Friday, January 8, 2010

A New Hobby...For Sale


Because I need a new hobby - I don't already have 5 hobbies with supplies for those hobbies stacked up in dark corners of my house.  I guess I should look at it as gaining another valuable skill rather than taking on yet more craft supplies that I'm still not sure where to store.  I'm having a lot of fun with this, and I am genuinely hoping to attempt contributing something financially to this family with my new hobby.

 In other words:  I'm selling them.

I'm working on opening my Etsy shop at the moment so I don't have anything posted online, but I'll post pictures of what I've done and tell you that I'm constantly creating and churning out bows.  I'm not completely out of my mind thinking that making bows is a novel idea.  I realize that the market is competitive.  I also realize that I'm just getting started and, while I think my bows are lovely, I know others have been doing bows longer and are better at them.  Which is why I'm not selling them at boutique prices.

SO...  all of this is on a trial basis.  I want to sell my bows for a very reasonable price but I also want to hear feedback about them from people who have them. 

Now, on to pictures of the bows.  Realize I'm not anywhere near a professional photographer and don't own a nice SLR camera with which to take pictures of my products.  All of my photos have a yellow tint because of the harsh lighting above my dining room table - and there's my disclaimer about the photos!  I will probably apologize more than once about the quality of the photos...
- What you see above is just the ribbon I have on hand, but I have access to every style under the sun and every color of the rainbow.

- I can also make them whatever size you need.  3/8" ribbon, 1" ribbon, etc.

- I also have the following resins on hand: ladybug, strawberry, cupcake, and daisy, but I have access to many more and can show you pictures of other resins if you're interested.


- All bows are on lined alligator clips, but I can also make them on alligator clips with teeth, ponytail holders, etc. 

These bows are some of my first attempts, and I do get better with each bow I make.  You'll notice the butterfly clip.  I can make that in any color and can also make a bumble bee and a ladybug...I just haven't made either of them quite yet.


And...just in time for Valentine's Day...




Pricing
$4 per large bow
$4 per set of mini bows
$3 per insect bow
$2 per mini bow

Shipping not included.  Buy 5 or more bows, get free shipping.
But...I will match any competitor price.
I'm just starting out so I don't think it's fair that I price my bows higher than anyone else's right now.

Here is a photo of the bows I made for my nieces.  Already, looking at the pictures I took I can see a lot of errors that I know how not to make anymore.  Again with the lighting - sorry!


I have another style of bow to show you, too, but I'm still trying to figure out what to put in the middle of it.  Maybe I'll post a picture when I figure it out.

Like I said, I know the bow market is a competitive one and that I'm just an amateur, but I'm getting better by the bow.  I hope you'll think of me when considering ordering a bow.

I'm also working on nylon headbands for alligator clips.  I made some for my sisters' babies but I'm still trying to round up the supplies I need to make them.  I'll let you know.  Here's a picture - let me know if you'd be interested in them so I don't round up all the stuff then no one cares (the one with the bow is actually a single bow with an alligator clip - it's just as an example)...



Sorry to market my wares to you.  I promise it won't happen again.  Unless I want it to.

If Amelia had enough hair, I would have her model some of the bows for you.  Oh, if you scroll down to the previous entry, my nieces are wearing the headbands I made for them.

Ah, need to go to bed.  We let Amelia figure out the sleeping thing relatively on her own tonight and it went pretty well.  Of course, she went down easily, but she woke up an hour after that and stayed awake for another hour and a half.  She never got angry...just whined/fussed and played with her pacifier and rolled around her crib.   

By the way, my little girl is sitting up SO well by herself now.  I took a picture a couple of days ago...  It must have been about time for her to eat.  She gets to be like Pavlov's dog with the drooling around mealtime.


Have a great Friday!

4 comments commented:

Micah said...

Great job, Jamie!!! Your bows are adorable! You WILL sell them on Etsy! Be sure to let me know when your site is up so I can add you as a favorite! And quit apologizing - they look great!

Open Roads Mama said...

lovely! way to go opening up an Etsy shop, I hope lots of people buy these beauties, they're so cute! I love the head-band version too, so useful with little ones! No girly here, but I will definitely remember your shop when I need a gift for one of BB's girl friends. :)

Melissa M said...

Great job on the bows. Such a crafty girl you are (that sounded like Yoda, sorry). I might have to come visit and check them out. I love having bows for Rachel's hair on Sunday mornings. Besides, I could probably get them from you in the exact color of their dress sashes. Great idea Jamie. Glad you found a hobby you love and are so gifted at!

Diane said...

I agree with Micah... no more apologizing! Your bows are wonderful and beautiful. You're going to do just fine! And you can talk about your business ALL YOU WANT! :) I'm so happy for you!