A New Look

Yesterday I thought I would quickly change the look of this blog as it has had the same background for ages. Well what I thought was going to be a quick job ended up taking ages, images were in the wrong place, things were overlapping, well I got there in the end but it is not as colourful as what I had before. My son said he prefers it this way, please feel free to let me know what you think.
I had also had the idea of starting a new online shop so I have been looking at a few ways of doing this. I use my Folksy shop at the moment but that hardly seems to get any traffic any more, from what I have read from others lots of people are having the same trouble.
I originally moved to Folksy from Etsy and initially it was more successful, there is so much out there it is hard to get seen.

There are a few people I know who are doing a couple of craft markets. Mixed reviews on these also as they have told me they have only just made the table cost back on a couple of occasions and while they can be a good way to get your stuff seen, the real point is to sell it!

So at the moment I am not sure what to do, the fees on Folksy are only small unless you sell, but then it's a bit pointless if nothing is being seen. Any crafters out there who have some good success stories and ideas please let me know.

Yesterdays make was a new dog cushion...

Don't worry I didn't leave the dog unattended with a lit candle I was trying to brighten the space to take the picture and he wouldn't stop climbing on the cushion.  This is not his cushion even, my other dogs sometimes like to sit here next to the radiator, he has his own new bed! The fabric was left over from a tote bag I made  last year.

My other nagging doubt about starting another shop is that I didn't want making to be all about money, but is sometimes useful and rewarding to sell some of your creations.  I suppose I have conflict in this area.

 There also has to be a purpose when you are doing something, if it's a gift, an alteration or something for you there is an end in sight, it will be used.  When you are making items for the purpose of an online store and they sit in cupboards waiting to be sold it can feel disappointing. I end up using them myself and so I have many bags.   I would be no use whatsoever with a real life shop as the unsold merchandise would drive me crazy each day!

I have found a site called Zibbet that lets you list 10 items with one image for free and no charges or 50 items with 4 images and a $4 a month charge ( you get more exposure with the fee paying version)

I am a little tempted to give some where new a try.

Also on the Design Trust page they recommended this book...

Now I already have a few books along these lines and they haven't done me much good so far. But I live in hope that there is a business woman in there some where. There is also the fact that maybe I am not applying a lot of what I've read (ouch!) yes I may have to admit that. So first I will try the library for it, then re- read my other craft as business books then if all that fails maybe buy it for myself when it is my birthday.