[Nfb-krafters-korner] sales and organization
River Woman
riverwoman at zoominternet.net
Wed Aug 8 19:48:20 UTC 2012
Ramona, yes, I am highly organized. I would not be able to work like I do if
it was not orgamized. Who wants to waste time searching for things when you
can be working on projects? Not me! That really would agravate me and would
make me so frustrated.
Lynda Lambert
River Road Studio, Since 1976
Village of Wurtemburg, PA 16117
Visit my Web Site at: http://lyndalambert.com
Visit my Blog at: http://www.walkingbyinnervision.blogspot.com
www.lyndalambert.com
www.walkingbyinnervision.blogspot.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ramona Walhof" <ramona.walhof at gmail.com>
To: "List for blind crafters and artists" <nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, August 08, 2012 2:59 PM
Subject: Re: [Nfb-krafters-korner] sales and organization
> Lynda, this is a dissertation
> from a professional. We should keep it somewhere to bring out for the
> next questioner so you don't have to rewrite it. Most of us don't reach
> this level of organization or do this much work. Butg you are a great
> yard stick for us all.
>
> Ramona----- Original Message -----
> From: "River Woman" <riverwoman at zoominternet.net>
> To: "List for blind crafters and artists" <nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 08, 2012 7:54 AM
> Subject: Re: [Nfb-krafters-korner] sales and organization
>
>
>> Sounds like you are on a mission to really be organized, Terry! Good for
>> you and lots of great ideas here.
>>
>> Here are some of my tips for organization of art/craft things:
>>
>> YARN:
>> My yarn is organized in my fibers studio/office which is a room off by
>> itself. It used to be a back porch many years ago, and my husband tore
>> down the porch and built a room there and made it far larger than the
>> porch used to be. It steps down from my kitchen and is very private and
>> not part of my house. I love it.
>>
>> On two walls, he put in shelves that hold slide out drawers that are
>> transparent. I bought them at Dollar General for about $6. each. There
>> are 25 of these pullout drawers. Each is about 12 x 15 inches and 7
>> inches deep. They are wonderful and keep my yarns clean and safe. I have
>> quite a large STASH, as you can imagine. Since I can see contrasts if
>> they are very large, I made a sign for each box - white paper with large
>> black marker on it. I put this sign right inside the front of the drawer
>> so it shows up very well when the drawer is closed. I can see each sign
>> so I know what kind of yarn is in my drawer.
>>
>> (cotton; acrylic; fun fur; novelty yarns; Noro; lace; mohair, etc.)
>>
>> In addition to those shelves and drawers, I also have containers that
>> have three shelves in them, stacked one upon the other. Since those
>> drawers are not as deep as the single ones, I can keep knitting and
>> sewing implements in them, threads, and other smaller items. I really
>> like to have like things with like things - it makes life so much easier!
>>
>> We also bought a shelf unit from Home Depot and it was only about $25.
>> and it has five shelves on it - goes from floor to about 2 1/2 feet from
>> the ceiling. It is about 4 feet wide. On these shelves I have placed all
>> the three drawer containers, and lots of shoe box sized single
>> containers.
>>
>> On the bottom shelf of this unit I have binders - bought at Staples. In
>> the binders are my knitting patterns. I have a separate binder for each
>> kind of item. Example: Scarves; shawls; childrens' jackets; etc.) And,
>> finally, in archival storage boxes (bought from Graphic Dimensions mail
>> order or website) I have all my knitting magazines. Each is stored by
>> type in these archival boxes.
>>
>> Another good item was purchased at the Dollar General. I bought lots of
>> containers that look like they would hold cupckes. They stack very nicely
>> one on top of the other. I can put four of these containers in one
>> stack - they are fantastic and I love them. They have lids that snap
>> into place so they are wonderful for putting projects in - this way I can
>> just pick up a container and I have everything I need for my project
>> right there in that container.
>>
>> For the Beads:
>> I am currently having a studio built for just my beading equipment and a
>> place to work where nothing is disturbed and I can just be alone to work.
>> I have a really nice room in the lower level of the house where I used to
>> paint and do printmaking a long time ago. Bob is going to build a new
>> hardwood floor in that room (it is concrete now) and I will have it
>> painted a bright cheery color (yellow) and can then have all my bead
>> stuff in one place. It is maddening right now as my bead stuff is spread
>> out in three places! I long to have it all in one place.Right now, I am
>> working on the dining room table - and it is covered with beads all the
>> time - so when I am getting company or a business call, I have to clear
>> off my table - and that is driving my crazy! lol
>>
>> Bead Storage: All beads are stored in segmented containers which were
>> purchased at JoAnns. They are containers that have individual segments so
>> I can put like beads with like beads in those. Example: jade, malachite,
>> onyx, etc.) I do not mix types of beads but keep each separate for easy
>> use in the future.
>>
>> Right now, all my beads are stored in a different building - my pottery
>> studio. I have shelves there, with doors on them, so that everything
>> stays pretty clean. These will be moved into the bead studio once Bob
>> gets it built - cannot wait for that.
>>
>> Pottery Studio:
>> In my pottery studio everything is stored on those shelves I bought at
>> Home Depot. or in closed containers and stacked on the floor. Again, I do
>> not mix things. A container will have only one type of item in it.
>> Example: Bowls; Vases; Egg plates; etc.) This studio is on the second
>> floor of a barn shaped building on my property - it is perfect for
>> pottery making. Making pottery is a very dirty business - so it does not
>> matter how dirty the space gets up there, though I do keep it as clean as
>> possible and clean up after every session.
>>
>> As for selling things, I no longer do any kind of craft show or artist
>> markets, with the exception of two in November - I sell my work only in
>> galleries or museums, and normally it is a one person show, or a small
>> group show that I do. I did do artist's festivals for about 10 years.
>> These are normally not very profitable and require immense work to set up
>> and tear down tents and displays - not worth the effort and time and
>> dealing with rain, wind, and intense heat outdoors. Ugh!
>>
>> MONEY:
>> One tip I highly recommend is that you price your items in rounded off
>> numbers - so you are dealing only with bills and not making change. It is
>> very smart to sell something for a rounded off number - you don't have to
>> waste time making change, and you don't have to fiddle around with
>> carrying coins - a nuisance. And, I learned to add in the tax and just
>> round the price up to include the tax so that you don't have to fiddle
>> around with adding it on at the festival - this way, a person knows
>> exactly how much the itmes cost right up front, and not have to worry
>> about how much it will be with tax. Make things as easy for you and your
>> customer as you can.
>>
>> I highly recommend that you take credit cards through your I-Phone. You
>> will have far more sales if you take credit cards. Using your phone puts
>> the money directly into your BANK ACCOUNT, right away.
>>
>> Smart tips to increase sales:
>>
>> When I had a one person show last year at a museum, I had five people in
>> charge of my sales. This way, I could greet the guests, discuss my work,
>> and enjoy my opening. I did not have to worry about anything - the five
>> people made all the sales. One person was in charge of all credit card
>> sales using her I-Phone. Another person was in charge of cash sales -
>> only whole numbers, so not need for change or writing up taxes, etc.
>>
>> Two people in charge of wrapping and packaging all items sold. (The
>> major pieces are not taken home that night, but are on display in the
>> gallery for a month. But, a very smart thing to do is to have a display
>> area where you are selling smaller items and those things can be taken
>> home that night. Those items ranged from $20 - 100.) We sell tons of
>> things this way - people love to take something home with them from the
>> show that night.
>> Larger items in the gallery are taken home when the show has ended - they
>> come back to the gallery and pick up the work from the office there. All
>> work is paid for up front on the night of the opening or when a person
>> visits the show during that month. Once the work is paid for, then a red
>> sticker is placed on the name card beside the piece - so everyone knows
>> the work is SOLD. It is motivating and encourages sales - people get
>> excited when they see lots of red stickers and it makes THEM want a piece
>> of my work, too!
>>
>> Each of the five people who work at my sales come in and out of the
>> gallery during the entire evening - putting up red stickers on the sold
>> items.
>> The attendance at my last solo show was record breaking for the gallery -
>> largest attendance in the 25 years the director has been there. and she
>> said I had the highest sales in the galleries history. So my methods work
>> very well. I am prepareing right now for a six person exhibition that
>> will open in October. We'll do the same sales tactics at this show, too.
>> If it ain't broke, then don't fix it.
>>
>> OK, passing along these thought to you today in hopes something here
>> might help you. Blessings and have a sparkley day. Lynda River Woman
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Lynda Lambert
>> River Road Studio, Since 1976
>> Village of Wurtemburg, PA 16117
>>
>> Visit my Web Site at: http://lyndalambert.com
>> Visit my Blog at: http://www.walkingbyinnervision.blogspot.com
>>
>> www.lyndalambert.com
>> www.walkingbyinnervision.blogspot.com
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Powers, Terry (NIH/OD/DEAS) [E]" <Terry.Powers at nih.gov>
>> To: "'List for blind crafters and artists'"
>> <nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Wednesday, August 08, 2012 8:29 AM
>> Subject: [Nfb-krafters-korner] sales and organization
>>
>>
>>>
>>> I am in the midts of sourting out all my yarn and organizing it. I got
>>> 2 book cases that were my nieces, that are broken down into squares.
>>> Thay came from Target and you can buy folding baskets to fit in the
>>> squares of the book case. I bought different colored baskets to go
>>> along with most of my yarn colors. I have blue for blue, red for red
>>> and yellow, green for green, purple for purple, and I have not desided
>>> what colors I will use for cotton or thick and quick or verigated yarn.
>>> I am working on getting my beads in one location even if they are not
>>> labeled.
>>> Also, I found the Id mate will read some yarn colors, especially the
>>> Lion brand 3 and 4 ply.
>>>
>>> I am just getting started, using the pen friend, to make labels for
>>> yarn. This is good, because the labels can be erased and used again. I
>>> bought plastic lables from the NFB, but later thought of using the
>>> plastic name badge holders for my pen friend labels. They can be cliped
>>> to an item or wrapped around an item or just put in a plastic bag of
>>> yarn.
>>> Identifying beads is the hard job. dimo tape does not stick for long!
>>>
>>> When selling items, usually at an NFB function, I use index cards and
>>> braille a description and the price. I also print the price for the
>>> sighted. Remember, they can see the item, so the description is for the
>>> blind and for me to identify the item. Some items are to small to label
>>> or the label would hide the item, so I do not label them. These are
>>> ornaments and I can identify them by feal and looking at them, closely
>>> for color, if necessary.
>>>
>>> Money;
>>> Somewhere, I came upon a whalet that has 3 large zippers, so I can
>>> organize my bills and change. It is pretty large, but can fit in a
>>> large pocket or bag and I do not have the hassle of opening a register
>>> each time. The mo ney is in my hands, all the time. No one can reach
>>> over the table and grab from the register.
>>>
>>> Set up
>>> I try to set up my table with all related items, together. I put small
>>> items in containers, so they will not fall off the table and get lost or
>>> get mixed up. I find this keeps my table, neet and orderly.
>>>
>>> Hope some of these ideas help, someone.
>>> Any ideas on organizing beads?
>>>
>>> Terry P.
>>>
>>>
>>> Theresa L. Powers (Terry)
>>> Grants Clerk
>>> Tobacco Control Research Branch
>>> NIH/NCI/DCCPS/BRP/TCRB/DEAS
>>> 6130 Executive Blvd, MSC 7337
>>> EPN 4039B
>>> Bethesda, MD 20892-7337
>>>
>>> Rockville, MD 20852-7337 (express mail)
>>>
>>> Phone: 301-496-8584
>>> FAX: 301-496-8675
>>> E-mail: terry.powers at nih.gov<mailto:terry.powers at nih.gov>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>
>>
>>
>>
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>
>
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