Workshop wrap up

I led a workshop at Montserrat College of Art this past weekend about being an artist and a businessperson. The main focus of the workshop was getting your work online using Etsy and I talked loads about social networking, selling at craft fairs, licensing and gave all the tips I could think of. It was eight hours of enthusiastically trying to show creative people who are on the fence about selling their work how to go for it! It was seriously so much fun and I couldn't be more proud about the response I've gotten from the participants. I'm feeling very warm and fuzzy about all the feedback and I can't wait to see the shops they set up.

I know I haven't got it all figured out for myself but teaching people what I know has helped me see how far I've come.

I can't wait until my next workshop! Teaching is the best. I am learning so much.

My first workshop is a doozy!

Next month I'm teaching my first workshop at the school I graduated from five years ago! I'm very thankful that Chelsea invited me back to Montserrat College of Art to lead an introductory class for people who want to start selling their work on Etsy or at craft fairs.

The class is on October 15th and 16th from 10-3. At first I was a little intimidated by the idea of giving ten hours of content but once I started outlining the class and all I would like to cover, I almost feel like I will have to rush! I expect it will be an enthusiastic whirlwind of information and handouts. My goal is that all the students will have shaken off any self doubt and intimidation about putting their work out there and feel confident in their craft fair vendor/ online shopkeeping skills!

Today I made a massive list of tips for having happy customers, an attractive shop, good descriptions, reliable packaging and effective promotion and I suddenly became gripped with the feeling that I do not always practice what I preach! I would really hate to be telling students what to do but also secretly knowing my own shop is not the most shining example. So today I am starting a shop overhaul. I will critique my own product shots and policies and descriptions as thoughtfully as I plan to critique the students.

I should be doing this anyway but it is nice to have a nudge with a deadline.

Here is a link to Montserrat's continuing education class list. Mine is called "ETSY (AND MORE!) FOR ARTISTS" and costs $100 for the weekend. I think that is a pretty darn good deal for ten whole hours of advice. If I gave ten tips per hour, that is only one dollar per gem of wisdom! Yes, I know that is a ridiculous way to think about it but I do think that this class will help people get a strong start at selling and that it will be a good investment in the success of their business.

http://www.montserrat.edu/continuing-ed/workshops.php#a117
Beverly, MA

If you can think of any artists/ makers in the area who need a nudge or a mentor, I would be very grateful if you would show them my class.

Halfway up the mountain!

With Twist behind me and all my Craftland goodies shipped, I'm rationing my remaining energy to sustain me through two more fairs. Bazaar Bizarre Boston is right around the corner and Mass Market (also in Boston) follows shortly after.

I have plenty of inventory and my display all set but I'm a little disappointed in myself for not introducing as many new products as I'd planned. There are a couple new card designs but I didn't set up my studio in our new place quickly enough to be truly efficient. With just three work days left before Bazaar Bizarre, I'm trying to decide which of my many new design concepts will be realized in time for the show. I've got a dusty chinchilla print, some pinback buttons, tea sipping camels and a cat in a paper bag to choose from.

I'm also trying very hard to not let the new home suck up too much of my attention this month. I'd like to be able to put everything on hold and take a week to hang art, sew pillowcovers, decorate for the holidays and go thrifting for furniture. I must remind myself that the home isn't going anywhere and it isn't a priority during the hectic holiday season. And yet... I have to show you these acts (above photos) of wintry window embellishing I committed last night while over-caffeinated from chai-nog.

Well, I must get going on tonight's print sleeve-ing process. I'm glad I can do that task on the couch in front of a movie because I'm really in the mood to watch Die Hard (at least one of them).

Big happenings this weekend. RENEGADE!

Today is my last full day of work before heading off to New York City as a vendor at The Renegade Craft Fair! I have been crazy nervous for weeks while I tried to amass inventory, work on my display and get a credit card machine. It's all coming together just in time and I'm finally feeling genuine excitement. I am so very thankful that I am able to participate in Renegade this year! I have actually had this as a goal in my mind before I even had a business! There are so many makers that will be showing at Renegade who I hold in such high regard that I am proud to be beside them. This is by far the biggest event I've ever been a part of!

Are any of you fine blog followers going to be selling or shopping there? Please let me know so I can look forward to meeting you!

Stampin' fiend!

I wonder if I'll ever truly catch up on all the investments I've made for my business. I can't seem to employ the same rigorus budget restraint I have adopted for personal spending to my business. I just love buying new tools, fine paper and amassing every single tip size of Micron Pens and every color of Gocco ink under the sun.

My latest business splurge is three beautiful custom wood-mounted rubber stamps from fellow Etsy seller, Love To Create Stamps! I bought a scarf-bunny stamp first so I (well, Theresa made most of them) could make some stickers and I loved it so much that I promptly ordered my logo stamp and a thank-you snail. I am already planning my next stamp (a "do not bend" design for my outgoing packages featuring an inchworm).

I have been stamping anything that has a spare inch of blank space.

Up again :)

Yesterday's post must have been cathartic because I woke up today with more enthusiasm and motivation than usual. I expect part of that was due to all the supportive messages you beloved blog friends sent me and part of it was because I was contacted by a very nice person who requested permission to get a tattoo of my Strawberry Love Bunny design! The idea that someone will be permanently displaying my illustration on their body for the rest of their life makes me feel like I've hit some sort of milestone.

I also am thrilled to report that a whole bunch of my prints are going to be on display in the Ello Gallery in Portsmouth, NH as part of their "Cute Show". Byrdy, the curator, saw my work at Bazaar Bizarre and invited me to be a part of the show. This is the first time I've had the honor of showing more than one Argyle Whale print in a gallery setting.

I guess I need to get used to the manic highs and lows of piloting Argyle Whale.

New stationary sampler set in a pretty blue box!

While I was selling at Bazaar Bizarre, I had the invaluable opportunity to talk with customers directly and see what they wanted. I was making all sorts of mental notes about customer preferences and one comment kept being repeated. So many people liked my cards but didn't want a set of 4 of the same design and suggested I make a sampler. I thought this was a great idea but I wanted to make it a little more special than my usual presentation of cards in a cellophane bag because the variety of sizes and colors would look messy together.

I finally found the perfect boxes earlier this month and now the 10 piece stationary sampler is prettily packed and available in my shop! I'm glad that people let me know what they wanted. Ask and you shall receive!

New look!

Justin helped me with design work all morning. We made a little ad for Paper n Stitch's supremely excellent blog, tidied up my Etsy shop avatar and banner, and completely revamped this here blog! Hello Jenuine and Constant Casualty (my Sister in Law) did such spectacular jobs with their blog makeovers that it started feeling stale around here. I thought poor Justin's eyes were going to pop out when we had just finished and I sat back in my chair and said, "ennnnnh... maybe we should change the whole background to celadon green.". I quickly averted a meltdown Amelia Bedelia style by offering him a hot plate of garlicky rice. Whew!

I'm wondering what you think of the new design as I'm always game for a good critique. Did you have that momentary feeling of being lost when you landed here and things had changed? That always happens to me. Also, I can't stop looking at my new page. I feel vain. It's exactly like after I get a new haircut and keep posing in front of the mirror. I really hope I am not the only one who does that.

Goal completion = bigger goals!

I am so pleased to announce that I've just succeeded in making my goal of 200 Etsy sales in the year 2008. I have been running Argyle Whale since January at about half speed due to other jobs and so I'm doubling my goal to 400 Etsy sales for next year since I'm only working a few hours per week now. That would really be something!

I think 2009 is going to be my most ambitious year ever. I have big plans.

These are my big plans:

- Jenn and I are totally revamping argylewhale.com and adding a checkout.

- I am soliciting boutiques nationwide to develop wholesale accounts. My goal is 10.

- I am joining a street team and an artist's association.

- I am getting my own studio outside of my home!

- I may (If I'm accepted) do an artist's residency type thing in my town where I do workshops and get a mini storefront. A little Argyle Whale store for real!

- I am expanding my line to include items in a variety of price points. Big prints + little buttons.

- I am taking screen printing and letterpress classes so I can be prepared to transition out of Gocco printing when my supplies run out.

- I am hopefully going to go on semi-tour and have a full lineup of craft shows to vend at.

Holy frijoles! I have never written it all down in a list like that. I better get going!

I need advice.

I am trying to put work harder and expand Argyle Whale so that it can sustain me as a full time job but I seem to just be running around in the same circles just more frequently (ie Etsy, this blog, Flickr). I need to find new places to be seen. I especially need to find more boutiques to sell my items and new websites to advertise on. If you can think of any stores around the country or websites that you think my items would compliment, I would be grateful for the tips.

Here are some of the shops I already have in mind:
Magpie
Renegade Handmade
Cog & Pearl, Brooklyn
Rare Device
Jenn and I made these nice little solicitation bundles (see pic above) with a letter, a journal and some notecards to send out to the shops and hopefully peak their interest.

Here are a few sites I plan to use to get myself seen a little more:
Pika Package
Illustration Friday
Paper and Stitch
Modish

Any advice on how to proceed or hints to where my items would be welcomed are gratefully accepted!

Latke Coma

I made a latke-inspired dinner last night and added parsnips and sweet potato shavings to the traditional potato mix. I also baked apples and made my very own applesauce as an accompaniment. It was so good that I completely overindulged and fell soundly asleep on the couch at 8:30 while trying to watch a movie leaving a huge mess in the kitchen. I also never got around to cleaning up after all my printing earlier in the day. My home is a disaster and to tell the truth, I still haven't completely recuperated from the chaos that surrounded preparing for the Bazaar Bizarre (shown above).

I have made myself an energetic mix of music and I'm going to wrap my hair in a bandanna and scrub until my place sparkles. This is the first step of my process of making my home a more efficient studio. If my home is to be my new workspace, I need to treat it as well as I would if I had a boss watching over me. You know I'm serious about this because I asked for a filing cabinet for Christmas!

Things I'm excited about:

1. I mailed out all my items for the Craftland show and I'm feeling a little relief. I sent three thousand dollars worth of product! I think this show is going to be super.

2. I met my new intern yesterday and I think she is going to be perfect! Her name is Jenn and she's studying graphic design.

3. Bazaar Bizarre is SO CLOSE. Ahhhh! I received an email from the organizers and the bottom line said "see you in a couple weeks!" and my heart stopped a little. It's felt so far away for months and now it's practically here! I hope I'm ready.

4. I am in the Paper n Stitch online gallery this month. I would be so happy if you visited it and gave me a vote. I'll be able to show there next month if I get lots of votes. Just click the little heart in the corner!

5. Acorn (above) is becoming more friendly every day. He is sleeping on my lap at this very moment.

Mini Sellout

I have always screen-printed out business cards on the backs of my imperfect prints and I was quite vain about this process I must admit. I thought they were the best business cards because they were made using the process I use for my products and they all had little snippets of big designs on the back. Each was unique and special and I loved sharing them. I loved sharing them so much that I was always always out and would wait until I had a decent scrap print pile to begin making more.

With the holiday season upon us and craft fairs abrew, I had to get practical and ditch my business card process for a faster alternative that would never run out. I printed up one thousand business cards online with a design made for cutting in half so now I have two thousand crisp new business cards! I like them but they are just not the same. I guess this is streamlining but it's my first concession.

I'll still make my old business cards to give out to the really special people though!

The above image is of my new cards pinned to a bulletin board with my promo buttons.