Notes of a novice seller

Minnado's House and I have talked about this for a long time, ever since this post and now I'm getting around to actually tell you about it on my blog too!  I've found it very difficult to write as I have so many ideas but some of them aren't fully fledged yet and also I don't want to give the game away too much.

I'm not one for new year's resolutions but this year I decided I wanted to be more organised, so not only was there the things on the list that I wanted to do, I also want to sell my creations at a craft fair or two and I would like to set up an on-line shop too selling some of my things.  Now there are lots of wonderful blogs/sites out there that have specialist sections dedicated to telling you how you can make the things you love to do into a business and how others have found it like here and here but Minnado's House and I decided that we wanted a little bit of blog time ourselves as a kind of support group.  If any one would like to join us just let us know, the more the merrier!  It's not something that is going to be highly regimented, we're hoping for one post each once a month so we don't feel too constricted.

As you can probably tell we're both wary as it's scary wanting strangers to like the stuff I make enough to actually pay for it!  We even have the most beautiful button that the very talented Minnado made just on the left there, so if you want to join you can have a button too!  If that's not incentive enough I don't know what is!  I always wanted a sticker when I went to the doctor/dentist whatever, although I'm not as devious as my niece who managed to persuade the nurses at the hospital to let her have a whole roll!  She'd got a bead stuck in her ear and it had to be removed at the local Miner's hospital under anaesthetic, so to say she was banned from beads after that was an understatement! 

The ideas for stock so far are more of the flowers I made as gifts for people and bunting and bias tape and shopping bags as I'll be cashing in on the fact that all shops will be charging for flimsy plastic shopping bags at the checkout from March.  I'm sure people would much rather something fun and funky they can use again as I can't be without the one I've made and the one I was bought as a present.  I'm also thinking of making some handbags and purses with what I've learnt from making the Amy Butler designs and am eager to make my own designs.  I may even do some aprons and quilts for kids and have a nifty little idea about a kit for a kid's toy.
 

cotton bag made from funky owl print fabric with a brown background and on the back is plain orange cotton as the owl fabric was only a fat quarter.

I'm hoping this post will really force me into making more stuff to sell as I've been a bit distracted lately making clothes for myself and it's just dawned on me that I signed upto this and so far I have only got 1 dress, 3 skirts and 3 tops so I better get sewing as I'll be constantly washing and you'll all be sick of seeing me in the same thing!

My long term goal is to make enough money from what I make to give up a day at my job so that I can either dedicate it to making and designing or selling at a regular fair.  I know most people might say 'why isn't your goal to give up your job completely so you can make and sell full time' but with things as they are economically I think having a safety net of a job, however precarious is better than none and I'm all for baby steps right now!

I'm really excited about it all and have got a vision of what my stall might look like and hope I can achieve it at least once to say 'well I've tried it' and then go from there.