Selling in Shops Nationwide

It's funny how businesses change over time. When I was doing Nice day Designs full time I felt torn about selling to shops, it seemed like so much money to hand over in commission. The truth is I wasn't that realistic about the amount of hours I was spending out in the cold trying to sell my work at markets. I wasn't paying myself for that time, and I think looking back I was too exhausted to make smart decisions about my business.

Now that I've scaled things back a lot I can make the work that I enjoy making and pass on the chore of selling onto someone else. A few months ago when I went through a period of unemployment I put aside some time to make tonnes of handmade cards to send to various shops around the country. It was a lot of work doing so much all at once. I think the concentrated working time had a two fold effect, it honed my card making skills really establishing an aesthetic. As well as that it gave me a clearer idea of the true cost of in labour and materials of the cards, without a sustained run at any craft it is sometimes hard to  calculate these things.

I'm happy to say that I'm now selling in several locations throughout Ireland, and still looking for more venues, so if you are a craft shop owner please get in touch. Thanks to all of those who have already agreed to sell my work, you guys allow me to focus my energy on what I really love doing-making stuff!

List of suppliers;
Chez Le Fab-Limerick

Lucky Lane-Limerick

Sheelagh Na Gig-Cloughjordan

Baobab Cafe-Celbridge,Co.Kildare

Coffee Time-Co.Donegal

The Ennis Bookshop-Ennis

Selling in LSAD

Today was my first day out in the big bad world selling my supplies. It was a bit of a scramble to get things together, as I had only rang the Art college yesterday to enquire about selling, and the Students Union President said 'Yeah sure, come in tomorrow'. They had organised a small fair thing, on campus, very stall indeed at there were only two other sellers. I'm not sure if this will catch on as a regular thing as I don't think the other people did very well. Considering I did not advertising and people weren't expecting to spend money I didn't do too badly. I had 50 different types of button there, plus a lot of ribbon, and my own pocket mirrors and badges. Not bad for about 15 hrs notice!

It was a weird feeling being back in the college that I spent 4 yrs in, but it's still a pretty cool place, although it's maybe a bit trendier than when I was there. Hopefully I can go back again, but a little more prepared next time.

Note: I will be listing my 15yrd rolls of ribbon in my etsy shop as soon as I get my hands on a decent camera. Also thanks to Cliare Ann for buying buttons today and saying these lovely things about me...aw shucks :)

(Other) Note: My 1000 moo cards were delivered on Monday, I'm using them as packaging on my bags of buttons. I thought they would last a little while but alas I'down to about 60 already, and I'm only at the tip of the iceburg with the bags of buttons...eek!

Bad Day at the Office

Image Source
I was in two minds about whether to write this post or not, but this an account of the good and the bad of my business, not just a sugar coated ad in disguise. As my previous post mentioned I was selling at Baker Place last night at the launch of Crude magazine. I was a quiet start to the evening, and we thought that the cold would keep everyone at home with the radiators and a bollte of wine. But a crowd gathered eventually, and the music was pretty rockin'. The launch for the magazine seemed pretty successful, but I'm not convinced a loud sweaty pub is the place to be selling clothes. On one hand it makes sense, go out and meet the exact people who would buy my stuff. Unfortunatly the demographic that likes distressed colourful, button laden clothes, tend to be poorer that church mice, and in the choice between beer or clothes; beer won.It's the first time I went to any market and sold absolutly nothing, and it was a bit depressing to wake up after a hard days preperation with nothing extra in the wallet. On top of that I even got abuse from a few people! I suppose mixing beer with peoples frustration at their lack of money can make them pretty irrate. I thought it was a bit much shouting at me like I was a fat cat business man, really the reccession is not my fault I swear.
On the upside it did push me to make 5 mens t-shirts, which I'll convince my boyfriend to model, and hopefully I'll have some photos by the middle of the week.
At their next Crude launch they said they would advertise the clothes bit a lot better, and apparently they will have live tattooing, so that should be pretty cool. I think I'll give it one more shot, it's always worth giving things a second chance. If I gave up after a few crap days I would never have gotten this business off the ground in the first place.