My New Booth Design

This month has been flying by, I can't believe November will be here this weekend.

I have been in jewelry making mode for the last month or so, building up my inventory for all my holiday shows.

Last weekend I got my show season off to a great start. I had a booth at a fashion show fund raising event, and it was a huge success. It was my perfect target market and everyone was there to shop.

I tried out some new display pieces, and they worked out great. I've needed a new idea for a long time and I am so glad this idea worked.

In my old booth it was very challenging to take jewelry down and put it back up when we had a crowd of people at the table, now it is much easier for me and the customers.

old display

As much as I loved my old display it was really challenging.

New Display

My new display includes the new flat boards, pipe display pieces, and it really emphasizes the industrial hardware theme.

My craft show display has been a work in progress for the last 10 years. Every time I add to it or create a new piece I like it more and more. I think I have finally found the solution to making it easier to show off the items even when it's crowed. 

I have another big 2 day show coming up this weekend and I am looking forward to being able to help customers easier, and hopefully sell lots of pieces.

How has your display evolved over the years?

My Big Event

I was lucky to be part of a large fashion show art event at a local gallery last week. I have been working on my pieces all summer and I was so excited to be accepted to participate in the show.

It was a long process of finding models, choosing music, creating a runway plan, and getting everything coordinated for the event. Who knew there was so much working in prepping for something that only lasts for about 20 minutes.

It was a very long day of rehearsal, getting hair and make up done, and waiting around for the show to start. I think the waiting around was the hardest part.

Here are a few photos of the day and the event.

The runway

Waiting around to rehearse 

Hair and makeup

Ready for the runway

The main event

Here are the three pieces I created for the runway show.

All and all it turned out to be a fantastic day. I was really tired when I got home (and the next day) but it was worth all the work I put into participating.

I am still honored to have my three pieces selected. I think I will apply again next year :)

Finally, I Have a Plan

Finally, I feel like I am getting my business back on track.

But before I talk about business, I want to start with a BIG THANK YOU to everyone who follows my blog, comments, and shares their stories on Everyday Inspired!

I appreciate all of you and I have enjoyed getting to know you through blogging.

THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF THE EVERYDAY INSPIRED COMMUNITY!

Now back to business

I wrote a couple of post last month My Struggles and Please Share Your Thoughts, sharing with you the struggles I have been having with my business and blogging. For a while I thought I was going to stop blogging all together, but I realized I would really miss the process.

As much as I feel like I am writing for myself most of the time, I have learned a lot, shared my story, and discovered new things about myself while blogging, and because of that I can't give it up all together. 

As for my blog I have decided to move it to a different platform and a new format early next year. I wish I could work on it now, but as we move into the busy season I do not need another project.

So for the rest of this year I will post a couple times week with quotes and inspiring photos to help us stay motivated all season long. Doing these kinds of posts are just as important to me, and help me stay motivated as well. 

I will also share with you new pieces, photos from shows, and any other tid bits that are happening in my life in a few random posts throughout the holiday season. You can also follow me on Instagram for more regular updates about my shop and life.

As for my business, I will be making some changes in 2015. A new website, another Etsy shop, a big push into wholesale, and a lot less stressing and more enjoying my business.

Overall I feel a little better now that I have a plan moving forward into 2015. 

When you need a little motivation and inspiration, stop by Everyday Inspired for a little boost to help you get through your day. Even better, stop by every week for a burst of motivation all week long.

Are you ready to move forward into the busy season?

My Struggles

I have spent the last few weeks thinking about a new plan for the fall and holiday season. 

After a great start this year things my business has really fizzled out, and things are slow. I have yet to have a good show this year, my Etsy shop sales have been far and few between, and I am struggling with what to do next.

Staying positive when things are down is challenging. I had a conversation with my husband last week about shutting down my business and getting a job. He is so great, he told me I would regret it and to just keep working hard. He knows me so well.

I am working on staying positive and motivated, when I do the Monday Motivation posts they are just as much for me as they are for you.

As I try to figure things out and what I want to do going forward I have been busy working on reevaluating my social media plan.  I only want to invest my time into a few good sites so I am not wasting what little time I have. Social media can be such a time sucker. 

This summer I have been investing some time into Insatagram, it's pretty easy to use and with latergram.me I can schedule my posts which makes it much easier to incorporate into my day. Other social media sites I plan to use regularly are Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook. You can follow me on all these sites at @additionsstyle.

As I work through my struggles of what to do next, I am going to spend a lot of my time in August working on marketing my Etsy shop. Hopefully I can get back in the grove and bring in more sales.

My mantra for August is going to be  

"I will generate income everyday" 
&

I just posted this in my studio for inspiration

Click here to print out a copy for yourself

Now I just need a good plan.

I will share with you more about my struggles and my future plans in the coming weeks. Please feel free to share in the comments or you can email me at additionsstyleblog@gmail.com.

What are some strategies you do, when you are struggling with your business?

Market Locally

Summer is a great time to get out and market your business locally. 

With a variety of art / craft show, events, and networking opportunities there is always ways to market your business.

Looking for shows to participate in, in your area, check out Craftlister.com or festival net.com. 

I enjoy doing shows and participating in events to share my business with my community. Getting out and meeting my customers is one of my favorite things, and it has helped my business as well. I get to test out new products, determine my best sellers, and doing shows and events has helped me to narrow down my target market.

A few new pieces I will be showing at my upcoming show

I also leave my business cards in local coffee shops and post them on community boards, teach classes, and talk about my business whenever I have the opportunity. During the holidays I had a ton of sales from the ladies at my gym, just for mentioning my business after a class.

Marketing your business in your community is a great way to expand your business. This is also a great time of year to put yourself out there and start promoting what you have to offer!

How do you market your business locally?

You Never Know Unless You Try

I recently submitted a few sketches to a gallery to be included in an up coming show. I worked on the sketches for a few days, and I kept telling myself I was wasting my time, but when they were complete I hit the submit button and off they went.

After I sent it I did not give it a second thought. I already had it in my head I was not going to get in so I just put it out of my mind.

Well last week I found out that the piece I sketched out was accepted and they want a couple more pieces.

After I read the email I just sat there shocked. I realized the piece I sketched now had to be made in real life and I needed to come up with more ideas.

I am very excited and thrilled to be part of this event. It will take me a couple of months to complete the three piece, they are nothing like the pieces I design for my Etsy shop, but large pieces that will be in a fashion show and displayed in a gallery for 3 months.

The gallery is a beautiful space

Here is a brief video of last years event


2013 ŏn-sŏm' bəl Review from Jim Kirkhoff on Vimeo.


How often do you not participate in creative opportunities because you don't think you have a chance?

Maybe now is the time to put yourself out there and try something you have never done before.  There are a variety of opportunities online and off, you just have to submit your best work and see what happens.

Have you ever just applied to participate in a show, gallery event, or be featured on a blog? How did it work out?

Production Work is a Necessary Part of a Creative Business

I like creating jewelry this time of year. There is no rush to get items created for shows and holiday orders, and I can just be creative and make a variety of new pieces.

I have been doing a lot of that lately, as I am starting to put together pieces for my new Limited Edition collection. Here is a sneak peek at some of my new pieces.

Pearl and Hardware Pendant

Pearl and Hardware Earrings

Crystal and Pearl Choker

Here are a couple of pieces that are not listed in my Etsy shop yet.

As much as I enjoy creating new pieces I still have to work on building up my inventory for when things pick up later this year.

Production work is not my favorite things to do, but a necessary part of my business. I have several, as I'm sure you do, pieces that are good sellers that I need to keep a good stock of throughout the year.

I have started mixing it up this year, I create a new piece and then I do a couple of my production pieces. This way I still get to have fun creating, while building up my inventory. If I stick to this schedule I should have a nice inventory for show season.

How do you handle your production work?

The Last One

It has been a whirlwind month in a half. 

I have had 6 shows in the last 4 weeks, and two of them being record breaking in sales and items sold. In one show I sold over 100 items. My world, over these last few weeks, has been all about making jewelry and setting up for shows.

I am so happy to only have one more show this November, and an easy evening show in December. I can't wait to get back on a regular schedule, and to get around to visiting everyones blogs!

Next week I will start back on my blogging schedule, so be on the look out for a few new posts. 

November Special

During the month of November Wednesday's are going to become the NewFriday 

Who say's the best sales are on Friday 

Shop my Etsy shop on Wednesday's this month and get 25% off your entire purchase

Use coupon code NEWFRIDAY

New items this season

Coming soon

Bead Wrapped Washers

Double Bar Necklace

Stud Earrings

What's keeping you busy this season?

It's Time for a Change

I love blogging!

I have been posting 5 days a week on Everyday Inspired for the last 3 1/2 years.  My goal is to provide content that will inspire your creative business and life.

Things like Embrace Harmony Week, Inspired Success Week, Breathing Room, and Inner Spark, has some of my favorite content and I enjoyed creating all of these series.

Everyday Inspired has grown a lot over the last few year, and I have met an amazing group of bloggy friends. You are the reason I come back week after week with new posts.

Over the last few weeks I have come to realize that it is more challenging to create new content, and to accomplish everything I would like to, to meet my goals.

I have decided to take a blogging break.

I will be posting a Motivation Monday post every week and few random posts sharing some of my new projects. So stop by on Monday's and share your thoughts with me.

I will be back later this summer with the new and improved Everyday Inspired! It will include a new look and lots of new content.

Speaking of new content, I would love to have you as a contributor on Everyday Inspired! If you are passionate about inspiration, business, creativity, and motivation then I would love to talk with you about doing guest posts or being a regular contributor. Contact me at additionsstyleblog@gmail.com and lets talk about your ideas.

I am really excited to take this time to regroup and start fresh with new ideas.  I am also looking forward to creating a new collection of jewelry, and really building up my inventory in my Etsy shop and for my holiday shows.

I will still be around, visiting and commenting on blogs, hanging out on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Google+, and I thought I would give Instagram a try this Summer. I would love to connect with you on social media!

Feel free to contact me anytime with any questions, ideas, or suggestions. additionsstyleblog@gmail.com

I hope you have a great summer, see you soon!

A Sharing Moment

It has been awhile since I shared anything that is going on in my world, so I thought I would do a little sharing today.

April has been a crazy busy month so far, not to mention cold. I really can't wait for it to warm up, and for things to start turning green. 

On a personal note:
My husband and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary last week (4/15). We made the best of the day. It was cold and rainy, and there was the awful event in Boston that made the day a little hard to enjoy, but we were very happy to be able to be together all day.

Today we are taking the 3 1/2 hour drive to our daughters college. She was nominated for a scholarship and they are having the awards banquet tonight. We have our fingers crossed that she will win one.

I have my first show next Friday. I have been trying to build up my inventory, but it has been challenging. My husband is starting a new job, so these last couple of weeks he has been home. We seem to have a new project or place to go everyday.

The view from the window

May is going to be busy as well, I have two shows, and my daughter comes home for a month and then we have to pack her back up as she heads back for summer school in June.

My sister and I are going away for a few days in the middle of May. I am really looking forward to hanging out with her. We rented a house on Lake Michigan with no TV, so we are just going to relax the whole time.

A few things happening on Everyday Inspired:
Watch for a week that will be all about you. Embracing Harmony: 5 Days Creating ME Moments will be coming in May. It will be a week of ideas to find and enjoy time with yourself.

There will be a extra post each week on Saturday or Sunday, so watch out for more ways to enjoy ME Moments all summer.

If you have not considered advertising on Everyday Inspired, now is the time. It's easier then ever with passionfruitads.com. I would love to have an ad for your shop or blog on my sidebar!

Etsy Shop update:
New items are going to start showing up in my Etsy shop in May. They are going to have lots of color and stones. I have been experimenting with lots of new ideas and I can't wait to start listing them. Watch out on Facebook and Twitter, I will list them there first.

Here are a couple of pieces recently listed in my shop.

I have been sick for the last week and trying to get back into the swing of thing. I will be around to everyone's blogs next week.

I hope you're having a great Spring!

Do you have anything going on in your world you would like to share, I would love to hear about it in the comments!

New in 2013

2012 was my best year ever. It has inspired me to set some big goals for 2013 including growing my Etsy business, getting more wholesale accounts, and creating a blog with useful and inspiring content, and building up my blog community.

Be on the look out for a new look this month and new series to inspire you creatively, personally, and your creative business.

I am retiring Be Inspired Wednesday, for Inspiration Boards that will show up a few times a month. They will be full of inspiring photos and quotes to keep your creative juices flowing.

Two new series will become regular features, one is called Breathing Room which will have posts about organizing, relaxing and wellness, and creative time. The other series is Inner Spark, these posts will guide you to discovering new thing about yourself and your business.

Some blog favorites like Motivation Monday, DIY Friday, Artists to know, and Inspired Success Week, will all be around in 2013 as well.

I am looking forward to a year of creating exciting new blog posts, sharing things I learn, and getting to know each of you a little more.

Join me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram for more tidbits and inspiration, and to see all the new items showing up in my Etsy shop.

What are you looking forward to in 2013?

Planning for the New Year

I can't believe how quickly this month is flying by. It has been a busy holiday season and I recently realized that it's time to start planning for 2013.

This time of year I like to take my notebook and write down all my ideas for the new year. Seeing it on paper gives me a chance to figure out what ideas will work and which won't.

This process helps me create my plan, and action steps for the new year.

Everyone does something a little different to prepare, what is your process for planning for the new year?

Small Business Saturday

Shop your local shops and online handcrafted shops today!

Handcrafted gift ideas from Additions

A brand new collection
HOLIDAY HARDWARE COLLECTION

The new collection is going to start showing up in my Etsy shop all next week.

If your in the Chicago area, this is where I will be on Saturday. Stop by and say HI!

Thank you for supporting Small Business Saturday!

Journal Your Plan

It's the end of September and Tomorrow is the beginning of the holiday season for selling. Have you reviewed your goals or plans lately?

Pull out your plans and start creating your to-do-list for getting sales.

I have been working on my to-do-list for a week and now I have my plan for my holiday season. I set a goal of 100 sales between now and the end of the year. It's going to require a lot of work, but now that I have a plan I feel better about making my goal.

Have you prepared your plan for the holiday season? Today is the day. Take out your journal and create your to-do-list for your best selling season ever.

Do you have a plan?

What are Your Favorite Marketing Materials for your Business?

Last week while participating at an art show, I took some time to walk around and check out all the booths of amazing artists.

I love to collect everyone's cards and marketing materials. People come up with some amazing ideas for marketing their business.

One booth used playing cards as price tags and another had a brochure from book pages, and lots of handmade business cards, like stamped rubber from bike tires.

I am in the process of designing business cards, thank you cards, and postcards for the holidays. It is always such a process, because I have so many ideas it's always hard to narrow it down.

I'm curious, what marketing materials do you use, or would like to use, for your business?

Here is a list of marketing material ideas to get you started:
Business card
Brochure
Tags
Thank you cards
Post cards
Labels
Notepads
Banners
Catalogs
Bookmarks
Magnets
Stickers
Sales Sheets