Top lessons learned from our first market – Part 2

As crafters, we are all about risks. We take risks when we use new materials, try new projects, mix different mediums, etc. On a warm summer afternoon in June, we crammed into a booth at Panera Bread and took a risk. We agreed to work together to carry out our first Craft Savvy Market.

Here we are almost four months after our first market day and now that we have exhaled we are sharing our top lessons. Read part one of our lessons learned here. Apply to be a part of Craft Savvy Market here.

3. The Power of Working As a Team

I learned a great deal from the first Craft Savvy Market, but one of the things that stuck out was the power of working as a team. I built my first business with tons of support from friends and loved ones, but it often gets lonely and you feel like you’re carrying most of the load. Working with my three co-founders opened me up to multiple ways of skinning the proverbial cat. We thought through potential problems (and opportunities!) as a team and that usually resulted in us coming up with a better path forward.

On the emotional front, it’s easy to get discouraged or fearful when you are doing something new or different. I loved how if I was struggling, one of my Craft Savvy Market teammates could cheer me on and offer help. We prayed together, found scriptures together and I think that shared strength and accountability helped us to finish strong.

Charlene

4. Taking the First Step Anyway

As a creative, I often struggle with the logical side of my brain. I want to be free to create, but I also need to have some control of the process and the outcome. One of my biggest take away from our first Craft Savvy Market is that I do not have to have all the answers in order to take a step. I typically want to make safe decisions that are bound to work out. And while caution is healthy, too much of it prevents us from growing and trying new things.

As we planned for the market, I quickly realized that I didn’t have all the answers and neither did the other ladies. But a great part of this process was about being available to learn and figure things out along the way. I walked away on March 10 knowing that no matter what, I need to take the step. Whether it’s a baby step or a slow drag with me holding on to someone’s leg, I need to be courageous and take steps.

Jandi

Maybe you participated in a craft market for the first time or you took a creative risk for the first time. What new understanding did you possess after the experience? We would love to hear from you.

Top lessons learned from our first market – Part 1

As crafters, we are all about risks. We take risks when we use new materials, try new projects, mix different mediums, etc. On a warm summer afternoon in June, we crammed into a booth at Panera Bread and took a risk to join hands and organize our first Craft Savvy Market.

Here we are, almost four months after our first market day, and now that we have exhaled, we are sharing our top lessons.

1. Growth and success sometimes means making the choice to stay instead of walking away.

Going into this experience, I soon realized that while we have all been friends for over 20 years and have a lot in common, we were actually four very different thinkers and four very distinct creatives. And that made me want to run to the hills.

But by October, I recognized that it was through our creative differences that we would create a very successful craft market. Our multiple perspectives and ways of thinking was actually a strength not a weakness. So I learned not to look at our differences as a sign to look for an exit but as an indicator that we were actually on a path to creative excellence.

Many times we flee the creative process before we see fruits because the road feels uncomfortable or we wonder if we are on the right path when there are creative differences. But when we push through the challenges, we get to see the fruits of our labor. In the end, I’m so glad I continued to push through and am grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with three very distinct thinkers who also happen to be my super talented, always creative Craft Savvy sisters.

–Ciatta-Mae

2. Presentation and packaging matters

As market day approached, the opportunity to share my jewelry crafts with our customers excited me. But then came the questions of packaging. If you’ve participated in or visited craft market shows you probably understand where I am coming from. Packaging can make the simplest things into beautiful looking gifts or it can lessen the impact of a great gift

. And frankly speaking, I didn’t put as much thought as I should have into my packaging. I used medium paper bags, but all my products could not fit the bags.

Thinking back, I should have assessed my items closely and given myself time to create packaging that would wow my customers. I should have considered a variety of sizes. Moving forward, I plan on having pretty packaging with more options for my products.

Mina

Read Part 2 of our top lessons learned here. Apply to be a vendor at our November Craft Market here.

Maybe you participated in a craft market for the first time or you took a creative risk for the first time. What new understanding did you possess after the experience? We would love to hear from you.

3 DIY Craft Trends to Try this Summer

By: Charlene Dunbar

Move over burlap and mason jars! These three DIY craft trends feel fresh and seem to be popping up everywhere. I love their versatility and how they can be shaped to fit your personal style and needs.

#1 Macrame – Macrame was all the rage in the ‘70s and is having quite a revival thanks to millennials and Instagram. It makes for gorgeous wall art, but can also be used to create a textured door curtain or a pretty plant hanger. Grab some dowel rods, S-hooks and cotton or nylon rope to start experimenting with this trend. Side note: the word macramé comes from the 13^th-century Arabic weavers word migramah meaning “fringe”.

#2 Boutique Balloons – This trend takes the humble latex balloon and elevates it with glitter, tulle and impressive formations like garlands. I was first wowed by one at the Create & Cultivate conference, where the outdoor stage was framed with a plush, larger than life garland. Boutique balloons are fairly inexpensive to make and reading a tutorial or two beforehand will be helpful. I made a balloon garland for a friend’s baby shower on the fly, figuring it couldn’t be all that hard and let’s just say a tutorial would have helped!

#3 Indoor Forts – Forts can transform the vibe of a room from ho-hum to magical-faraway-land. Use your DIY fort skills to wow guests at your kid’s next party or set the mood for a romantic date night. To get a fort party started, grab some pretty bedsheets, cool string lights and rope and/or lumber for the frame. I am definitely feeling this one for a date night!

Which DIY craft trends have you already tried out? Which ones do you want to play with for your next project? Here’s to more crafting, creativity and fun!

Come Open, Leave Full

Come Open, Leave Full
By Ciatta-Mae Stubblefield

Back in January I gathered with three great friends for a craft party. Let me tell you… we had a blast! We bought paper mache letters, cut off the top with exacto knives, filled the bottom portion of the letter with silk flowers and wrapped the top with fabric. Before we gathered, we tossed around a few ideas and selected a final “love this” project. Everyone brought a few supplies and worked together as a group. Boom! That was our craft party. I left our craft party inspired, excited about our new letters and flower sets and best of all, I was grateful that I could gather with other creatives and build relationships with my friends.

Here are my three takeaways from our craft party:

1. Come with an open mind
Even though we all voted on a craft and knew what the final project would look like, we all had different ideas on the best way to make the project. It probably sounds like that could be chaotic but we ended up collaborating and listening to each others ideas. Everything doesn’t have to be worked out before you arrive. It’s great to have a plan before gathering but leaning in, listening in and being flexible when you arrive will take your project and your relationships even further down the road of creativity.

2. Come with open hands
While each of us brought tools, we shared our tools and supplies. It was a win for everyone. We chose to work on a group project so we assigned a task for person. When one person’s task was complete, they helped out a friend who was still crafting away. Even if you plan to complete individual projects instead of a group one, your willingness to help a friend or share your supplies is a win for you and your friends.

3. Come with an open heart
As with all that is great, it’s not always about the destination but the journey. Gathering to craft with friends is about making something beautiful with your hands and cultivating beauty in your heart. You have an opportunity to know your friend in a new way and to make a deposit into your friendship. For one evening, you forget about all the checklists and things to do and simply savor time with friends. So while this was my first craft party but it certainly won’t be my last. I’m all in for crafting and best of all, gathering and creating with my friends.

What Everybody Ought to Know about Marketing Pt. 2

By: Charlene Dunbar

Here’s the official (ahem) definition of marketing from the American Marketing Association:

“Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large”

Processes, communicating and customers were three key words from this definition that I missed the boat on in the early phase of my business. When I became more intentional and consistent in those areas and truly began marketing my product, my suakoko betty sales doubled and became more consistent. Potential customers who were just “interested” before quickly became paying customers. My process for making new styles became easier and less expensive because instead of trying anything to make a quick sale, I knew who I was designing for. Bigger and better opportunities came my way from people and other businesses who liked my brand (Hey, when did that happen? We’re a brand now!!) because they could trust me and my product.

As creatives, it’s easy to default to our strong suit of design and to treat marketing as an afterthought or to give it “hit and run” treatment. Don’t fall into that trap; you’ll miss out on the full potential of your creative business and customers who love what you do will too. I wasted a lot of time trying to design away problems that needed to be solved with marketing. If you are just starting your creative business or you’ve been going for a while and feel stuck, consider your marketing strategy.

Who is your target customer? What are her needs? How will you reach her? How will you build a relationship with her? How much do you need to invest in marketing? Reading articles, following marketing experts, observing your favorite brands or taking a marketing class are all great steps toward answering those questions. I am excited to share more of my marketing journey and teach four tried and true marketing hacks for growing your craft business on March 10th was at Craft Savvy Market in Decatur, GA (register here). Stepping up my marketing game propelled my business and connected me with customers I had only dreamed of. Armed with knowledge, tools and discipline, you can do it!

What Everybody Ought to Know About Marketing Pt. 1

By: Charlene Dunbar

I am an artist/maker to my core. I love working with my hands, drawing, researching new ideas…making STUFF. When I started my journey as a fashion designer, I entered a wonderland of selecting fabrics, sketching style ideas and making dress samples. I even drove solo from Atlanta to Memphis for the Africa in April Festival to sell a trunk full of my new dresses and to get feedback on my new brainchild. Three months later, I did a bigger market, the National Black Arts Festival, and received great reviews, made more sales and got really excited.

I did a photoshoot with models, made a lovely website featuring my gorgeous African print dresses clothing and waited for the orders to roll in. And guess what? They never did. What was wrong? Was it the cut of my skirt? Maybe my price was too high? Maybe I needed to add jumpsuits to my collection? After many years and fits and starts, I learned the hard way, it was my marketing. My marketing or lack thereof was the main thing standing between me and the growth of my creative business.

Marketing is a word that means different things to different people. Advertising, a brand logo and website colors, working with influencers or a good sales pitch are a few things that come to mind. Sometimes it’s also seen as a complex activity reserved for big companies with big budgets. The first statement is true, but marketing is so much more and the second statement is not true! Read Pt. 2 to hear the official definition of marketing and what I did next.

Why I Stay Focused on My Craft

By: Mina Mantor

Let me go directly into the idea of “craft”. Why is it worth me pursuing and what is it? My own idea on craft is that it is more than sharpening skill, style or application, more than an object you just touch or put together. “Craft” is a creative technique; your thought connections and hours of practice. Your craft is the way in which you apply your ideas, how you think about it, and how you share it with others. It is working on something you love and developing it over time.

The fact is, everyone possesses a craft. It’s up to you to nurture it and develop your ideas and application. Understanding where my craft can take me and how it can define me can be a very powerful motivator that keeps me going.

Here are a few reasons why I stay focused on my craft:

The more mistakes I make, the more I learn from them and know what to avoid next time
The more I create, the further I will go, because I understand my ability
The more I work on sharpening my craft, the more I will stand out as a crafter

The journey is the reward; please don’t forget! Now, stay focused on your craft.

New Year, New Creative

New Year, New Creative
By – Ciatta-Mae Stubblefield

“When creativity is seen as a luxury or something we do when we have spare time, it will never be cultivated. When I make creating a priority, everything in my life works better”.

When I came across this statement while reading Brene Brown’s “The Gifts of Imperfection”, I inhaled truth and exhaled hope (sidebar-This book is life changing). She was right. I had plenty ideas about being creative but between the never ending laundry and the sink that always seemed full of dishes, creativity took a back seat. But something deep inside of me longed for the peace that you receive by making time to express yourself creatively. So in this new year, I want to make time to cultivate creativity.

Here are three things I plan to do to make time for my craft life.

1. Create space – Set up an area that you can gather all your creative supplies, tools and materials. Whether it’s a craft bucket or craft desk, place everything in an area so you don’t have to run around when you make the time. Think about what you can do to make the area a space that reflects your unique personality.

2. Create time- If this does bundles for refreshing our souls, then we gotta make the time. Sometimes projects may be spontaneous but other times we just have to carve out regular time on our calendar and protect that time.

3. Create community – Find people who will celebrate your love of creativity. Come out to our Craft Savvy Market on March 10th and meet other creatives. Find a friend or two and throw a craft party. You could join a local meet up group or connect with a Facebook group. Whatever you do, connect with other creatives.

Let’s make this year our most creative year ever!

3 Things I Wish I knew when I started Crafting

By: Jandi Harris
Sewing / crafting has been a part of my life for some time now. But whether you just started your crafting, or you’ve been doing it for a while, there are some things I wish I knew when I started.

1.Sewing or any craft for that matter takes a great deal of patience.

What you wish to create isn’t always what comes out when you get to work. Be gentle with yourself. It’s easy to encounter a problem with your machine, a pattern or a project and get frustrated. And we all know that once we start getting flustered, quitting seems like the best option. Often times, when I encounter a difficulty, it is a sign that I may need to take a break. Sometimes the break may be a few hours, but often times, I need to come back to the project the next day and see it with fresh eyes. Whatever your craft is, be patient with yourself and keep going.

2. In order to grow, I have to be willing to always be a student.
I really thought that when I took my sewing class years ago that I was a pro. But that was just the beginning of my learning experience. There is so much to learn, so much room to improve and grow in any craft. Always be open and willing to learn more. Get some books, watch some you tube tutorials, or take a class. As you grow in skill, your confidence will also begin to grow.

3.Inspiration is necessary.
In any creative endeavor, it is absolutely necessary to have inspiration and sometimes accountability. If you have a friend who enjoys your craft, share your projects with this person from time to time. Just even have them check up on you and ask how you are doing with your projects will help keep you going. Instagram is a perfect way to stay motivated. Find others who are engaged in the similar crafts and cheer them on and be inspired by their work. Visiting a craft show, craft market, or taking classes are a great way to keep you inspired and motivated.