RagsReborn's 2016 overall craft show year

Let's start with my BEST show of the year... Christmas at the Lodge!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Are we all ready for 2017? I hope everyone had a safe and happy New Year's Eve. I did a little celebrating but I mostly did a lot of math. Exhilarating, I know. LOL My last craft show of the year was a few weeks ago but I've been putting off crunching the numbers for 2016. Mainly for two reasons; I hate math (accounting has got to be my least favorite part of being a small business owner) and I was about 95% sure this year sucked.

Set up at St. Ann's retirement home for the home bound residents to do their Christmas shopping.

Well, I was pleasantly surprised. Although I had a handful of shows that were absolutely terrible (aka I didn't sell a single thing), my year overall wasn't as bad as I thought it would turn out to be. I'm still not where I want to be-- so I won't be quitting my day job anytime soon-- but RagsReborn is trucking along quite steadily. And that makes it all worthwhile for me!

Set up at the main library at OU Health Science Center campus with my friend and fellow vendor, Nancy. Her granddaughter calls me "the pillow lady" and we share snacks.  

This past year was the first time that I did a full calendar year of craft shows. In 2016, I participated in 29 craft shows (a significant jump from the 6 shows I participated in throughout 2015). That averages out to almost one show every other weekend. Whoa. Also, I connected with 10 people throughout the year to make custom orders. Needless to say, I am 100% completely immersed in RagsReborn and my little passion project is no longer just a hobby. I would say that I work as much at crafting as I do at my full-time paying job. And I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE it. It took a while but, at age 32, I have finally found my calling in life.

Happy selfie with my two favorite children.

So what's my takeaway from the year?  Let's see... this was sort of hard for me but I came up with two things...
       NUMERO UNO- When I first started out the year, I was NOT prepared for the slow Spring & Summer craft show seasons. When things didn't turn out the way I wanted, I blamed the universe. (This is something that I've struggled with my entire life.) It took me a few shows to get over playing the victim. I thought I was putting in 100% effort but I wasn't. My hard work amounted to about 75% but for the other 25%, I was looking for other avenues to blame. I was being lazy and pessimistic.
       Right before the Fall craft show season, I decided that I was going to change my attitude. My husband is always telling me to be optimistic and think positive; after a while, I decided to take his advice.

• I started smiling through each one of my shows, regardless of how awful the show was moving along. 
• Instead of focusing on why I wasn't selling at certain shows, I started taking notes on what works. I started noticing what people were buying and which venues had the best crowd turn out. I basically moved away from zoning in on negativity to zoning in on positives. 
• I started talking to other vendors and noting traits that I admired in them and then applying those traits to my own business approach. 
• I started listening to podcasts about small businesses and reading blogs written by successful businessmen & women. 
• I started branching out and sewing more than just t-shirt pillows. I experimented with different types of fabric and techniques. 
• I started marketing more aggressively and moved out of my comfort zone. I was conquering fears one show at a time and it worked!  

Two of my new found friends: children's book author, Carly Cartmill & Sweet Sparrows owner, Jenifer Walker.

       NUMERO DOS- I found my tribe (squad, sisterhood, whatever you want to call it). This is HUGE for me. I don't have a lot of friends and I never prescribed to a clique. By doing craft shows, I started seeing some of the same vendors over and over again and I discovered where I fit in. I was able to distinguish which ones were genuinely friendly and which ones were the "mean girls". I attentively listened to all the advice I could get. Then I had to separate which was good advice and which wasn't the best for me.  I gravitated toward strong & successful business owners and solidified friendships.
       I no longer feel so much like the young rookie in the craft show world. I am still naive and not as experienced as I could be but I have reached a point where I can be picky. I no longer believe everything I hear (because a lot of what people will tell you is BS. Hahaha!) Next year, I will not be participating in every show that I come across. I can do more research and find the shows worth doing and turn down the ones that aren't a good fit. I finally figured out what "a good fit" is for my product. That is another huge accomplishment. I feel like, going forward, when I am struggling, I know who I can text or which vendors' group I can turn to for advice online.

• There are a handful of peers that I will listen to and apply any & all advice to my business model. 
• There are certain vendors that I will participate in the same shows they're doing and request for my booth to be next to theirs because I know their company will be welcomed throughout the day. 
• There are a few show organizers that I will sign up for whatever show they put on because I know it will be a good experience. 

And that ends 2016. I struggled, I learned and I overcame. RagsReborn is here to stay!! I have some big plans for 2017 and I already have a few spring craft shows in mind. More on that to come next week...

RagsReborn looks forward to 2016

#tbt (even though its a Monday) to my first ever craft show. My how time flies!!

January is upon us and that means year #2 in business for RagsReborn.  \(^_^)/ I did a brief recap of my first year in business last week, so this week, I'll do a quick look ahead for 2016.

Here are two shows I wanted to do in December but didn't have time for. (;_;)

       Goal #1 is to participate in more shows!! I want to do two shows per month. Considering that I did three in November, that shouldn't be too hard of a goal to accomplish. There were two other shows that I wanted to do in December but the demands of my day job prevented me from fully dedicating myself to my business. Which was a total bummer.
       Unfortunately, there aren't too many shows in the spring so I'll be starting the year off slow. I haven't applied for any January or February shows, yet, but there are a couple in March and April that I want to be a part of. Three shows I really enjoyed were held at the YMCA, Triumph Family Worship and The Crown Center so I will definitely be applying for those shows again. I also plan to seek out more shows at churches. I'm not particularly religious but I had a really good time at the churches' craft fairs. My favorite part is how supportive the community was at each show that I participated in. The staff and volunteers are always so enthusiastic and welcoming.
      If you are a vendor/crafter, help me out here... below is a list of shows that I am interested in. Please let me know if these shows are worth doing. And if you have some that you like to participate in, let me know. I welcome all suggestions!

* Heartland Hunnies (they're the event organizers, actually, not the name of the show) & OKC Flea -- these were the two that I wanted to do in December but couldn't due to Delta Dental obligations. But luckily, they both also have spring/summer shows so I can look forward to that next year.
* Cleveland County Fairgrounds craft shows (I actually know a couple of vendors who do this show regularly and have high praises for it. This is one of the ones I plan to do in the spring.)
* The Santa Market (I applied for this show but got wait listed. *sad face* I heard it's pretty competitive and they only accept you if you have a good resume. Being completely new to this business, my resume was not impressive enough. I think I literally did one other show before I applied. LOL)
* The Earthglow Market & Jingle Bell Bazaar (both are held at churches and both came recommended to me by other vendors)
* The Christmas Bazaar at the Central Presbyterian Church (I drove by the church and saw a huge sign. Yes, advertising does work!)
* There were a few in Norman that I don't remember the name of and the Peanut Butter Drive in Mustang-- I found these shows online. I've been staying in the OKC Metro area but I've been told by other vendors that it's better to branch out to other cities.
       Smaller towns really embrace craft shows as something they look forward to. Oklahoma City has so much art and local talent that a craft show is no big deal but holding an event in a more rural area gives it's residents something to do on a weekend and they come and take it all in. Or so I'm told...

Goal #2 is to become a legit business!! I mean, I'm a business now already but for 2016 I want to manage the whole process a little bit better. I didn't keep very good records of costs and net profit. I kinda just randomly wrote things down in my journal. I opened a business bank account but barely used it (I do plan to put money in it this upcoming year and only use it for RagsReborn purposes). I've appointed Wes as my operations manager and I plan on keeping a detailed ledger. I hated finance and accounting in college but I can't really manage my business if I don't apply what I learned at least a little bit.
       I need to get a Goodwill card in January!! It supports the Goodwill cause and it offers me 5% off each purchase. I also need to stop making totes and be a little more careful of which shirts I get. I have had a year to learn what sells and what doesn't. Sadly, people don't like Oklahoma themed merchandise as much as they like popular culture. I've also taught myself some fun patterns and sewing techniques that I can use for my upcoming pillows.  I plan to add some creativity to the back of the pillows and/or choose some different fabric types.
       I also would like to take the Oklahoma Tax Commission's small business class so I can get a tax ID number, register my business name and have an actual logo. Now that is as official as it gets!

The "before" picture ... all my stuff laid out and ready to display at the Holiday Handmade Show.

Goal #3 is to keep working on my booth display!! Right now it takes me less than an hour to unpack my car and set up my booth. And I can set up my entire booth on my own (although I prefer to have help from friendly craft show volunteers.) I have one big shelf, a vintage trunk and my sewing table. It used to take two car loads to get everything transported but Wes figured it out to where it will only take one (yay for geometry!!) I like the way my booth looks but sadly my handmade "double decker couch" shelf is on it's last leg. It is made from cardboard, fabric, glue and Velcro after all. It lasted me five shows and can probably do a few more but I need to start looking into other options.
       I have some crazy ideas and blue prints in my head but none of them are financially feasible at this time. Even if I had all the money in the world, I think it would still be a little difficult to move my ideas toward reality because the hardest part is finding something that is both collapsible and that can be easily stored once the show is over (aka not too big, not too heavy and not too many pieces). Wes has more practical ideas using grid walls and simple shelving. I'll probably gradually move to that.

This is a "pack-n-roll." I got it from Jessa and Courtney for Christmas. I am in love with it.

Since I don't have any shows planned for January or February, I will use these first two months of 2016 to apply for shows (goal #1) and get RagsReborn officially established in Oklahoma (goal #2).  I also plan to spend a lot of time sewing. I still have a few shirts that I didn't have time to make for my holiday sales season this year. I am at 86 items on my Etsy shop and I really would like to have a consistent 100 at all times. This will be the perfect opportunity to work on those new patterns that I mentioned earlier!

Disclaimer: this is an old picture and a lot of these pillows have already been sold. 

Erica is going to be in the Indie Trunk Show!!!

The 2015 spring Indie Trunk Show is this Saturday!! I'm going to be there...I'm going to be both a confident artist and a bundle of nerves. It'll take a lot to successfully pull that off so send me well wishes and better yet, come by and say hello.  \(^_^)/ I will be in booth #148 (booth numbers won't be posted so just look for my RagsRebornGifts signs). I'll be in my official shirt, too! I bought an Indie Trunk Show promotional tee and got my company name screen printed on the back. Snazzy!

I feel like I have a week to finish up a thousand and one things. As of now, I am one frazzled mess O_O  I have to keep passing out fliers and amp up my presence on social media. I plan to post an album on my Facebook business page with all my inventory. Luckily, I'm done with all my sewing. (big sigh of relief here!) I have about 80 pillows and 20 totes. I haven't done a full inventory count but my goal was 100 items and I know I've done at least that. Really, all I need to do is calm my nerves and think positively. Easier said than done. *rolls eyes*

This is my first show...period.  I opened my Etsy store and started this crazy adventure last November (yeah, only seven measly months ago). I'm not quite sure what I got myself into, honestly. My business hasn't even been operational a year, yet I'm going to be in one of the biggest shows in the metro. Was this a mistake? No, no, no. I can't think like that. Even if I fail terribly, it would have been a really good learning experience. On the flip-side, being in a show of this magnitude could be my gateway into a lot more successful ventures in the future.

The Indie Trunk Show has a Facebook page specifically for vendors. It's been a wonderful resource and networking tool. After reading posts and commenting on a few myself, I learned that you really need to start at small local fundraisers or church craft shows. You're not supposed to just jump into a huge show that has over 200 vendors and an expected turn out of a couple thousand shoppers. Ooops. I guess its go big or go home, right? To try to get a handle on things, I have been reading up on blogs and forums about craft shows (here's a really good one: https://blog.etsy.com/en/2008/seller-how-to-craft-fair-tips/).

Here's a fun promotional picture I made. I needed something for a transitional point in this blog post. 

Anyway, since its Monday craft night, I suppose I should share a craft.
Each vendor at the show gets a 10x10 foot block (literally a square on the floor that's taped off) of space for a booth. I have no walls. I have no display structures. But I do have crazy ideas. LOL This weekend, Wes & I built the main structure for my booth. We built it out of cardboard, cloth, craft glue and Velcro. (I know, I know, insert doubt here)

I wanted my pillows on a bed or couch (something that you would normally find pillows on). And I wanted my booth to look comfortable and homey. Remember in The Lego Movie when they had a double decker couch? Well, that's what I settled on making. I'll have other small display structures in my booth but that is what I wanted to be my main fixture. I lacked experience in furniture building but I had my vivid imagination and supportive husband. So off we went...

It was a behemoth task. I had a small breakdown in the middle of making it but I kept the tears to a minimal. Wes was wonderful to work with (man, check out that alliteration!) I ended up spending a lot more money on this than I wanted but I am happy with how it turned out. It's still not as stable as I'd like but I think it'll do the job.

I knew Indie Trunk Show would be really hard work going into it but I never imagined the magnitude of time and effort -emotionally and physically- it would take. Now I know for sure that it takes blood, sweat and tears to get something like this done. For anyone who goes to a craft fair or arts festival and remarks, "Oh, is that considered art?... I can do something like that at home and not pay $20 for it here," I dare you to apply for a show then do all the work and try saying something like that again. Trust me, you won't. Items are priced at a premium for a reason. Shows.are.hard.work! I don't want to sound like I'm complaining (it's really just the nerves talking here and causing all my negative thoughts). I really am glad I'm in a show like this because its really making me reevaluate how much I really want Rags|Reborn. to work out.  And I do. This is a goal I must accomplish. I don't want a day job anymore... I love you Delta Dental, but I have bigger things in mind! I want to be an artist. I want to do shows and make custom pillows and I want my Etsy store to be a real source of income. I can't slack off anymore. Is this a challenge? ...Yes of course but it's one I can steer the course of.  The universe loves to throw shit at you. I've had my fair share of ups and downs but I feel like this is something I can control. I can apply for more craft shows, I can network and I can sew. If I'm going to make my dream a reality, I gotta be serious about it and conquering Indie Craft Show is the first step. Its been quite the journey.  I keep going back and forth between excitement and pessimistic thoughts of crashing and burning. It's driving me crazy!!  Arrgh, can't it just be May 16th already?!?

Erica is happy to present rags|reborn. !!!!!

I will be thirty in less than a month. I went through a pretty bad mid-life crisis this past summer.

<OMG, I'm turning 30!>
                   <What have I done in my life?>
          <Is my job a real career?>
 <Why don't I have children, a husband, divorce, house, second marriage, refinanced mortgage, more children and all the other things society tells me thirty-year-olds should have accomplished by now?>
                 <Why can't I fit in and be like everyone else?>
                             This last one is a constant struggle like you wouldn't believe.

I thought and prayed and wrote countless entries in my journal while I was in my depressive cocoon of negativity. And now, through my hard work and creative endeavors, I have become a butterfly. Well, I'm not the butterfly, but I have made something that can be the equivalent of the butterfly.

It started with this blog.  I thought, "Hey, if I have a blog, that's something that's MINE. I did this... I have something that I accomplished and am super proud to show off." The tag line to my Monday Craft Night blog is "I sew. I craft. I have big ideas. Great things are coming."

And great things are here! Over the weekend, I set up my Etsy shop. Its supposed to be stylized rags|reborn. but there's already a shop with that name and I can't use symbols... so my shop is RagsRebornGifts. https://www.etsy.com/shop/RagsRebornGifts

Here's my work station. Desk, notebook, sewing machine and music on my laptop. Sadie loves her bed but hates the sewing machine.

Please visit my shop. Browse and buy, if you'd like. If you're in the Oklahoma City metro area, message me and we can work out a delivery system so you don't have to pay the shipping fee. Here's a sampling of my pillows.  I do totes, too, but you'll just have to head on over to the Etsy shop to see them.

                                                                 

Here is my beautiful sewing machine. Its a hand-me-down from my mom.