On the road again....

... that is, the road to success, hopefully. My crafting hiatus seems to have come to a close, (thank goodness - I was starting to go a little bonkers) and I'm ready to start work on my crafting and marketing of said crafts.

I have to say, if it weren't for the crafty people I meet online everyday, my funk might have lasted longer, but seeing what everyone is up to is inspiring and makes me want to jump in and play.

A couple of changes in the direction I want to take have finally become clear to me. First, I'm going to stick to smaller beaded pieces, for now anyways. My plan is to stock up my studio with many more pieces in order to give people more of a choice. I was getting discouraged, working on large flower arrangements and bouquets. I'm keeping the door open for custom orders on for large pieces, but for now, I'm going to put my effort into creating smaller and fun accessories.

The second point which has become clear to me is how bored I get, only doing one type of crafting at once. I need a variety of things to keep me interested and challenged. I've thought a lot about what type of craft I would enjoy doing and would also offer a quicker turnaround than beaded flowers. Polymer clay seems to fit the bill quite nicely. I've been doing a lot of reading on the types of things that can be done with it and the possibilities seems rather endless. I like that. A lot. It's also rather easy to get into, no huge investment needed; financially, for equipment or space. Those are all important points to me.

I know it may seem backwards to approach a crafting business in this manner. Most people fall into doing something they love and afterward they develop a business. In my case, I love too many things and it's just not feasible to over extend myself in that manner. Creating things makes me happy, that's what I love. The medium in which I work is almost secondary. I've never met a craft I didn't like. Combining that creative drive with a marketable product gives me a sense of purpose. That sense of purpose gives me strength. Maybe it's a way to regain control over my life, (which often feels beyond my reach of control) even if only a little bit. I don't know how else to explain it.

So, in an effort to get the ball rolling again, I've done a few things. First, I've set up a Flickr account and I've posted all my crafting pictures there. Through this, I'm hoping to expand my circle of online crafty acquaintances.
If you're on Flickr, or just curious to see my pictures, please visit my photostream,
and add me as a contact!


I've also finished a few beaded pieces that had been laying around, half finished for months. I've also created some totally new pieces, a few of which have already been listed. I'm trying to be more active on Twitter and following a few more crafty blogs.

Specifically with regards to my business, I've taken on a more confident mind set. I did some shopping on Etsy and Artfire for supplies. When the day comes when pieces start selling, I will be ready with return mailing labels, organza gift bags, up-to-date business cards etc. I think I was a little afraid of pushing sales before, because I didn't feel that I would be presenting my work professionally.

So there you have it. That's the whole story, and then some. My aim, going forward is to really get my name out there. Follow more blogs, and be followed in return. Keep this darn blog updated ('cause we all know that would help) and generally make it known to the world that I'm here. Can't be that hard, now can it? ;)

Have a suggestion to get me started again with online visibility and marketing? Leave me a comment!