RagsReborn's 2018 Review

It is currently 11:35am on Tuesday, January 1st, 2019. Happy New Year, y'all! 🎇🎉(that second emoji is supposed to be a "party popper," but it totally looks like a taco or some sort of food to me, LOL) I decided to use the #2018bestnine app yesterday to generate my highest liked pictures of the year. Some good ones came up - endometriosis awareness, the dress I designed and made for American Sewing Guild contest, the Kesha concert, my drastic haircut, I gained Excel certification, endometriosis awareness (again!), Athena with Santa Paws, Crazy Rich Asians, and sadly, only one craft show picture. And even worse, there weren't any pictures of my sewing process or finished products. Well, that just means I need to work harder this year.

Earlier this morning, I tabulated all of my craft show information (items sold per show, expenses, and all that boring accounting stuff). I only participated in sixteen shows--which is still a lot but I think I did over twenty the year before. I spent most of my time (and money) on growing my sewing skill set. I took a sewing class that spanned several weeks and totally immersed myself in American Sewing Guild. Oh, and I also bought a ton of new stuff for my sewing room. So, 2018 wasn't the best year financially for RagsReborn. That being said, I still had a handful of marvelous craft shows. The top one being The Santa Market, closely followed by Wanderlust and Sleigh Bells Market.

I opened my Etsy store in late November of 2014, just in time for the holiday shopping season. I told myself that I would give it three years to decide if being a small business owner would be a viable option for me. My three years are over and I've decided that nope, being a small business owner is absolutely not a good career choice. Dude, I totally suck at sales! While other vendors are chatting up everyone who walks near their booth and making $500+ at craft shows, I'm over here being socially awkward. That used to make me feel so horrible (and jealous). Something happened last summer... a complete switch in mindset. I was still the quiet girl who politely greeted customers and let them browse while I sat in the corner of my booth and read... but I noticed that I was still making sales. I only gabbed with a few customers per show but I was having real conversations with those that did stop and talk. I made friends and gained repeat customers. Most importantly, I stopped comparing myself to other vendors. I finally realized that RagsReborn Gifts is not a job, and I don't want it to be a job or a career. That's too much pressure.  I will never sell $1,000 at a craft show, like the "successful" vendors do. My products will never be picked up to be sold in local boutiques. And that is just fine. All I want is to create in my sewing room and then show off all my awesome talent. RagsReborn is a hobby, a hobby that I am really passionate about. I'm actually proud of myself and I don't need sales to justify that feeling. All that matters is that I bring top notch quality items to each and every show. For 2018, that is exactly what happened. I hope to keep that positive momentum going for 2019. I'm taking a few months off to experiment with new inventory (I will be sewing unicorn shaped stuffed animals...for all of you who keep asking if I have unicorns 🦄) and restocking everything else. I look forward to putting my spring craft show schedule together... I hope to see you soon!

RagsReborn is planning for 2018.

Guess what, guys? Spring craft show season will be here before we know it! Shows usually begin in March and run through the summer. I'm still in the process of researching shows that will be a good fit for RagsReborn; I have a couple on my radar but haven't finalized my spring craft show schedule, yet, but I plan to very soon. And when I do, I will have it posted for you guys. I promise!

For 2018, I plan to aim for quality over quantity. My approach when I first started RagsReborn was to participate in whichever show I could get accepted into...which meant sewing up a storm and travelling to craft shows several times per month. I enjoyed staying busy but I believe that by being a little pickier, I can 1) choose to only participate in reputable & well established shows that I know will have an atmosphere that is best for my inventory and 2) spend more time perfecting & improving the quality of  my products. In my last blog post, I mentioned that one of my goals for the year is to become a better sewist. I just registered for a Sewing II (intermediate) course at a local vocational college. Classes don't begin until March but I am already excited to start! I also plan to attend more American Sewing Guild meetings in the upcoming months. Not only are the women in the Oklahoma chapter extremely friendly & welcoming, they also represent a fountain of knowledge and I love picking their brains to get new ideas & advice.

I Googled "color trends 2018," and this is what came up on the image search. Do you agree or disagree?

Another goal I mentioned was to cater my product more toward the general public (but I'm stubborn so I'm not completely getting rid of pattern blocking, for better or worse!). That's where I need your help. All last year, I kept hearing potential clients tell me that they're done decorating with pillows. They either no longer use pillows in their home decor or they have already amassed enough pillows and therefore don't need any new ones. So... if you are a popular blogger or community figure, please bring back pillows. Tell all of your fans that pillows are totally rad and everyone needs more pillows! And new pillows! Please and thank you. LOL All joking aside, I really would like some feedback. Can you please tell me what styles, colors, sizes, and patterns of pillows you'd like to decorate with? Also, what animals are popular with children, babies and new parents? I plan to continue to sew pillows & stuffed animals but plan to toss around some other new ideas. So, what are some other sewn items you'd like to see in my booth? My "vendor category" is sewing and home decor so I would like to stay within those boundaries. I made several flags (wall decor) for friends and family as Christmas gifts. Should I start selling those at craft shows? Any comments, whether negative or positive, are appreciated.

I Googled "fabric trends 2018," and this is what came up on the image search. Do you agree or disagree?

With all that said, I have a lot of work to do... but I'm super excited to see where 2018 takes RagsReborn. Thanks for continuing with me on my journey and I hope to see you at a craft show or two!

And here's an adorable picture of Sadie and Athena to keep you going until my next blog post.

RagsReborn Gifts says goodbye to 2017.

Hello, everyone! I hope we all left our troubles of 2017 behind us and are welcoming 2018 with open arms!

I finished my 2017 craft show year several weeks ago but wanted a little more time for reflection so I'm writing this a bit late. Last year was pretty darn good for RagsReborn over all. My #1 highlight was that I finally got into The Santa Market... and had an awesome time!! The show coordinators and volunteers were great, there was busy traffic all day, my sales were amazing and the show lived up to all its hype; all in all, it was my best show!

This show raises so much money for charity and I love being a part of this kindness!

After reviewing all my craft shows from last year, I would say that 2017 was the year of criticism and the year of risk taking. Both were scary challenges but both also helped me grow as a small business owner and a human being. And that's really what challenges are all about; you cry & have sleepless nights, then you work harder & come out the other end much braver ... and then you take that attitude into the next challenge and do it all over again. I think that actually sums up everything about owning a small business.

I am well aware that shoppers and other vendors gossip behind my back, but I've never had anyone openly share their negative comments to my face... until last year. The bulk of the criticism centered around two things - my items look too handmade and it is evident that I am a self-taught sewist. And because of that I 1) should not be charging so much for my product and 2) do not belong at large professional events. To paraphrase, "If you're going to do arts 'n crafts at home with your grandma, go back to small church craft shows and only charge $3/item." First off, I would like to defend myself and say that I am proud of RagsReborn. I personally feel as if the company has come a long way in three short years. But on the other hand, I know that I don't work out of a professional studio and it is pretty evident that I like to blend loud colors & weird patterns so my pillows don't exactly fit into what's "mainstream," and if I want to actually have customers & make money, maybe its time to be a little more hip and in tune with what shoppers prefer. Hearing other vendors' and shoppers' opinions taught me to stand up for myself but also humbled me. I am obviously biased about my products but it wouldn't hurt to work on my people skills and take a few sewing classes, and I plan to do that this year. Being self-taught will only get me so far and I know I still have a long way to go.

On to risk taking... I've been too afraid to sign up for large craft shows ("artisan pop-up shops," as they are often referred to as). I think its because my first craft show ever was the Indie Trunk Show and it was a complete disaster. The booth rent was entirely out of my price range and I looked completely out of place...talk about items looking "too handmade". LOL Those are still things I struggle with but last year, I decided to give large craft shows another chance and joined the Revolve Productions line-up. I participated in four of their events and guess what, I didn't do too poorly! Everyone measures success a little differently and I'm not ready to share my sales figures publicly but I will say that I was able to hold my own at each one of these larger events. Tobi and Revolve Productions is a delight to work with. Each one of their events was heavily advertised and they carefully selected the vendor line-up to ensure a wide variety of products. I am so glad I participated in their Wanderlust and Sleigh Bells Market shows, and look forward to doing so again. I also took another risk by introducing new items into my product line and that was the best decision I ever made. (Thank you to everyone who encouraged me to do so and sorry I didn't listen to your suggestions sooner.) Stuffed animals-especially the baby elephants-were the best sellers of the year. With that in mind, I plan to go into 2018 with new items & ideas, higher quality products and you'll continue to see RagsReborn at smaller community craft shows as well as high-end pop-up shops.

RagsReborn Gifts' origin story

One of my favorite podcasts is NPR's How I Build This. On each episode, Guy Raz interviews the creator/CEO of a successful business. He's interviewed the creator/CEO of Instagram, Southwest Airlines, Kate Spade, Zumba and countless others. Throughout the interview, he asks how the idea for the business was conceived, the high and low points of the journey and whether or not the interviewee believes in luck. Its always an interesting conversation and I've learned a lot. The best part is that at the very end, the show chooses a current entrepreneur to interview. They're always asking for idea submissions so I decided to submit for RagsReborn Gifts.

If I was selected to talk about RagsReborn, my origin story would go a little like this...
       RagsReborn Gifts was conceived in the summer of 2014 following two events. The first was my boyfriend (at the time, now husband) moving into my tiny one bedroom apartment with me. We had too many clothes and not enough closet space. We desperately needed to scale down our wardrobe! We both had articles of clothing that we didn't want to toss out but also weren't wearing much anymore. I had an idea to sew the t-shirts into decorative pillows for our couch. They turned out great and I would get compliments from our guests.
       In the following months, I began having problems with my health. I was diagnosed with severe endometriosis and rendered infertile. Also around that same time, everyone I knew was getting pregnant and gabbing about how wonderful their life has become because they would soon be parents. I felt as if my life was becoming more and more insignificant compared to those of mothers. After a short battle with depression, I decided that I too would give birth... to a creative small business that I was passionate about. That is when RagsReborn was, well, born.
      No, I absolutely do not believe in luck. No famous artist or successful entrepreneur has ever just become that way because a fortune cookie told them they would. I have never been lucky. Everything I have ever accomplished, I've had to work for. And I think that's the way it should be. You get so much more satisfaction knowing that you built this and you grew that. So if there is such a thing as good luck, then I'm glad I don't have it. I would rather pour my blood, sweat and tears into a project I truly believe in to make it happen.

Erica's blog in 2017.

NYE selfie madness with my family.

Have you realized that I've been posting one blog per week since the middle of 2014? That is A LOT of blog posts. And the funny thing is that I don't even find my life particularly interesting. LOL I'm restructuring how I'm going to do things for 2017. Instead of weekly blogs, I'm planning on cutting back to only writing monthly. I've noticed that my most popular reads are regarding travel, craft shows (tips, experience and advice) and major life events. Unfortunately, those types of things don't occur in my life each week --although how awesome would it be to take a vacation each week? Anyway, I have big plans for 2017 in each of those areas so one substantial blog post each month seems to be the best direction for me to take this.

Thanks, Michelle, for my awesome calendar!

For January's blog post, I want to fill you in on RagsReborn. This year will be a year of changes and risk taking.
       The first change is that I plan to travel further out of Oklahoma City for craft shows. I've been tipped off to several shows that are just outside of my travel radius that are must do's for handmade vendors. I've been avoiding them because my #1 rule thus far was that I wouldn't do a show that I have to drive out more than half an hour for. Although I value my time and mileage, gas, etc. on my car, I believe my half-hour-rule is holding me back.
       The second change is that I am going to participate in outdoor shows! This was another one of my tried & true rules... but I did an outdoor car show last year that turned out to be great (one of my best shows of the year, actually).  The weather cooperated, no birds pooped on my pillows and I didn't pass out from heat exhaustion= SUCCESS. All I really need to jump into spring & summer outdoor festivals is a tent. Luckily, one of my vendor friends has a spare tent that he & his wife are letting me borrow. All I need to do now is apply at the same shows they are and request to be the booth next to theirs. If I end up enjoying outdoor shows, I can start budgeting and clear out some closet space to store a pop up tent of my own.
       By breaking these two rules, I'll be able to take RagsReborn to more venues and explore markets that I've been missing out on.

Thanks, Christopher, for my awesome paper weight! 

For my Christmas gift, Wes gave me a high tech digital camera and his friends collected the funds for me to purchase professional lighting. Now I am able to take sharper, more skillful, pictures of my products. This will greatly aid in my Etsy shop and social media updates. The wonderful thing about my friends and family is that they all know how passionate I am about my small business. All of my Christmas & birthday money was given to me with the directive to better RagsReborn. I plan to use my funds to design and print my own fabric. I also have a rewards program (think of those little punch cards where you buy 6 of these and get the 7th item free) in the works.

Another first for RagsReborn is that I will be partnering with another local small business owner to participate in larger (read: more expensive booth rent) shows. Rachelle is a former client of mine and co-owner of Loot & XP Board Game Cafe in Norman, OK. I sewed a couple of pillows for her cafe's grand opening. She is looking to branch out and called upon me for advice. For us to both participate in large scale shows, we will split booth rent and portion out our booth into two smaller shops. I plan to meet with her soon to discuss these new ambitions.

My very first craft show flyer/advertising for Indie Trunk show in 2015. My how time has flown by!

With all that said, I have already begun tinkering with my 2017 spring craft show schedule. So far, I might have one show in January and two or three in March & April. I will be donating items to Street Cats' My Furry Valentine charity gala in February (although I will not be in attendance at this event). So the ball is rolling. And I have a lot to do. I want to thank everyone for their continued support and hope to see you out at a show this year!

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's first at home shopping party

My pillow display...I love my antique trunk!

       Today is the last day of February and March is upon us. Oh how time flies!! I didn't participate in any craft shows this month. Instead, I tried to dabble in something new...two something news, actually. I co-hosted an Arbonne party and joined an auction to benefit the Mustang Animal Shelter (will blog about the auction next week). Both were very different experiences from the craft shows that I am used to. I enjoy trying new things and had a good time at both but I am excited to get back into the familiarity of craft shows. Bring on March and April...two shows each month and I am pumped!

I just noticed how blurry the top picture is... sorry!

I co-hosted my very first at home shopping party a few weeks ago. Before I start, I wanted to extend a sincere thanks to Mrs. Sue Ellis for opening up her home to myself, my products and my friends. She let her daughter and I use her beautiful home as the venue for our party. And, photo credit for this blog goes to Kristin Ellis. It turned out well over all but I will never do it again. It was SO.MUCH.WORK and I honestly don't think it was worth it.

       Wait, wait, wait... what is an introvert like myself doing hosting an at home shopping party??!? I seriously pondered this myself before I agreed to co-host and I concluded that, well, sometimes it's good to step outside of your comfort zone. You can't accomplish your goals if you don't take risks. And guess what...I sold 6 pillows that night!

       I met Kristin at a young professionals event many years ago. Although I stopped going to the mixers, we kept in touch through Facebook. Last year, she contacted me to do a joint party. She is an independent consultant for Arbonne and suggested that we do a fun girls shopping night. I was hesitant at first but then thought, "How hard can it be? Display some pillows, invite some friends and that's that." Ummm...lesson learned... it can be hard... very, very hard >.>

       After we planned the party and set a date, I promoted like crazy. I knew beforehand that people are wary of shopping parties due to the pressure to buy (I honestly never attended them myself for that very reason). I told everyone that there will be no pressure or obligation to buy from me. I couldn't speak for Arbonne but I wasn't going to pester my guests to purchase a pillow. I also told everyone that I'd be baking (that's always a good selling point!) I passed out all ten of my invitations and marketed all over social media. For about two weeks, I told literally everyone I knew about this party. I went as far as to get in trouble at my book club because I was trying to invite some of the ladies (they misinterpreted my sincere invitation as solicitation, which is against the rules.) At the week of the party, I had secured seven attendees!

       I spent the entire morning baking cupcakes and cookies in preparation for the night. I was uber excited for this party! But then that all suddenly stopped and stress crept in... when the night of the party finally came, four of the ladies couldn't make it after all. Oh no! That's over half of my guest list!! I was completely understanding of things coming up but I was also worried. So, I texted my co-host. Surely, she would have invited some of her friends & family, right? Sadly, no, she had not. She had zero guests coming. I was too overly optimistic about this little event and now I was completely let down. I did everything I could to make this party happen but she had only invited a scant number of acquaintances and barely even promoted the event. I felt cheated! How could I have worked so hard just to find out that my co-host did nothing? Weren't we supposed to be in this together?

         As it turns out, I was overreacting a little. Kristin and I had very different mindsets about the guest list: I wanted everyone to come & join us for a fun time but she only wanted the "proper clientele" to be there. This is definitely something we should have discussed as we were planning the party but I guess we just assumed we were on the same page. After I realized that, I finally let go of my anger & frustration at the guest list debacle and enjoyed myself. The evening turned out fine. I had a lovely time with my guests (thanks again Garrett, Lacey & Patti for coming) and Kristin's mother is a wonderful woman who kept our conversation going. We talked about travel, men and our jobs, sold some Arbonne & pillows and everyone loved my cupcakes & cookies. 

Lemon cupcakes with vanilla frosting and white chocolate water lilies. Pecan cookies with chocolate caramel center.

This is what I ordered at the party: lotion and deodorant.

It's President's Day & RagsReborn is (sorta) celebrating!

Happy Presidents' Day! My place of employment observes this government holiday so I am at home on my laptop doing my homework. I probably should be out enjoying the day like the rest of my coworkers but spring craft show season is about to start and I have things to get done. I'm not exactly sure how you're supposed to celebrate Presidents' Day but, today, I've been researching Oklahoma small business and tax laws. (Fun, right?)
       Here are some helpful websites and advice that I found in my research. None of these websites are mine-obviously-and they are to be used as reference materials only. I am not giving any legal advice nor claiming to be an expert in the topic. I am not promoting these websites. They were helpful to me and my situation. I wanted to pass them along so if the subject matter interests you, please feel free to click and read. And, once I get my business name registered and tax ID assigned, we can all celebrate together!

I did a little research before I started RagsReborn last year. I reviewed the Oklahoma Tax Commission website and talked to a vendor friend of mine. I concluded that I would only be participating in occasional sales and the functionality of RagsReborn would be more as a hobby than a business. I would collect taxes and turn them into craft shows as requested but I didn't need my own tax ID. Almost all of the craft shows I attended provided a tax form at the end of the show for me to complete and remit money. I also came across this little article: How To Sell Things You Make Without A License.

Earlier this year, I spoke again with my vendor friend (so much thanks goes out to Marie of Glass Soldier Gifts... she talked me through my first year of craft shows. Her knowledge and friendliness has been much appreciated!!) and she strongly advised that I just get my tax ID. If I don't make any sales in the month, I don't have to report. If I do make sales, then it's a super easy process to report online. Many craft shows ask for your business FEIN anyway so why not have one? It's convenient to remit everything to the craft show, but it's also good to take on that responsibility yourself. 

I also called the Oklahoma Tax Commission. I spoke with Monique who informed me that anything more than three craft shows a year does not qualify for "occasional sales." She suggested that I apply for my tax ID online immediately. She echoed Marie's advice in that I only had to report when necessary and the entire process is simple & can be done online. She also stated that if I wanted to register my business name with the Secretary of State (something she highly advised that I do), I would need to get that done before I registered for my FEIN.

Then today, I delved in further. Full on research mode! I want to grow RagsReborn and participate in more craft shows. I want to have a heavier presence on Etsy. I want to really promote my sewing of custom orders and gain an actual customer base. I legitimately want to be a small business! Here's what I found:

Answers courtesy of the Oklahoma Tax Commission website.

Since I started out as a seller on Etsy, I went to their discussion forum first. Etsy has a really good community when it comes to providing knowledge and advice. Etsy advised that I consult the government so that was my next stop. 

       https://www.etsy.com/teams/7722/discussions/discuss/9799713/page/1 

       https://www.irs.gov/uac/Business-or-Hobby%3F-Answer-Has-Implications-for-Deductions

       http://www.gotogreatpanes.com/blog/sales-tax-business-registration/

So it's done... I completed the Trade Name Report and mailed it off to the Secretary of State. I will be waiting patiently as it is processed and once I am notified of its completion, I will go online to register for my FEIN. Then I will report my earnings monthly and fill out this form here next year when I do my 2016 taxes.
       Oh what fun it is to wade through legal research! At least it's done and I feel better about RagsReborn. I am crossing my fingers that this all goes live before my first craft show on Friday February 26th. That's still weeks away so I should be fine. The registration for a tax ID supposedly only takes 15 minutes online. And, I already made sure that RagsReborn Gifts wasn't taken as a business name in Oklahoma so the registration with the Secretary of State shouldn't be too much of a hassle to approve either. This is me thinking positively.

One more thing I have come across- using licensed fabric (and t-shirts, in my case).
       I was worried about this at first but quickly dismissed it since there are "junkers" and "upcyclers" all over Etsy and who participate in craft shows. I have seen numerous quilts, Christmas ornaments, coasters, jewelry & hair bows boasting college logos, movie and TV characters, etc. If you can get your hands on a yard of Oklahoma Sooners fabric, you can craft anything out of it. Very few of these crafters have licenses, myself included.
       This spring, I will be participating in a show that strictly does not allow original collegiate merchandise. I called the show organizer and explained my product to her. I wanted to be sure that I could still participate. She said that as long as I am using licensed t-shirts and fabric, my products will be fine. They are not originals and I am not reproducing the collegiate logos. But, she warned, if I sew a pillow that is orange and black with my own interpretation of the OSU logo on it, I will be asked to leave.

Fortunately, I have not had any bad experiences with copyrights and trademarks. (knock on wood) I have a sign stating RagsReborn Gifts is not associated with any of the brands or images on this item and does not own the rights to the image posted on my booth at all my craft shows and the disclaimer is listed on my Etsy shop profile and on each item description profile. 
       I have been contacted once through Etsy by a member of Fall Out Boy's merchandising team who asked me to remove a pillow I had made using one of the band's t-shirts. No problem. I immediately removed it and wrote a polite and apologetic reply. It was all handled very professionally.
       Then a few months ago, I received a message from a fellow crafter who asked if I have ever gotten in any legal trouble over my products. No, I have not lest the Fall Out Boy incident. I wouldn't even call that a bad experience since no harm was really done. She was surprised and expected that I had received numerous cease and desist letters. Since the possibility of product confiscation and forced closure of my Etsy shop is becoming a reality, I better do some research.

From whatthecraft.com

For now, I think I will be okay. I believe I am doing everything I can to stay out of trouble. But the legal landscape is always changing so I will need to keep abreast of this. If any of you have any experiences and advice to share, I welcome it.
       My apologies if this blog was a little dry but I did say in the first paragraph that I would be doing my homework today. And homework is never titillating. But it's done now and it's back to sewing for me! The spring craft show line up will be revealed 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.