WALLET STYLE MINI ALBUM

Hi Again
Still on leave and still trying to clear the desk, but I get side tracked so easily.
Yesterday I was thinking about mini-albums and looked at wallet style on you-tube , and before I knew it I was adapting and designing my own version. I decided to make it up with Christmas papers as I may make one each for the women in the family, as we traditionally give one another little stocking gifts.

Here is the result, really quick to make (1-2hrs) and will hold minimum of 16 standard photographs, so ideal for a single event.

The band in the centre allows storage of photographs

The finished wallet is 14cm x 11cm x 2cm

 

Pop up Gift Card Holder

Hi crafters
I have been away for a while had a lovely break and have a couple of days before I have to go back work, so loving some time to play.

Cleared the desk a little, bought some card and made a couple of card holders.
The simple card style can be made soon quickly I thought I would make this style to give my business cards out.

The other style is a lovely pop out card holder that sets off a gift card beautifully, when the wallet is opened the gift card pops up and presents itself to the recipient.

First CHristmas Cards Made

Hi Crafters
Wow it looks like summer is over.
Next on the big calendar is Christmas and the big stores are getting ready to attract shoppers as soon as the children go back to school, whilst crafting channels have already made a huge start on selling Christmas crafting items.
My Anna Griffin box arrived this week as well as my DieSire dies. I have made a start with the Anna Griffin cards and put a lot together already. Watching Anna Griffin on the Crafting Channel meant I tried the sideways pop-out card instead of all upright, and these look lovely. There really are a lovely lot of embellishments to add to these cards and if you have a lot to make for family and friends or make for charity these are a great starting place. The end product is very professional, and the ideas sheet help enormously as the one problem I have with Anna Griffin is the amount of lovely embellishments can be overwhelming at first. Follow the sheets and you can make beautiful cards quickly, leaving more time for your own designs, and experiments.

CRAFTING ON TV

Hi Crafters

Its another Bank Holiday, so for us working crafters an opportunity to grab some hours in the craft room. As the weather was no good on Saturday I actually tuned in to crafting on TV. Hochanda had a birthday special and I was drawn to the new Die Sire dies for Christmas. I taped another programme and bought a couple of dies earning a lovely £5 discount.
What I liked about seeing the promotion programme was a whole set of ideas on using the dies.
A couple of weeks ago I bought 2 dies from Create & Craft in their sale and I have still to find more than one idea on, You Tube, Pinterest or blogs to use the dies.
I know I am a crafty crafter and have over the last ten years spent a lot of money on my craft items but I am still amazed at the programmes on Create and Craft that seem top heavy with large package sales from £50 - £130 a time. I know they often sell the items individually and do good demonstrations but I miss the early days when a package included the papers to work with as well as embellishments. That is probably why I purchased the Anna Griffin box of goodies at half price, from the Craft Channel, I was delighted to see Anna Griffin on the TV and purchased her pop-up Christmas kit it really was a fabulous buy. If you make a lot of cards for family and friends these worked out at 56p a card including  postage and for her designs and quality embellishments I was one happy bunny.

When the DieSire dies come I will try out the designs to see how well they cut as they are very intricate, the demo looked good with the Gemini machine, while  I have the Big shot and Big shot plus. In the meantime I am making an album as my stock seems to have diminished, and I am down to 3.  Here is one I had finished but had not decorated the front and I used Anna Griffin papers and flower with a simple ribbon bow.

C & G Range Cards & Gifts

Hi Crafters

Do you get those times when you have lots of ideas going round in your head and no time to get them onto paper or card.
Well here is an idea I followed through and am happy to say have got off the ground.
I have always loved jewellery and have now combined my love of card making for a new range called C & G (see my post on marketing)
Here are some of the finished items now available for sell on ebay.
A pretty easel card with drawer and then purchase the gift of your choice all priced individually.
I am selling them too cheaply for the amount of work but I am trying the market and hopefully will get known  a little before Christmas

 

As always would love to hear your comments or ideas

Dee

Quick and simple card

Hi Everyone

It has been a few days since posting but I have been crafting in between.
Last weekend (the main time for me to craft) I had some time to play with Shimmer mists and chalks.
Some time ago I did an afternoon course with Kay from IndigoBlu who demonstrated at Taunton with Craftasmic craft shop. The course showed us how to use the pan pastels and gold leaf that IndigoBlu use, it is worth checking out their website.

Here is a very simple idea using the Panpastels to colour the background of your card. Then  I have stamped the centre with a couple of flourish stamps, and simply added 3 black butterflies cut from my Sizzix dies that came with the Big Shot Plus, when I purchased it.

 

 

 

This was then mounted on black card and onto an A5 card

MARKETING YOUR PAPER CRAFTS

Hi Everyone

Here is the follow up to the 'Selling your Crafts' blog.

So you have some interest from your chosen choice of outlets. How can you build on that interest.

Getting Known

If you already do facebook , make sure you add pictures of your latest makes for family and friends to see, and add friends that are crafty or that you meet at craft fayres and shows.

Pinterest: If you don't already, consider starting a Pinterest account. Not only can you build boards of ideas for items to make,  you can add your makes to your boards and then other people see them. You can post to Pinterest from Etsy stores look out for the logo in your listing account.
 
Have you thought about doing demonstrations, a lot of local groups have speaker time and if you have friends who are in the WI, U3A or any other group that has speakers, offer to demonstrate your techniques. This can be quite frightening the first time so if you have a good confident friend, take them along for the first couple of demo's. Write out headlines/bullet points to assist with your talking and have all the demo set out in sections. If there are some parts that are long-winded like cutting out, have one you have done earlier in the true Blue Peter fashion. If it goes well and you enjoy it think about widening your area of clubs you visit and if they pay for the demo's you either have another income stream or you can do the demonstrations for a charity of your choice.

Check out the local school and community centre for summer and Christmas sales sometimes they allow outside people to book a table. You may have to put your name down as there are plenty of people interested in taking a table at sales . But stress the various items you make if you do more than cards. So if you take a table at a school have items that would be ideal for a teacher present etc.

If you have a number of sales you are attending during the year. Do your own mini flyer, it can be as simple as the list of dates venues and times with a pretty border and again what you make. Give them out at any opportunity  so people know where to find you

Point of Sale items

So you have successfully sold some items what can you do to keep those customers coming back and recommending you.
 
Have a compliment slip or business card that you put into the parcel, telling your customer what you do and where they can find you.
 
If the customer has purchased a couple of items from you, consider adding a free gift, I sometimes add a mini photo wallet as a free gift, it has cost me pennies while the recipient gets the feel good factor of having something for nothing.

 
Always make sure you wrap the item or box it prettily, imagine how you feel when you get a parcel and then add to that opening it up and seeing it beautifully presented in tissue paper and a ribbon or a complementary box (be aware of postage costs when boxing items). 

Put your card or compliment slip into a little display pocket. This not only shows your skills it adds a professional finish.  The one shown below can be made from an 8 x 8 piece of paper or a 6 x 6 if you have a small business card.
1. Simply fold 2 sides into the middle of the papers
2. open up again and fold all four corners to the first line and then fold back in again
3. Turn and fold the right end into the sleeve made at the other end, curve the paper to slide it in as far as possible and to the fold edge.
4. Run your bone folder along all the edges.

 

 

 If you are building up customers and feel it will help get repeat business consider offering a discount voucher. You can add them to the parcel or at the point of sale at a fayre.  Always make sure you have a business card or compliment slip to give out as well so they know how to purchase from you again.
If you design a new item or expand your makes, i.e picture frame, covered notebooks etc , display and sell them under a collective name. I have a  range called C & G at Happy Hippo, this range is a Card and Gift in one. This incorporates jewellery sold in a box card and tea lights in another card that has a box that take 4 tea-lights, and occasionally I make little concertina boxes that take speciality tea-bags or hot chocolate.

I hope these help you to increase your sales overall and adds to your joy of crafting. Please let me know if you have tried any of these ideas and if you have any selling techniques that work for you. I would love you to leave comments.
Dee 





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