Thursday, May 30, 2013

COMMIT TO BEING CREATIVE

SPEND 10 MINUTES A DAY DOING SOMETHING THAT YOU LOVE

Are you time poor?
Do you miss doing things you love because you're too busy doing the things you hate?
Have you got a creative streak but no time to do anything?



IT'S TIME TO MAKE YOURSELF A HIGHER PRIORITY!!!

JUNE 1st WILL BE OUR STARTING POINT..........ARE YOU GOING TO JOIN US!?!!

These days we are so busy 'doing things' that we aren't doing what we want really want to..............our creative endeavours are always the last thing on our list because we feel guilty if we do them instead of cleaning the house or spending time with the children or pets.

The mess and people will still be there..........but you'll be sad at the end of the day because you haven't been creative.


So TAKE THE PLEDGE with me to be creative EVERY DAY.............and spend just 10 minutes on something you truly love.  If you usually have trouble looking for a spare hour, then don't!!  It's not that hard to find the time if it's only 10 minutes....
   
                *         get off facebook
                *         turn the tv off at night
                *         wake up 10 minutes earlier
                *         use a stopwatch to get the kids into action in the morning
                *         stay up at the end of the day
                *         get your kids involved
                *         find time during your lunch break (you are entitled to one, you know!)

As long as you GET IN ACTION you'll find that you can spend some quality time on you - and that's ok!!

Here's some ideas of what can be done in 10 minutes - with a few links to other blogs courtesy of Pinterest!




Potato stamp
Rubber stamp
pom poms

http://www.ohcrafts.net/decoration-pom-pom-flowers.php

Lolly jar
Sharpie baked plate
Sharpie baked mug
Record bowls
 http://weddingsinspiredfromtheheart.wordpress.com/page/3/

Magnet artwork with frame
Bookmark
Crochet magic circle
Beaded earrings
Muffins in a jar


 
http://www.skiptomylou.org/2012/12/27/make-a-mix-muffins-in-a-jar/

Polymer clay keyring
No sew cushion
Chalkboard paint
Write on board

 
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=606685186016839&              set=pb.287224641296230.-2207520000.1369946202.&type=3&theater

No sew sock animal – worm
Sugar scrub
Paper bunting
Yarn from a t-shirt
String/wool wrapped tin/jar
Bird seed bell/feeder (toilet roll with peanut butter)
Glitter magnet balls
Galaxy shirt (spray paint with bleach)
4 x button crafts – earrings, magnets, paper clip tops & bobby pins
Cookie sheet magnet board (fabric cover)
Love heart nail art with wool



Wool bowl from blown up balloon
Glass tile pendant
Fabric platted headband
Paint dipped pinecones
Yarn wrapped bottles
Paint dipped tins & jars

 
http://www.skiptomylou.org/2012/12/27/make-a-mix-muffins-in-a-jar/


Glass etching
Peg magnets
Mixed media eraser board
Lace wrapped glasses candles
Fabric covered notebook
Platted fabric headbank
Wax crayon canvas

This is just the tip of the iceberg - and you don't have to just do crafts...........but

take 10 minutes out EVERY DAY for yourself......................i would love to see how you're going at the end of the month!!! 

Monday, May 13, 2013

6 steps to decorating your house



do you love thumbing through the magazines with their beautifully displayed rooms?  do you dream of having the photographers of real living shoot YOUR house!?!!  Why not apply these simple tips and see the transformation unfold…. 

one room at a time...... 

 

 Visit elv-s.blogspot.com
clear the space – it’s hard to see a masterpiece unfolding if you aren’t starting with a blank canvas.  If you can’t move things out, try using an online planner, or get our your sketch book & colourful pencils (cause who doesn’t love to colour in!?!!)



 

find your feature piece – this is where you’ll get your colour palette from.  Whether it’s an art piece, a blanket, or a favourite piece of furniture, pick the colours from it (or go to a paint shop and find complementary colours on those paint sample cards.

http://www.zoffany.com/pages/products/products_wallpapers-detail/gustavus/1/



the walls are closing in – does the room need a new lick of paint? or do you think a feature wallpaper might add to the atmosphere










 larger furniture pieces move in – think of practicality and start the layering effect (don’t forget rugs at this stage too, they completely change a rooms ambience)




the icing on the cake – small accessories like cushions, wall hangings and special momentos are what makes a room personal.  make sure they complement the feature piece in some way, and if they don’t, find other complimentary pieces to team it up with.  it doesn’t all have to match perfectly, but (like making pottery,) it has to have some sort of family resemblance!!  It’s always good to have a box of accessories to choose from when you feel the room needs a change too.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/7556502@N03/3973770095/in/faves-isleniacaico/




go to the next room and start all over again – you know you want to!!  It’s not much to do this in each room…………just easier to take it step by step!!

Monday, May 6, 2013

how to turn your hobby into a business


TURNING YOUR PASSION INTO YOUR INCOME......

TIPS & THE TRUTH


If you don't know......I own in.cube8r gallery in fortitude valley......have done so for 3 years now (this Saturday!)  I've learnt so much about business while running the gallery.....but I still have much more to share...........this was something I wrote for the main website, but I thought I should share it here too!


__________________________________________

If you make things, it comes as no surprise that you’ve thought to yourself at some point, “I wonder if I could make some money out of this!?!!”

Have you given your handmade pieces to friends, only to have them say to you, “you should SELL these in a shop!” 

Makes you feel good, doesn’t it!?!! 

The only problem is…………HOW DO I GO ABOUT IT!?!



photo courtesy of http://typeverything.com/post/24947919015/typeverything-com-question-mark-by-kumi

Have you gone to bed wondering about it…….only to be kept awake with your brain turning things over!?!!

Do I need an ABN? How much stuff would I need? What would it cost? How do I even approach a shop to see if they’d like it?

What if they don’t like it?  What if they SELLOUT and I have to make more straight away? How do I sell online?

OH THIS IS ALL TOO HARD………..I’M GOING BACK TO BED!!

I’ve seen it all too often in the gallery – people with a talent are overwhelmed before they even begin, and so they don’t do it – which is pretty sad L

SO………………..I recently hosted a night for some passionate handmadies that had already started with their businesses, but just weren’t sure how to MASTER the whole ‘handmade living’ process.

 
With the help of some Brisbane professionals, namely the devine Jess Van Den from epheriell and the lovely Liana Kabel, we wrestled some hot topics, and came out at the end of the evening with a better understanding of what needs to be done, and where to actually go from here! 

Here are some of the highlights from the evening that we’d like to share with you….

·         Get clarity on what you want to do exactly, and make sure it’s something that can be profitable – sit down & think hard, write a list of things you’ll make, and get feedback through any outlet you can to make sure it’s something that people want to buy


·         Plan plan plan – where do you want to be in 5 years?  Where do you want to be selling?  (as a wholesaler, at markets, online exclusively, at outlets such as in.cube8r.  What does a typical week look for you, have you included in promotional time, or are you just make, make making?


·         Get into action – start at the beginning and go from there…………make your items, approach your retailers, rent out a space, get an online presence.  It’s not going to happen in 24 hours (read closer to 2 years before profits start turning in your favour,) but start at the beginning and stick to the plan………….make sure you review every few months to make sure you’re on track…….the targets might move now and then – make sure you’re still aiming in the right direction

·         Promotion – whether it’s online, handing out flyers, finding affiliate promoters, paying a PR company, blogging, facebook, instagram, pinterest, markets, exhibitions – whatever it is, it’s an ABSOLUTE NECESSITY – people aren’t going to knock on your door and ask to see your work………..build up your list of followers so you can share your work with them.  Over time you’ll gather the numbers you need, but it’s a slow & steady kind of pace.

·         Network – go and visit markets, go to exhibitions, comment on other peoples blogs, BUY HANDMADE YOURSELF AND SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS, join craft groups & business entities with similar interests………….do all of these or just one, but be seen to be involved

·         Be Unique – what sets you apart from all the other makers out there?  (do a quick google and see how many others you’re competing against!)  Make sure your style reflects “that thing that you do differently” and that your customers see your story behind your work too.

·         Keep at it – it’s a continuous wheel of activity – and no two days are going to look the same (isn’t that a good thing for us creative souls!?!!) one day you’re making, the next you’re meeting with a prospective seller, the one after that you’re blogging about your stuff as well as getting a wholesale price list printed…..have a well-structured plan, but be flexible – opportunities arise when you start to work towards your truth!


·         Keep it professional – remember when you’re online you’re out there for all to see (and critique & comment on,) so make sure you play nice!!  Spend a bit of time on getting your photos up to a high standard, have good descriptions, get feedback from friends, and give your own to others.  If something goes bad, remember to keep your cool and get back on plan………no one likes to hear people whinging and bad mouthing others – so choose to take the high road

·         Find your market – get clarity on this when you can…….find out who your demographic is and where they shop – look for opportunities to ask questions of your customers, (through surveys like Survey Monkey or just on blogs, etc.)

·         Remember you are constantly learning – you will never know  everything about handmade, or business – keep learning every day.  Go to courses (BrisStyle hold some great free ones,) do some online classes, get involved in great business courses like National College of Business as long as you continue to learn

 
·         Stay grounded – after the monotonous tasks comes the happiness……just remember that it’s not all the good stuff – the hard or boring stuff is all a part of it – if you don’t do it you really are denying yourself the very thing you want……..a BUSINESS (warts and all) making money from something you love doing.  We live in a world that gives us so many opportunities.  Take life by the shirt front and give it a go……………..it’s better than living with the regret of not trying!


We were also lucky enough to have Anna-Marie & Belinda from Made of Australia who spoke at length about their experiences with funding assistance from local councils.  This was a great insight into the process, and we all learnt about this as a possible avenue to get our businesses up & running if we needed large amounts of capital. 

We spoke of many different apps, software programmes & websites, so I’ve listed those that I remember for you to do some searching in your spare time

www.etsy.com/ - international site for selling your work – the holy grail of handmade

www.madeit.com.au/  - an Australian version for people who want to sell online & support Australian handmade at the same time

www.mailchimp.com/ - Online email marketing solution to manage contacts, send emails and track results.

 

www.blogher.com/ - the Web's leading guide to the hottest news and trends among women in social media.

 

www.picasa.en.softonic.com/ - Manage, edit and share your photos with ease.

 
And finally…..thegoodguide.com.au/2013/03/20/bam-espresso/‎ - BAM! Espresso in Fortitude Valley. The coffee house caffeinating people and saving the world one espresso at a time – THANKS MICHAEL FOR BEING THE HOST WITH THE MOST!!!

So that’s it!!  A few simple steps that you need to take on your own before you head off into the business wilderness!!  It’s a fun & scary ride…………..but at the end of the day…………….when you realise that you’re in fact the only one that can make this happen, you feel empowered & RARING TO GO!!!

Remember that there’s always others out there ready & willing to help you out, and to be there when you need reassurance or a guiding hand!!

NOW GET OUT THERE AND MAKE THINGS HAPPEN!!