5 Tips for a Great Craft Show

1. Be prepared!  
2. Be confident.  Your stuff is great and people are going to love it.  If they don't, then you have learned a lesson about the show.  Maybe it didn't attract your target customers or maybe it didn't advertise enough. 
3. Be yourself!  Don't set up your display to look like others' displays.  Figure out your vibe and go with it!  Have fun finding display pieces at yard sales, thrift stores and antique stores.  You don't have to have black tablecloths and boring necklace holders that look like everyone else's.  I don't and I do just fine at shows, thank you very much.
4. Be outgoing.  If you aren't naturally outgoing, then just try taking little steps to fake until you feel more comfortable.  Just say "Hi" or "Good Afternoon" to everyone who comes by (or even near) your booth.  Eventually, you'll start to feel less shy.
5. Be easy to find again.  Make sure that you have plenty of business cards, brochures or other marketing materials to give out.  Sometimes people who don't want to purchase that day will purchase in the future.  You might get an order from a store this way.  You want to make sure that they can find you again!

You want to go more deeply into being prepared for a craft show?  Try my Craft Show Tips eBook.  It's 29 pages of step-by-step help to get you ready for craft shows!


Even though I grew up with a mom who did craft shows, when it can to selling my own stuff I used to be scared (to the point of throwing up) to do craft shows.  Now I really enjoy them and they are one of my favorite ways to sell jewelry!  I have learned hard lessons through the years, and I'm passing those lessons on to you.

Craft Show Tips, Just $6.99

Design - A - Doll!

I have been making dolls for quite a little while now and I love it.

Things I love about rag dolls:

• I love picking out the fabric for their outfits
• I love embellishing their outfits.
• I love reusing old clothes or using up fabric scraps that would go to waste to make something so sweet and cool.
• I love it when little girls love my zombie dolls - I love that they are so cool that they know that they are zombies!

My favorite memory was when my nephew asked me for a boy zombie doll, which I made him for his birthday. 

You see, I made my own pattern so I change my own pattern all the time.  I only made girls up until that time.  Caleb wants a boy, I made him a boy!

(He loved it, by the way!)

That's the cool thing about this tutorial, too.  There is a pattern included.  But I take you step-by-step through making a doll from actually designing and drafting a pattern!  It's completely customizable.

You can use any fabric - even old clothing.  Make memory dolls to remember those who have passed.  Use your children's favorite clothing that doesn't fit them anymore.  The ideas and possibilities are really endless!

Design-A-Doll Tutorial Details:

Skills:

You need to know how to sew.  I am a self-taught sewer and I only really learn new sewing skills as they are required for me to finish a project.  You'll need to know how to sew in a straight line and go around a curve for the head.  You'll have to hand-sew the head closed.

You'll need: 

• Sewing machine
• Thread
• Needle
• Embroidery floss and needle OR paint (for face)
• Fabric - for body and hair (I often use felt for hair)
• Buttons (for zombie doll)
• Any embellishments for your doll - lace, ribbon, etc.
• Stuffing - poly fiberfill

With this tutorial eBook you'll learn how to design a doll, draft the pattern and put it all together.  You'll also get a pattern (like my zombie dolls) to help you if you get stuck.

You'll want to make dolls over and over again!

You get all of this for $15!

I know you can do this!  Come out of your cocoon and emerge creatively!

Design - A - Doll

Review of Making Motion by Tara Gentile

If you have been following along with this blog in the last few months, you have probably read (far too many times!) that for a variety of reasons I have felt stuck and unsure how to proceed in my life, business, etc. I seem to take 1 step forward and then I would fall 2 steps back.

I am happy to announce that I no longer feel stuck. I’m moving forward with some great new ideas, new products and fresh new pendants! I have a couple hundred –NEW- pendants in progress right now!


How did I get in motion again, you ask?


Well, for one, I have been taking Tara Gentile’s (of scoutie girl) Art of Action course. It is such a great space for learning and support.  It has helped to get in me in action. Bonus:  I’ve made connections that I’ll have the rest of my life.

Tara also wrote the eBook Making Motion. I read it and worked on the worksheets all in one sitting. It made everything click for me.  Then I got up and started those couple hundred pendants. Sunday morning, 6:30 a.m. before anything had a chance to stop me.

I had a clearly defined action to take after reading Making Motion.  I knew what I needed to do to get in motion.  I took that action.

See, I have this huge problem of infinite time of “gathering information.” I research and research and, if I am being honest with myself, it’s really just procrastination from making decisions. I’m always afraid I’ll make the wrong one. Somehow, somewhere deep down inside I feel like if I don’t actually make a decision - if I don't make the "motion" or act - I can’t make the wrong choice. Like making the wrong decision would be the end of the world or something.

If you are feeling unable to move forward in any aspect of your life, I highly recommend Tara’s eBook Making Motion.  It’s only $8 and it is worth much more!

Now, go get yourself a copy of Making Motion (just click on the photo above) and get yourself in motion!

Full disclosure: I am an affiliate. However, I wouldn’t be an affiliate unless I felt 100% behind the product! It’s really good stuff.

Make Extraordinary Jewelry from Ordinary Objects

I'm so thrilled to offer my latest eBook tutorial:  "Make Extraordinary Jewelry from Ordinary Objects."

It contains several tutorials that utilize hardware to make amazing jewelry.  The tutorials include:  

• My Simple Hardware Necklace and Bracelet, along with ideas for making it customized; 
• Hardware Necklace and Bracelet with Beads; 
• Washer Charm Necklace and Bracelet (along with ideas for more uniqueness); 
• Hardware Earrings; and 
• Hardware Earrings with Beads.

Additionally, I've included a section on how to find supplies and opening your mind to using ordinary objects to make jewelry.

This is a BEGINNER tutorial eBook.  I teach you how to properly open jump rings and beginner wire-wrapping as part of the projects.

The book is 45 pages and includes large full color photos showing you the techniques.  It comes in a 2.0MB PDF document.  


Interested in learning to make your own Extraordinary Jewelry from Ordinary Objects? 


Purchase the tutorial for just $15

Zombie Doll Tutorial - Now for Sale!

Last week I released the "Design a Doll" eBook Tutorial.  It takes you through the steps of designing a doll through to finishing your doll.

Today I released my Zombie Doll Tutorial eBook.  It is more specific and just contains a pattern and instructions to create your own custom B.B. Bellezza zombie doll, without all the extra directions on how to design the doll.  In this eBook, I have designed the doll for you.

You can find book eBook tutorials for sale in my Etsy Shop.

Design a Doll! TODAY!

TODAY IS THE DAY!

I'm so thrilled to bring you the first in my series of new instructional eBooks:  Design a Doll!

Rag dolls are all the rage! They are adorable, not difficult to make and fun to customize!

Perhaps you have been considering making one yourself. Maybe you're a little overwhelmed on exactly where to get started and how to put your own style into it.

Maybe you can find a pattern, but don't want your doll to look like everyone else's.

Make a "memory doll" out of a loved one's clothing, or make your child's favorite clothing or blanket into a cherished keepsake.

Now you can learn how to design a doll, create a pattern and create your own doll with this new eBook! I take you step-by-step through the process, so don't worry, You CAN Do It!

I have also included a pattern if you prefer to use mine for the first time you make a doll, but I also give detailed step-by-step instructions on how to design and create patterns and create your own one-of-a-kind doll.

This project is perfect for people who have a basic understanding of how to sew. (Not a true "beginner" as in "never-have-seen-a-sewing-machine-before" necessarily, but you don't need much sewing experience, either. Alternatively, you can hand sew your doll, but you need a basic understanding of how to do this as well.)

You will also learn the basic of my own style of embroidery in this tutorial.

You can sell the dolls that you design and make yourself, but please do not sell, distribute or use the pattern photos or text in anyway without without prior written permission from me.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
eBook includes:

--34 page PDF file with tons of instructions and color photos.

--Detailed step-by-step instructions from designing to completing your doll. Both text and full-color photos!

--A doll pattern for an example to make your own pattern, or to use.

--Instructions on embroidery to make your doll's face. (Which is only one option for the face!)

--Ideas for creative customization of your doll.

You'll receive your eBook as 2 PDF files, one with the instructions and lots of photos and one with the pattern. (Requires the free adobe to open.  One file is large 2.7 MB, and the other is small 251.6 KB)
 

Please head on over to my etsy shop to purchase.  Thank you!!

(Coming up next: You want to make a doll, but don't want to learn all the customizable options or to design your own? My Zombie Doll Pattern eBook will be release next week!)

Make it Your Own!

Have you ever wanted to make a craft, but didn't know where to start?  You want to make it your own, but can only find a pattern for what everyone else is making?  You want to use eco-friendly materials, but you aren't sure where to start?

You want to make the perfect heartfelt gift, but aren't sure where to look for ideas?

As you may know, I have been designing and making jewelry and other crafts from what others discard or may even consider trash for years.  I am fearless when trying crafts.  The results are sometimes amazing, and sometimes horrible.

I'll be sharing my patterns and tips for the amazing projects in my brand new eBook series!

The best part of my eBooks is that they are not merely patterns and tutorials on how to make one project:  they have detailed instructions on how to customize each project into your own unique design with your own unique style!

Design A Doll

The first eBook in the series will be "Design A Doll."  In it, you will get instructions and a pattern to make a B.B. Bellezza rag doll.  You also get detailed instructions on how to design and create a pattern of your own and ideas for customization of your doll!

The follow-up to this eBook will be a more simplified pattern to make one of my zombie dolls (examples above), without all the instructions for customization for those who just want to make a doll.

After that, you can look for new eBooks in the series every 2 weeks!  Upcoming eBooks include "Making Extraordinary Jewelry out of Ordinary Objects," wire-wrapping for beginners, "All About Buttons" and many more!  Each eBook will include project ideas and lots of instructions and help for customizing pojects.

Free Tutorials

I'll be offering more free tutorials here on my blog, too!  These will be similar to what I am already offering, just more often!

The Design a Doll eBook will be available on Valentine's Day - February 14, 2011 in my Etsy Shop!