Some of My Shop

Just wanted to give you a sneak peek at what I'll be carrying in my shop.  I know that some of you have checked it out already and have seen what I've sold in the past.  As of yet I haven't had the chance to purchase the rest of the items to make the lip balms or soaps but I might get to that soon.

For now I'll be listing in Daren Diana Designs some of the following items:

Baby booties, chain maille jewelry (my husband makes some really lovely pieces),  and gemstone jewelry that I handcraft.  I'm a registered jewerly artist with the SRAJD and my number is #137.  I registered with them, and was accepted by them about 6 years ago.

Now because of a bit of paranoia, a healthy dose mind you, I won't be posting photos on here of my work until I've listed it in my shop.  Yes, people love to steal designs.  I did run into that when I was with Etsy.  A little war ensued and I removed a few of my items because another girl insisted she had them first.  It of course as a lie.  I was stupid enough to show photos of my items, in a forum, before I listed them.  I thought for sure no one would be a copy cat, why would they bother I thought?  I trust my regular readers but there are those that like to lurk that might decide what I have is quite novel and want to get in on it.  There isn't much I can't craft.  I used to make 3.5 inch floppy disc note pad.  I used to make credit card note pads too from all those cardboard credit cards they used to send in the mail.  I used to make bullet jewelry before it became a hit on ETSY and I took quite a bit of flack for making it from the community that thought it was too violent because of its very nature.  Oh give me a break!  Most of you know where I would have gotten my spent rounds because my spouse and I like to go target shooting.  I will be putting some of that very stuff back into my shop too.  Well the stuff that I can get away from my spouse that he won't be trying to reload that is.

Alright enough of my babble.  I have a healthy paranoia as I've explained above.

Julia's Child

Recently I read a light hearted short novel that reminded me of my own struggles to start a business.  Years ago I did have an online business where I sold my bath and body products.  Oh I made some really decadent and luscious lip balms and soaps.  My lip balms always sold well and I had repeat customers that were so disappointed when I decided to close up my shop.

I wish I still had my online shop.  I loved making the bath and body products from scratch.  I felt, well, useful.  But when I did my last military move I realized that I couldn't have them ship my essential oils.  I couldn't have them ship my refrigerated ingredients.  I couldn't drive cross country in the middle of the summer knowing that my supplies would make the journey.  I had to close the shop.

I probably could have reopened the shop after I got settled here in Washington State.  I knew though that after being gone from online for over five months that I would have had to of started over with an entirely new customer base.  Oh yes and the start up fees to buy all the supplies again would rip holes in my shallow pockets.

I loved being part of the small enterprise system where I shucked off the corporate uniform and struck out on my own.  I had a sense of being my own boss and making my own hours.  I learned that the hours were long.  Making my product didn't take most of my hours, no it was the advertising.

Unlike Julia Bailey in Julia's Child, I didn't have local grocery or retail stores in which to peddle my wares.  No my clientele were online and I had to make sure my advertising caught their eyes.  You can't physically reach into a monitor and touch the product for sale so you have to make it as appealing as possible.  You have to make them want to pay out $2.50 for a lip balm plus another $1.50 for shipping.  Or even $6.00 for a soap plus shipping.   I realized right off that there were going to be issues with the cost.  But because I'm a small business I still had to turn a profit.  No one was giving me the ingredients for free and the over head costs had to be figured in too.   The only thing I can remember not charging for was my own labor.  I never got paid, only the bills did.  In the end my shop was more a labor of love than an income.

This post is inspired by the novel Julia's Child by Sarah Pinneo. Worried about what her kids eat, Julia Bailey starts a prepared organic toddler meals business. With names like Gentil Lentil, can Julia balance work and family and still save the world? Join From Left to Write on May 24 as we discuss Julia's Child. As a member, I received a copy of the book for review purposes.