Meandering Through the Mire

So, again, I got stopped in my tracks when I let the dogs out this morning!  God's color pallet never ceases to amaze me.  Not to mention it's gotten up to 57 degrees for the past 2 days.  That makes me very happy!



Come on Spring!!!












But I digress.  I really wanted to share my latest "mini-me" banks.  I've been making larger animal banks for a while starting with 3 lbs of clay.  At Christmas I got a custom order for 3 smaller banks and decided to make some for my shop as well.  So, using half the clay of the big ones I made up these babies.
 

Penguin, ladybug, snail, owl & lion.

Unfortunately, I can't charge half the price.  The clay is the least of my expenses.  It takes less time to throw the main forms but the detail work and glazing are just as time consuming.

I struggle with pricing all the time, as I think most artisans do.  Putting a value on material and time is pretty easy.  But putting a value on your creativity and experience is so abstract and subjective.  To clarify my point I did a search on Etsy for handmade mugs and found prices ranging from $2 to $12,000 (yes, I double checked the number of zeros).  I'm pretty sure self-confidence is the driving factor here in both cases.  One undervalued and the other just a wee bit inflated.  I'm sure you can figure out which one had 200+ sales and which one had none.  =/

How do you evaluate your competition?  If someone is selling something comparable to what you sell and they're charging much less or way more than you, do you adjust your prices?  Up or down?  Or can you justify them and be confident enough to keep them where they are?  Just curious to see just how conservative I am.

It's a challenge finding that happy medium.  I know I can't make a mug for $2 and I'm pretty sure no one would spend an excessive amount (I can't even bring myself to type that number again!) on anything I've made.  When I priced my first birdhouse for a studio show I was embarrassed to charge anything!  Even at the prices I'm asking now some people balk.  I've gotten past the phase of second guessing my prices.  Enough people can see the time and creativity that goes into a piece to keep me in business.  It's not quantity (though that would be awesome!) but quality craftsmanship that's taking me to my target audience.  So I'll bypass the "price it to sell" marketing strategy and plug away where I am.  I'm comfortable somewhere between having low self esteem and being an ego maniac.

Well, this post went in a completely different direction than I intended but, like I said, pricing is something I struggle with.  I guess what it boils down to is realizing and defining your own worth without getting arrogant about it.

Year End Wrap Up

We tried different things this year.

We stuck with the tried and true this year.

We questioned our processes.

We were confident in what we have done.

We expanded our horizons.

We played it safe.

Basically, our biggest change is on your screen.  We became much more aggressive in cyber marketing and social networking.  From what I've been learning this is such a new avenue that there are no experts at it yet.  Scary but exciting, too.  I feel like I'm on the cutting edge sometimes.  Not that I'm doing any edge cutting but I'm learning along with the rest of the world and that's pretty cool!  I've also been trying to learn how to take e-shop stats and analytics and use them to our advantage.  Uuum, yeah, I'll let you know when/if I ever wrap my brain around that one!

Last show of the year.

We did a few more craft shows than we (I) did last year and will be increasing that number again for next year.  I'm a big chicken when it comes to shelling out the big bucks for the high-end shows but after a couple of very disappointing shows this year I think we're gonna take the plunge for at least one biggie this coming year.  Again, scary but exciting.

I've made a living in the "real" world doing bookkeeping so I've always had a to-the-penny handle on our finances.  This year I've made an effort to dig a little deeper into sales analysis.  For example, instead of just recording how much I make at a show I now record how much of each item sold. Not that I had no idea before but now it's on a spreadsheet so I can see the whole year at once and start tracking what the trends are at each show, spring vs. fall, over several years, etc.  This should help us determine where we need to concentrate our efforts more and where we need to cut and run.

As for playing it safe the most important thing I've learned very recently:  When working with glazes ALWAYS wear a dust mask!  During my last glazing session I was doing some fussy painting where I have to hold the pot pretty close to see that I'm getting the glaze where I want it.  When I went to blow some of the dry glaze away I actually ended up inhaling some of it.  NOT GOOD!  A fever, serious coughing, trip to the Dr. and I'll live but big lesson learned!  Never again will this cotton-headed-ninny-muggins glaze without a mask!  Oye!

Overall, we had a great year!  Our show sales went up 65% from last year and our Etsy sales went up 35%.  Not too shabby!  Even though we've been selling for a few years now, I feel like I've moved a little more from a hobbyist to a professional artist, at least in my mind, which is where most of my challenges stem from.  I've found people actually seeking us out which is the most gratifying feeling. 

So, my friends, as we close out 2011 

and look into the face of 2012,

learn the lessons life is always teaching,

explore your gifts,

embrace your passions,

be cautious but fearless,

do what you love and love what you do,

and most of all,

be grateful for every little thing.

HAVE A BLESSED CHRISTMAS 

AND A SAFE AND FRUITFUL NEW YEAR!

Customized Pottery Packing for Craft Shows - Large Items

Since I had good feedback on my last packing post, and I have items larger than a spoon rest, here's some ideas for show packing of larger items.

I had found rolls of 1 inch thick spongey plastic foam that I was considering buying to pack my larger items but didn't want anything that thick (space is at a premium!).  So, again consulting with Dad, he suggested that it might be cheaper getting styrofoam sheet insulation from HD.  So I checked it out and, of course, Dad was right!  Also, it was only 3/4 inch thick.

Six sheets - 14 1/2" x  48" x  3/4" for $7.25

The drawback:  it's styrofoam.  I hate styrofoam.  It's messy (hence, no snacks around) and not very eco-friendly.  Bu-u-ut, it's a one time purchase and I'm sure the plastic, spongey stuff isn't any friendlier.

Cut the slots to interlock

So using the same method as I detailed in my last post I measured and cut the styrofoam to line the bin and separate the items.  Just make sure the slots you cut for the intersections are as wide as the sheets so they'll interlock snugly.

I was fitting 5 or 6 banks in a bin using the messy newspaper and now can only fit 4.  Hmmm.  Dilemma.  More bins and quicker packing or less bins (that would be heavier) and slower packing.  Time is money (unfortunately) so the foam stays.  Also, it allows the packing to be tighter so those pesky pot holes will be no match for us!  Bwaa-haa-haa!

Everyone, go to your rooms!

 I did reuse some of the discarded newspaper to pack around the banks and fill up the wiggle room. No wrapping!

Getting all tucked in for the ride to meet their new owners (hopefully)!

The birdhouses worked out a little better.  I can fit 6 in one bin but have to alternate the skinny ones with the fatter ones so they're not too tight.

Snug as a... catapillar... bee... dragon... bird...

Once again, I'd be happy to help anyone who is trying to adapt this system for your own needs.  I'd love to hear your innovative packing solutions, too.

Etsy Treasury

Check out this hilarious treasury my goofy frog bank is featured in.

'ARTitude!!!' by BKYStudios

I love the character and imagination that I see in all of these pieces-- I hope that you will enjoy them too!

Octopus Art Sculpture with H... AmuseYou $32.00	Frog Coin Bank Sculpture in... thistlebeepott... $39.00	Knit More - Yarn Bell - Rea... PoFu $45.00
Garden Gnome Flipping The Bi... PhenomeGNOME $59.99	Mad Meow - Grumpy Calico Cat... MaidOfClay $57.00	Ceramic Snail Dish RudkinStudio $36.00
Halloween Candy Bowl - Grim NelsonStudio $30.00	WORRY WART sculpture blobhouse $20.00	Flying Pig Oinker Polymer Cl... mirandascritte... $15.00
Chicken Lovers, Poultry Part... RenesClayThing... $17.00	Funny Monster Ceramic Travel... LennyMud $20.00	PuNk PiRaNHa Junior Rakupferamik $69.00
I AM THE WALRUS . . . . Wa... MudFairy $30.00	Vicious Cupcake No 9 Dr. Fel... smallandpissed $169.00	Devil Demon Sculpture, Clay,... RedandMain $32.00
Mez swear I ain't seen a... WisperOn $22.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.