Creativity Day 12 - Presentation

"It is not enough to stay busy.  So, too, are the ants.  The question is what you are busy about."

Henry David Thoreau

As a business woman I participate in numerous Holiday craft shows so how I present my products is always part of the sale experience.  I also like to put my best foot forward when I mail a customer their purchase they have made through my Etsy shop, I think it adds a positive note to the mail order experience.  Sometimes even though we feel that we have explained how something is used or think that it should be obvious to a customer that is not always the case.  The addition to a package of suggestions or instructions is always a helpful and thoughtful thing to do.  So, last night, as part of my creativity project,  I decided to design an insert for my fabric postcards.  I worked on a design that would have product and business info on one end of the sheet that would fold over to the front of the cellophane packaging and instructions and/or suggestions for use of item on the back of the package.

I made a text box at the top with the name of the item and business info that I rotated so that when it was printed out this section looks upside down.  I then added the instructions/suggestions info to read right side up and added a couple of photos to help with visual instructions.

Once edges are trimmed with a ruler and rotary cutter(used for paper only) I fold the top section and staple it in place on the postcard packaging and add a piece of double stick tape to hold the back flap secure.  Using these clear wrappers keeps the postcards clean and makes the end product look much more professional and since I do craft shows it makes it possible for customers to handle the items and still keeps my merchandise clean.

Taking a few extra steps might just close that next sale and customers appreciate a professional presentation especially when they are buying handcrafted items.

Presentation is everything!  Lets put our best foot forward in everything we do.  How do you make your products shine?  Share or comment please.

New Vision - New Direction

My designs are usually very traditional but I had a "vision" a few weeks ago just before I fell asleep. This "vision" has stayed with me like the melody of that last song you heard on the radio just before you turned it off, and with a haunting spirit keeps coming to mind since then. Everyday it creeps into my mind reminding me of its presence begging me to succumb to it's power for something more contemporary.

Well, today is the day for something new, push all those pieces of fabric and unfinished projects out of the way and lets get started on the foundation of what will become my next piece. I cut some pieces of fabric and placed them out on my cutting mat just trying to envision what, I think, will be a very contemporary piece, especially for me.

(Just a glimpse of what is to come.)

This has been a day of many "new visions" and new directions. I have been in a slump and worried about the economy and when my next sale will come, so I decided to walk into a local craft mall. I needed some rejuvination and I needed to find out if I was the only one in a "slump". Well, there were no surprises there, everyone is feeling the pinch of a rough economy and sales there are down also.

I did have one good turn of fortune when I ran into someone that I had met at a local craft show a few months back, and feeling at ease, I began to ask questions. The opportunity for a "new direction" came when I found out that they also do quilting classes and have been sending quilts out of town to be quilted. Here was my chance, and I was not going to let this one get away, I explained that I had recently purchased a quilting machine and was looking to expand into quilting services also. There was a quick exchange of business cards and a new business connection was made. I have been handing out business cards whenever and wherever I can and each visit to the fabric or craft store brings new opportunities to market myself.

There is business to be had out there and this venture has only made me more determined to find it. This weekend I plan on visiting a couple of local Market and Trade Days locations to see what is selling and what is not. I will exchange business cards with as many people as I possibly can and ask questions, especially from seasoned sellers that can give me some advice. This is my "New Design" for myself, to be a more active promoter of my own craft and talents.

As for my "vision" well it continues to come together and grow.

I wish everyone success and a "New Vision".