Sure i recycle the bottlecaps.... or maybe you would say i reuse them......Or maybe my products are upcycled!
Friday, 21 March 2008
Friday, 14 March 2008
Featured once again by Dawanda Shop Directory
Even though it was only a direct copy of a blog post i did recently - my last post i think actually - it was still nice to be featured and hopefully my experiences will help others.
http://dawandashopdirectory.blogspot.com/2008/02/jenny-bs-bottlecaps-first-craft-fair.html
i will be writing more for Sara but its been a hectic week and i need a rest!
http://dawandashopdirectory.blogspot.com/2008/02/jenny-bs-bottlecaps-first-craft-fair.html
i will be writing more for Sara but its been a hectic week and i need a rest!
Featured on Cuteable!
The wonderful Elizabeth at Dawanda, who is also on the admin team, let me a comment on my Dawanda profile to say i have been featured on another blog called cuteable!
It was one of the magnets that got a mention here!
My How To Guide - featured on the dawanda shop directory blog
After i discovered the idea of creating a business page on Facebook for my online Dawanda shop and then shared this with other Dawanda sellers, Sara asked me to write a guide on how to create a facebook page, which she has published on the blog today!
and here's a link to my facebook page for jennyb's bottlecaps
Dawanda Shop Directory again!
Another mention from Sara on the Dawanda Shop Directory blog I shared my facebook advertising idea on the Dawanda Forum. You can create pages for musicians, charities, teams, organisations and also businesses like online stores! This way people can become fans and show their support.
Here is the facebook page for Jennyb's Bottlecaps
and
Here is the facebook page for Sara's Texture Crafts
Another way to promote Dawanda and help each other promote our shops and hopefully sell more handmade crafts!
Jennyb's Bottlecaps featured on the Dawanda shop directory blog
Sara has been kind enough to feature sellers from Dawanda with a simple questionaire i replied to and has today published my article on the blog here
The blog also has great guides on dawanda and how to buy, sell and promote etc.
jennyb's bottle caps
found a photo on flickr of the bottlecap i sent to Courtney for introducing me to Dawanda!
Feature on Indiequarter
Another wonderful feature on the indiequarter blog.
A Super blog!
http://www.indiequarter.com/blog/2008/03/14/bottle-caps-and-take-out-boxes
Thursday, 13 March 2008
First Farmers Market Post - Ugley Farmers Market - A step into the unknown....
It would have to be one of the coldest mornings on a while when i have to get up and leave the house early! by the time we left at ten past nine it had at least reached about freezing, but only by one degree!
Setting up was fine and i managed to get my table presented reasonably nicely although my chalk board canvas idea for the price list didn't work at all - good job i took some paper with me!
So this is how my little corner of the little room looked!
There were only 4 of us in the little craft room, as half term had kept sellers away as well as many buyers! but the lady next to me who was selling various textile items bought a little magnet of a bee as her granddaughter is called Bee.
It was good to network and meet people, and i am very grateful to Angela (who i met through freecycle) for introducing me to her friends. It was great being able to tell the lady with the textiles (apologies for not remembering names but my nerves blocked all of them out today apart from Sue (the organiser), Angela and Steph who makes soaps) about the online opportunities such as Etsy.com and Dawanda, as well as pick up contact details for future events, such as the Countess of Warwick fair in Dunmow which is held in august.
After advertising on facebook, one of my contacts RSVP'ed that he would be attending, i didn't expect him to at all, but he and his partner came over. i was kind of shocked as i hadn't seen him in about 2 years - at least. But it was wonderful to see him and he even picked up a Mother's Day gift from my stall - and some essential beer i noticed! This was the set of three he purchased:
Apparently January, February and March are particualry quiet and even more so today because of half term. So i am encouraged that i was about to cover my costs of the stall on a very quiet morning especially as the lady who has the signs that say "more stalls this way", as you had to walk through the kitchen to get to us (!!) wasn't there this week. If i go again though i am only able to get floor space as the regular photographer who is normally where i was will be back, but David has worked out that i could simply use the tripod to hold my white board.
Its given me a slight boost in confidence depsite waking up wishing it would be cancelled this morning!
Bring on the 15th March!
Setting up was fine and i managed to get my table presented reasonably nicely although my chalk board canvas idea for the price list didn't work at all - good job i took some paper with me!
So this is how my little corner of the little room looked!
There were only 4 of us in the little craft room, as half term had kept sellers away as well as many buyers! but the lady next to me who was selling various textile items bought a little magnet of a bee as her granddaughter is called Bee.
It was good to network and meet people, and i am very grateful to Angela (who i met through freecycle) for introducing me to her friends. It was great being able to tell the lady with the textiles (apologies for not remembering names but my nerves blocked all of them out today apart from Sue (the organiser), Angela and Steph who makes soaps) about the online opportunities such as Etsy.com and Dawanda, as well as pick up contact details for future events, such as the Countess of Warwick fair in Dunmow which is held in august.
After advertising on facebook, one of my contacts RSVP'ed that he would be attending, i didn't expect him to at all, but he and his partner came over. i was kind of shocked as i hadn't seen him in about 2 years - at least. But it was wonderful to see him and he even picked up a Mother's Day gift from my stall - and some essential beer i noticed! This was the set of three he purchased:
Apparently January, February and March are particualry quiet and even more so today because of half term. So i am encouraged that i was about to cover my costs of the stall on a very quiet morning especially as the lady who has the signs that say "more stalls this way", as you had to walk through the kitchen to get to us (!!) wasn't there this week. If i go again though i am only able to get floor space as the regular photographer who is normally where i was will be back, but David has worked out that i could simply use the tripod to hold my white board.
Its given me a slight boost in confidence depsite waking up wishing it would be cancelled this morning!
Bring on the 15th March!
Monday, 10 March 2008
Farmers Markets are the wrong market
I know i've only done 2 farmers markets now and maybe that isn't enough to gauge whether selling my bottlecaps there will work or not. But the 2 markets i have done have been complete flops, both Ugley and Newport. Although at both markets other stall holders have told me that it has been extremely unusually quiet, i still feel that even if it were busier then it would make much a difference to my sales.
Frustratingly this time, as nice as it was to be in the main hall, i was right slap bang in the middle of the hall!
But as i was able to see the whole market this time, i made sure i watched what was going on around me. so here are my observations;
- General age group: 50+ There were a couple of younger coupler, and a couple of pregnant women but all the regulars were over 50.
- many came with their own recycled bags and their shopping lists. they knew what they wanted. they had their regular items that they bought from the market.
Other stalls who sold a lot more were
- The Eggs
- The Fish
- Clavering Pigs (pork)
- The Lamb and Beef
- The Mushroooms
- Mel's Cakes
- The Pate and terrine stall
- The Bread stall
there were only 3 other stall who didn't sell hugely but i think they still sold more than me (yes! i did actually sell something, but the customers were other stall holders)
- Jams, Chutneys and Sauces
- Pies and Quiches
- Handmade soaps
I made 2 sales. one was a mushroom magnet to the mushroom stall holder and my other sale was to the lady selling beef and lamb. she liked a cow magnet that was part of a set of 2 and a chicken that was part of a set of three. she asked me if i'd split them up - well if its going to get them sold then you do what you have to do!
Anyway i'm going to forget about farmers markets for now. people keep saying "you need to go to a craft market and try there" but what they don't realise if the cost of a stand at those places - the cheapest i found was a market in Ilford for £45 - for my products and prices that just isn't practical.
So all my farmers market stock will now slowly be added to my Dawanda Shop.
Saturday, 1 March 2008
Welcome to Jennyb's Bottlecaps!
Welcome to the new blog for jennyb's bottle caps. Here you can find details of the latest products and where you can buy them!
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