This Winter I have spent a lot of time thinking. There's not much else to do on a farm when the snow is 3 feet deep. I've put a lot of thought into my business, where it was, where it is, and where it is headed. Two things stand out. One, the jewelry I love to make just doesn't sell, and two, the cookie cutters I never intended to sell, do.
We just stumbled into selling cookie cutters the first year I set up shop at Cross Roads to sell my jewelry. People seem to love them. Men even buy them although I suspect about half of them or more expect their wives or mothers to do the actual baking. With a bit of effort and some creative financing to buy more, sales on cutters has kept me afloat while my jewelry tries to drag me under. So, cookie cutters it is!
I haven't given up completely on making jewelry. I couldn't. I love it too much. I just decided not to list so much of it online. It seems a total waste of time and money. I still have 3 cases and quite a few shelves dedicated to jewelry in our shop, so I do have an outlet, even if sales are at a snails pace.
A opportunity arose to make crocheted items to share a space with another vendor at Cross Roads. After checking all the "stupid" government rules and regulations, I determined that although it was going to cost me some money up front for labels, I could manage to meet their requirements. I can see large manufacturers having to have some regulation, but really, making the grannies who want to knit baby sweaters do flips and summersalts to meet government rules is simply ridiculous. They want more small businesses, but they're doing everything they can to discourage them.
Rant over. With all the rules read, and hopefully understood, and labels ordered, I put my beads away and started making some crocheted hats to fill the booth. While I was at that, I figured I might as well put some online too. They're fun to make and my decades of crochet experience makes most of them easy for me to make.
I've pictured some of them below so you can see what has kept me busy day after day as the snow continues to fall!
Click on the picture if you would like more information on each hat.
We just stumbled into selling cookie cutters the first year I set up shop at Cross Roads to sell my jewelry. People seem to love them. Men even buy them although I suspect about half of them or more expect their wives or mothers to do the actual baking. With a bit of effort and some creative financing to buy more, sales on cutters has kept me afloat while my jewelry tries to drag me under. So, cookie cutters it is!
I haven't given up completely on making jewelry. I couldn't. I love it too much. I just decided not to list so much of it online. It seems a total waste of time and money. I still have 3 cases and quite a few shelves dedicated to jewelry in our shop, so I do have an outlet, even if sales are at a snails pace.
A opportunity arose to make crocheted items to share a space with another vendor at Cross Roads. After checking all the "stupid" government rules and regulations, I determined that although it was going to cost me some money up front for labels, I could manage to meet their requirements. I can see large manufacturers having to have some regulation, but really, making the grannies who want to knit baby sweaters do flips and summersalts to meet government rules is simply ridiculous. They want more small businesses, but they're doing everything they can to discourage them.
Rant over. With all the rules read, and hopefully understood, and labels ordered, I put my beads away and started making some crocheted hats to fill the booth. While I was at that, I figured I might as well put some online too. They're fun to make and my decades of crochet experience makes most of them easy for me to make.
I've pictured some of them below so you can see what has kept me busy day after day as the snow continues to fall!
Click on the picture if you would like more information on each hat.
There are more on the way!
2 comments:
lovely I have been going through the same process. I can tell you you have what it takes to sell hats--the most adorable model ever. God never shuts one door without opening another
omgoodness! it's been ages since i stopped by. so much going on. i hate what the gov't is doing. i'm doing more drawings than ever and nothing is selling.... i don't need all those rules & regs.
anyway, how r u? how were the holidays? my hubby was back inthe hospital for the holidays with congestive heart failure, but he's really doing good now.
granddaughter getting big - going on 6 already. and me? i'm the same old me - a few lbs lighter. not much, just a few - and happy.
do take care. i'll be back.
hugs :)
Post a Comment