Looking Good!

9 days to go till market!

I have completed alot...but still not really enough stock and would like more of a variety of hats, tees and headbands.

I will be trying to get the kids singlets sorted out for next time. Too much to order and dye before the big day.

Here are some samples of my necklaces. Photos taken on phone so not the best quality.

What do I charge?? Thats the question most annoying me at the mo....suggestions?

Kalgoorlie Western Australia

Off to Kalgoorlie this weekend to celebrate my sister in law, Sonia's 30th Birthday. Its going to be an awesome Mexican fancy dress party. So off to get my costume today. And a mustache for Maya! All mexicans have mustaches dont they??

I'm taking heaps of flowers to sew over the weekend too. No rest for me!

Where I'm at.....

Order plain white cards ORDERED

Order stuck on you stickers ORDERED

Buy more necklace fishing line thread· DONE

Receive beads from AM· ORDERED

Buy turf· FOUND OUT I CAN GET IT CHEAPER AT BUNNINGS

Buy wooden letters SPOTLIGHT DO NOT HAVE!

xxx

Am I insane...can I do it???

This is a rough idea of what I have to do for Perth Upmarket...in 4 weeks

· Order plain white cards (for small clip display)
· Order stuck on you stickers (waiting on advice from Etsy girls)
· Buy more beads
· Sew 50!

· Buy more necklace fishing line thread
· Receive beads from AM
· Design and make necklaces. As many as possible.

· Complete backs of all flowers
· Iron on labels

· Buy Bonds singlets????
· Attach flowers

· Find tressle table
· Cover frames for small flower display
· Design large flower display
· Buy turf
· Buy skirting fabric
· Buy wooden letters and paint (sunny and fine), set onto fabric fame
· Make fabric flags with sunny and fine
· Buy brown paper bags
· Set prices and make price signs
· Gift wrapping???? To do or not to do

So am I mental...I am seriously worried I cannot do this in time.

Breaking News!

Sunny & Fine has been accepted into the next Perth Upmarket on September 12th!

Very exciting news.....and I feel extra special because there is a long waiting list! Feeling great today!

So, now I am going to be FLAT OUT sewing and organising.

I need to think about stall design, packaging, business cards, shop sign, flower display, pricing, NOT TO MENTION.....expanding my product range. All in 5 weeks!

Off to work I go....no time for blogging! Wish me luck!

xx Mel

Some Accomplishments...

Ok so I have actually managed to cross a couple of things of my to do list.

Design scanned and emailed to the cutter.

Business name ribbons ordered.

And drumroll.....

Perth Upmarket Application sent! ......I feel very nervous!

And I have sold another 3 flowers.

Doing OK.

Mel

x

Setback

So I have had a setback and I am behind in my goals.

I was hospitalised on the weekend after having an Epileptic seizure. Recovery is usually pretty quick, except this time I may have broken my nose. So I am very sore and sorry. And basically need rest.

So my goals have been put on hold. I have sold 2 more flowers yesterday. So that is good.

I MUST get the application form into upmarket!!

xxx

Web Crush

I heart Bomobob.

Check it.

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6516971

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6563130

BTW....its photography tips. Awesome. Simple. Achievable.

x

Serpent Manadalas

I have just received my painting in the mail which I had commissioned from the talented Lindy Longhurst of Serpent Mandalas.

I ADORE IT!! I am insanely in love with the colours and the peoples (us) little faces. The pic really doesn't do the colours justice.

I asked it to represent my fiance Ben, Maya, myself and Archie the ridgeback. Its our journey to get to our own dream home. Nestled amongst the Karri trees for me, by the sea with boat for Ben.

See Lindys work here.. http://serpentmandalas.blogspot.com/

And here Etsy shop here... http://www.etsy.com/shop/serpentmandalas

Second Sale!

Celebrating the smallest milestones! and its not official yet...

But, Maya's daycare teacher who wears alot of hats...has requested some flowers to adorn her many hats! Yay! Very happy this morning! Nice way to start the day.

Its made me realise another market - the hat market. Felt flowers lend themselves nicely to hats, especially the winter kind. Now i just need to refine this idea.....over a cup of tea....

Oh, one thing...I got the price guilts. I sent her the link to my etsy shop and freaked out that she would think that my prices were too much and cancel her order! So I gave her a 20% discount. Since they are in US dollars & were Aussies it is a little justified. ....And a further 10% discount if she buys mulitples. Well that offer was on the site anyway. But it was guilt/insecurity that drove it.

Mel
x

First Deadline

The photos. Jeez. Trickier than I thought.

I had some issues! The camera battery flat. Ok no biggie. Charged it for a few hours. Please wait for me sunshine!

Experimented with direct sunlight, and in shade out doors and in doors out of direct sunlight. The latter seemed to work best as no shadows.

For the backgrounds I used some embossed wallpaper in bright white and a rafia woven floor mat. Both have texture to add some interest, and the mat also had some leading lines in the weave which looked nice. I also tried, pressed tin and some daises.

It was difficult to escape the shadows. And when I got close to my flower, the camera goes into auto macro and you can see even the weave of the fabric and the fibres in the felt which didn't look so good. So it seems I need to learn to use the camera! Aagh! Its been an ongoing problem on all our holidays!

So after taking sh**loads of pics, the focus on the majority was terrible. I managed to actually post 3 new items. yay! But want to take more pics of those listings in situations. I'll try it with clothes on the hanger with the brooches pinned to it. Since I can't pin Maya down for long enough to model.

But...all Maya's clothes in the wash so will tackle this part tomorrow - off to work at the flower shop today! yay! I'm loving that!! In the meantime...I'm meant to be doing my serious job of home finances, vacuuming & ironing before work at 2pm.....I want to see an Etsy blog..."Quit your day job & afford a cleaner!" Now that I would study for!

take it easy!

Mel

x

My Goals are....!

Ok so here they are. My goals. This is to ensure my committment! (Hi Kathy! ;-)

1. Photograph current unlisted stock on Etsy.

DEADLINE - TODAY! The sun is shining, the sky is blue,

Maya is in daycare....CARP DIEM!

2. List all newly photographed stock on Etsy & tweak all existing, prices, wording & postage costs.

DEADLINE - Friday 2 July 2010.

3. Complete new stock & designs to fill up 2 pages on Etsy.

24 listings per page. 13 already listed. 35 to go!

DEADLINE 23rd July 2010.

4. Apply to Perth Upmarket

DEADLINE - 27th July 2010. 24 days till deadline.

1 new item per day!!!!! Must photo & list daily!

5. Start Facebook page & PUT IT OUT THERE.

Oh peers, please be kind...and generous!

DEADLINE - Friday 30th July.

Perth UpMarket 12th September 2010.

Countdown from last deadline....

5 weeks approx! Goals to follow....

Here is Maya going to daycare with her daddy.

Flower Brooch - www.etsy.com/shop/sunnyandfine

Cardigan - Op Shop

Pants - http://www.rummagestyle.com/

A new day....

So here I am. A blogger. Who would've thunk it.

It all began with a craft party for my mothers group. You know, share a hobby with your friends. Learn a new skill. So my input into the group of young mums - made up of a doctor, hairdresser, property developer, enviromentalist and african product importer - was the artist! So I thought up a couple of projects to teach the gals and as it happended, the felt flower accessory was a hit!

So after years of pondering how I would embark on a creative career, here it was before me. I will hold art and craft parties! While I still believe this is a great idea, my market was complicated (everyone had kids that required babysitting), I had no venue, the profit margin wasn't there... so Craft Parties has been filed away for now...

Hello Sunny And Fine!

I had been making the felt flowers for my little girl Maya. Dressing up all her plain outfits with a snazzy hand made flower. I received alot of compliments, and was approached by a shop in Fremantle to supply them! Oh happy days! What a compliment!

Not that I have supplied them...yet....its been months...Why can't I just get it done??
Well I started a shop on Etsy and have had a couple of sales...but my committement just hasn't been there. So I thought if I started this blog, I will chronical the journey of getting to market. Perth Upmarket that is, plus a functioning Etsy store and Sunny And Fine in brick and mortar.

So they are my goals. And this blog is going to keep me on track and committed! Here goes! Jump in first first!

xxx

Mel