And the gears were set in motion...

Guy here.

So this week for me officially marks the beginning of the great marketing push for gal and her stuff. I have been waiting for her to get her pieces in order and have enough inventory of goodies to create with before we started pushing intenyears. out to the great wide world.

If you've been with us since the beginning, it is amazing to think of how far we have come in just a few short months. Going from her part-time hobby to a (sort of) full blown enterprise. I've felt especially creative and with the purchase of a new printer that is capable of printing 5x7 photos I am ready to start building her portfolio to use for juried shows and events. There are so many deadlines coming up they are hitting hard and fast. No need to be specific yet, however, if they all come through there are A LOT of things to be done. We might need Boris the intern afterall...

I am huge branding person, anyone who saw our booth at the show learned this first hand. From the booth itself all the way through to the box and the bag, intenyears. was all up in yo' grill. I firmly believe that in order to set yourself apart, no matter what business arena, you have to be branded and do it professionally. People might not expect it, especially at an off-site craft show, but they are REALLY impressed when they see it.

One of the reasons why gal and I work so well together has to do with her creative side and my business side. That's not to say there isn't a lot of overlap, for example we're both HUGE perfectionists. You can see this in anything she creates, she refuses to put her name on something that isn't just right. I'm the same way with any creative material or copy I create. We were chatting after the All Arts Market about putting our name on a piece (in the metaphorical sense) and realized we needed a way to put our name on on her pieces (in the literal sense). So the creative juices starting flowing.

I have never played with resin before, and I can tell you...it's pretty f*in cool. It was like I was mixing with one of the kiddie chemist sets from back in the day, except I didn't grow those lame powdery "crystals" (Remember those?) Anyway, although it didn't come out perfect, due to me being impatient and not sealing it properly, here is what every necklace will eventually roll off the line with:




Even though the sides have some "bleed" going on, it sill sort fits the vintage feel. We'll keep messing with and get it right, but its cool to know that all of her pieces (when we can) will have this attached. Ain't branding grand? Oh, and once we have the portfolio pics up on Flickr, we'll post that link for you.

Not to be outdone...

Two posts in one day, amazing. Gal is right, we have been super busy in getting her "studio" (i.e. the extra bedroom in our house) up to snuff. After clearing out more books than the Library of Congress and donating them, we had room to work. Finally the marketing and photography department have their own offices. Those artsy people smell funny and listen to classical music.

We have a new intern in the marketing department, Boris. We have no idea where he comes from or what his CV looks like he just sorta appeared out of nowhere. He tends to like dark corners and keeps to himself most of the daylight hours. I will say he is great at multitasking and helping out around the office. Here is an artist's rendering of our new intern:



Did I mention my phobia of spiders? Gal thought it hilarious last night when I looked into my light box and saw not only Boris, but his damned web with a fruit fly in it. I asked gal to remove our interloper only to have her force him behind the poster board at the back of the box! Thanks hun. I think he hitched a ride when she used the box outside last week. God, I hate spiders...

Thriving artist

So, yeah. Hi.

We've been busy here, but I know its hard to tell since it has been so quiet on the blog. Grab a cup of tea and let's dish!

First, I've been working with the owner of a local shop, let's call it Rose's, on carrying intenyears. along with other handcrafted items. Do I even need to explain how exciting that it for me? And stressful! I hope that if you live in or around the Queen City you will be able to stop by, browse, and take time to smell the flowers. Rose's is really an unique shop and in an awesome location, it would be well worth a visit. I'll post the definite info, date, and of course all the shop information as soon as I can.

Second, this being creative thing is pretty new to me. Or, at least the confidence in my creative voice. It amazes me that now, I seek out other things to try, and I don't think twice about attempting them. Before I would have never put myself out there, not even making the attempt, because I may 'do it wrong'. What I'm learning is, aside from safety issues, there IS NO WRONG when it comes to your own creativity, your own voice. I have so many ideas and dreams filling up my little notebook, a little craft bucket list if you will. Hmm, that gives me an idea......

Third, do you remember me talking about joining the local handmade and vintage group CrownTownHandmade ? They have been awesome, supportive, and informative. They've been trying to set up a community craft night, and as you can imagine the logistics of doing something like that can be crazy. Looks like the first one will be near the end of April, and you can meet me and do a fun craft. Because as of right now, I will be instructing how to do said fun craft. :) Of course, there is still so much time and plans may change, that's how things are looking. Of course I will post the finalized date here, and on Twitter.

And, last, we spent the day yesterday sorting and reorganizing out work space. It takes up a whole extra room, with my work table, a set area for the light box/photos, a new desk with our network printer, an area for soldering/wire work, and storage for finished pieces. I also hung up my print from CreativeThursday . To think, this started out as a lap project!

Thriving artist, indeed!

Hi ho, hi ho

Finally back to work as of today. Finished 2 necklaces I have been working on here and there. Mostly, I am excited to get started on the pile o'goodies my husband brought home with him from a recent trip.




Isn't he sweet? Lots of vintage buttons and beads and pins to incorporate into new pretty things! Plus, I took a soldering course recently and have expanded my wire work knowledge, so new things and new techniques = awesome new necklaces for you! Plus, sore fingers since I did hit my finger with a hammer working on a pendant. Don't expect that to be a one-off occurence.

This week should be pretty busy with creating, photographing, and posting new items, so check here or Etsy often. Lots of irons in the fire, it's an exciting time for us here!

Quickly...

So, the All Arts Market was a success. Not only in sales, but people were so friendly, and the feedback/comments we got were phenomenal. I guess we're not changing our tags any time soon, as they were as much of a hit as the jewelry. The comments gave me some exciting ideas to pursue, so I am in full research mode. Which is about all I can do since I happen to be under the weather. As soon as I'm able, I will post the photos I have and give a much more detailed description.

Etsy shop is on vacation, because frankly I need to make more stuff to put in there!

But, most importantly, thanks to everyone who stopped by the booth, whether you purchased something or not. It was great talking to you and having you get to know a little more about us.

What I am doing today:

Today is prep for tomorrow's All Arts Market. Here is what I'm doing.
First, tagging. These are the tags I tea-stained, and Guy hand stamped with our logo. Prices will be handwritten in on the back.

Second, inventorying. I am writing up index cards with general info, and then inputting them on an ex.cel spreadsheet that is numbered. Check off as we sell/pack up.

Third, taking photos. Many of the pieces I haven't bothered to photograph or put on Etsy, but I'd still like an image record. It's snowing outside, so I brought out the lightbox to take advantage of the natural light reflection.



Fourth, bagging. For ease of transportation, and so there are no tangles, each piece is getting their own baggie, with tags and index cards inside.



Phew. It is taking awhile, but one thing I have learned working retail is all the extra effort up front MORE than pays for itself later. Think I deserve a tea break, and then back to work! Hope you are having a productive day as well!