04.27.08
Posted in Uncategorized, jewelry, kellymalouf, shopping, handbags, Tote bags at 7:56 pm by KellyM
I really apologize for taking so long in writing a post. But I have a pretty good reason.
I just got a new item of mine in a store here in town called Funky Things. My family and I are beyond thrilled with this new opportunity! These items ~Totes~ I made my daughters and I, on a whim, for the beach and boating season. Once I found that the store owner wanted these Totes in her store I had to run out and get the materials to make a bunch more. You can see the slide show and order from my site homepage or visit Funky Things yourself. It’s a really fun store too. I finally had the chance to walk around the store and see all the great products she has. Boy, could I spend a bunch there (and probably will)!
There are a couple of things I’ve learned from this wonderful experience however.
One, name your business wisely. By having my business in my own name I am safe in changing the type of product I offer without having to rename my business for the product to ‘fit’. My Totes do not have any beading on them. I made them to keep them totally washable (which is much needed with active kids). If you notice on my website, I’ve changed my ‘headline’ to read differently.
The other, be open to change. If you are a crafter with many talents, use them! You never know which product will sell or who will be interested in what, so use your talents to the fullest. Jewelry is my favorite item to make, for me. But, there is an overwhelming amount of competition out there for the same style, this makes it more difficult to show that I am better or different from others. By opening myself up to utilizing my other skills, I am able to stand out more from the competition.
Many skills, various types of products and a business name open to these factors, I believe, is the key to standing out from your competition, showing your products in their best light, and making a name for yourself.
How do you find that you stand out from your competition? Do find showing more than one skill beneficial?
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04.07.08
Posted in Uncategorized, fun, hand crafted jewelry, shopping, site promotion, interviews, bath and body, clothing, handbags at 4:09 pm by KellyM
Meet Yvette Estime, Owner of www.bellepourlavie.com.
Where are you located? Coral Springs, FL.
What do you design? Handbags, jewelry, shoes, bath products.
Where/How did you learn this? I am a self taught crafter. I mostly read books on the subject.
Favorite Artist who inspires you? Dali. All my work has double meanings and very symbolic.
Where does your inspiration come from? I love the ocean so most of my work has an aquatic theme. I also love astrology. My twin sister and creative parnter also inspires me.
What do you do to combat creative block? I read. Also, I am a watercolorist, so I sometimes paint.
Where do you design your creations? In my bedroom, everything is piled in a corner. I really need more space. LOL
What does your work space look like right now? Sewing machine in one corner, 3 containers of fabric, a 3 drawer stand full of beads and another full with essential oils.
How does your family feel about what you do? My mom thinks it’s a fascinating hobby and my sister (also my parnter) wants to turn it into a more successful business.
Do you have any advice for someone looking to make their own creations using this method? Try not to be discouraged if no one takes to your work right away. It’s a process.
Best advice you received when starting your business venture? Well, I think the best advice was stay away from craft shows. Always try to consign or wholesale. If you must sell, try trade shows.
Favorite part of owning your own business? Doing what I love and getting paid for it.
Least favorite? More than 8 hour work periods.
How do you realx? Music.
Favorite color? Purple.
Does this color show up in a lot of your work? In the form of Amethyst.
If there were more hours in the day, what would you be doing? Making more handbags! They take the most time to create.
A sample of Belle Pour la Vie products. For all products, please visit Yvettes website.
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03.03.08
Posted in Uncategorized, fun, shopping, site promotion, interviews, handbags at 8:37 am by KellyM
Meet Andrea Thomas-Lambe, Owner of www.thomasparkgifts.com
Where are you located? Boston, MA
What do you design? Handbags, Accessories, Aprons, Children’s Giftware.
Where/How did you learn this? Self-taught beginner and hired a friend with many years of experience to teach me more detailed aspects of sewing. She would come by my shop for a few hours each week to work on projects.
Favorite Artist who inspires you? I love Heather Bailey, Anna Marie Horner and Sandi Henderson. they are all beautiful and talented textile designers, among many other things.
Where does your inspiration come from? Usually the inspiration comes from the fabric itself. I love to add a little something to make it an original.
What do you do to combat creative block? Buy new fabric or a new pattern….expensive, but it works.
Where do you design your creations? Currently, I work out of my shop but am soon closing after ten years and will be working out of my home studio.
What does your work space look like right now? Right now everything is scattered, but the new home studio will be perfect. Plenty of room, rolling carts and lots of storage. I love shaby chic furniture and fabrics, so I am sticking to that in my design.
How does your family feel about what you do? My husband is wonderful and extremely supportive. My mother is also very creative so we can spend hours thinking of new things to make!
Do you have any advice for someone looking to make their own creations using this method? It isn’t easy! You can’t just make something and expect someone to buy it. I have been lucky to have the brick & mortar store to get the ball rolling. Constant marketing and constant creativity are a must!
Best advice you received when starting your business venture? Honestly, no one ever really gave any. I just made my own decisions and so far it seems to work.
Favorite part of owning your own business? Not having anyone tell me how or what to create. The happiness I get from a finished product and a customer who appreciates it.
Least favorite? Having to pay the bills.
How do you realx? What’s that ???? Kidding, sewing is my therapy and my relaxation.
Favorite color? Lately, I am drawn to raspberry.
Does this color show up in a lot of your work? Yes, but I have to be careful, because too much of that would be a bad thing for everyday wear.
If there were more hours in the day, what would you be doing? Sewing!
A sample of Thomas Park Gifts products. For all products, please visit Andrea’s website.
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03.02.08
Posted in Uncategorized, fun, shopping, site promotion, interviews, crochet, knitting, handbags at 8:26 am by KellyM
Meet Robyn Vines Smith, Owner of www.burstofhappiness.com.
Where are you located? Albuquerque, NM
What do you design? Accessories such as handbags, totes, knitted scarves, fancy-pants aprons.
Where/How did you learn this? I am self-taught. I learned to sew, knit, crochet on my own over the past few years. I never thought I had creativity in me because I never gave things a try. Now I’m eager to learn more and more-for instance, I’m currently learning yarn dyeing and spinning. Each thing I do takes me down new exciting paths.
Favorite Artist who inspires you? I guess the natural thing would be to pick someone in fashion or someone really famous, but I’m going to pick my friend Ren Adams (www.artbyrenadams.com). It’s not because I aim to do work like hers, because we do really different things. But she inspires me because she’s really passionate about her work and she’s taken so much time to learn about Asian culture. She really draws from her knowledge and passion and she takes her artwork and the culture behind it very seriously. Through her, I’ve learned to take interest in many new things.
Where does your inspiration come from? Fabric prints and fashion. I just see a fabric and know I’ve got to make something out of it.
What do you do to combat creative block? I don’t really have creative block–my problem is more a lack of time to get to work on things.
Where do you design your creations? Spare bedroom at home.
What does your work space look like right now? Today it’s quite messy because I’ve been sick and not inclined to clean up. But usually I keep it quite neat. I’m a very organized person, so I can’t work if things aren’t kept tidy and in place.
How does your family feel about what you do? They are very supportive, I’m not making a living this way, so nobody has any reason to think I’m nuts or criticize me.
Do you have any advice for someone looking to make their own creations using this method? With sewing and knitting, it’s all about practice. But my advice is to really take pride in your work and sell the best product you can. Quality, all the way. To do business as an indie shop online, you must put a lot of time into researching free or inexpensive ways to network and get noticed. Otherwise, you’re just one Web site out of a zillion floating through cyberspace.
Best advice you received when starting your business venture? Promote, promote, promote! It’s all up to you to get noticed.
Favorite part of owning your own business? The feeling I get when somebody wants an item I made!
Least favorite? When sales can’t match the amount of time I put into it.
Favorite color? Yellow!
Does this color show up in a lot of your work? I do have colorful items.
If there were more hours in the day, what would you be doing? Sewing more.
A sample of Burst of Happiness products. For all products, please visit Robyn’s website.
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