business cards

Hehe,I have recieved my business cards today, just in time before my departure for Gotland. And though half of the information on them is still not very much used (as my etsy shop is still empty), I will take them to Gotland. As a matter of fact, last time when I was knitting in the park, two ladies asked me if I do it for profit and if they can have my card, I ended up writing down my blogspot address. How much nicer this would be if I could just give them my card, saying that the items will appear in the shop within a couple of weeks. But well, there will be many others like them I believe.

And now to the point, I am indeed going to Gotland for 9 days. Taking with me a tent, a sleeping bag, my medieval dress and as many beads and threads as I can carry. I already have around 50 items. Probably will get to around a hundred after this trip.
Yes, I know it is not the wisest thing in the world to make items without making sure they are going to be sold. But from the reactions of my friends that have seen my latest earrings - they will be popular. I will make sure they will.

So the plan is:
Coming back from Gotland and taking pictures of all the items.
Posting them on etsy, here and blogspotkeeping twitter updatedhmm, that's it I guess.

If I am not able to update the blog during the next 10 days - know that I am enjoying myself and simply don't have time to run to the library.

July crocheting above Stadsbiblioteket

Well, well, well,

As promised, I haven't spent a single day without making even a little step in the direction of my shop.

At the very least I simply crochet on my way to and from work (which is one hour a day in total), but most of the days I can find more time than that.

Friday night, for example, I was watching "Nicholas Nickleby" untill the morning and have made 10 pairs of earrings. finally, I am completely satisfied with the design. It is completely mine! I am yet to see it anywhere else!

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The entire weekend was dedicated to improving the initial idea and to playing with colour and material combinations.

And finally today I had a free day, so I went to my favourite Odenplan, climbed the hill next to the city library, and sat there "on the top of the world" happily crocheting for several hours in a row accompanied by either Regina Spector of Harry Potter audiobook in my headphones.

The result: two dozen of new items. Every single one is special and made with love. Though probably I should consider making several copies of the most successful ones, as it will be much easier to simpliy repost items on etsy. But anyway.. it is still a way to go before i post my items - probably after I am back from Gotland (mid-August).

However, you are welcome to have a glimpse of what I was doing today with a bit of Stockholm roofs in the background :)

This is how I look like when i work :)

This is the view that inspires me...

This is my treasure box. With everything I need for crocheting away from home. And you can see my dinner just next to it. Frozen fruit. mmm.

(yes, I know, it is summer, and normal people eat fresh fruit, but I love frozen ones - thay are like candies - you eat them slowly)

And finally, the parade of some of the freshly made items. Not finished yet and without earwires, but for all those curious among you - this is what I do lately.

Preparations

Today I was cleaning my room. Mainly because I wanted to actually create a "working area" with all my drawers and boxes with beads and yarn. With all my buttons, crocheting hooks and other stuff. Haven't finished it all yet, but I can hardly explain how happy I feel being busy with such kind of things. Now everything I do brings me closer to something I really want to create. something of my very own. And it is ok if today I was just cleaning, and yesterday I did only one pair of earrings. I am doing something - this is the most important thing.also, I have made a resolution (and so far I keep all my resolutions 2009) to do something for my shop everyday. If not an item, than at leat a post in the blog, or arranging working place, or customizing the etsy page.Let's see if I will be equally excited about all this in one month from now.

My first business cards

Ahh... have just ordered 500 Tom Björn Designs business cards at VistaPrint. Probably I should have checked the prices on different sites, but sometimes I enjoy being blond - I simply saw an amazing ready design on VistaPrint - and here we are. It is cheap after all. They also had a special promo, so the difference between 250 cards (the minimum you can order) and 500 was only 3 euros - so why not?

Of course, ideally, I would have a personal design on my business card, but right now it is unaffordable. Even if the design itself I can get for free (done by myself or by one of my many beloved, talanted and generous friends), still the printing of personally customised cards will cost so much more! But nevertheless I continue hoping that one day I will have same design for all my pages - etsy, blogspot, livejournal, twitter, and to a sertain extent facebook (luckily, I don't have a myspace profile).

I am so determined now to finally carry all this thing out! Uploading items, setting up the shop... promoting myself. God knows how many social networks and blogging spaces will be invented in the nearest future. how can a sane person manage all these? Well, others do it, and so will I! Anyway, livejournal and blogspot will feature the same posts. Twitter will show a one-sentence summary and a link to blogspot. Facebook and Etsy will not be updated as frequently as the blogging spaces.

After all, if I want to set up a real business - spending one hour a day on promoting a shop is quite reasonable, and within one hour you can write a lot and even post new items! Anyway, I am spending online between 2 and 4 hours every day, mainly doing nothing. Now I will be doing something. Something amazing. something I longed for!

Well, so coming back to my business cards - I can officially say that this is the first investment in my business. Congratulations, Ira!

So right now the cards are being printed and in 21 days the lates I will hold them, touch them, smile at them, smell them... 21 day - just enough time to finally set up the shop and choose my first 30-50 items.

And here is the design I have fallen in love with!

Business cards.

Ahh, have ordered 500 business cards from VistaPrint. Probably it would be wiser to compare prices from different companies, but the design I found on VistaPrint really took my breath away, and so I went with it. 250 is the minimum amount, and given the special promotion, the price difference between 250 and 500 was only 3 euros - so why not!

Anyway, making my own real design would cost much much more no matter how cheap the company is. That is even if the design itself will be free for me (done by myself or by my beloved, talanted and generous friends).

But it is done now. This is my first official investment in my future shop.
(all the materials I have were purchased without any specific purpose - but it turns out I have more than enough for my forst collection!

So right now, the cards are being printed and in 21 days the latest I will hold them, touch them, smell them... ahh. Just enough time to finally set the shop, make 30-50 items and upload them.

Do you want to see the design that I have fallen in love with?

lalala

Welcome!