Clearing Out the Underbrush

Change is good.

And there's a lot of it happening around here. I've spent so much time lately thinking about my goals for this work, both in terms of what I want to do artistically and what I need to do to grow my business. I read some posts on Luann Udell's blog this weekend, where she talked about reorganizing her workspace, and how she couldn't focus on her craft until she'd cleared out some space, both physical and mental.

So, this morning I'm in here trying to forge through the clutter and finish the workroom improvements I started more than a month ago (hangs head in shame). I can't bear the thought of taking "before" photos, but I will post some pics when it looks decent. So stay tuned.

Changes to Stone Soup Jewelry Supplies

I'm in stage one of redoing my handmade jewelry supply shop. I have some new photos, a new color scheme, and some new designs coming soon.

Stage two: moving the shop to an independent site. My goal is to finish the move by the end of July. When I do that, I'll be offering some special sales to friends and mailing list subscribers, so email me if you're interested, and I'll send you the super secret discount code!

Produce from Another Planet

After threatening to do it for a few years, we finally joined a CSA this season. The Food Project in Lincoln, MA has a lot going for it: a beautiful farm in an almost unbelievably idyllic wooded setting; gorgeous and tasty produce; a well-considered and apparently successful community outreach mission. The project brings kids from urban neighborhoods out to the farm to learn about agriculture and business. The kids manage the crops, harvest the produce and sell the food at local farmers' markets. Some of the food is sold through CSA shares, and some is donated to local shelters. It's sustainable, local, organic (not certified, but free of chemical fertilizers and pesticides) agriculture.

It's enough to make a good old fashioned bedwetting liberal like me faint.

And did I mention that the food is gorgeous? This week's share included a few spectacular treats like garlic scapes and kohlrabi, both of which prompted my 6 year old daughter to ask, "Are those really things to EAT? They look like little aliens."

The Business of Craft Online

I hear many artisans worrying this year about slow holiday sales. Just like traditional retailers, individual craft sellers and gallery owners rely on this sales period for the bulk of their year's revenue. And slow sales now make for difficult times.

One of the business lessons I've learned this year is that it may not be wise to focus exclusively on internet sales. Certainly, marketplaces like Etsy, Smashing Darling, Indie Finds and Aussie site Mintd are opening up some new venues for sales by independent artisans. But I think people are still somewhat wary of a purchase based on photos alone, especially a higher-end craft purchase. So much of the allure of handmade goods lies in things one needs to experience in person - texture, subtle color variations, the way a piece of jewelry sits on the body. When buyers can't experience that first hand, they may turn to another source. I'm working hard to get my jewelry into local retail stores and galleries, where customers can see what they're getting first hand.

But I do have online shops, and I want them to do as well as they can. Because there's such a limited opportunity to showcase your products in a small onlins space, one of the keys to online sales is product photography. It makes sense to invest time and money in good equipment and good photos - you don't need to go spend thousands of dollars on a high end digital SLR and studio lighting equipment, but a good light box (homemade is fine) and, most important, the right light bulbs, are essential. Here's an example of how lighting affects photos. This picture was taken in my homemade light box (corrugated cardboard, with white tissue paper sides), using two nvision 27 watt daylight balanced compact fluorescent bulbs from a big box hardware store.



The next photo, of the same piece, was taken in a light tent purchased from TableTop Studio, using two 30w trumpet top daylight balanced bulbs. The green background is a piece of cardstock. The white to black sweep background, which real photographers can achieve with good lighting and experience, is a paper background that I purchased.



The difference is, I think, dramatic, and the lights were the single most critical piece of equipment. I find that customers respond much better to high quality, professional-looking photos. Good clear photographs are also critical for applications to juried shows.

One of my goals for next year (yes, I'm planning for the slow time in the midst of the holiday rush) is to continue to work towards improving my photos. I'm even considering sending a few pieces to a professional who specializes in craft photography to see what happens.

In the mean time, I'm going to finish my holiday shopping - and continue buying handmade!

Holiday Sales and Business

Now that we've survived the infamous Black Friday and Cyber Monday, I'm thinking about this year's sales patterns and how to plan for 2008.

Business thinking can be tricky for artists. So many creative people struggle with the idea of asking for money for their work, no matter what they think about its artistic merit. I think it's particularly awkward when we've started a conversation with a potential customer that centers on the work itself - we get to talking about design and color and style, and then it seems strange to bring money into this relationship that's started to develop as a personal one. I know that, when I speak with people at craft shows, I end up with lots of intimate information about their lives. For some reason, stories about crazy mothers-in-law seem to come up more often than anything else. ;-)

In all seriousness, though, art as a business has its own nuances. As individual producers, our businesses are limited by what we can produce with our own hands. The idea of coming up with a design and leaving the construction to someone else isn't appealing to me right now - but for many artists it's the only viable way to a significant income.

Liz Fuller's blog, More Than We Know, offers advice, information and insight to women entrepreneurs, and she's featured a few artists (including me!) lately. Check out her site for more thoughts about art and business.

And now for something completely different: I have to share this new design, because it's so close to my heart. I call these "Sarah's Style" earrings, as a nod to my six year old daughter. Sarah has her own inimitable sense of style and quite definite opinions about not following the crowd. I hope she'll hold on to these traits!



Happy Friday, everyone! Here's to a restful and renewing weekend.

Want More Color?

How's this for bright and fun? Etsy's Whirlwend seems to be catering to one of my big weaknesses: fun felted bags and goodies!


I would be thrilled to receive this bag as a gift. I'm just sayin'. :)

Cyber Monday? At least it's not the mall..

So, today's supposed to be the big crazy online shopping day. I did get up really early (not so much by choice), and I've made a few purchases, but at least I wasn't standing outside in the cold or fighting over a parking space.

This week, I'm looking for gifts for younger people in my life - my children, my niece, some young cousins. I want gifts that are unique, safe, interesting for the kids, and full of bright color. How adorable are these little Waldorf-style dolls from Etsy seller germandollsfor stocking stuffers? I want a set, but I can't decide whether to spread them out among the younger kids or just give my little daughter the whole set so she can have a family full of these soft babies.



I love the colors of their little outfits and the mix of skin colors. Just beautiful.

So, get out there and shop! And buy handmade. It's so much nicer.