Sewed bears today

stopped being a lazy butt.  sewed till my arms hurt.  got 15 bears that I'd been working on finished.  yay!

Hang Tags

I think I've found some that are very nicely done, priced that I can afford them AND I don't have to order a gazillion to get them at that price!

Mink

I''m going to take this woman's mink coat and turn it into bears.  

She saw the article about me in my hometown newspaper.  She called me and we had a nice conversation.  Current attitudes toward wearing fur has prompted her to this decision.

I almost did this once before, turning a fur coat into a bear.  I did turn a blanket this woman's grandfather brought over from a foreign country when his family immigrated to America into bears for her adult children.  They came out really nice.

And this former co-worker of mine had received a vest made of fur from someone. She gave it to me and said to turn it into a bear.  I told her I'd give her the bear when I got it made but then it was too cute to give away.  I told her that I couldn't part with it (and I haven't) so I gave her another bear and we were both happy:)

awwwww

Looking at it another way

Not a total bust; just not what I was hoping for.  But there are some lessons to be learned-- it's called experience and the task is to take that and use it to create what I want-- this is the EVALUATION part of the creative process-- what worked, what didn't, what do I have to do again and what do I have to do differently.

If nothing else, I now have a HUGE inventory.  Moving on to what's next and that's getting bears up for sale at Etsy.

Keep moving Gwendolyn.  We'll get there.

Well, the email address listed at the bank where the bears were displayed was incorrect so maybe that's part of why things aren't moving as I thought they might. 

oh well.

I have sold a bear for Mother's Day, though.

????

My bear project is not going as well as I thought and I know that it's partially my fault.  I made some bad decisions along the way, and I learned that it is true-- sometimes one has to do things oneself to make sure it gets done and done correctly. And it doesn't help that I'm trying to do some things long distance, 'cause that just makes it harder. At this point I'm not hoping for some grand profit, I just wanna make the money I invested in this back.  

I think that's possible.  But anyway, I just have to continue to wait to see what transpires.

Bittersweet kind of thing, you know?

Bears I'm working on

They need eyes, their heads fully constructed, and a trim (once they are fully stuffed) but these are some of the bears I'm working on right now.

I'm  convinced it's the eyes and nose (size and shape) which create the facial expression which gives a bear "life."

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the ad=ain't it cute

 

This is scary and fun and possible and nerve-wracking

all at the same time.

If you make them, will they sell?

uhmmmm

Took out an ad and requests about the graduation bears are coming in but they are for the university!!!!!!

My bears are for the high schools.   Colleges and major league sports require licensing and stuff.  I may be able to get around it; I know somebody who works at the university and he said he could help me 'cause we'd discussed this issue, though there may be another way around it entirely.

Put on my thinking cap.  Make note to call that guy Monday morning and see if he can help me.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I might really pull this off!!!!!

got to get a TN business license

So I can go to the Farmer's Market here and to possibly sell bears with cowboy hats to this gift shop here.  I'd met the owner and spoke to him in 2007 when I was here before and I need to follow up on that while I'm still here.

Got the first bears done.  Am waiting for the rest of the fur I need to arrive.  I called the company I order from to find out where the heck it was, only to find that they were holding the whole order because the eyes I'd ordered were out of stock.

Oh no you didn't!

I just cancelled the eyes 'cause getting the fur cut, pinned and sewed is priority.  Still since I have a general idea of what I can accomplish in a day, I'm not too distressed.  I will just have to step it up.  

The road to success is not without its potholes.

Have found most everything I need.  Fur, eyes, noses, ribbon, imprinted felt paws, clothing, mini-graduation caps, possibly big graduation caps and gowns to match (waiting to hear from the vendor regarding) even clear plastic bags to put the bear in!-- all done in the colors of the schools I'm working with.  Tomorrow, I need to call about wholesale pricing for fiberfill and then I've got all the supplies I need.

I order everything Wednesday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And then it arrives and then Gwendolyn, you sew.  

You build your business.  You create some cash.  You move to another level.

Kid of the day

When I sell at craft fairs or the Farmer's Market, I always give a bear away.  I call someone my "kid of the day" and sometimes it's a literal kid and sometimes it's a big kid;-) The thing is that I don't want to get caught up that I'm just doing it for the money.  I like it when people respond to my bears and so I give one away to someone who seems like he/she really, really wants it.

People are always surprised and are unsure if they want to take it, but after about two or twenty "No, I'm sure.  Take the bear.  It really is free" they'll take it.  

With children, it's usually with a small bear, one that's not expensive.  One time a little girl was looking at this one bear so I told her mother (or the woman with her, we'll call her the mother) she could have it.  The mother picked up the bear and told her daughter I was giving it to her.  The little girl said, "I don't want that one.  I want this one."  She pointed to a bigger, costier bear.

"She's giving you this one, (insert child's name 'cause I don't remember it)."  The mother was doing her best to get the little girl to accept the bear I offered.

The little girl was adamant about which bear she wanted and it wasn't the one in her mother's hand.

"She can have that one," I said, lifting it up and handing it to the girl.

Her mother questioned me but I assured her that she could have the bigger bear.  She told her daughter to say 'thank you' and then they were off.

I'd never given away a bear with the price tag on that one.  I had to have an internal talk and make myself pick up that bear and give it away.  But it was good practice for me. 

I'm in this for money.  And I'm not.  I love to create and sew but sometimes it's only love when it's given away.

But come May

when I've focused and the bears are complete, I'll be able to look at other things.  There's this thing called needlefelting and I've seen some bears made this way and they are soooooooo cute, so I'd like to learn that.  And making bears out of clay.  Have found a place with bear molds and there are pins and magnets and miniature sculpture asking to be made.

 I think this is going to be my plan for 2009:

April/early May:  I make graduation bears.  If my projections are right, I could make in just those months what I've made in a year working for someone else, but I'd have to sew like I worked in a sweatshop.  Though I may have someone to help me sew and then, yeah, I could make bank.

I set up shop at Etsy in June and have x number of  bears available there for sale at any given time.  

The Farmer's Market has an event in July called "Christmas In July" and I participate that one Saturday but have a gazillion bears and a brochure available.

I attend just the one bear show in MA.  That's in November and then in December, I attend this event in Las Cruces which is a three-day Holiday bazaar.  It is huge.  And profitable.  I did it years and years ago and made $5oo in two days and I didn't even have a lot of bears 'cause I'd done a craft fair just two days before it.  It's a very popular social event and though it now costs $2oo for a space, it may be worth it 'cause I'm sure I could make that $2oo back.

I would have to learn to manage money.  That's a good thing.

Back to work

I have got to spend this week getting lots of stuff done.  A brochure, biz cards ordered, a sample graduation bear for the display at the bank.  Was thinking there might be a problem with the company that makes the graduation wear, well, if I'll be able to get caps and gowns is up in the air, but I got the graduation clothing item that different and cute that I wanted so I can create a sample bear to get to the school organizations involved so they can start taking orders.

Rereading a chapter in "How to Be, Do, and Have Anything" on focus.  I need to FOCUS on completing this.  

For one, the business counselor I was working with at the Small Business Development Center said if I could pull it off and show a profit, which I could, that that would greatly improve my chances of getting a small business loan for expansion.

For two, it would set the precedent for future sales.  As long as kids keep graduating, I'd have income.  And I could purchase future years' supplies at today's prices.

Finally, I would own this financial success; it would change me psychologically.  I've had this idea for years and I've never done anything with it outside a few bears.  Believing myself worthy of my idea, my dream of a business and fulfilling that dream would make me proud of myself.

One of my creations.

busy with bunnies and bears

Sewing and creating a brochure. Found a place to get business cards-- 1000 for 20 bucks and they have teddy bear clip art!

Purchased a commercial sewing machine 'cause there is no way I'm sewing an estimated 400 graduation bears by hand! And I found a business that can offer me something different in the way of graduation apparel so I'm happy about that.

I'm excited 'cause I might really pull this off! I'm proud of myself for all the setting up, now I just need to push me to follow through!

Bought a domain but I need to find someone to build the website and I need to make and take pictures of bears.

A lot to do but it's fun and educational. And I'm learning a whole new business side of me.

Score!

A wonderful promotional opportunity! My credit union has a "business of the month" and today when I was opening a checking account, I asked how one became it. The representative told me she had a spot in April or June. I chose June so I could have a bit more time to make a display, but then I realized that April would be so much better 'cause I could push my graduation bear project.

Yay me!!!!!!!

Now to get a brochure, biz cards, etc together.

On the other hand

There have been some serependity going on and I'm being supported toward my goal. It helps calm me when I start to worry if I can really pull this business off.

I haven't changed

I haven't got my assignments done for the guy at the Small Business Development Center. My jr. high, high school and college days all over! Personal stuff keeping me occupied, but I think I'm turning a corner where I can focus on this. Have got to MAKE ,not find, the time today.

Yesterday, I went on a product hunt. Looked for label makers and packaging. Lots of stuff to look at and numbers to evaluate. Buying bulk, of course, is the way to go, but one label maker has a minimum order of labels (although the labels are really, really nice) of 3000!

So much to think about on the business side of this.

A bear show

This morning I called to find out how one gets to be in a bear show that states 'by invitation only.' I conversed with a gentleman and got invited. I will be in Agawam, Massachusetts in November. It's a two-day event so I need to plan on making lots of bears!

Yay!

Looking for another bear show sometime in the summer. There's one in California in April but it's a three-day event and I don't know if I have the time. . . well, I might . . . hmmm. . . maybe I shouldn't say 'no' just yet.. .

I have to come up with a business plan and figure the cost of a bear, materials and labor. Today I went to go file my taxes and found out that I'm responsible for a self-employment tax which can be offset by expenses but that means I would have to have receipts but I'm using the materials I purchased years ago.

Uhm, grrr. But only a little. I am not deterred.

For this time next year, though, I've decided I will keep every scrap of paper that shows I spent anything!

Starting a business

There was a seminar scheduled at the Small Business Development Center, but it was cancelled though I got to set up an appointment for next week to have one-on-one business counseling. On top of that I think I got a new customer.

Got lots of information, have to start going over it and making decisions.

Still working to hunt down the seller of the mini football helmets. Have a customer for a Carolina Panthers, a helmet I do have at this moment. The guy works at a high-profile business so if I get him to keep it in view. . . I may just get me some more customers. Plenty of them.

Though people know of me and my bears 'cause of a project I used to do with the fire department here. I just need to jog their memories. When I went back to the Farmer's Market during the Christmas season, people remembered me. "You were here years ago," this other vendor told me.

I replied that I was.

"You've gotten better," he said.

And I have. I take more artistic risks with my bears, working different textures, choosing furs that aren't traditional to stuffed bears, etc.

"Your bears are interesting," a woman said as she selected the bear her husband was buying her for Christmas.

"They're like designer bears," this other man said.

The money is nice-- I've gotten good at pricing my work; in the beginning I wasn't even charging what it cost me in time/material to make them!-- but I so much enjoy the look on people's faces. That's the reward. Getting bears to people I said I would this week and next. Just this morning I dropped one off and the joy on this woman's face!

That's why I do this. That's why I intend to spend the rest of my life doing it.

Other options

I can knit (when I really learn how to knit) bear clothing and sell it in bear magazines and I can sell my patterns to bear supply companies.

I can sell my patterns through my business, but either way, I will have to write a "process paper"-- ha! I hated writing those and I hated assigning them to my students 'cause I'm not one for written instructions. I learn by seeing--I follow the pictures in the bearmaking books or I cut out the pattern pieces and figure out what goes where as I sew. I will definitely have to pull something out of me as a writer for that.

Making decisions as to what to offer for sale .

Going through the patterns I created and choosing patterns by others that I could use. I don't understand the copyright laws, but most patterns say that the finished product is copyrighted and can't be sold for profit. Other patterns, a person can make 25 before the pattern designer has to be mentioned and others, you have to mention the designer on those first 25.

There is a woman who designs huge bears (3' to 5') and I've always wanted to make them. Luckily, she's one who allows you to make 25 a year from each pattern as long as you note that she's the designer. More, and licensing becomes the issue. Still she has six patterns that I want to try and if you times that by 25 you get a lot of bears.

I have a book of patterns from a place in England and I had written them years ago and I was told I could sell the bears because the copyright was for the patterns exclusively.

I also got permission from a company for its patterns, again as long as I note them.

There are some products I do that will be the anchor of my business, and as long as kids are graduating from high school, as long as women are having babies and as long as men love football and their women want to gift them with a cute bear w/a football helmet (I have to contact the company that makes the NFL and college helmets and see about wholesale/bulk purchases), well as long as those three things keep happening, I might make a buck or two.