Craftin' Outlaws Show

This past weekend I set up shop for the first time at Craftin Outlaws.  I was excited, exhausted and anxious to see how things would go and what my booth would look like once completely set up.

It was very difficult preparing for this show.  I was so excited to have been accepted, only two find out shortly after that I needed to have surgery on my knee, which resulted in six weeks of crutches. However, I was determined to be there.  With so much help from my dad, (those words don't even do it justice...) I was able to still participate!  Together we had hand cut and sewn/hand sewn 175+ dog collar accessories and set up our booth with four (really cool I might add) spray painted ironing board displays.
I seriously couldn't believe we did it all in time!

The show was a success for LBF and I will keep applying in the future.  I can't say thank you enough to everyone that helped along the way and to my amazing friends and brother-in-law + sister-in-law that drove up from Dayton to see me!  I am so blessed to have such supportive people in my life.  This show was a lot of fun, and I was glad to be a part of it.

Thank you to everyone that has called, texted, or emailed me about my recovery and my show.
My shop is now open again, with plenty of ready to ship collar accessories!

Time Off

Starting on Monday the 25th, my shop will go on "vacation mode" for a short while.  For some reason Etsy only allows you to title time away from your shop as a vacation?  Oh how I wish I was taking a road trip to an adventurous town with good food...

What I will be doing is having work done on my knee, and we are unsure what the recovery will be like.  There are two ways it could go, and I won't know the outcome until I wake up from surgery and the doc tells me how it went.  Either way, I am not sure when I will be feeling mobile and returning to my sewing room.  I will keep everyone posted and for now am planning on closing the shop on Monday the 25th to leave me with two days to complete orders and ship before my scheduled surgery date.  The plan is to reopen as soon as possible, but I advise getting orders in this week in case I am away longer than expected.  

I hope the pups are prepared for an extra snuggly week next week.

Keep Trying

Print Via Etsy

This week I got an exciting email congratulating me on being a vendor to an upcoming indie craft show in Columbus.

I couldn't believe it! 

Little Blue Feathers was in.

I applied for this show two years in a row and was denied two years in a row.  Each year I have made improvements in product quality, professionalism and photography, so I tried again hoping these changes would put my application on top.  I think that is important, to always be on the look out for ways to improve.  It not only makes the acceptance email sweeter, but it's rewarding to look back to a year ago and see how much has changed.

Hard work always pays off, and I am so glad I kept trying.  Reading "congratulations" in my email was a rush of excitement.  I hope this reminds you to never give up.
"Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try."
And in some cases, to keep trying.

Come by and say hi?  ;)

Show information:

Craftin' Outlaws

April 20th

Downtown Columbus, OH

Veterans Memorial 

10am - 6am

Customer Love

When I first opened my shop, I didn't have all of my social sites up and running.  I wasn't as concerned with connecting with customers, because quite honestly, I didn't realize at the time that this was such a big part of the handmade business world.  

Little did I know...

Connecting with customers has been one of the best things with managing an online handmade business. It gives me a chance to "meet" the people who are interested in buying my products.  I am able to connect with them and find out how they discovered my shop, who it is they are buying for and in some cases, see family photos with their LBF products included.  *Thank you to the customers above for sharing these beautiful wedding photos! :)

It's actually kind of amazing.

Pinterest has allowed people (and myself) to share their favorite products of mine so others can see and shop them.

Facebook gives customers the chance to comment and share photos, as well as keep up to date with new products and LBF news.

And twitter, well, it's just fun to see what's going on with all of my handmade friends inside their studios and out.  

Connecting with customers and other handmade businesses is huge!  It's an instant burst of adrenaline when you see a message from a customer sharing photos and telling you how much they love their order. It's a sweet reminder from another handmade business owner you've met letting you know that hard times will get better, or maybe next year you will get into that juried show.  It's a connection that feels like even though I am staring at the computer screen, I feel like I am talking face to face with a new friend.

I really encourage you to start a blog and Facebook page.  Not necessarily to find more people to follow you, but so those customers can get to know the person behind the product.  So you can meet like-minded people to share interests with and be inspired by.  Try it!

Little Blue Feathers Is Open For Business

My shop is open again!  I am so excited about my new fabrics, product photos and felt color options.  Not to mention, the new items coming to my shop very soon!  Bow ties, regular ties and hair accessories will be here before you know it.

When I started sewing again, I took all of my pattern pieces and adjusted them slightly.  There were small changes that I wanted to make or add that would lead to an even better design and quality piece.  It's something I am always thinking about.... What could make this even better?  Then when I see the new product, I think to myself -- I should have been doing it this way all along!  That's the thing with growing your business, you are always learning.

This break was a really great thing for me and LBF.  I took time off, looked into some new suppliers, took a look at 2012 as a whole on what my customers were really loving the most, set some new goals and am even working with my favorite web designer on opening up another way for customers to shop LBF!

I am ready for 2013!
Lets do this.

Papa Feather

This week I am preparing to reopen my shop!  It's been a really nice one month vacation and my sewing machine and I are together again at last.  

I think about the end of last year and how much my dad helped me.  Willingly he would come over to my apartment at least once a week and would sit in my little studio space, listen to music, cut fabric and we would talk about whatever it was that was on our minds that day.  We would often joke about the fact that we never thought I would be back in Dayton so soon, running a handmade sewing business with two dogs and making bow ties.  What is even more funny to us though, is that we never thought my dad would have retired from his family business by the age that he did, and become his daughter's assistant with her handmade business sewing accessories for dogs!  My mom and husband get a kick out of it too.

My dad is someone who is very special to me.  I've always felt like he understands me and comes from a creative mindset himself.  He has encouraged me from day one with Little Blue Feathers and has never once told me he didn't think it would work, or that I should wait to pursue my dreams or business.  My dad has pushed me to think about new designs and given me input on fabric types that would sell well in his opinion.  He proudly keeps a stack of business cards in his wallet and has promoted LBF to people like his dentist, people in line at McDonalds, friends at church and just about anyone that talks about their dogs while he is around.  I call him my lead marketer!

Something I always value about my dad is his advice.  My dad and his family ran a successful carpet business for many years.  He is always starting out sentences with, "I know carpet is different than accessories, but I always found that....."  or "I know how you feel.  With the carpet business I would...."

Although our businesses were worlds apart (fun fact, my family ran their business successfully with NO computers!  Craaaaazy, right?!  My business wouldn't even exist without a computer!) he always has a story to compare situations that can help me through a little rut.  My dad has always taught me that if you are going to do something, you do it right.  I've also learned from my dad that it might take a little extra time to do something a certain way, but it's worth doing it right the first time than going back and trying to correct something that would have just taken an extra minute to do the first time.  That dad of mine, he's a smart cookie.

I am glad that my dad is continuing to help myself and LBF.  Around here, Papa Feather has become a big part of my business and I am very thankful to have the opportunity to live close to each other and have this father-daughter bonding time.  I will treasure this time together always.  

Tote Bags

There's a new item listed in my shop!  

The other day I screen printed a couple of tote bags and they seem to already have a pretty good response.  The tote bags are all natural heavy duty canvas cotton bags that are printed in black ink.  I love the idea of tote bags.  Who doesn't need a bag to carry things to work, school, the library, grocery, play dates...

See.  Everyone needs a tote bag!  It's just what style of tote do you want to carry.  If you are an Abraham Lincoln lover, or as big of a fan of boston terriers as I am, I would suggest hopping on over to my shop and taking a look!

Therapy Dogs

Lately I've received a lot of inbox messages with customers sharing photos of their pups in LBF gear.  Every time I see a new photo, I am a little extra giddy as I read their message.  This particular pup is not only a beautiful boxer, but she has a story to tell.

This is Martha; A name that is forever a sweet name to me as that was my grandmother's name.  Martha is a white boxer with the most adorable face.  Her mother purchased an accessory for her to wear when she went to "work".   My first image was of a pup running a cash machine and checking on customers, but clearly that's not what line of work Martha is in ;) ;)

Martha accompanies her mother at work as an occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy and READ dog.  This is something I have been more aware of lately as I have met people that also have their pups involved in one or more of these programs.  In case you are unfamiliar with this, READ dogs are registered therapy dogs that travel to schools and children read to them to gain more confidence in their reading and communication skills.  My heart instantly connects with these stories not only because I am a big dog lover, but because I was one of those kids that was a very shy reader in school.  To this day, reading is not something I enjoy, I am not a speed reader and I still struggle with finding the right words sometimes.  I think it is so great that there are dogs getting involved and opening people up to better communicate and assisting with emotional and physical needs.

Martha's mother, Nicole, shared this website with me where you can read more personal stories about how dogs can impact someone's life.  If you are interested in the READ program, you can check out more information here.

**If you have a therapy dog, work with a therapy dog or want to give a gift to one that you know, please use coupon code THERAPY and receive 20% off your dog accessories purchase from now until Thursday December 13.  Coupon code will only accepted on collar accessories.   

Let these pups know they are loved and appreciated, as well as dressed to impress when they walk in the room!

Brickyard Buffalo Feature

site design for Brickyard Buffalo by October Ink.

This week I am offering a BIG discount over at Brickyard Buffalo's launch party today!  Brickyard Buffalo is an online pop-up market that showcases designers, their business and awesome products.  It's a way to shop great vendors at a discounted price that last for a limited time.

This week only, I am offering two dog bow ties and two felt flower collar accessories at 35% off!  That is a big discount!  Actually, I'm not sure I have ever offered 35% off before?!  This means you should snag a couple for your pup this Christmas season at this price while supplies last.

You can view the details of my deals HERE.  Below are larger photos of the products being sold at this great value.  Take a look and shop some of the other great vendors this week!

Shop these items on Brickyard Buffalo HERE.

Tips To Buying On Etsy

The holiday shopping season is here!  Since we all love handmade goodies, I want to give you some pointers in shopping the handmade market this upcoming holiday season.  

I have already seen an increase in holiday requests and purchases that are intended for gifts and family Christmas photos.  It's a beautiful time of year, but with this time of year can come a lot of work for retailers.  Today, I want to share with you some tips to buying handmade online from the perspective of a shop owner.  I hope this helps you choose the perfect gifts for your loved ones this year!

Here we go!

Tips to buying handmade items online:

I sell on Etsy, which is a marketplace for thousands of handmade artists.  There are other places to shop handmade artists other than Etsy, but because I am the most familiar with this selling platform, this is what I am going to share with you today.  I encourage you to seek out all handmade artists, as they are all over the web!

One of the things that is great for buyers on Etsy is that every shop is set up the same way.  You do not have to search where to find information with each shop you visit.  It will always be in the same place.

Tip #1

Start shopping NOW!  Yes, there are still almost two months until Christmas, however, a lot of shops are made to order meaning they create your item once the order is placed.  Shipping time is also something that can vary depending on location and it's best to give yourself plenty of time to receive the item.  

Tip #2

When you find a shop on Etsy and you want to purchase one of their items, the first thing I recommend to do is to read the listing thoroughly that you want to purchase.  Look for information like available sizes, colors, descriptions, etc.  After you read the listing, move on to the shop announcement at the top of the store, just below the header image.  This is where a lot of shops share more details about their design process, lead times, social networking sites and shipping information.

Tip #3

Check the location of the shop.  The great thing about Etsy is that sellers are from around the world.  I ship to another country just about every week and those orders do take longer to reach the buyer.  International order lead times (through USPS) vary depending on the customs process into each country.  With that being said, shipping times are estimated at 2 weeks for international orders, but can take a little more time during the holidays.

Tip #4

If you have a question about placing an order, you can contact that shop owner through Etsy by clicking on the contact button just below the shop owners photo and location.

Tip #5

Etsy is always improving!  Recently they added listing variations which means you can add a drop down menu at checkout if the customer is required to enter a size, color or specific information for the order.  For example, my personalized letter onesie needs a size onesie and letter choice stated at checkout.  Customers are able to use the drop down menu to select the right options and then hit add to cart.

Tip #6

If there is a shop you really love, I recommend following them on their social networking sites.  This is a great way to keep in touch, view product sneak peeks, get to know the artist and know when there are coupon codes for their shop.  If a shop provides fans with a coupon code, you will enter that at checkout just below the payment.  Click on the text Apply shop coupon code and enter the code exactly as the shop owner shared it.  

Hand stamped silver spoon from Jessica N Designs.

That's it friends!  I hope you find these tips helpful in shopping unique handmade gifts for your friends and family this season.  Buying from handmade artists is a great way to support small businesses and get to know the work that goes into the item you are purchasing.  Please remember that Etsy sellers are business owners, and that like any other retail store, this time of year is a busy one.  Make sure to read over the listings, announcements and invoice thoroughly and don't hesitate to ask questions.

I hope all of my Etsy friends have a great season!  

Let the shopping begin!

Selling Product At Three Dog Bakery

I am so excited to share with you that I am now selling at Three Dog Bakery in Columbus, Ohio!!

In addition to selling online in my Etsy shop, I am now selling in a handful of boutiques around the USA, either on consignment or through wholesale orders.  It is so much fun to see my items displayed in a store!  Something I would have never thought I would be doing a year ago...

Three Dog Bakery is extra special to me because this store tailors to dogs, and owners who love to spoil their dogs.  Plus, I used to live in Columbus and spend a lot of time in the short north area near downtown where the shop is located.  

Every time I pass through Columbus, I try to stop in and pick up a treat for my pups.  Three Dog Bakery sells all kinds of pup treats.  You can purchase food, bones, little pupcakes, buckeyes, pawlines, lickity splits, puppermints, birthday cakes and so much more.  When you order there will be two great danes there to take your order and say hello.  ;)

At Three Dog Bakery, you can find LBF dog collar accessories, dog shirts and matching children clothing.  It's such a fun environment and I am very excited to have my items for sale in their adorable space!

Knowing When To Say No

With owning a handmade business, I am always learning something new.  And lately it seems I have been testing myself on how much I can actually do.  I want to participate in every LBF opportunity, but realistically, as of right now my business is run by me, myself and I with the occasional help from a couple family members.  

I'm learning it is ok to say no sometimes.  

Recently, I have been excited to see LBF grow.  I have dreams for where I want to see my business go, and taking risks, putting yourself out there and working hard is a part of this.  

I've had a couple marketing and store consignment opportunities come my way that I was super excited about.  I am always wanting to reach a new audience and my first reaction is to always hop on board.  I've realized that by myself, I can not yet take on all of the things I want to.  Instead, I need to choose the better business decisions for right now.  Does that mean I can't try again in 6 months?  Absolutely not.  I think the best thing I can do for my business is to treat it like a business, but make smart choices creatively, financially and realistically...

Then I can see where LBF can really grow.  

Sometimes saying no, or passing on one opportunity, makes way for something new.  Something different, and something better suited for your business.  As soon as I started questioning if I could really take on another consignment store, I was emailed with requests to place another wholesale order to a store I sold wholesale to earlier in the year.  That same day...I got another wholesale request in my inbox.  

One door closes, another door opens, right?!

Learning to say no, I can't leave my studio today because I have a lot to work on...is OK.

Saying no to a store consignment offer is OK if you think it will be a lot more work than you have time available.  More opportunities, exciting opportunities, will keep coming around if you keep putting yourself out there.  Until then, I am still learning my limits and finding more efficient ways to run my business and make my products.

Tonight I read this post on Gussy Sews blog, and this last paragraph really spoke to me.

"...Treat it like a business and it will produce like a business. Treat it like a hobby, it will produce like a hobby. Don’t be afraid to delegate things so that you are able to focus more on using YOUR talents on income-producing activities..."

-Jaima of Ring Around The Rosies.

Click here to read Jaima's whole post.

Changes To Little Blue FeatherS

Recently I have been making some changes to Little Blue Feathers.  The biggest change that I feel like I need to share first is the slight name change.

Little Blue Feathers

When I started my shop, I loved the name Little Blue Feather.  The name comes from the little blue feather that is included in every package before it ships.  Cute, right?!  I opened my etsy shop and created my FB page.  But then I wanted to start a blog and LittleBlueFeather [dot] blogspot [dot] com was taken and so was LittleBlueFeather [dot] com.  Then I moved on to LittleBlueFeather [at] gmail [dot] com and that was also taken already.  I found myself changing my blog and email to LittleBlueFeathers and hoped that adding the s to the ending wouldn't matter so much and I would just continue on.  

In reality, that started to confuse people even more.  Some of my friends, family and customers were talking to me about this recently so I decided to make sure everyone knew of the recent changes!

Now, everything is Little Blue Feathers with the added S.  The only exception is my Facebook page because I am unable to change my page name, but the link to get to my FB page is Facebook.com/LittleBlueFeathers.  Hopefully this will help people better find LBF on the web, and eliminate any confusion.

Links you can find Little Blue Feathers:

Shop:  LittleBlueFeathers.etsy.com

Blog:  LittleBlueFeathers.blogspot.com

Twitter:  @LilBlueFeathers - Twitter.com/LilBlueFeathers

Instagram:  @LittleBlueFeathers 

Facebook:  Facebook.com/LittleBlueFeathers

Landing Page with all of the above:  LittleBlueFeathers.com

Another change coming to Little Blue Feathers is a schedule change.  

Working with a daily schedule is not a strong point for me.  I struggle with doing an 8-5 which is one of the reasons I wanted to start my own business.  Some mornings I wake up at 6am ready to go, while other days I like to stay up until 2am because I can't seem to put my sewing machine away!  It's probably not the best thing, but I am working on consistency. Until then, my husband and I have decided that instead of a daily schedule, a weekly schedule would be better for me.  This new weekly schedule consists of specific week days dedicated to etsy orders, packaging and shipping, while other days will be focusing on making new products, photography, updating my etsy and blog content.  Lately I seem to feel frustrated that I am not making enough time for all of the new ideas brewing in my mind, so having a "free day" away from filling etsy and store orders I will be able to create more new products.  This also means because I will not be working on filling etsy orders every day of the week, I have extended my lead time to 3-7 business days before orders ship.

In addition to the new schedule, I will stop accepting custom orders on Monday October 22.  With the holiday shopping season approaching really fast, I will be putting all custom order requests on hold again until the first of the year.  

Phew.  That was a lot of information.  

Thank you for reading and understanding!