Something I copied from a facebook status

Let's buy our Christmas presents from little retailers, fair trade shops, craft fairs, local crafts shops, second-hand shops, our neighbours, our friend who makes unique little things, from whoever resists the economic globalization of our homes...! Let's try to make sure that our money goes to the people who need it, not to multinationals and big enterprises that exploit labour ...in this way more people will have a better Christmas.

Busy times

Just over 5 weeks until Christmas and I'm so unprepared!
Why is it the older you get Christmas seems to come around sooner and sooner. Each year I'm set on getting all my shopping done nice and early. So why each year do I end up running around the shops about a fortnight before?
I had a look around the shops yesterday so I have an idea what to get people this year. Just go to make sure nobody else is buying the things I have in mind.

With just over 2 weeks to go before my craft fairs (3 in 1 week) I'm beading like a crazy person.
Today I made about 10 keyrings, half a dozen bracelets and some necklaces too.
Still so much to do, I didn't realise there was so much preparation to do for a craft fair.
I have to get a table covering, a banner, props for my table as well as making lots of lovely jewellery and gifts to sell.

Yesterday while I took the dog for a walk I started to get some of my props sorted. I decided to have a branch in a vase with pretty silver stones, sprayed silver to hang some necklaces on. I also picked up some holy and ivy too, not sure if Ill use it yet, but I'll spray it up and make my mind up later.

My mission for next week is to make up my table to see what it will look like. It will also help me see what gaps I have so I know what to make.

I'm really excited about the fairs, I just hope they all go well and people like what I've made oh and I make some money too!



 

Desperation - not good for sales!

Something I have noticed among some fellow costume jewellery makers, is the amount of people flooding Facebook groups with their items for sale.
Now I'm all for a little self promotion but this just seems to be ridiculous. Apart from filling up the page so responsible posters items get lost, it all just comes across as desperate to me.
One poster I have noticed in one of the many groups I belong to, has taken to putting comments on her own posts to keep her picture bumped up to the top of the page. This may be fine if the group admin allows this but the comments that are left are things like "any takers?" or "why is nobody buying my jewellery?" I have to bite my tongue a little as temping as it is to say "because you reek of desperation" it might also have something to do with the badly lit out of focus pictures that the person is using.
Surely the best way to sell your work is to take your time staging the photograph and the quality will speak for it's self. Also to engage with others and take interest in their work.
Get your name known in the group for being friendly, give hints and tips to others and complement their work. In my opinoin the sales will come eventually and you wont be known as the annoying person that is just out for themselves.
Anyway rant over for today and here's a picture of my latest Christmassy creation.

Karen x