Queen's Day - The Aftermath

Queen's Day was a succes. I could have sold more, perhaps, but I already earned much more money than I expected. Then again, it was a flea market and people don't expect to buy jewellery for a bit more (I did lower my prices very much for this special 'first selling' occasion). However, I do expect a different buying pattern on my webshop (and people with (more) different tastes) so I'm not going to let this lead my thoughts on, about what kind of jewellery to make. I just want to make things I like myself, you know. ;) (No worries about that though!)

Anyway, here's a picture!

This is somewhere at the end of the day so the stand is a bit messy.

I know, I know, I was trying to sell way too much things at the same time, people barely looked through the baskets with jewellery. Oh well, better next time ;)

I learnt a lot this day!
- make the stand less crowded
- more difference in height
- more things on display
- hang up jewellery (like I did on the photograph, I only did this after a few hours)
- take with me a nice rug or something to put underneath the stand so I can crawl to the other side (since I could barely walk around the stands next to me)
- make better price cards
- get little paper bags to put in what people buy (even if it is just because it looks nice!)
- get more stand-space
- take with me a little table so I don't have to put junk on the stand, it looks very messy (and makes the stand even more crowded)
- the stand/display needs to be more clear, things need to be seen better
- make a few big signs, for example with my website and that all things are handmade
- always bring the boyfriend with me, he knows how to talk.
etc

Queen's Day Has Arrived!

Don't forget I will be selling jewellery at the Queen's Day Orange Market in Veldhoven today! Do come round and pay a visit! I'm so very excited ^___^

<3

Addict?

Right. I am weak.

:P

Not crafting only lasted one evening, the next day I just had to make something :P Oh well, at least I've got loads of goodies for selling now! I still have a lot to do, but I thought I'd give a little update. I'll be posting more hopefully, next week. I'll have more time then because I don't have a market to think about after Friday ;)

A little break on crafting

No crafting at all for me tonight! And hopefully I will be able to pull that off at least tomorrow as well. Not yet an hour ago being surrounded by such a big crafting mess and supplies, unfinished things and finished things waiting to be properly put in bags and price tagged and whatever drove me insane. So I decided I would put it all away, out of my room for a little while. Maybe now I'll be able to update more regularly ;) (And do some more things just for myself like reading and drawing, which are things I have neglected very badly the last.. year!)

Anyway, today the boyfriend and I went to a fair in my town, I bought a few lovely mouse hairclips (blue and pink) and after that, when we got home (my place) again we cleared the dinner table and experimented with filling a stand. A friend and I hired a stand on the 'Oranje markt' (orange market) at Queen's Day (30th of April) to sell stuff we made ourselves (as I told before). Although for her this is more for fun and maybe a little bit of money, for me this kinda is serious business. It will be the first time I actually get to find out if people would buy my stuff (except for my mum, grandmother, aunt and mother in law :P) and if they are willing to pay what I ask for it (though I must admit I lowered the prices VERY much for the market). After the market I'll hopefully be able to finally open a webshop :) I'm very excited! It gives me something to work for, something to do. Though it means a lot of stress as well.
But! Where was I? Ah, Kevin and I spent the whole afternoon experimenting with how I would put things on my stand. In the end 2 meters suddenly is very little space :S I thought I would have so much space left and the opposite is true! Having only two meters of space for my merchandise means I don't have any space for my left-overs (old jewellery I wanted to sell to make room for new things), cards, felt plushies and whatever I still wanted to make but had not yet started on. So, I guess this IS somehow good, namely that I've got less things to make so less to worry about. On the other hand I was pretty excited to make those things because this would be the perfect opportunity to see if people would buy them. Oh well, maybe I'll still make some little things.

Ah! This blog entry has become much longer than I anticipated! :P

So, what AM I going to do if not crafting?
I would like to..
- update my blog more often
- catch up on things I still need to blog about
- change the information on my blog, I need a new introduction fast!
- start on a nice lay-out for my website (I'll need loads of help from Kevin though since I've never made a website lay-out before)
- update and add information on my website
- Start accumulating pictures for my online portfolio!

Bye~

Crafting, Thoughts and Pictures.

Another day spent by mostly crafting jewellery and watching some episodes of Waking The Dead and Star Trek - The Next Generation. It's silly how fast a day goes by, and how easily I feel like I don't do very much even though I didn't sit still all day. Again I made a bunch of necklaces and bracelets, and I just can't get a satisfying feeling, I need to make more, more, more and more! Maybe I need a little break from crafting and do some other things like updating my blog or toying around with a lay-out for my website, or with the information, texts and even pictures I want to put on my website. If I'm going to try to sell my jewellery at Queen's Day and thereby try to promote my own work and hope to win some visitors (and customers!) on my website, I need to show something on there! Or else it won't do much good urging people to visit my website, will it? ;)

As I said, I've been crafting today... I love these pearly beads I got last week! I've got a few varieties in colour, and I might decide on buying more. I've still got quite a few of them left though, so I'll see if I can find another nice technique of working with wire :)

Here's a picture of my working space, and one of my bed. I put all the jewellery I've already finished on it. I still have a lot of things to finish though, and there's even more I still want to start making!
I don't think it'll ever be enough :P

Updates, Alice In Wonderland & Selling Goods

I really should update more regularly. I really want to, but my schedule just keeps being busy and I don't have much energy to spend on things like my blog. Lately I've been crafting a lot again (and I've also been buying lots of supplies!) and I'm really looking forward to the 30th of April. Not only is it Queens day and is it also my dad's birthday, but a friend of mine had the idea of renting a stand on the market in our town, to sell our own stuff. At first I doubted this idea a bit because it takes so much energy for me to be in crowds/be among so many people the whole day. BUT, then I thought, this is the perfect opertunity for me! That friend will be there the whole day, and so will my boyfriend. So even if I need a little break, they can always keep an eye on my part of the stand.
Not only have I been crafting a lot, I've also been thinking a lot about opening a webshop, which is one of my goals. Unfortunately I still haven't decided on which website to use (ebay, etsy, dawanda? Suggestions?) because I have to choose because most of my items are one of a kind (not all of them are that special but I barely ever have large supplies of one thing, so I usually can't make one item more than once). Today adjustable rings and earring pins (and stops) came in, so I've been making a lot of those today. Good thing I've ot only been collecting beads and pendants ;)

So, anyway, if you happen to be in (or near) Veldhoven at Queens Day/the 30th of April, don't hesitate to drop by ;)