites and getting my name out there. Don't be surprised if I come asking for help, though. There is still so much I don't know or understand... :)
Thanks to you guys for being supportive of me, even when I'm not around. It means a lot to know that you enjoy my work and want to see more.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Quiet Summer, and Thoughts of Expansion
Hey everyone! I know, it's been terribly quiet around here for the last couple months... Both of my Etsy shops have been lacking in sales, too. I know some of that is the summer - people aren't at home shopping online right now. But some of that is my fault, too. I haven't taken the responsibility for my shops like a real business-owner should. And for that, I apologize.
During the last few weeks, though, my brain has been rolling. So many thoughts on how to take this little gig from a small-time personal hobby-shop and turn it into a stable home-based business. One of the many things I have considered is coming up with a "line" - something that I make multiples of in different styles, that sells on a regular basis. Well, I tried that with my keychains and cell charms, but they aren't taking off like I had hoped.
Another thought that occurred to me was to cut costs by going back to my stand-alone site (which used to be hosted at this address). However, I don't think I have enough content for a solid site that people would want to revisit regularly. But the thought of selling from www.breathofthedragon.com instead of http://breathofthedragon.etsy.com still lingers in my mind....
So I started contemplating what else I could include on the site... Perhaps I need to expand beyond simply advertising my wood burnings... Maybe I should start selling other things as well as my own hand-crafted creations... With a name like Breath of the Dragon, things relating to fire seem most appropriate, do they not? Like incense and candles and accessories (which was my very first idea for the site in the beginning, but I was so uneducated that I couldn't make it work). Now that I have connections to other small businesses, I could even talk to them about wholesale and me re-selling their items on my own site...
But I don't want my site to be JUST a shop. I want to include other (possibly interactive) things on the site, something that would bring people back again and again. Maybe articles, stories, or who-knows what. Information on candles and incense, about dragons, about pyrography, about wildfires and fire safety.
Does all of this sound like the makings of a great website? Would it be something that you'd want to share with all of your friends? Do you think having information as well as a shop would intrigue more people to return? What about my thoughts - is that a good combination?
Or is the thought of expansion on this scale seem excessive or out of reach? Should I just drop the thought now and keep on doing what I'm doing?
Please let me know what you think - you, as my customers and followers, are what keep me going, and I want to keep you satisfied. Any other thoughts and suggestions are welcome.
During the last few weeks, though, my brain has been rolling. So many thoughts on how to take this little gig from a small-time personal hobby-shop and turn it into a stable home-based business. One of the many things I have considered is coming up with a "line" - something that I make multiples of in different styles, that sells on a regular basis. Well, I tried that with my keychains and cell charms, but they aren't taking off like I had hoped.
Another thought that occurred to me was to cut costs by going back to my stand-alone site (which used to be hosted at this address). However, I don't think I have enough content for a solid site that people would want to revisit regularly. But the thought of selling from www.breathofthedragon.com instead of http://breathofthedragon.etsy.com still lingers in my mind....
So I started contemplating what else I could include on the site... Perhaps I need to expand beyond simply advertising my wood burnings... Maybe I should start selling other things as well as my own hand-crafted creations... With a name like Breath of the Dragon, things relating to fire seem most appropriate, do they not? Like incense and candles and accessories (which was my very first idea for the site in the beginning, but I was so uneducated that I couldn't make it work). Now that I have connections to other small businesses, I could even talk to them about wholesale and me re-selling their items on my own site...
But I don't want my site to be JUST a shop. I want to include other (possibly interactive) things on the site, something that would bring people back again and again. Maybe articles, stories, or who-knows what. Information on candles and incense, about dragons, about pyrography, about wildfires and fire safety.
Does all of this sound like the makings of a great website? Would it be something that you'd want to share with all of your friends? Do you think having information as well as a shop would intrigue more people to return? What about my thoughts - is that a good combination?
Or is the thought of expansion on this scale seem excessive or out of reach? Should I just drop the thought now and keep on doing what I'm doing?
Please let me know what you think - you, as my customers and followers, are what keep me going, and I want to keep you satisfied. Any other thoughts and suggestions are welcome.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Who is your Target buyer?
This is a subject I know I need to work on, so I'm sharing an article I found on it. Hope it helps you, too.
"Do you know precisely who your customers are? Do you know what type of people or businesses they are? For example, if you sell to consumers, do you have demographic information (e.g., what are their average income ranges, education, typical occupations, geographic location, family makeup, etc.) that identifies your target buyer? What about lifestyle information (e.g., hobbies, interests, recreational/entertainment activities, political beliefs, cultural practices, etc.) on your target buyer?
This type of information can help you in two ways. It can help you make changes to your product or service itself, to better match with what your customers are likely to want. It can also tell you how to reach your customers through advertising, promotions, etc.
How can you refine your understanding of your customer base? Look at the issue from two angles: niche marketing and market segmenting.
Niche marketing
The "heavy users" of your product can be thought of as a market "niche" that you should attempt to dominate. Niche marketing today means targeting, communicating with, selling, and obtaining feedback on the heaviest users of your business's products or services.
Picking the right segment of the market is important to achieving sufficiently large sales volume and profitability to survive and prosper as a company. The right market segment is:
- measurable in quantitative terms
- substantial enough to generate planned sales volume
- accessible to your company's distribution methods
- sensitive to planned/affordable marketing spending events
It is also important to examine other factors that could affect your company's success:
- strength of competitors to attract your niche buyers away from your products
- similarity of competitive products in the buyers' minds
- rate of new product introductions by competitors
- ease of entry/protectability in the market for your niche
Even large companies have embraced niche marketing, continuing to refine and target their product offerings to different buyer groups. As an example, Nike re-staged a multi-billion dollar company that had plateaued by pursuing a segmentation strategy. Nike designed and marketed athletic shoes for each different sport, often further segmenting with specialized models within each sport (e.g., "Air Jordan" basketball shoes, and additional basketball models called "Force," represented by Charles Barkley and David Robinson, and "Flight," represented by Scottie Pippin).
It is also important to be able to identify and estimate the size of your target market, particularly if you're thinking about a new venture, so that you can tell if the customer base is large enough to support your business or new product idea. Remember that it's not enough that people like your business concept. There must be enough target buyers on a frequent-enough basis to sustain your company sales, spending, and profits from year to year.
For example, selling a product or service that people may need only once in a lifetime (e.g., an indestructible toothbrush) may not be a sustainable business, unless a large number of people need it at any given time, or everyone needs it eventually
Segmenting the market
If the universe of all potential buyers is your "market," then the market can be divided up into sections or "segments" based on any number of factors. For example, you might divide up your customers by age group and find that you sell most of your products to people aged 18 to 34. You might divide them up by family size and find that you sell most of your products to married couples with young children.
Many small businesses stop there, thinking they have enough information to be able to identify and communicate with their most likely customers. However, larger companies will attempt to find out even more information about their customers' lifestyles, values, life stage, etc.
The key terms to know when segmenting the market are:
-- Demographics refers to age, sex, income, education, race, martial status, size of household, geographic location, size of city, and profession.
-- Psychographics refers to personality and emotionally based behavior linked to purchase choices; for example, whether customers are risk-takers or risk-avoiders, impulsive buyers, etc.
-- Lifestyle refers to the collective choice of hobbies, recreational pursuits, entertainment, vacations, and other non-work time pursuits.
-- Belief and value systems includes religious, political, nationalistic, and cultural beliefs and values.
-- Life stage refers to chronological benchmarking of people's lives at different ages (e.g., pre-teens, teenagers, seniors, etc.).
What can smaller companies do to segment their markets?
Smaller companies can research secondary data sources and conduct individual interviews with key trade buyers and consumers or end users of their products and services. This is called qualitative research. Often qualitative research can be accomplished for free or little expense.
Smaller companies can also conduct informal factor and cluster analysis by:
- watching key competitors' marketing efforts and copying them;
- talking to key trade buyers about new product introductions;
- conducting needs analysis from qualitative research with individuals and groups.
In many cases, smaller companies have access to the same databases as large companies for estimating the sizes of market segment clusters and their importance. Some low-cost sources of external secondary data include:
- trade and association publications and experts;
- basic research publications;
- external measurement services;
- government publications.
Smaller companies can segment markets by geography, distribution, price, packaging, sizes, product life, and other tangible factors in addition to demographics and lifestyle and psychographic clustering.
Source: CCH Business Owner's Toolkit
"Do you know precisely who your customers are? Do you know what type of people or businesses they are? For example, if you sell to consumers, do you have demographic information (e.g., what are their average income ranges, education, typical occupations, geographic location, family makeup, etc.) that identifies your target buyer? What about lifestyle information (e.g., hobbies, interests, recreational/entertainment activities, political beliefs, cultural practices, etc.) on your target buyer?
This type of information can help you in two ways. It can help you make changes to your product or service itself, to better match with what your customers are likely to want. It can also tell you how to reach your customers through advertising, promotions, etc.
How can you refine your understanding of your customer base? Look at the issue from two angles: niche marketing and market segmenting.
Niche marketing
The "heavy users" of your product can be thought of as a market "niche" that you should attempt to dominate. Niche marketing today means targeting, communicating with, selling, and obtaining feedback on the heaviest users of your business's products or services.
Picking the right segment of the market is important to achieving sufficiently large sales volume and profitability to survive and prosper as a company. The right market segment is:
- measurable in quantitative terms
- substantial enough to generate planned sales volume
- accessible to your company's distribution methods
- sensitive to planned/affordable marketing spending events
It is also important to examine other factors that could affect your company's success:
- strength of competitors to attract your niche buyers away from your products
- similarity of competitive products in the buyers' minds
- rate of new product introductions by competitors
- ease of entry/protectability in the market for your niche
Even large companies have embraced niche marketing, continuing to refine and target their product offerings to different buyer groups. As an example, Nike re-staged a multi-billion dollar company that had plateaued by pursuing a segmentation strategy. Nike designed and marketed athletic shoes for each different sport, often further segmenting with specialized models within each sport (e.g., "Air Jordan" basketball shoes, and additional basketball models called "Force," represented by Charles Barkley and David Robinson, and "Flight," represented by Scottie Pippin).
It is also important to be able to identify and estimate the size of your target market, particularly if you're thinking about a new venture, so that you can tell if the customer base is large enough to support your business or new product idea. Remember that it's not enough that people like your business concept. There must be enough target buyers on a frequent-enough basis to sustain your company sales, spending, and profits from year to year.
For example, selling a product or service that people may need only once in a lifetime (e.g., an indestructible toothbrush) may not be a sustainable business, unless a large number of people need it at any given time, or everyone needs it eventually
Segmenting the market
If the universe of all potential buyers is your "market," then the market can be divided up into sections or "segments" based on any number of factors. For example, you might divide up your customers by age group and find that you sell most of your products to people aged 18 to 34. You might divide them up by family size and find that you sell most of your products to married couples with young children.
Many small businesses stop there, thinking they have enough information to be able to identify and communicate with their most likely customers. However, larger companies will attempt to find out even more information about their customers' lifestyles, values, life stage, etc.
The key terms to know when segmenting the market are:
-- Demographics refers to age, sex, income, education, race, martial status, size of household, geographic location, size of city, and profession.
-- Psychographics refers to personality and emotionally based behavior linked to purchase choices; for example, whether customers are risk-takers or risk-avoiders, impulsive buyers, etc.
-- Lifestyle refers to the collective choice of hobbies, recreational pursuits, entertainment, vacations, and other non-work time pursuits.
-- Belief and value systems includes religious, political, nationalistic, and cultural beliefs and values.
-- Life stage refers to chronological benchmarking of people's lives at different ages (e.g., pre-teens, teenagers, seniors, etc.).
What can smaller companies do to segment their markets?
Smaller companies can research secondary data sources and conduct individual interviews with key trade buyers and consumers or end users of their products and services. This is called qualitative research. Often qualitative research can be accomplished for free or little expense.
Smaller companies can also conduct informal factor and cluster analysis by:
- watching key competitors' marketing efforts and copying them;
- talking to key trade buyers about new product introductions;
- conducting needs analysis from qualitative research with individuals and groups.
In many cases, smaller companies have access to the same databases as large companies for estimating the sizes of market segment clusters and their importance. Some low-cost sources of external secondary data include:
- trade and association publications and experts;
- basic research publications;
- external measurement services;
- government publications.
Smaller companies can segment markets by geography, distribution, price, packaging, sizes, product life, and other tangible factors in addition to demographics and lifestyle and psychographic clustering.
Source: CCH Business Owner's Toolkit
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Four Ways to Target Online Buyers With the Right Words
Four Ways to Target Online Buyers With the Right Words
by James Chartrand
Building a commercial website means finding the right style, tone, and words that convert hits to sales.
That goal isn’t an easy one to reach. One word – just one – can mean the difference between a trickle of sales and a whole lot of success. That’s one of the reasons split testing your copy is an important part of the online business process.
Who’s reading your content, though? Who skims the headlines of your web page? Who’s your ideal customer?
Most likely, you have some idea. You may know the person’s demographics, interests, and preferences. Go further. Do you know what type of buyer you’re targeting?
There are different types of customers, and of course, people have different personalities. The words you use to influence these people matters a great deal to your online success.
It isn’t a one-size-fits-all situation. Some words ring with some people but grate on the nerves of others. Some words chime out and increase sales, and some words just fall flat.
Here are four categories of online buyers to consider:
1. Cheap Economy
Club packs. Two for ones. Discounts. These people fall into the group of economic buyers. Their main interest is the price they’ll pay and the value they’ll receive for that price. They may focus on product quality, too – this is their hard-earned cash, after all. They want more for less.
Choose words that reflect low price and high value. Make sure that your content focuses on affordability and better quality. Show that you’re giving people something for their money, and they’ll be more willing to part with it.
2. I Like You; You Like Me
Just for you. Indulge yourself. We care. These words are harmony to the buyers that are all about the personal interaction. They like feeling there... See More’s a personal touch involved in shopping, that the seller cares about them. They want to feel recognized and acknowledged. They may like the customer service and the sales staff more than they like the product.
Choose words that convey the sense of personal attention. Find a way to deliver a message that the customer right there is the only person that matters. Their happiness is your goal. Transmit that you care about them and make your communication sound open and friendly to create a bond between shopper and seller.
3. The Right Way or the Highway
Fair trade. Save the plant. Eco-friendly. Not tested on animals. The buyers who love these words are considered ethical buyers, the type of people who turn up their nose at unethical products or methods of operations. They shun big chains and go for small sellers that show philanthropic attitudes.
Choose words that convey the community atmosphere. Tell these people what you do for the betterment of the world or how you help others through your business. Demonstrate a conscience for more than money and show that people – and the world – matter.
4. Ugh. Shopping.
Fast. Easy. Convenient. Quick. All these words sound pretty good to the apathetic shopper. This customer hates shopping and just wants to get in and out as quickly as possible. Apathetic buyers don’t care where they buy from – they tend to pick the most convenient merchant. They don’t waste time because shopping is chore enough already.
Choose words that help the shopper see that you’re right there, available and easy to buy from. Help make their shopping experience as fast and painless as possible. Keep the wording short, simple and a little upbeat, and convey convenience all the time
Laser-Focus Your Word Choice
Good copy that targets an individual type of buyer has a better chance than a wide net that tries to please everyone. You need to reach your buyer quickly and directly by using the words she wants to hear.
So get personal with your copy writing, and choose words that your ideal customer relates to on a personal level.
by James Chartrand
Building a commercial website means finding the right style, tone, and words that convert hits to sales.
That goal isn’t an easy one to reach. One word – just one – can mean the difference between a trickle of sales and a whole lot of success. That’s one of the reasons split testing your copy is an important part of the online business process.
Who’s reading your content, though? Who skims the headlines of your web page? Who’s your ideal customer?
Most likely, you have some idea. You may know the person’s demographics, interests, and preferences. Go further. Do you know what type of buyer you’re targeting?
There are different types of customers, and of course, people have different personalities. The words you use to influence these people matters a great deal to your online success.
It isn’t a one-size-fits-all situation. Some words ring with some people but grate on the nerves of others. Some words chime out and increase sales, and some words just fall flat.
Here are four categories of online buyers to consider:
1. Cheap Economy
Club packs. Two for ones. Discounts. These people fall into the group of economic buyers. Their main interest is the price they’ll pay and the value they’ll receive for that price. They may focus on product quality, too – this is their hard-earned cash, after all. They want more for less.
Choose words that reflect low price and high value. Make sure that your content focuses on affordability and better quality. Show that you’re giving people something for their money, and they’ll be more willing to part with it.
2. I Like You; You Like Me
Just for you. Indulge yourself. We care. These words are harmony to the buyers that are all about the personal interaction. They like feeling there... See More’s a personal touch involved in shopping, that the seller cares about them. They want to feel recognized and acknowledged. They may like the customer service and the sales staff more than they like the product.
Choose words that convey the sense of personal attention. Find a way to deliver a message that the customer right there is the only person that matters. Their happiness is your goal. Transmit that you care about them and make your communication sound open and friendly to create a bond between shopper and seller.
3. The Right Way or the Highway
Fair trade. Save the plant. Eco-friendly. Not tested on animals. The buyers who love these words are considered ethical buyers, the type of people who turn up their nose at unethical products or methods of operations. They shun big chains and go for small sellers that show philanthropic attitudes.
Choose words that convey the community atmosphere. Tell these people what you do for the betterment of the world or how you help others through your business. Demonstrate a conscience for more than money and show that people – and the world – matter.
4. Ugh. Shopping.
Fast. Easy. Convenient. Quick. All these words sound pretty good to the apathetic shopper. This customer hates shopping and just wants to get in and out as quickly as possible. Apathetic buyers don’t care where they buy from – they tend to pick the most convenient merchant. They don’t waste time because shopping is chore enough already.
Choose words that help the shopper see that you’re right there, available and easy to buy from. Help make their shopping experience as fast and painless as possible. Keep the wording short, simple and a little upbeat, and convey convenience all the time
Laser-Focus Your Word Choice
Good copy that targets an individual type of buyer has a better chance than a wide net that tries to please everyone. You need to reach your buyer quickly and directly by using the words she wants to hear.
So get personal with your copy writing, and choose words that your ideal customer relates to on a personal level.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Inspiration... sort of...
Forgive my absence of late - seems like I have been neglecting a lot of things these days.... Probably because I worked so much last week, and school started back up again this week...
But I've decided that I need to back into crafting, big time. Even if I never quit working for someone else, this is something I enjoy. Not to mention the joy it brings me when I get that fabled email from Etsy saying I had a sale!
There has been a thought tugging on my mind lately, but I'm not sure what to do with it. I keep seeing empty shops, and I keep thinking "I wonder what kind of shop I could put there..." It's not a very solid idea, but I want to come up with some sort of business to open that has a physical presence. My boyfriend thinks its silly since I don't have the money, but I told him that if we had a good enough idea, we'd find a way to get the money... Its the 'good enough' idea I'm having a hard time with.
I start with the things I know... Like when I was part of the Creative Impressions 'store' during the holidays in 2008 and 2009... It was a cool thought (and fairly well received), to have a store where local crafters could sell their wares. But my mom was much better at getting people involved for that, not to mention she was great at keeping us all organized.
Another thought I had was a Pagan/New Age shop (where I could include hand-crafted stuff, of course)... We used to have one in this town, but drama ensued, bringing it down. I'd like to think the thought would be well-received, but I'm not sure we could keep constant business. If we had a couple services offered, that might help (readings, reiki, etc), but I wouldn't know where to start asking around... Almost everyone I knew from the old shop has moved away by now...
And that's as far as I get... I am stumped for ideas... And yet I can't let the thought (of running some sort of shop) go... Any suggestions? Either of ideas for a shop, or for ways to get rid of the idea... LOL
But I've decided that I need to back into crafting, big time. Even if I never quit working for someone else, this is something I enjoy. Not to mention the joy it brings me when I get that fabled email from Etsy saying I had a sale!
There has been a thought tugging on my mind lately, but I'm not sure what to do with it. I keep seeing empty shops, and I keep thinking "I wonder what kind of shop I could put there..." It's not a very solid idea, but I want to come up with some sort of business to open that has a physical presence. My boyfriend thinks its silly since I don't have the money, but I told him that if we had a good enough idea, we'd find a way to get the money... Its the 'good enough' idea I'm having a hard time with.
I start with the things I know... Like when I was part of the Creative Impressions 'store' during the holidays in 2008 and 2009... It was a cool thought (and fairly well received), to have a store where local crafters could sell their wares. But my mom was much better at getting people involved for that, not to mention she was great at keeping us all organized.
Another thought I had was a Pagan/New Age shop (where I could include hand-crafted stuff, of course)... We used to have one in this town, but drama ensued, bringing it down. I'd like to think the thought would be well-received, but I'm not sure we could keep constant business. If we had a couple services offered, that might help (readings, reiki, etc), but I wouldn't know where to start asking around... Almost everyone I knew from the old shop has moved away by now...
And that's as far as I get... I am stumped for ideas... And yet I can't let the thought (of running some sort of shop) go... Any suggestions? Either of ideas for a shop, or for ways to get rid of the idea... LOL
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Updates and Adventures
First up, I wanted to let everyone know that I am going to leave the free shipping deal up in my shop permanently. Yes, you read that right - as of today (29 June), ALL key chains and cell charms in my main Etsy shop will ALWAYS have Free Shipping, worldwide! And yes, this applies to any custom order, as well! On my part, the cost is minimal enough to allow for this eye-catching deal. In the coming days, I will be updating the shop announcement and listings to reflect this.
Next up, I thought I would let you all know about my Merchant Circle listing page. I've been on there for years, but never really pushed it much. They've made some really nice updates on there lately, and I'm encouraged to try pushing it again, as another way to get my business name out there, even if just to other business-people. Connections are always good to have. The reason I bring it up here, however, is because they offer merchants a way to send out newsletters for free. I tried it once, and it was kinda cool, but I always had a hard time coming up with decent content to include. If you would be interested in a semi-regular newsletter from Breath of the Dragon coming to your inbox, let me know. With enough interest, I will make a newsletter worth reading...
And now for the Adventure! I tried another craft today - loom bead-weaving. I picked up an old loom weaving kit at the Goodwill store a while back, and today I gave it a go. The kit had a complete loom, needle, thread, and some beads to start. Setting it up was probably the hardest part - I can't tie knots in small thread very easily.... but once it was started, it was easy going - just string the beads according to the pattern, push the beads up through the warp threads, and run the main thread back through the beads. Easy enough. I didn't get far, because the beads that came with the kit had a lot that would not fit over the eye of the needle, and there weren't enough of any given color to finish the pattern. The trouble I'd have with this kind of thing is the finishing touches - once the pattern is complete, how do I get it off the loom? How do I attach jewelry findings (if that's what I make), or how do I attach it to a piece of leather?
I love having the ideas of what I could do with this running through my head (I think I've always admired beautiful beadwork, esp the kinds on traditional Native American clothing). I wish I could recreate some of the things I've seen, and actually enjoy myself when doing it.... But after the first try, I'm still undecided if I want to try making it into another craft hobby business. I don't really have the money to buy a bunch of beads and thread and just "try it on for size" right now, so I think it will have to wait a while longer before I jump into it full force...
If you have any tips or suggestions for me in experimenting with bead-weaving, please feel free to comment.
Next up, I thought I would let you all know about my Merchant Circle listing page. I've been on there for years, but never really pushed it much. They've made some really nice updates on there lately, and I'm encouraged to try pushing it again, as another way to get my business name out there, even if just to other business-people. Connections are always good to have. The reason I bring it up here, however, is because they offer merchants a way to send out newsletters for free. I tried it once, and it was kinda cool, but I always had a hard time coming up with decent content to include. If you would be interested in a semi-regular newsletter from Breath of the Dragon coming to your inbox, let me know. With enough interest, I will make a newsletter worth reading...
And now for the Adventure! I tried another craft today - loom bead-weaving. I picked up an old loom weaving kit at the Goodwill store a while back, and today I gave it a go. The kit had a complete loom, needle, thread, and some beads to start. Setting it up was probably the hardest part - I can't tie knots in small thread very easily.... but once it was started, it was easy going - just string the beads according to the pattern, push the beads up through the warp threads, and run the main thread back through the beads. Easy enough. I didn't get far, because the beads that came with the kit had a lot that would not fit over the eye of the needle, and there weren't enough of any given color to finish the pattern. The trouble I'd have with this kind of thing is the finishing touches - once the pattern is complete, how do I get it off the loom? How do I attach jewelry findings (if that's what I make), or how do I attach it to a piece of leather?
I love having the ideas of what I could do with this running through my head (I think I've always admired beautiful beadwork, esp the kinds on traditional Native American clothing). I wish I could recreate some of the things I've seen, and actually enjoy myself when doing it.... But after the first try, I'm still undecided if I want to try making it into another craft hobby business. I don't really have the money to buy a bunch of beads and thread and just "try it on for size" right now, so I think it will have to wait a while longer before I jump into it full force...
If you have any tips or suggestions for me in experimenting with bead-weaving, please feel free to comment.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Turn Peace Around on Facebook
The ideas are a-brewin' and the first step to making them happen was to set up a separate page for my Turn Peace Around Etsy shop on Facebook.
Be on the lookout for what's coming, especially you crafty folks who love Peace - I'm going to need YOU!
Be on the lookout for what's coming, especially you crafty folks who love Peace - I'm going to need YOU!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Be sure to sign the guestbook!
We love knowing where our visitors come from!
We love knowing where our visitors come from!
Posts
