Fabulous Friday, WWII Style: Grow a Victory Garden!

During the time of great conservation of goods in America for the boys overseas, Americans were encouraged to grow Victory Gardens, or Gardens for Victory.  This idea ensured that families on the home front had access to fresh fruits and vegetables while more of these goods could be sent overseas to the boys.

A typical victory garden could be planned like the suggestion below. There were not fast and hard rules, just plant what your family will  need or what you will be willing to share with those who can't grow a victory garden.

If you haven't noticed, victory gardens have really been making a come-back.  More than likely due to the slow economy as veggies from your garden are far less expensive and far superior in quality to the veggies available at the market.  Some people, like myself, continue the tradition through family:  My father had a victory garden for years because my Grandfather always grew a victory garden after the war.  In turn, I have always had a victory garden because I loved all the fresh produce when I was a kid.  Chances are, my children will grow victory gardens, too.  At least I hope so!

There is a wealth of information on victory gardens on the Internet.  The Victory Seed Company has a great spread of info and history on victory gardens, be sure to check it out.  Since we are only in early June, it's not too late to start a victory garden of your own.  All you need is a small plot of ground that you have turned.  It may be too late to grow from seed in your area, but it's not too late to head to your local nursery and get veggie plants.  However, if you want to start one, you better get on it soon!  At least if you live in the North!

All you have to do from there is fertilize it once in a while and keep the weeds under control.  If you have never grown produce before, I really encourage you to try making a garden, even if only a small one.  Your family and your kids will certainly appreciate the benefit of fresh veggies and you could even enlist them to help you take care of it so they learn how!

Photo Stroll Through My....well, Photos *AKA* 2 Long Years of Bad Photography

Inspired by Nfall2rt's and Lenox Knit's recent posts about strolling through beautiful pieces that they have sold, I have decided to take you through a stroll of two years worth of learning how to photograph jewelry. I probably don't have to tell you that it doesn't matter how good you are at photography (I even studied it in college!), photographing jewelry is a whole other world! In fact, for Tip Tuesday, I will post some photography tips!

As a note, I use a Kodak 4 mega pixel DX6490 digital camera that I traded my SLR film camera for. At the time of the trade (2004), it was a really good camera! All photos were taken with manual settings in macro.

Date: January 2008
My first piece listed on Etsy which sold two weeks after listing it. Judging by this horrible photo, it is a wonder it sold at all! At the time, I was using Microsoft Photo It! for cleaning up the photos...bad mistake. Not enough features. This photo is washed out and dull and the angle is not very interesting...

Date: April 2008
I hated my set up of draping jewelry on a crystal wine glass over lace (too cheesy) and water colored textures on cold press watercolor paper. Too bad it looks twice as cheesy! And talk about harsh lighting and bad overhead photography! It's a wonder this one sold, either.

Date: July 2008
Feeling exasperated by my horrible backgrounds, I tried to adopt that "total white background" that was so popular on Etsy back then. Remember the showcase in the upper right hand corner that randomly showed images of items with a solid white background? I tried so hard to make it there, however, over time we all discovered that it is the same items being shown over and over again! Blank white that make pieces seem to float just was not working my jewelry...oh, and the angle is super-horrible!

Date: December 2008
So, to remedy the "white" problem, I did what every other Etsy photographer did....raided my scrapbook paper box! Which actually made the problem worse than the lace! Background is too busy and item is still a little too dark. The ring gets lost in the photo. However, by this time I finally broke down and purchased a copy of Paint Shop Pro (Photoshop is still a little too expensive for me and PSP is a good competing software program), so you do see some visible improvements....
Date: March 2009
I put the scrapbook paper away and tried the "furniture in front of the window" approach. Wow...could the lighting get any harsher than that! Even PSP couldn't help this one :) However, the angle is much better and the colors are a little more richer despite the harsh lighting.
Date: June 2009
Here's where the biggest mistake of all came in. Purchasing that horrible photography tent! It came with two halogen lamps that you put close to the sides of the tent to diffuse the lighting. Ooops, it diffused it way too much and messed with the smart-white balance. No matter what light source setting I put the camera on, they all looked either pink or blue! Can you believe these pieces even sold? Horrible!

Date: July 2009
In an attempt to remedy this problem, I purchased what is called a "twinkler" lamp. It is actually a LED lamp that you point directly in front of the item. The theory is that it makes things sparkle a little. Epic fail...all it did was keep the background pink but made the items have a blue cast....

Date: November 2009
So, I took my photo tent, lined the back and bottom with thick white batting, covered it with white special occasion fabric, took one of the layers of the sides off and grabbed my favorite Pottery Barn tea cup and saucer set. I ditched the "twinkler" light and added another light over the top of the tent. I also played with better angles. Wala! Things are getting much better....two years later! However, I do miss drinking peppermint tea out of my cup and saucer!

Date: March 2010
Since I don't have room in my studio to keep my tent up all the time and am super sick of putting it up, taking it down, dropping the halogen lamps, buying more bulbs at $7 a whack, I have adopted my most recent way of photographing jewelry. At 11am, the light comes in my dining room window so wonderfully. I purchased a yard of white and a yard of grey satin. I drape the satin on the table, arrange my piece and shoot! I don't know, I think the item pops out a little better than it has in the past...
Should I go back to using the tent again? I am so very sick of dragging it out and putting it away, but there is no where in my studio or home that I can leave it up all the time. I am hoping to make this last set-up work.

Now, with all that said, your honest opinions of my first photos to my last photo is greatly appreciated! Please let me know if you think I should go back to the tent, or fly on the dining room table......don't be afraid of hurting my feelings....I'm tough! However, I do dread having to go back and photograph everything ALL OVER AGAIN...for the millionth time!

I Learn Something Every Year...

...when it comes to taxes. As you know, I began my business officially in January 2008. I got my business certificate and my state tax id number. I purchased a little bit of supplies, got my account on Etsy, sampled a few craft shows and ran with the ball. Taxes for 2008 were a piece of cake - total amount sold vs. supplies and expenses. A guaranteed loss, but should be expected. Before this business venture, I was a financial counselor working for an agency accredited by the New York State Banking Department. I specializing in credit and bankruptcy. I saw so many clients who opened a business, took out massive loans to purchase start-up inventory, then had to file for bankruptcy when the business didn't take off as they anticipated. Their problem was that they were still liable for loans they took out for start-up supplies that they couldn't repay. I figured that I would take the years of experience I had counseling these ex-business owners and apply it to my business. I was determined to keep my business out of debt.

So, I ran with this concept. I purchased very little supplies, using mostly what I had on hand to create my pieces in 2008. I purchased little equipment; only what I needed to get started. I was so proud of myself that my business did not carry a debt load that I would be responsible for should the business venture fail.

Now, as you business owners know, the IRS expects you to make a profit of over $400 within your first five years of operation. If you fail to do so, you are considered a hobby and they will shut your business down. I figured I would not make a profit for the first couple years but still refused to get my business wrapped up in debt.

With all that being said, this is what I learned this year doing my taxes that I am offering to you if you are early in your venture or considering beginning one. This is actually worth looking at the more we hear about the IRS toying with the idea of applying this rule to non-business owners who sell online:

1) Purchase as much supplies as you can afford in your first year of operation.
As stated before, I did not purchase many supplies in an attempt to keep my business out of debt. This both helped and hurt me this year:

A) Helped: It certainly helped my pocket as my business has absolutely no debt tied to it. None. This was paramount in importance to me right from the start.

B) Hurt: When you are in your first year of business, you can fully deduct ALL the supplies you purchased during the course of the year. This is because the IRS understands that you have no supplies and need to purchase them to set up your business. No supplies, no product. However, in your second year of business, out of all the supplies you purchase in that year, you can only deduct the ones that were actually used. So, if you purchased a 16" strand of cultured pearls for $8 but only sold one piece using several of the pearls within the course of the year, you can only deduct the pearls on the strand that were used in that piece. Say there are 68 pearls on the strand. Each pearl essentially costs $0.12 each. Now, say you used 30 of those pearls for a bracelet that sold that year. You can only deduct $3.60 out of the $8 that you paid for the strand you purchased that year. If none of the remaining pearls sold that year, you cannot deduct them until a year that they do sell.

Well, I was not aware of this. Now, remember that I didn't purchase too many supplies in my first year. I took much of the profits from my first year and used it for supply shopping the second year. The problem? I could only deduct the supplies that were actually sold. Had I known this, I would have tried to purchase more supplies in the first year. So, if beginning a new venture, try to purchase as many supplies as you viably can in your first year to get the full deduction right away. I still advise you do everything you can to remain debt-free, however. A good piece of advice would be to wait one calendar year from the time you want to begin your venture and start setting money aside so you can pay for a larger amount of supplies with cash.

2) Keep track of the cost of all supplies used per piece after the first year and take that figure to your accountant at tax time.
I actually have a software program that does that for me. There are two on the market and I have tried both (one out of necessity because my first program encountered bugs that the creator couldn't fix right away when I needed them fixed immediately for business sake). I prefer Jewerly Design Manager Pro. With this program, you input your supply inventory as you acquire it. After your pieces are made, you inventory them in the program and it calculates the exact cost of supplies. So, needless to say, I had this information on my computer already. However, I didn't realize that my accountant needed that information and didn't even consider recording it for her and bringing it with me. Therefore, we had to "guestimate" what my cost of actual supplies used was for 2009. I had no clue what to guestimate and my mouth opened up and said "I don't know, 10% maybe?" Big mistake. It was actually more than that. Think about that: The lesser the actual amount, the higher your profits show. The higher your profits show, the greater your chances of paying self-employment taxes. I am not trying to discourage you from paying self-employment taxes, I actually think it is a good thing to have to pay this tax. Why? Because it means that your business is actually profitable, and if it is profitable, you are definitely doing something right! I am trying to make a point to be sure your figures are absolutely correct so you don't pay the taxes in error. So, when I got home, I started a new spread sheet of all the pieces that sold so far in 2010, the date it sold, the price it sold for, the total cost of supplies used in the piece and the remainder that would show as my profit according to the IRS. Now, when I do my 2010 taxes, all I have to do is total the columns and take the figures with me when I see my accountant.

3) Be sure to set aside 15% for every sale so you are prepared to pay the taxes should you show a profit.
Due to my ignorant little error, I showed a profit. The profit came dangerously close to the prescribed profit for self-employment tax. Had it been over that figure, I would have had to come up with 15% of that right away...something I didn't plan for. So, in the future, I will be setting aside 15% of each piece sold. That way, if I do break over $400 profit next year, I will be prepared to pay it right way. If I don't break over $400, I can always use it to upgrade my tools and equipment. Don't get me wrong, part of me was elated that I showed a profit in my second year of business. However, the profit was an erroneous number because I was not properly prepared come tax preparation day. My records do not show a profit, my mistake does.

4) Finally, remember that your labor and overhead is not a deduction.
I don't know how it got it in my head that it was, but I did. I figure price of each piece like this:

• cost of supplies
• my labor to create the piece
• a certain amount for overhead (utilities, marketing, research, designing, supply shopping, etc)
• markup for your profit (which the software program helps you with)

I had it in my head that my profit is the markup and the rest is deductible. I'm actually a little embarrassed by this. I still don't know how I got this in my head. According to the IRS, profit = cost of supplies - sale price of the piece. Don't make that mistake.

So, to sum it up, try at all costs to keep your business out of debt, but don't shortchange yourself in the end by making simple mistakes in your second year of business. In my case, everything worked out very well. Had I been better prepared, I would have been a little more satisfied with myself.

The One Woman Staff Meeting?

If you have ever been to a staff meeting, you know how ridiculously boring they are. So why, in my right mind, would I purposely subject myself to a staff meeting? And how can I do it when there is only one of me? The answer is simple.

In any business, it is imperative to hold staff meetings at least monthly. This makes all departments accountable for their responsibilities. How is a one-woman-business any different? Sure, there is only one of me, but don't forget how many hats I wear. Production Manager, Marketing Manager, Accountant, Sales Team...the list could go on. Even though it is only me, I am still responsible for all of the jobs that come with those titles. What keeps me accountable?

A weekly One Woman Staff Meeting. I "report" on the progress of production, inventory and purchasing; what marketing efforts have been installed and what results they produced. How sales have been and how I intend to increase them. How the yearly budget is holding up and review of current financial statements. I know it can be so easy to overlook, but have you ever heard of a business that did not have a staff meeting from time to time? They are so important for keeping everyone on the same page. Even if it is only you and a bunch of hats. The meetings don't have to take much time, either. Mine usually lasts 15 - 20 minutes tops. This time is spent reviewing the things I mentioned above, drawing lists of things to do on a daily, weekly and monthly basis and brainstorming for new ideas.

Really, what have you got to lose? Try holding a staff meeting weekly for your business. You would be surprised how much more organized you will be by the next month!

A Touching Story...and Huggermugger's Winner!

As promised, I wanted to post an article written about last weeks giveaway host, Gayle. I have received permission by both the author of the article and Gayle herself, however, due to the fact that I am not a super techno-computer geek, I can't copy the article from the original website without messing with the margins and everything. Believe me, I have tried. So, please click the link below to read the article. It is a quick read and well worth it!

Google, God and an Artist Named Gayle
by Sharon Cohen
Associated Content

On to other things...The winner of Rachel's scrubbies is...........



Split Rock Ranch!
I will be in contact tomorrow to get your address to forward to Rachel!
Congratulations!

Another giveaway presents tomorrow...please stay tuned! The giveaways are almost done, so be sure not to miss tomorrow!

Keeping Your Schedule Organized

Probably one of the most excruciating tasks of owning a business is keeping it organized: finances, orders, show schedules, etc. I am a pretty organized person in general. It was always one of my strong points when I was in the working world with a boss breathing down my neck. I have for the most part carried that trait into my business and can seem to maintain a decent amount of organization for the most part. Key word here, for the most part.

In the working world, I was a financial counselor. I saw eight clients every day with most appointments lasting one hour and many times more. Needless to say, I worked lots of overtime. What helped me stay on schedule? My secretary. Okay, fast-forward to today. I don't have a secretary anymore. I got so spoiled on other people handling and filling in my schedule that I forgot how to do it myself. I'm so used to looking in my book and having it all filled out for me.

Today, I use a calendar and a home-made day timer (what can I say? I am cheap), but sometimes seem to find myself behind the 8-ball with my schedule. Deadlines, shows, show applications, etc.

Here is where you come in. What live-saving technique do you use to keep your time organized? Please, do tell all! If I don't get anything out of it, maybe a fellow reader will. So...spill the beans......

Oh, and don't forget to thank your secretary and treat her very well if you have one!

How Do YOU Drop?

Okay, all you card droppers! In everything we do from day to day involves some type of a habit. For me, this includes dropping habits. I'm weird, I have a very specific way that I drop. The use of the EntreCard toolbar aids me in this, so if you don't have one, you really should get one!

First thing in the morning after my coffee, I open 20 tabs of EC blogs from my Inbox. While it is loading, I do 10-15 minutes of housework. When I return to the computer, I read the blogs, make any comments I'm compelled to make and drop my cards - takes me about 10 minutes as many blogs haven't changed their post, so why read it again? Then I load 20 more from my Inbox, leave to do some housework, come back and read, comment and drop. This continues until my Inbox is tackled.

Then I select the next set of 20 from my Favorites list. I again leave to do housework for 10-15 minutes then come back to read, comment and drop. This continues until my favorites are done (and believe me, I have a lot of favorites!)

When the favorites list is done, and here is where I rotate depending upon the day, I will choose either the Art category, the Fashion category, the History category or the All category. Also depending on the day, I will filter them as either Most Popular or Random. For example, after I dropped on my Inbox and Favorites this morning, I then selected the Fashion category and filtered it by Random. I continue on this way until my 300 cards are dropped.

What do I get out of it? I get my 300 cards dropped, I get to read some cool blogs, and I get my housework done all at the same time. This process usually takes me about 2 hours, but you figure I have to do my housework anyway (I can't stand a messy house), and since I get up early, I usually done dropping by 9am - still plenty of time to get up in the studio to do work.

I do need to say that sometimes I do take a day off or a couple days off, especially if I have an appointment that day and my whole schedule will be thrown off.

So, now you know my habits...what are your Entrecard dropping habits?

10 Advantages To Selling Online...

1) Your wares are available for viewing 24 hours a day, not only when your shop is open.

2) You save money. Think about it. Selling in a shop, you pay rent, utilities and employees. Selling online, you pay minimal fees.

3) You reach a wider audience. People from all over the world will see your items, whereas, selling in a shop, only local people who take the time to come to your shop will see your items.

4) Cheaper advertising. There are tons of ways to market your online shop and direct traffic to your shop...most of them for free, many of them for little money.

5) No need to pay extra fees for accepting credit card or debit card payments. PayPal, Google Checkout and Amazon Payments take care of all that for you. Sure, you pay a fee for this service, but it is so convenient!

6) Greater support. Most online shop venues offer support for sellers and many sellers group together to support each other. In a physical shop, it is you and you alone. Maybe a little support online from the Small Business Association, but not as strong as in an online shop.

7) Multiple shops. You can have different locations in different venues. You can sell on Etsy, Artfire, 1000Markets, ShopHandmade, Dawanda, as well as many other online options. Having multiple physical shops is out of reach for many business owners.

8) Ease in transactions. Electronic transactions with online shops make things easier. You don't have to nurse your cash register all day. In fact, wait for all your orders to come in and fill them all and ship them all the next day at the same time.

9) Personalization of packages. It would be ludicrous to decorate fancy packages while your customer is standing right there impatiently waiting for you to hand the bag over while you draw a picture in gratitude. With selling online, you can wrap the item, wrap it with ribbon and draw pictures on the back of the bubble envelope. Many buyers like to see sellers take that extra step.

10) Limited need to collect sales tax. You only have to collect sales tax from customers in your own state. An advantage for the seller in making your taxes less complicated and an advantage for the buyer in saving a percentage on their purchase.

Hey, Take a Break!

Do you know that when it comes to running your own business, you have so many responsibilities? Oh, you knew that? Yea...pretty much found out for yourself, huh? Rude awakening.

So, how do you combat the stress of trying to run a business by yourself? Well, if you cannot divvy out some of the responsibilities, you must find a way to cope. I know, you are saying "Cope? Hey, I wrote the book on coping". Or you are saying "Yea, right. Cope. Isn't that the guy that runs the Catholic church?"

Okay, so if you are not one of the very rare 1:100,000,000 that was born with the ever-so-rare coping gene, you are going to need some help. What would you do if I tell you that coping is easier than you thing. Providing you are pretty much disciplined in making your business work (in other words, you stay on top of things for the most part, and if you don't, your business will never go anywhere), coping is nothing more than creative prioritizing and giving yourself a break.

I know you have had those mornings where you are literally forcing yourself to carry on your daily tasks. If you have, you are displaying signs that you really need to take a break. If you allow yourself to get so burned out with work that you just don't feel like doing it, you are not going to get anything done. The best part of working for yourself is that you don't have a supervisor or a boss standing behind you rearing the whip and threatening you that if you don't get to work, they will find another warm butt to fill your seat. Take an afternoon off, do something for YOURSELF, and recharge your batteries. Maybe take a weekend off. Kids off from school? Why don't you treat yourself to a little vacation. If you are pretty much up to date with things as far as your business is concerned, not that much is going to happen while you are away. I only recommend this if you are actually up to date. If you are not, clear your schedule for the next two or three days and get up to date. Then treat yourself to a little break.

The fact of the matter is that it is very hard to concentrate on things while your head is swimming with fatigue. Take a little time to clear the head and watch your productivity grow!

The Inevitable has come....

Why do we hate getting taxes done so bad? Well, for starters, a lot of us have to pay something back. We are terrified of screwing something up which might end up in more money we have to pay out. Not to mention the fact that the government always seems to be standing there with their hands out to collect money, but you don't really see the government handing out money to help people (well, most people, anyway).

So, I got my figures all prepared. Itemized expenses and total sales for 2008. As for expenses, I go easy. Supplies, mileage, fees (like Etsy, Paypal, Google Checkout), contributions, postage....the basic expenses. I was advised a long time ago not to try to expense internet, phone and home office by my accountant. Apparently, you are guaranteeing an audit when you do this and the meager $400 or so you can deduct isn't worth taking a chance on the audit and having the IRS find a screw-up that will end in more money paid out.

If you haven't filed your taxes yet, go easy on yourself. Claim only the basic expenses and save the trickier ones to the corporations that have people on their payroll to do this sort of thing. There is no reason that tax time should be more stressful than it has to be. This of it that you are paying $400 a year for peace of mind. Or you can pay $40,000 a year to ensure it gets done correctly!

How To Go "No Harm"....

So, I guess what I am trying to say is that when you purchase a piece of jewelry in which the button has been harmed, do not be fooled...that antique button has completely lost it's monetary worth. So, what is a jewelry designer to do?

Well, there are several things you can do.
1) First of all, learn about the buttons you are using. Some of them might really have no significant monetary value, while others might be worth more than you know. Click on the image above to take you to the National Button Society website. Here you will find general information on buttons as well as links to other websites that may give you more information. This is a good place to start in researching what your unharmed buttons are worth. If you feel so inclined to join the Society, membership is only $25 a year and that membership pays for 5 bulletins to be delivered to your home which include many articles about buttons.
2) Second, and this one may be difficult and will require a creative mind with lots of failures, but explore new options on how to incorporate the buttons into your jewelry without harming them. It has taken me well over 5 years to perfect this myself. It gets a little frustrating at times, but when you discover a new technique that you figured out all by yourself, the internal reward is priceless!

On the flip side of things, don't discard your broken or damaged buttons. I have a stockpile of buttons where the shank broke or that have other imperfections that greatly reduces the monetary value. This pile has been 10 years in the making! This is where I find my buttons for my button brooches, which are all epoxied together. Most of them are celluloid and glass buttons as shanks on celluloid and glass buttons are notorious for breaking or falling off.

I hope that this little series has helped you to understand why I take the No Harm approach so seriously. My hope is that others will adopt this attitude! Button On!!!!

(the above image is owned by The National Button Society)

Don't You Hurt That Button....

Before I start today's post, I want to start with a disclaimer: I am in no way trying to insult makers of button jewelry that harm their buttons, nor trying to sabotage their business. I am simply trying to get the point out about the detrimental recourse of harming buttons for the sake of jewelry! I'm just a bleeding heart for buttons and want to educate the masses of the depletion of value when buttons are damaged!

Antique buttons are like miniature works of art, time capsules of history, beautiful little gems to run your fingers through. As I mentioned yesterday, you wouldn't drill a hole through a Hummel, would you? The same for buttons. Here is an example. Several months ago, I saw a button necklace for sale on the internet. The button was worth about $35 all by itself, judging from the front of the button. The jewelry designer had drilled a hole in the top of the button, passed a bail through it, put it on a chain. This necklace was priced around $50, the description stated that the button was antique which made the piece that much more valuable. The sad thing is that the button is now worthless with the damage....worth only the scrap metal it is made from. At this point, the necklace is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. It is no longer valuable just because it has an antique button on it as the button is now valued at $0, when it once was valued at least $35.

I see it all the time. Bracelets made by cutting the shanks off buttons and gluing the buttons to a bracelets. Those buttons were once worth about $5 a piece, now they are worth nothing. And the $40 price tag? The price does not reflect the value of the buttons, because they are not worth anything anymore. Pity, as there are usually at least 6 small picture buttons on each bracelet. Figure that out at $5 a piece. They are only worth something to the consumer who doesn't know better. Hairpins. Bookmarks. The tragedy goes on....

One important clientele that these people are missing? The Button Collectors. I know..."People actually collect those things?" Believe it or not, but button collectors come in all age ranges, from 8 to 80. I have been collecting collectible buttons for over 10 years. Remember what I said yesterday that these kinds of buttons are not usually found in old button boxes. These buttons are either found on ebay, button shows, individual websites that sell them and auctions. But I will tell you one thing: Button Collectors would be horrified to own a piece of button jewelry where the button was damaged to create the piece. Plain old shirt buttons are different, but collectible buttons, this is where the concern comes in.

Stay tuned tomorrow when I continue this series......and I hope I didn't ruffle too many feathers. No harm was intended....my only goal is education.

(above picture courtesy of www.buttonbuttononie.com, a member of the National Button Society who sells antique and collectible buttons.)

What's The Big Deal About No Harm Button Jewelry....

Well, I'm glad you asked. I would be horrified if I saw a piece of jewelry containing some of the buttons above in which the button was harmed....shank cut off, hole drilled in the button, button glued to something. The problem is that this happens all the time. A button is just like any other collectible...once it's damaged, it's not worth anything. It would be the same as drilling a hole in a Hummel, or gluing some depression glass to your wall. The piece is rendered worthless. The same thing with collectible buttons.

Now, I am not talking about those cheapo plastic shirt buttons in your button box. I'm talking about antique and collectible buttons, much like the ones picture above (which by the way, are in my personal collection). While some of these buttons might only be worth a dollar or two apiece, some of them are worth upwards of $35 to $50. I actually have a button in my collection that I paid $150 for at a button show, and I attend an auction where they auction 17th century buttons....for thousands of dollars a piece!!! I am not kidding!

Hey, don't laugh. Button Collecting is third to Coin Collecting in the World! I am going to continue this series over the next couple of days. My intent is to alert consumers to exactly what you are purchasing. Stay tuned for more....

Are You Ready for a Craft Show?

If you are a crafter, and you craft to sell, eventually this will be one question that will cross your mind. There are several things you may want to tick off your list before you can honestly answer that question:

1) Do you have enough product?
There is only one thing worse than selling out of everything you have before the weekend is even close to being over. That is having people pass right by your booth because you have hardly anything there. I have seen it happen...as well as the look of despair on the crafter as they watch everyone just walk on by. If you are renting a 10 x 10 space, you will need alot of things to fill it up. Before you can honestly make that decision, draw out a 10 x 10 space on your driveway or garage floor. Set up your tables and set out your stuff. Take a step back and honestly ask yourself..."Would I stop here?" If you can do this without raiding your Etsy stash, you can tick this one off.
***Note on this***
Some crafters swear by the "hold back approach" meaning that you don't put everything you have to sell on the table all at once. I totally support that and do engage in this approach. You simply keep them in a box/container under the table and restock your table as it sells out. The point I was trying to make is that you don't want to have so little product that you cannot sustain your sales for a whole weekend. You want to be sure to have enough to sell, even if you don't put it all on the table at the same time (which may be damaging by making your book appear cluttered and messy). Keep design in mind, here :]

2) When is the application deadline?
Most juried shows have an application deadline of the end of January. Most non-juried shows need the application and rental fee about a month or two before the show. Be sure to plan ahead.

3) Can I afford the application fee?
Juried shows are considerably more expensive to rent space than a non-juried craft show. Juried shows typically cost me about $250 for the weekend, more if I need electricity (lights, credit card machine/cash register, etc). Please remember that juried shows need the money WITH the application, not the day of the show or after the show. If you are considering going to a juried show to sell, go to the show the year before to see what kind of traffic the show has. You don't want to spend $250 to sell five things :[ Alternately, non-juried shows are very cheap ($25 for the day), but sales are also typically lousy for these shows, too. You can think of it as "you get what you pay for".

4) Do I have stuff for my space?
You will need tables, plain and simple. You may need walls, a tent or other props to put your stuff up. All these things cost money. If you are business, they are all write-offs, but still, money is money. You also want to invest in nice tablecloths for your tables. I have tried plastic tablecloths (cheesy) and colored cotton sheets (even cheesier). Don't skimp on your presentation. In craft shows, presentation is everything. You want to draw people to your booth or space.

As you can see, there are many things to consider before doing shows. I have done juried and non-juried shows (prefering the juried shows), and you will think of many more things to consider as you go along. If you are ready, take notes and pictures of your space as you go along, learn lessons as they present your self, and remember...craft shows will be around for a long time. You don't need to rush into them. Listen to your gut...your instinct. You will know when you are ready to take the plunge!

Hmmmm....What's That Smell?

Antique perfume buttons......Little beauties with an interesting story....

Perfume buttons were made in the 1800's and usually consist of many pieces basically stacked together. Tin is usually used as the back of the button, then a cardboard disc is stacked on top of this. Next to follow is a fabric disc, usually brown or black velvet, but I have seen other weave fabrics used, also. The last piece stacked on top varies from button to button. Sometimes you can find perfume buttons with one more disk placed on top of the velvet which has a cut-out design. On top of that is a brass ring wrapped around the edge of the button to hold it all together. Sometimes you will find only one piece on top of the velvet consisting of a border and a cut-out design. I believe the one in the picture to be the latter, however, it is difficult to tell without holding the button in your hand and inspecting it :]

Images on the buttons can vary from flowers, to leaves to actual pictures (like birds, buildings, etc.). Perfume buttons can also be found to depict simple designs only.

Now the tricky part....the story behind the buttons. I have heard two versions of the story...

Version 1:
Perfume buttons were manufactured to give ladies a place to put thier perfume without staining thier typically expensive dresses. Since the button has fabric and the cardboard insert, one would put a drop or two of perfume on the button, keeping it off the dress. I would tend to argue this one as one doesn't usually put perfume on the dress, but on the skin on various pressure points (the heat of the pressure points distributes the scent). Also, protecting the garment could not have been guaranteed as if you put too much perfume on a button, it will drip on the clothes...that's a matter of logic.

Version 2:
Perfume buttons were manufactured as a remedy to staving off the smell of the not-so-freshly-bathed body. Let's face it. In Victorian times, daily bathing was not an option. It was something that was usually done once a week (or less). After a while, the body begins to emit some pretty offensive odors, hence, perfume buttons. A few drops on these buttons should stave away undesirable odors. Now, when reviewing this, I have a hard time coming up with an argument for it with the exception of, wouldn't you scent your body? So why would you need to scent buttons? As a novelty?

Now, we cannot prove either version to be true, unless you can find documentation in an old publication proving so. Otherwise, we would have to summon up old Great-Great-Aunt-Bessie's ghost and ask her ourselves. Now, I have a reprint from a 1897 Sears Roebuck Catalog...alas, nothing in there. If you can offer some concrete proof, please feel free to comment!

I think the one thing that is not disputed is that women used to give them to boyfriends/husbands to keep with them should they have to travel far or go to war (so that the man can keep his woman's scent near to him). How Romantic!

Oh, the other undisputable thing...they sure are fantastic little buttons!