Tuesday, May 31, 2011

More about pricing






Last week I had a chat about costing your handmade goodnesses.

How are you all going with that?

In the meantime I have seen a few interesting comments.

1. A very common way to cost is (cost of materials) x 2 plus time (hourly rate).
Add on 30% to 100% to cover other costs.
Do this formula work for you?




2. A discussion about pricing of artworks.
I particular a post on Jen and Jakes blog about undervalueing what you do.
You can read the whole post here.

3. Another posting about pricing of artworks in particular on Artsy Shark.
Great advice here!

4. Lastly (for us etsy sellers) an etsy fee calculator courtesy of Ryan Olbe. You can find it here.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

My creative space

What a tangled web.....


we unweave and make them into wrap bracelets -



If you would like to see other creative spaces or would like to join in pop on over here.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Pricing your goods



A comment by Carole last week prompted me to look at the issue of pricing our handmade goodies.

Her comment was about underpricing.

I'm sure we've all seen them - the sellers who underprice their goods.
They say "it's just a hobby" or "I dont want to make much money" or "it might affect my pension" or "I add 50cents on - that's enough" or "I'd rather sell them for x than have them sitting here unsold".

But maybe it's something we all do sometimes.
Maybe because we don't value what we do enough.

Perhaps we don't really know how to price our goods.

There are many formulae around and I'm sure we all have our own favorite.

Meylah has got a great download - 10 tips for pricing your products.

I really like this because it has a few options.
I'd be interested to know what you think.

I have a different equations for different things that I make.
I make a huge variety of things. Some use expensive components but don't take much time whereas others use relatively inexpensive materials but take forever to make!
(eg knitting and beadweaving)


Some I price "up" because people are prepared to pay more for those.
So the quicker higher profit items subsidise my more labour intensive products.

Do you have a method that works for you?
Feel free to share - I'd love to hear your opinion.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Mad about Paris!


Have you noticed that Paris is everywhere at the moment?

Even in my very modest, conservative town there is a patisserie with eiffel towers and photos of boulangeries!

Have you been to Paris?

Despite growing up just across the channel I only ever passed through Paris on a train and never visited!
How I wish I had got off that train on the way to Spain!

But you can have a bit of Paris in your home -






Or you can carry a bit of France round with you -



laptop sleeve by bertiescloset




necklace by adorneme

Maybe you can grab some baguette and brie and have a french picnic!
Put on some Charles Aznevour songs, crack open a bottle of something francaise!

Bon appetit!

Sunday, May 22, 2011

7 things sunday - 7 guilty pleasures




Guilty pleasures seem a bit "in" at the moment.
But I had to stop and ask myself what the phrase really meant, or actually I googled it!

A guilty pleasure is something one enjoys and considers pleasurable despite feeling guilt for enjoying it. The "guilt" involved is sometimes simply fear of others discovering one's lowbrow or otherwise embarrassing tastes. Fashion, video games, music,[1] movies[2], and junk food can be examples of guilty pleasures.[3] According to wikipedia.

So why would I tell the whole world (or at least the small part of it that reads my blog) about my guilty pleasures if being fearful of others knowing my little secrets is integral to the whole idea?


Well.....I thought it might be fun to at least investigate what my guilty pleasures are.
It's not so easy making a list of 7 as I thought it would be.

But here goes -

1. Chocolate - this is the most obvious.
But I am almost obsessed with chocolate. I can eat all grades and colours, from Zokoko single origin chocolate to.....(who can honestly say that they have never done this?) cooking chocolate!
I can also quite easily eat a whole family block in one sitting as well as make great inroads through a jar of nutella with a spoon.

2. Trackie-dacks.
It probably follows on from #1 that the most comfortable item of clothing ever invented has to be trackpants. I do try and not wear them outside the house...but sometimes you just have to!

3. Footy.
Now here in Australia we have 4 different football codes, which is a bit excessive given the population size. But the footy I am talking about is ......Rugby League......I don't know why, but there you are.
Maybe that is one of the things about guilty pleasures that you don't know why.....and you don't really to explain yourself.



4. Ironing *ducking to avoid all the unused irons whizzing past my head*
I love ironing....especially teatowels. I love getting them all flat and square and folded neatly.

extreme ironing

5. 60's pop music.
I'm old....that was the soundtrack of my youth.....I can totally understand why Richard Curtis made "The Boat that Rocked"!




6. Breakfast in bed.
I have breakfast in bed every day. I love my bed, I have a great view from my bedroom window, I listen to the radio or read and I eat my breakfast in bed.


mug by urban dictionary


7. Robert de Niro.


Need I say more?


But I think the last word in "guilty pleasures" has to go to Tim Minchin -




What are your guilty pleasures?
Want to share?

Friday, May 20, 2011

A day at the writer's festival


I'm so glad I went to the Sydney Writer's Festival today.

What an accessible, vibrant event.

I had booked a ticket to hear one of my favorite authors talk - David Mitchell.
If you don't know him you may be asking "what does he write?"

I can do no better than to quote Adam Begly in The Paris Review -

(his) novels are ambitious, formally complex, imaginatively powerful, and immaculately written. They zigzag across the globe, across centuries, skipping from genre to genre with a restless, openhearted intelligence.

My favorite is "Cloud Atlas", but I took along his latest "The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet" for him to sign (as you do!)



I had a bit of time before that session so I lobbed into "But what I really want to do is write fiction" with wonderful speakers Jane Caro, Roberta Lowing and Leslie Cannold.

Outside you could sit in deckchairs and read your newly purchased book!


It was such a beautiful Sydney harbour day.



Thursday, May 19, 2011

My creative space


Something I've been wanting to make for a while.

I've had the little glass bottles for years, at one time I covered them with beadweaving for perfume bottles.

But now I added - watch parts, scrolls I made from hubby's primary school disctionary and some crystals -



Steampunk treasure bottles!

To visit other creative spaces pop over to "our creative spaces"

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Wednesday Wishlist


I know I shouldnt but I can't help but wish for these handmade gourmet chocolates by Australian chocolatier Cricklewood Chocolates.

chocolates by CricklewoodChocolate

Dont they look yum!

I'm still searching for the perfect bag.
I must admit I'm a bit in love with this roomy messenger bag by needlevsthread -


messenger bag by needlevsthread


And the unconventional part of me - or maybe the lop-sided part of me - loves this dress -

dress by idea2lifestyle

What are you wishing for this week?

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Why you should price your items at a craft market



or the golden rule #1 of selling at craft markets.

I believe that all items you are selling should be labelled with their price.



Unless you
1. Sell identical items and they are all the same price.
2. You can instantly work out in your head the costing for every one of your items.
3. You make it up as you go along.
4. You make up a price depending on how much the purchaser looks like thay can afford.
5. You have a very good memory and can remember the price you worked out for each item.

I believe you should put a price on each and every one of your items.
You could put a sign next to your items, but signs dont get read, they get moved or the items get moved.
You could have a price list, but as above people dont read a list, they want to know how much this thing that I have in my hands now costs.

This is not to say that you couldn't also have a sign on a basket or box of same priced items.

"Doodads $3"

This also has the dual purpose of telling customers what the Doodadsare.


If you don't do this you run the risk of losing sales, because
- People do not like to ask.
- While you are talking to one customer no-one else can find out how much your goods cost. (This happened recently to me - I loved these quirky little creations, but no price anywhere. The artist was telling another customer the history of the recycled bits of his artworks and I didnt get a look in - I had to get back to my own stall, so I left. Sad because I really loved what he did)
- You have to dash off the the ladies and your partner/friend/neighbouring stallholder minds your stall. What are they going to say? that you will be right back? Make up a price?



What do you think?
Either as a customer or a seller?

Do you label everything?
Do you like to see prices easily when you shop?

Monday, May 16, 2011

Mad about steampunk



At the weekend we were at the wonderful Ironfest in the um, glorious town of Lithgow!

This is my all-time-fave festival!

Why?
It is so different.



There are fabulous creative craft stalls, blacksmiths (real working forges), battle re-enactments, jousting, belly dancing, roving entertainers, art and photography displays and on and on.



Every year there is something new and scintillating!



Every year has a different theme - this year was steampunk, which was just so well suited to the whole event.


Lots of people get right into the mood and get dressed up - it's so fabulous!
Now G and I want to get steampunk outfits and get dressed up.......

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Happy Mother's Day



Happy Mother's Day!

I had a lovely day.
I got a card and some presents from the cat!


Ginger knows I love chocolate -



especially from our local chocolatier - Zokoko.

Wonderful son cooked breakfast of pancakes and delivered these amazing cupcakes -

from The Cupcake Room

My beautiful daughter cooked lunch -


these garlic chilli prawns were just part of it.

Followed by a walk to the beach and some gratuitous photos of lighthouses!


What did you all do on Mother's Day?

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Wednesday Wishlist





I interrupt my blogging about Tasmania for a short ad break!

Well not really an ad but a wish!

It's Mother's Day on sunday here and I always seem to need new slippers when May comes around.

These slippers are almost too delightful to be worn! they need to be framed and hanging on the wall!


The weather is changing - as it does at this time of year.
Crisp mornings and cool evenings - perfect time to buy a snuggly, stylish scarf.


I have been looking for a new bag for ages.
Some are too big, others are too small.
The wrong colour or the wrong style.

This one though is just right!

mini ruche bag by jennyndesign


What is on your wishlist for mother's day?
Breakfast in bed?
A day spent with your mother or your children? Or both?
A day of pampering and not having to do the washing up?

Whatever - I hope all your wishes come true!

Happy Mother's Day!

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

What we did on our holidays



We went walking in the rain.
We look like polar explorers!


We went to Port Arthur (in the rain)


We went beachcombing


We paddled in the Tasman Sea at Wineglass Bay


Walked along boardwalks


Kissed a whale


We looked out over wilderness


and sailed on a boat made of huon pine


We climbed The Nut


And we saw rainbows

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