Shoe disaster makes for good findings

So, back in August, I was in my friend's wedding:

It was a great day and everyone had a blast.  I was excited about the lovely new pair of heels I bought for this wedding:

But after a long night of ceremony and celebrating, it slipped my mind to protect my new heels from my energized puggle that had been locked up in his little house all night.  This was the result:

Bad Dog!! :(  My pretty heels were destroyed.  But all was not lost!  Before I threw them away, I managed to pluck off all of the golden rhinestones and now I can use them for crafts!

I'm not sure I'll make enough dough off these babies with crafts to cover the cost of my heels, but it's a good story of recycling and finding the good in the bad!

More Halloween Treasury Featurery

Thank you bekker16 for great Halloween Treasury that features my mummy couple! 

I love Halloween, and love this treasury!  What a great variety of items.  My weekend really slipped away from me and this makes me want to get to work on more Halloween inspired items... especially my second series of monsters... Darn this 9-5!

Productive Weekend Goods

SOLD!

Three individual sets of halloween holiday items in a single sale!  This was a very exciting transaction for me because it is allowing me to finally purchase the round tin containers that I have spent extensive time researching to package my orders.  Hooray!  I have to buy them in bulk, so it's a big decision.


Once I receive them, I'll be working on some round labels to go on them to optimize the professional look of my products. 


This week I definitely need to work on some custom orders which include - a custom pair of fat black cat earrings and the custom see no evil monkey set.  Time to crack open a bottle of wine in the evening and scuplt like crazy. 

I'd really like to design a few new monsters for the season as well.  Many of my monster have been a hit in recent monster treasuries.  I have yet to sell one, but I'm sure it will happen soon.

More Monster Features!

Thanks to KnitFrekkles for featuring my purple halloween monster in her monster treasury!

Monkeying Around

A few days ago I got a request for a fun new custom!  After seeing my see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil penguins (above), an etsy shopper asked if I could make the same set but with monkeys instead.  The photos below is my "sketch" sculpture for the monkey set.

I've been wanting to try my hand at a monkey design for awhile, what a great excuse!  A set of three itsybitsy's is practically sold!  She also asked if i could do a chimp... Hmm... 

Getting Organized

After lots of looking the last few years, I finally found an organizer that I think will work great for all my sculpey!  It can have up to 28 compartments, but for half price, I should have gotten 2! 

I think this will keep dust and dirt out better than my old record player box, which is vintagey and great, but better for my tools than my sculpey.  The vintage record player box has since begun it's rehabilitation with a little hot glue and paint.  Looking better already, but not quite done yet.

It feels good getting organized.  Now if i can only get that laundry going, and the rest of those boxes unpacked...

Puffin Time

If you google " tropical puffin " my etsy shop turns up!  Exciting?  YES.

I also got a custom request this week for an artic puffin that matches the puffin from the movie Elf.  That little puffin was actually the inspiration for my tropical puffin, so it was fun to make one like the real thing.  He's a little more itsybitsy than my usual stuff because he's for a necklace charm.  He comes in at about 3/4" tall, cute, cute, cute!

Recyled Packaging

I'm excited to have sold an itsybitsy I've had for a few years.  My walrus with heart finally sold and I'll be a little sad to see him go.  He was one of the first items in my shop, and was part of my inspiration to start a shop on etsy.

He sold at a perfect time, because I just bought 3 months of web hosting today to get my itsybitsycute website back up (finally).  Walter paid for my web hosting!  Nice job Walter... I'll need to make another one of you.

In fear that he might break during his travels, I needed a tough package for him to ship in.  I've been struggling with what kind of packaging to invest it.  It seems like I'll have to buy something in bulk and it needs to be somewhat rigid, but small and somewhat flat.  But not too flat!  It's a toughy. 

When I got home today I saw an old livesavers fruit tarts container that I have been moving around the house every time I clean since we moved in a month ago.  It's a neat container, which is why I kept it in the first place, but I'm sick of seeing the thing.  It haunts me. 

So it's the new home for Walter to get him to his destination.  Loaded with a little tissue paper and a few pieces of cotton, he'll be safe from harm in a nice rigid vessel.  I need to start scoping out small metal containers at shops and stores, then each one can be different and interesting.

I'm sure I'll break down and buy some sort of bulk container at some point, but for now, it'll be fun to work with some findings.  See ya Walter!  Enjoy your new home!

New Listing - Siskel and Ebert

Encouraged by my friends, I have finally listed a new item in my shop!  It's about time, huh?

I was inspired by a movie loving friend to try sculpting a miniature Siskel and Ebert!  Check them out in my etsy shop !

What do you think?  Thumbs up?  or Thumbs down?

Featured in Treasury!

Thanks to killeracrylics for featuring my mummies in her treasury of mini's...

Click here to view the treasury in it's full effect!

Featured!

I was featured in an etsy treasury again, fun!  Check it out

Thanks to catlovesbear for featuring my puffin!

Banner Refresher

I've been working on some designs for my business card, stickers, and other marketing materials, so I revamped my etsy shop banner.  What do you think?  Check it out on my store site too!  This was my old banner...

Improvment?  I think so, but I also like having the graphic image of one of my items on there too.  Which is better?

I got my 2" kraft boxes in the mail, so I'm debating on sizes for stickers.  2 inch or 1 inch?  square or round?  I'll be working on those ideas next!  In the meantime, I need some sunshine so I can get quality pictures of some new items!  Rain rain go away...

 

Packaging

This past week I had my first custom packaging opportunity!  A friend wanted a pair of championship puffin earrings for his girlfriend's birthday.  Since it was a custom order for a friend, I threw in gift wrapping for him.  Plus, guys can't wrap presents, so i figured he could use the help.

I also had an item break during shipping for the first time, and that was a wake-up call for packaging.  In addition to offering a variety of gift wrapping, I also need to perfect my general packaging - probably add more bubble wrap. 

Here is an idea of the levels of gift wrap that I will soon offer in my store.

Level 0:  no upcharge, small baggie for item,bubble wrap and padded envelope

Level 1:  $1.00 - small recycled kraft box (with a sticker label closure)

Level 2:  $2.00 - small recycled kraft box, gift wrapped with a ribbon

Level 3:  $2.50 - small recycled kraft box, gift wrapped with ribbon and embellishment

This is what i did for my friend and it would be indicative of a Level 3 gift wrap:

Apparently - it was a hit!  The gift and the wrapping!

I have been researching boxes forever trying to find what I wanted and get it for the best price.  Most places online you have to buy a case (of 100 pieces) to get a decent price, and then pay quite a bit of shipping.  I don't want to buy 100 of something unless I am SURE it is the exact thing that I want.  So the other day I found what i think is very close to what i want, and only had to buy 10 of them for a reasonable price.  Bonus, it was from another etsy shop. 

They are 2x2x2 recycled paper kraft boxes.  I like the recycled part, and I like the size.  I think it will fit most of the items i have.  This is also a very cute size to wrap as a gift.

I really need to work on my label designs now.  No matter what the packaging level, I want to slap a 1" round (or maybe square) itsybitsy label on everything.  I like doing graphic stuff, so this will be fun.  If i can get some ideas going - maybe i will do a poll and have people vote for their favorite design!  Keep an eye out!

Findings

I've been doing some thinking about how to make my itsybitsycutes a little more versatile and marketable.

When I started sculpting tiny things back in 2004, they were solely Christmas ornaments.  Seasonal gifts.  Now that I'm trying new things and making itsys all year round, I've got to get creative about how people will use them.  Why would you want an itsybitsycute?

Today I had to pick up some jump rings for my championship puffin, he's sold already!  My buyer wants to make him into a necklace, so he needed a jump ring and I was out.  While I was at the craft store, I perused for other interesting things in the jewelry aisle.  Here is what i found:

 

On top is a package of "cellphone straps"... These are the little straps that you can loop through a small hole if you want to add a charm to something.  I'm pretty sure this trend is on its way out by now.  I know my google phone doesn't allow for me to add a charm to it, nor would i want to. I think the trend started in started in Japan with Nokia cellphones way back in the day.  Maybe kids still think it's fashionable to bling  out your cellphone, if so, great!  However, I envisioned them holding little uker charms onto ukulele's like I made for my friend Dominic.  

Another thought - Charms for dog collars.  I've toyed with the idea of making some dog accessories (once i can get a sewing machine).  Custom or modern dog collars seem to sell well on etsy, and i love dogs, so it would be fun to find cute fabrics to make leashes and collars out of.  But for now, I could take a stab at selling some charms for pets.  Is it trendy to bling out your dog? Maybe just in LA...

I also got 6.5 ft of small figaro style chain.  I'm thinking charm bracelets, chains to hang from rearview mirrors, and necklaces.  Maybe more kid-friendly stuff is in order?  I think kid items would be marketable at a local shop here called Stuff.  They sell a lot from local etsy shop owners and other local artists.  I've never really been a sales person for my art, but it might be getting to be that time soon.

My final thought of the day is packaging.  I've been in search online and in person for practically a year to find the perfect packaging for itsybitsys... i want to offer gift wrap and custom packaging as an option, but i need to decide what it will be first, not to mention i need to design my logo still.

Gosh I have a lot to do... One thing at a time.

Sell Sell Sell!

Pudgy Penguin found an owner last night!  Hooray!  He will happily ship out tomorrow.

This sale has encouraged me to get my butt in gear tonight, and clean up the office.  Again.  My boyfriend is now officing from home full time, and he's not the tidiest of office users.  I've at least got the desks clean, and now there are just several stacks of stuff organized by who it belongs to.  That is the best I will manage for this evening.  I'm listing 3 items tonight, including my new "championship puffin."  

He is inspired by a college mascot that happens to be my alma mater.  You can put the rest together.

Here is how he started out... several simple shapes and pieces.

 

And he turned into this!  Well... almost.  This one has a yellow face, not white, but you get the idea.  

I may be trying other renditions of mascots for March Madness, got any good ideas for me?  Custom orders welcomed!

Motivate and Conquer?

So here we are fully into February, and I've got nary a sale to wink and eye at, let alone enough to quit my day job (which is my new life goal by the way).  I did give away a heaping handful of itsybitsys at Chirstmas, and I have been thinking a lot about design for an itsybitsylogo and business card, but something just isn't working.

I've been thinking lately that maybe I don't want to work exclusively in one medium (sculpey).  What else can I make that is itsy, bitsy, and cute?  Should I get a sewing machine?  Can I even sew?  Will I put the time toward actually setting goals and accomplishing them?

My mind tells me yes on all accounts, but I am missing a key piece - motivation.  I need to find and grasp on to some small success and give massive energy to it.  I am partially motivated by the fact that I absolutely hate being told to "be at work and be seated by the scheduled time"... in fact, that almost fully motivates me lately.  I want to feel good about doing work every day, and lately, being at my current work feels completely miserable.  Every day.

So, with that being said - I need to read more blogs for inspiration, I need to subscribe to more podcasts that will motivate me, and I need to get to sculpting and putting up items in my etsy store.  I am hoping that these things will keep pushing me to think outside the box and figure otu how i can work for myself somehow and enjoy every moment of everyday.

Oh the thought of spring... and not having to sit in my cubicle everyday... 

The picture at the top is a quick sketch I did yesterday of some animal ideas...

New Items. At Long Last

New items are now up for sale in my store... post christmas shopping abound!

These cute little christmas sea creatures are not for sale... they were destined to be Christmas gifts, but if you really like them, let me know and I can make you a custom listing!


Happy Shopping!