The Days After National Walking Day

OK, have to admit I didn't even know there was a "National Walking Day"; but I'm not surprised since there is a national "almost anything you can think of" day. In honor of this one I hope to encourage everyone to get off the couch, or away from your desk, or from the computer, (you get the idea) and get active. National Walking Day hi-lights walking, and walking is a good place to start. However, going forward, making cardio and weigh training a regular part of your routine is even better.  We all know our bodies are designed to move. "Use it or lose it", is more than a catchy statement; it really is true.  My husband had shoulder surgery, about 30 days in a sling; and it took months to regain strength and muscle mass in his upper arm.  I had a broken ankle; 4 months in a cast.  My calf muscle was shriveled looking and it took several months of strength training to get back to normal.  These are extreme examples but over time a sedentary lifestyle will result in muscle loss just the same.  Though I really hate to admit this; these statements become more relevant the older you get.  Ask me how I know...... yes, I'm older than I would like to admit. :)

So we make the decision; get up, start moving, and never look back, right?  Maybe not since it is also true that our lives are very busy.  Between family, work, housework, shopping, cooking (not to mention just figuring out what to cook), and life in general; exercise often falls to the bottom of the priority list.  The problem is, the less exercise we get, the less energy we have to do the things that need doing.  Seems to defy logic, I know; but it is true. In addition to challenging schedules, exercise is not the first word most of us use to define "fun".  So it takes some determination (OK a lot) and motivation to really make exercise a habit. If you can use the determination long enough to see the benefit in the way you feel, that will produce the motivation.  I am very fortunate; I have motivation in the person of my husband.  He is the one with the determination and I reap the benefit of it, since it is much easier to go with a buddy than alone.  So I have him; but anyone can be a workout buddy. Spouse, friend, a group of co-workers (part of the lunch hour or after work), or a parent/child pair. Find someone else who needs encouragement too and be that person for each other.

Good habits don't happen by accident.  How do they happen?  Here are some suggestions you can use and tailor to fit your personality and lifestyle.

• Evaluate your schedule, be realistic.
• Prioritize activities, daily, weekly, etc.
• You may need to cut some activities, or reduce their frequency to make room for the good things you want to do for yourself.
• Start slow, don't overwhelm yourself, baby steps are still steps.
• Find a buddy, an accountability partner, be each other's cheerleader, make it fun.
• When (notice that isn't an "if") you fail to stick to the plan; forgive yourself and get back on track.  No one does it perfect.
• Remember the reason you are making changes.  Not to look good in a bathing suit; but to get healthy and keep or improve your quality of life.  The better you feel, the more enjoyable the fun and necessary things will be.  The people who love you will be glad you are taking care of yourself too.
• Figure out a way to track progress.  I confess I fail a lot in this area; but it is very helpful when you keep up with it.  If you like the tech toys and can afford one; there are several on the market that will track things (movement, food, etc.) for you.  You just need to figure out you and that isn't always so easy as it should be, :)

I hope this encourages you to do good things for yourself; and and as you see the benefit you will encourage someone else.  We'll see a lot more healthy people as we lift each other up.  Have a very healthy day!

Work Smarter, Simplify Event Set Up

Since opening H and L Creations I've struggled with set up and tear down for events; more labor intense than I liked.  Set up took over an hour.  Considering the fact that my inventory is relatively small when viewed beside most vendors the time seemed excessive.  The problem centered around the type of inventory.  Jewelry; lots of small pieces, especially earrings.  So how did the process work? Arrive early, set up tables, racks, and canopy (if outside), unpack the jewelry, stage each piece; look at the clock and be amazed how long this has taken to accomplish.  It was not uncommon for customers to start arriving before setup was complete.  Guess I didn't arrive as early as I thought. Either way, I needed to make changes if I was going to continue to do events; tedious isn't my idea of fun.

It isn't obvious but if you look close you'll see that the jewelry was hung one piece at a time; tedious. This is half of the display; more earrings on the other side, which require more set up time.

Fast forward through several set up evolutions and set up takes less than 30 minutes from trunk to tables.  So what changed?  I re-purposed plastic canvas; cheap, sturdy, and versatile. Now each jewelry set is hung on plastic canvas, slipped in page a protector, and stored/transported in Rubbermaid type plastic buckets.  For earrings I used hot glue to secure plastic canvas in picture frames.  Perfect for hanging multiple sets in a small space and they go from bucket to table in 10 seconds, a great time saver.  Earrings are grouped by price.

Set up is very flexible depending on whether it is inside or out, how much space is allowed per vendor, and whether I only have tabletop area or can also use vertical racks. The below set up is in a conference room with limited space.  Not ideal but it worked. Behind the earrings you see several necklace and earring sets.  I use display busts to showcase pieces I think will get the most attention and the remaining sets are conveniently in the case they were transported in.  They are in hanging folders; easy for shoppers to look through.  If I had more space, setting more pieces out would take very little time. Simple to expand or condense the set up.

I realize the pictures aren't the best but I hope the visual helps; and I hope I have given you some ideas that will save you time and make events more fun and less work.

Your feedback and ideas are welcome.  As we share ideas we all benefit.

Happy Easter

Just a note to encourage you to have a wonderful Easter.  Enjoy the egg hunts, candy (chocolate yum), new outfits, and all the fun things that we do on Easter.  But while you're having fun; stop to remember what Easter is really about.  It is the time we remember the greatest sacrifice ever made; when Jesus gave himself to pay my debt, defeated death, and arose in victory!  The greatest war ever waged was fought the day Jesus was crucified; and the greatest victory was won at His resurrection; Easter.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  John 3:16 (KJV)

Wishing you all the wonderful things Easter is really about!

First 2016 Event

I started 2016 looking for new opportunities to get exposure for my jewelry and dream catchers, and to improve what I already had in place. So how is that working for me?  Let's take a look:

• I opened my ETSY shop several years ago; but made no sales.  Not because ETSY is ineffective; but because I didn't do what was needed to raise the presence of my shop in the search engines.  Obviously my, "I can figure this out on my own" wasn't working.  So now I've stepped up efforts to succeed on ETSY by getting some training.  Though all of the things you can get from training can also be learned from research and trial and error; training saves time and frustration.  By taking advantage of what others have already spent time learning; you jump ahead to making productive decisions and the saying "time is money" becomes very relevant.
• Case in point. By employing just the first couple lessons, I have my first ETSY sale.  I have far to go; but feeling confident that I can reach my goal of multiple sales per month and repeat customers.  If you are interested in this training I'll gladly provide the link. Send me a message or leave a comment.

• On the local front I started looking for event opportunities with low fees, simple set up, and limited hours (multiple day shows are not a good fit for me and are usually expensive).  I started with 3 events.
• The first event was "free" because a friend gave me the use of his Real Estate office; no charge.  I qualify the "free" part because I did provide snacks and door prizes, still minimal investment.  I also shared the opportunity with 2 friends; an artist and a Shaklee consultant.
• The result was respectable.  Sales were worth the set up effort and we all got exposure to new customers.  Note to self; a location in the midst of other businesses, or in an open business, would be better.  The people who came to this event were out specifically to visit us.  We advertised through Facebook, neighborhood websites, local businesses, and word of mouth.  However, had there been adjoining businesses we would likely have had walk up customers; probably yielding more sales.
• Event number 2 is coming up.  It will be in a recently opened coffee shop.  The set up fee is only $10 and a door prize.  We will be marketing as before; but we will also have other vendors passing the word and walk in customers.  Hopefully the momentum will build and we will see lasting and repetitive business.  If this event is successful it will become a monthly happening.  Good for us and for the coffee shop as our customers will likely be buying coffee; I know I will.
• Stay tuned for updates.

As 2016 unfolds I'm excited to see how my business will grow and for all the learning experiences I'll be able to share,  I would love to hear your success stories too!

Look for Hidden Opportunities

Marketing has been a bit of a challenge for me.  I assume I'm not alone, so I want to share some of my experiences; both productive and not.

Some things that haven't worked (I'll get that out of the way first):

• I get at least 10 e-mails a day promising thousands of "targeted" leads and even offering to write ad content for me.  I assume these work well for many people but they are not a good fit for me.  They fall into the "too good to be true" category in my mind.
• I subscribed to YP.com for a year.  Got a few calls; no sales. Cancelled my subscription.
• I've tried a variety of paid venues with some level of success, but not as much as I expected.
• I developed a website; but keeping the cost reasonable limited how much I could upload, which limited my ability to keep it fresh and updated. I recently closed the website.
• and so on.......

So what has worked for me?

First, some unexpected opportunities.

• I wore a necklace/earring set I made when I went to a doctor's appointment. The ladies that work in the office suggested I bring more pieces back on a light appointment day.  We set a date and I went back with inventory.
• In about 45 minutes in the lobby I sold more than I did in an entire day at several paid events.  It was free and there was no set up.
• A friend invited me to be a guest at a local BNI meeting (local chapter of an International networking association) and bring my jewelry.  Again; 2 hours, no fee, and good sales.  Ended up going back twice, time well spent.  I didn't join the group; but that is a post for another day.

Next, old friends and new possibilities

• A friend (not so old) offered to have a home party for me.  It was fun and productive.  I made several sales; took orders for a couple custom sets; made some new acquaintances, and decided I would like to do this again.  I have a couple offers. 
• I wanted to do an Open House for myself and some friends.  My house isn't large enough to accommodate it so I called on an old friend; a Real Estate Broker I worked for several years ago.  He graciously gave me use of the building for the Open House.  No report on how successful that will be as it is 2 weeks away.  The advantage here is we are not paying for the use of the building.  Other than some snacks and a few door prizes, there is no cash outlay. Hopefully passing the word through Facebook, word of mouth, and local businesses will produce a good turn out and a productive night for each of us.
• New possibilities.  A new coffee shop opened in our area.  As part of their effort to bring business in and get involved in the community, they are planning "events" of various types. For vendor events the charge is $10 and a door prize per table, very affordable!  We put an artisan event on the calendar for April and hopefully will continue to do so at least once a month after that.  I plan to look for other opportunities of this nature.  It seems like a win/win plan, and it is always a good when everyone benefits.

Said all that to say; think outside the box.  There is nothing wrong with using today's technology and taking advantage of the vast internet audience; but putting a few eggs in an old-school basket isn't a bad idea either.

• Establish relationships with coffee shops, day spas, and other customer service oriented businesses.  Mutually beneficial are words everyone likes to hear, and that is exactly what working with local businesses can be.
• Set your sights on establishing and maintaining a stellar reputation.  Good reviews on line and word of mouth recommendations locally are your best advertisement.

I hope this post has given you some ideas to explore and I look forward to hearing success stories in the near future.

I Have a Favor to Ask

I've been using computers for years.  Here's the thing though; before I retired if I had a question there was a Help Desk to give me answers.  Now, ...... not so much.  So, I have been reading, visiting forums, doing research, and taking better pictures in an effort to improve my on line presence.  I even signed up for training to improve my ETSY shop ads.  Part of the time I think I'm getting it and then suddenly it feels like I'm navigating through thick fog and hoping I don't trip over some unseen obstacle. Thus, progress seems slow; but I am feeling good that there is progress.

So over the past few weeks I've been improving descriptions, adding tags, using better layout and light for pictures, and generally stretching out of my "technology" comfort zone.  This brings me to the favor I need to ask.  If you would check out my ETSY shop and give me feedback I would very much appreciate it.  Also, if you find something you are interested in; contact me and I'll reduce the price by 10%.  Mention "Blogspot" when you make inquiry.  I'm still working on the "coupon" button for the ETSY shop so I'll need to adjust the price manually.

Here are some of the pieces I've listed recently.

and there is more to come.  I look forward to hearing from you.

My ETSY Shop URL:
    https://www.etsy.com/shop/HandLCreations?ref=hdr_shop_menu

2016 A Year of Great Possibilities

2015 In Review.

Personal Highlights:

My nephew married a wonderful women.  I think both families were as excited as my nephew that she said yes.  We love her.  I felt very privileged to be a part of the wedding by making jewelry for the bride as well as gifts for her attendants and the Moms.  The wedding was beautiful, they are enjoying starting their life together, and their parents are looking forward to becoming Grandparents, no pressure there, right.  :)

Teaching jewelry classes at Michael's produced more than students; I have several friends as a result of the classes. Priceless!!

My husband and I celebrated 43 years of marriage.  Good times, hard times, but by God's grace still together and better than ever.

Our dog Butch passed in June.  He was 13 years old and had been our companion and best friend for all those years.  He traveled with us, "protected" us with his big bark, loved us, entertained us, and broke our hearts when we lost him.  If you are familiar with "Marley and Me" you know a little bit about our boy.  He wasn't quite as "bad" as Marley; but we have many stories and memories that make us laugh and cry.  We will never forget him.  Though the loss was painful (still is sometimes) we wouldn't trade those years for anything; so worth it!!

After a few months we adopted Kate.  She is 18 months old, full of energy, very loving, and quite hard headed.  We are working on convincing her that we are the "alpha" dogs in this pac and she is slowly accepting that fact.  We love her and know she is worth the work.  Thankfully we are retired and have the time to invest in her.  Now if we can just train our friends not to instigate bad behavior we'll be on the right path.  She has already won our hearts and we look forward to many years with her.  Isn't she beautiful!

On the business front:

I believe I have improved in the area of technique (friends have offered positive feedback in this area, which is very encouraging); I have expanded the styles offered and have included dream catchers in the inventory.  Sales for 2015 ended up being at least triple 2014 and I'm hoping for the increase to continue in 2016.

I am getting better at being my own advertisement by wearing pieces I made.  This resulted in an invitation to bring product to my doctor's office on an off day; the result was over $250 in sales. More than I expected, very pleased.  Home shows and setting up at a business networking meeting also proved to be a good use of time and resources.  Still looking for additional face to face options; but also trying to break into the world of internet sales.  Will keep you posted on how that goes.

I'm working on improving my time management skills; which in turn should help me keep up with this blog, my Facebook page, and maybe even develop Web design skills.  Stay tuned for pictures and updates.

Wishing you all a blessed and productive 2016

A Cute Owl

I have been collecting owls because they are so popular and I think they are cute too.  Made a necklace that had nothing to do with owls and made a pair of earrings to go with it.  The earrings didn't work with the necklace; but I liked the earrings so I decided to make a necklace to go with them.  It felt a little like walking into a room backwards; always made the necklace first, until now.

I pulled beads and wire to make the necklace; then went to my stash of pendants and found a fun owl that worked with the colors.  I really like starting with a vague idea and ending up with something that "makes my eyes happy".  This set fits that scenario.  A few beads, sliders, some wire, and a fun little owl and here is the finished product:

What do you think?  Is it a hit or a miss.

Wedding Focus

I've been MIA for quite some time.  I've been working on a dream catcher for a good portion of that time.  I've seen pictures with large matting surfaces where guests can write wishes for the couple; but this was new to me.  A dream catcher with a basket where guests can place their "dreams" for the couple.

My niece to be (she is marrying my nephew) had the idea and when I finally understood what she was talking about (very different than my first mental image) I liked it a lot.  So with a double heart design in mind I started out.  First I had a couple short lengths of wire left over after cutting the main heart shapes.  I formed them into smaller hearts and set them aside thinking I would use them for something else.  Instead, I incorporated them into the center of each of the main hearts.  Before I could go much further I went to an Art show where there was a dream catcher display.  They were fabulous by the way.  During this coincidence (maybe not so coincidence) I saw a dream catcher with wire work, not just cord for the webbing.  Spark idea!

Now the design evolves again, enter wire and beads to the center of the small hearts.  Nice addition.

Now I need something to hold the index cards for the "dreams".  Looked for a small basket that would go with the design, or any small basket.  Found zero options (not that I looked for a long time) so I decided to make my own.  Wire framing with slats; some macrame, some beads on wire to support the structure.  Added some feathers and it is done.

Do I like it? Yes.  Did it take way too much time? Yes.  If I were making this to sell I would need to do some things that reduced the time; or price it higher than I want to.  This one was done for love, no charge.

What do you think?  By the way taking pictures of dream catchers is tricky.  I hope these represent the piece well.

A Reprieve Due to Weather

I've been looking forward to a Wedding Event that was scheduled for day after tomorrow.  While I am excited about the event, I've done what I tend to do; procrastinate.  Not a sit around and do nothing kind of procrastination; but more of a distracted with other projects, put this one on the back burner issue.  I have helped with materials needed for a truck rebuild project (also important), cleaned up my g-mail accounts (almost 800 messages in my inbox was unacceptable when trying to find something), and done other routine necessary tasks.  All of this left me with 2 days to get samples made, coordinate some display props, get pictures printed, and generally organize myself for the show.

Enter Mother Nature.....

I live in Virginia; we don't get much snow .... usually.  That said, we now have snow which is covered with ice and temperatures that aren't forecast to get to, let alone above, freezing for several days.  Schools and most businesses are closed today and schools won't be open until at least Thursday.  Side streets and parking lots are untreated and hazardous.  I was not feeling good about the turn out we could expect under these conditions.

Apparently I was not the only one with this thought, and thankfully, the venue where the event will be held is flexible.  The show is postponed until March.  YEA!!  I now have 30 days to get the above list done.  I plan to schedule show prep much better than I have thus far, so this "reprieve" does not go to waste.  So, for the next month I will make consistent progress toward the show.  I have new ideas that I'm anxious to try (thank you Teresa for the books) and now I have time to make a reasonable effort at several items.

If you have ideas for beaded and/or wire wedding related items I would love to hear about them, and perhaps expand my product line yet again.

Back with pictures in the next few days.

If you live in an area where the weather is bad please be careful on the roads; stay safe and warm.

Life Happens

I have thought about posting to this blog for several weeks; with no follow through.  By the time I sat down to post it was late evening and I had used up my focus quota for the day; so I put it off until "tomorrow".  Well while I wasn't posting, a friend's parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.  She had a couple ideas for the celebration and asked if I could help her with them.  So, enter that life thing; of course I could help her.  She wanted a wire tree for the cake she was making.  I made a tree of life pendant a while back, seemed like a reasonable transition to a stand up tree.  I looked at pictures, made some prototypes, expanded the to do list by adding a wire and bead "50" to go with the tree and again realized how much my friends are responsible for expanding my product line.  Never stop being thankful for girlfriends!!

I realized quickly that it is difficult to take pictures of wire trees; going to have to take some lessons from a friend who is a great photographer.  I have several, they know who they are.  In the mean time I hope you will forgive the lack of quality photography.  Here are pictures of the prototypes and one I made after the one that went to the anniversary party.  Hope you like them.

The three small prototypes

Larger and mounted on a mirror

For 50 years of marriage

Ahead of the Curve

Update on improving my self-discipline; identifying the time leaks and sealing them up.  I bought a day planner that has multiple lines for each hour between 8 AM and 8 PM.  Today is the 2nd day I'm keeping track and I'm already seeing improvement; just have to keep it going.

Last night I went through papers, came away with a large bag of trash, YEA!  Also, went through some books and have at least one box to donate; maybe more after I get my husband's pass on the rest.  Baby steps, will take a few more this afternoon.

On to a jewelry project:

I have struggled since starting the jewelry business to get ahead of the holidays so to speak.  By the time I'm ready for Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's day is around the corner and so on.  Well, this time I'm so far ahead there are about 4 holidays between now and the one I'm ready for.  :)  I found a cute corset pendant and it made me think of Breast Cancer Awareness.  So here is a set ready for October.  I have a couple more pendants and will make up other necklaces with different looks; same occasion.  What do you think of this one?

 Stayed with pink for this set and gave it extra length.  Two connection points, 20 and 26 inches.













Here's a little closer look:

Accountability

OK, I am going to put some "good intentions" into action; and I hope posting this commitment will add accountability to my intentions and turn them into actions and checks on my to do list.  I hope you don't mind being my sounding board, and beyond that any tips and encouragement will be greatly appreciated.

First I'm going to start a daily journal to track what I really do; vs. what I think I do.  The goal is to find wasted time and figure out how to stop the waste; increase productive time and accomplish more.  This "more" will include more jewelry so I will be keeping with the theme of the blog and hopefully sharing what I learn about my own bad habits will help you improve yours (assuming you have any bad habits).

I am also going to start going through the house one room at a time and do the "keep", "toss", and "donate" thing.  What I keep will be put on shelves into containers so it stops being clutter.  More productive time should help a lot with that.

So now I've put the self challenge out there; more to come about how this works out.

In the mean time I would like to share a Christmas gift I made for a friend.  She was very pleased, which makes me very happy!

Just for Fun

I joined a group at our local library that meets the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of every month.  I think it started as a stitching group but has expanded to pretty much any craft.  It is still predominately stitching, knitting, and crocheting; but there is a man who crafts everything from instruments to boats, some ladies that make home décor items, and me with jewelry.  Have to admit I feel a little out classed by what I see around the table (some are just pictures as a boat wouldn't fit through the door) but the group views each project and skill as special.  A great group.

Last Thursday I was rushing to get ready to go and didn't have time for much planning (yes I know I could have prepared the day before but that didn't happen,  hummmm) so I just grabbed some supplies that were left over from the wedding project and headed out.  I tried to string some pearls (glass of course) and call it done but just couldn't.  So I cut a length of wire and added some pearls and started wrapping.  Decided the gray needed some accent so I added a white pearl to the focal link.  I was pleased with that and moved on to the earrings.  Finished the first earring and started the second.  About half way through the 2nd earring I realized one of the pearls in the first one was pale pink, opps.  I am not in to tear down and redo, so I made a second wire wrap link for the necklace and used a pink pearl so it would appear intentional if anyone noticed.  Added a joining link and the wire wrap part of the necklace was done; strung pearls for the rest of it and the necklace was complete.  Someone I know calls things like this "happy accidents" and I'm going with that.  I like the finished project and it is not likely there will be another one exactly (or even close) like it.  I am pleased when a set comes together not exactly as planned, it is usually a little better than the original picture I had in my head.


I am happy with the path my jewelry making skills are taking; next I need to take some photography lessons.  I have a friend who takes great pictures (in fact I have several) and I think I'm going to beg or barter for some lessons.  She (one of them) will be moving to Hawaii in a few months so I need to get good fast.  Better pictures should go a long way toward helping me market what I "create"; isn't that a good word, sounds so much better than "make".  So what do you think of these pieces, plain pictures and all?

 



 

Wedding Set

This is the Bride's Necklace

 I think we have the Bride's necklace/earring set done, will get confirmation on that when the box arrives in MI.  Along with her set I made a couple "prototypes" for the Bridesmaids.  The dresses are going to be charcoal (at least so far, it isn't set in stone yet) so we have pale pink and 2 shades of gray 4 styles.  This set is for my "niece to be".  I am, however, looking to take this experience and expand my jewelry line.  Custom jewelry for Brides on a budget.  Color, style, and scale made to order.  Just need to figure out the best way to get the word out.  If you know a bride who might be interested please share the link.

The pics aren't the best but by the time I realized it, the pieces were boxed up to ship North. 



Dark Gray 8mm pearls and Crystal.



Pink Pearls 8mm with Wire Weave focal and earrings

Medium gray pearls, 6mm, with wire wrap focal and earrings



Pale Pink Pearls 8mm with coiled wire focal and earrings

First ETSY Sale

Last night about 9:30 I took one last look at e-mail and was surprised by a message saying one of the dream catchers I had listed on ETSY sold.  I've posted items for sale on ETSY several times but this is the first time I had a sale.    Happy Dance!    I put the box in the mail this morning by 9:30 for its cross country journey.  Of course, now I'm going to work on my ETSY store and wait to see if this is the beginning of many more sales.  Really hoping this takes off; great sales potential, an almost limitless audience, no time spent at shows and events, more time to work on projects, and low fees.  I'm looking for an upward spiral; internet sales resulting in brand exposure, resulting in more sales, more exposure, mores sales; you get the idea.  So if you are trying to break into the internet market, keep at it.  Develop your product line (unique is good), learn how to best display it in pictures; and just be persistent.  That said, I have much to learn.  If you have had success selling on line and would like to share I would appreciate it very much. 

Though local events were not very financially beneficial I enjoy interacting with people; thus, I will do some craft events next year, but only a few.  I'm glad I invested the time this year as I learned a lot and there is no substitute for experience.  Hopefully the time I spend at events next year will be more lucrative.

Here is the piece I shipped out this morning:

 

I hope you will check out other pieces in my ETSY store:

search for "handlcreations" at ETSY.com

or use the link below:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/HandLCreations?ref=hdr_shop_menu

Thought for today:  Do not let the retail hype of the season suck you in.

Enjoy your friends and family and everything Christmas is suppose to be.