Showcasing products

Posted on 10 February, 2013 by patchworkfairy

This week I haven’t made much as after last week’s giveaway from Wendy at Handmade harbour I was inspired to try and look at my craft business from all angles and see how it could become more commercially viable. I had really enjoyed reading the snippets from the ‘Commercial Creatives’ book which was one of the prizes, and as I didn’t win, I decided I would buy it. I love ‘real’ books but they can be heavy and I have a Kindle it seemed the obvious choice to choose the e- download version. So woohoo, within a few moments I was reading the book.! If you missed the post last week here is a link to the book. So far I am lapping up every bit of advice and information. I haven’t read it all so will review it again when I have finished.

Looking critically round my craft room I was thinking that it is just too messy and haphazard to inspire my creativity. Then under a heap of (haphazard) patchwork squares I found the lovely little photo album my daughter bought me for christmas with idea being that I take pictures of all my work and stick them in the photo album as a showcase for all the things I make. Then I have something to take with me to craft fairs for people to browse through and maybe ask for a custom order! So now I am collecting all my items and printing out pictures of things I’ve already sold ready to stick in the album.

Hopefully I will have a showcase album soon which I will take a picture of for this blog!

Happy blogging and crafting everyone

Ali xx

Making stuff!

Posted on 15 January, 2013 by patchworkfairy

Well it’s cold and wintry and I’ve been in the craft room making things for my next craft fair on March 2nd. I am ever hopeful with these events and I really enjoy meeting other crafters.

I have been making a new set of baby bibs in my cow fabric! Some patchwork glasses cases and some neat little bed storage bags. Pictures to follow!

I will be in Neston at the Fair angels craft event. Hope you can come? !!

The Craft Fair Dilemma!

Posted on 2 December, 2012 by patchworkfairy

My stall at the craft fair!

Well I had a stall yesterday at a local craft fair. It’s been a while because of ill health and I was really looking forward to it! So what happened? The usual of course! Intermittant trickle of visitors admiring and in some cases buying – but usually only for the cheapest item I was selling. Not a lot of change from when I started a couple of years ago!

Yesterday I was selling my goddess/fairy/angel/chakra gifts and jewellery hoping to clear these out as I am now making handmade fabric creations using my sewing and knitting skills and it’s these I hope to start selling in the future. Will I ever make a profit from selling hand made goods? not by going to craft fairs I think….. I’d love to know if anyone has any tips or insights to make it more profitable. One thing I do love about these fairs though is meeting the other stall holders (usually!) and seeing all the amazing creations that are on offer. I think it’s this which keeps me going.

I’ve been doing a lot of reading of other blogs, facebook etc and craft publications as I love my sewing and knitting and crochet and it would be wonderful to turn it into a profitable business instead of hobby – if only to fund the purchase of more fabric or beautiful paper or wool! I have all of these in large quantities which I look at and stroke frequently…I just need the energy and health to make more things with them all!

You can see the sort of things I am now selling in my previous post here

So today I thought I’d add a link to the Handmade Harbour – after all – meeting other crafters and perusing their creations is my favourite thing!