Those of you from the are may know about Discovery World, but for those outside of Southeastern Wisconsin, Discovery World is a wonderful organization that teaches about science, technology, history and innovation through hands on learning.
They are really an amazing organization, and their new building right on Milwaukee's lakefront is really fantastic not just to see, but to visit (so if you're in the area and want some fun, head down there, it's fantastic, fun, and not just for kids, that's for sure!)
Anywho, my husband works in their education department over the summers, working with their summer camps. These are week-long programs that kids 7-14 can take focused around a topic. He's taught ones ranging from marine biology to toy factory and everything in between.
This year, I'm helping out. We're teaching a week-long camp next week on fashion and entrepreneurship! It's for older kids, around 12-14, and they're going to learn to sew (by hand), design, sketch, and market their products!
I'm not afraid to admit that I am scared out of my mind. I'm not a good teacher, although I like sharing what I know. Luckily, it's not just going to be me, but my husband is going to be doing the "hard" work, I just get to show them how to sew.
This week, though, we have a lot of preparation to get through. A lot of fabric needs to be cut up into manageable hunks, paired up, and instructions written. I'm so freaking out, but really excited.
We're hoping to make a bag the first day, a skirt the second, and work on modifying t-shirts into a garment or two the next few days, and on Friday, we're hoping to take great fashion photos of the stuff they've made. Also, each student will be asked to donate one of their projects to sell in the Discovery World store, and the proceeds going to benefit their charity to bring under-privileged kids to Discovery World to take classes, to support the community and personal growth.
So, busy, busy, busy!
I just thought I would post and say that if you, or a random family member, are interested in fun things to do over the summer, check out Discovery World, and possibly consider enrolling in my class? I think we have 14 already, and only room for 20, but you never know - it may be more fun than you expect!
And, when I disappear from the Internet that week, you all know why, too!
Tuesday, June 29
Wednesday, June 23
Web Site Redesign (again)
So, it has been around a year and a half to two years since I redesigned my site : TaeliacStudio.com
I still like how it looks, and the functionality I've been slowly adding over time has really, really made it very useful, I just think it's time for a bit of a change-up. I seem to get bored with things if they stay the same for too long.
The funny thing is, my older incarnations of the site (for the very few that remember them!) were in blues and pinks and purples, and, surprise surprise, I'm heading back into blues! I guess one cannot deny their true nature for too long~
This is just the mock up of the site, done in Photoshop - the coding is going to be a slower thing to do, because so much of the backend code needs to be tweaked. While I may love writing code (it was going to be my job, or so I thought for a very long time, until sewing reared it's ugly head and took over my life), my skills are not as "clean" as they should be. I have quite a few backend PHP weird code things going on, mostly to support Internet Explorer (as it seems some people still like to use it *dies*).
However, it's going to happen slowly, but the main site should still be up and running while this is being built, which is always a great thing, right?
In the future, the site is going to have pricing information on costumes on it (le gasp! I know!) and perhaps more accurate booking and scheduling information, too. We'll see as it happens!
I still like how it looks, and the functionality I've been slowly adding over time has really, really made it very useful, I just think it's time for a bit of a change-up. I seem to get bored with things if they stay the same for too long.
The funny thing is, my older incarnations of the site (for the very few that remember them!) were in blues and pinks and purples, and, surprise surprise, I'm heading back into blues! I guess one cannot deny their true nature for too long~
This is just the mock up of the site, done in Photoshop - the coding is going to be a slower thing to do, because so much of the backend code needs to be tweaked. While I may love writing code (it was going to be my job, or so I thought for a very long time, until sewing reared it's ugly head and took over my life), my skills are not as "clean" as they should be. I have quite a few backend PHP weird code things going on, mostly to support Internet Explorer (as it seems some people still like to use it *dies*).
However, it's going to happen slowly, but the main site should still be up and running while this is being built, which is always a great thing, right?
In the future, the site is going to have pricing information on costumes on it (le gasp! I know!) and perhaps more accurate booking and scheduling information, too. We'll see as it happens!
Monday, June 14
A busy day in the shop
Well, technically my basement is a shop. Sweat shop. Costume shop. Whatev's ;P
It was a long one, but a great one, too. You ever just get on one of those rolls where you just get things done a lot faster (and easier) than you anticipated? That's how today was.
Three Kimona Wraps done from scratch (okay, two and two-thirds, because I need to find teal thread to finish off the other one), two Steampunk Utility Skirts nearing completion (they were cut, but after today, they're together, with a waistband put on and hem pressed up waiting on my digging out the blind hem to put it in) and a whole lot of cleaning done, too.
It has been a good day. I'll have pictures of the kimona up here shortly, too, just because that's what I like this blog for :D
It was a long one, but a great one, too. You ever just get on one of those rolls where you just get things done a lot faster (and easier) than you anticipated? That's how today was.
Three Kimona Wraps done from scratch (okay, two and two-thirds, because I need to find teal thread to finish off the other one), two Steampunk Utility Skirts nearing completion (they were cut, but after today, they're together, with a waistband put on and hem pressed up waiting on my digging out the blind hem to put it in) and a whole lot of cleaning done, too.
It has been a good day. I'll have pictures of the kimona up here shortly, too, just because that's what I like this blog for :D
Edit: 06/15/2010
There, see? I pooped out of energy last night and didn't get the images linked up here, but I am this morning - forgive my tiredness, please!Friday, June 11
Vending and pricing and wholesale, oh my!
Well, just for the record, I did horribly at the farmer's market, however, I had a lot of fun, so I guess it all balances out! I met some very nice people, and, hey, I got out for the afternoon, so it's all good in the end.
My fears about the demographics were dead-on. There is next to no interest in anything beyond the normal or very cheap, however, I see potential in the whole market thing in general. I think in the near future I'll be doing some markets in downtown Milwaukee, because I think that is where I need to be just to at least get my pieces seen.
Beyond that, the other good thing that came out of the market was I re-evaluated my pricing on my kimono jewelry on Wednesday before the market, and I think it's for the best! So, if you have a moment, check it out - almost everything is half the price it was earlier!!
If you possibly can, try to find somewhere to order products in bulk - I was buying small quantities of jewelry findings before, and was paying significantly more than I needed to be. The bonus to this is that it is convenient - I can go to the local JoAnn's and get supplies to work on stuff right then and now, however, I was paying a huge premium for that convenience.
Due to a random search on behalf of my mother that I do not even remember the details of, only that it sunk about two hours of my time, I found (by accident, none the less) a place to buy the findings I use in the kimono jewelry in bulk for a significant discount!
Here are the pro's and con's of something like that, from my perspective, to maybe help some of you out, too:
So, as a business or even a small producer of goods for sale on the Internet, there are definite advantages and disadvantages to wholesale ordering! I truly recommend starting out with buying the materials locally, testing out your idea and seeing if it's valid, and then investigating further.
Also, save or bookmark anything that may be even remotely interesting to you - you honestly never know when, four years from then, that you come up with an idea and need to find where to start ordering from, or research ideas, or any of that good stuff!
My fears about the demographics were dead-on. There is next to no interest in anything beyond the normal or very cheap, however, I see potential in the whole market thing in general. I think in the near future I'll be doing some markets in downtown Milwaukee, because I think that is where I need to be just to at least get my pieces seen.
Beyond that, the other good thing that came out of the market was I re-evaluated my pricing on my kimono jewelry on Wednesday before the market, and I think it's for the best! So, if you have a moment, check it out - almost everything is half the price it was earlier!!
If you possibly can, try to find somewhere to order products in bulk - I was buying small quantities of jewelry findings before, and was paying significantly more than I needed to be. The bonus to this is that it is convenient - I can go to the local JoAnn's and get supplies to work on stuff right then and now, however, I was paying a huge premium for that convenience.
Due to a random search on behalf of my mother that I do not even remember the details of, only that it sunk about two hours of my time, I found (by accident, none the less) a place to buy the findings I use in the kimono jewelry in bulk for a significant discount!
Here are the pro's and con's of something like that, from my perspective, to maybe help some of you out, too:
+ Cost : Before, I was paying around $.45 per piece, while this ordering brings them down to around $.08 each. This was even in buying in bulk (30+ items) from sellers on Etsy that were highly competitive with places like JoAnn's!
+ Quantity : I shouldn't run out, at least! Before, they came in packages of either around 25 from sellers, or 6-8 from JoAnn's, so I would need to buy a lot of them! The total, too adds up rather fast - you kind of think "oh, that's only $2 a package, I might as well get all they have" and soon, you have a $40 order on check out :O
- Quantity : Most wholesale companies have minimum purchases, either in quantity or price. This can be a real set-back - this one place I found accidentally has a $100 minimum order, which can put a lot of people off from that initial drop of money, especially if this is a "new idea" that they're getting into. Most findings (for jewelry, at least I've noticed) come in a gross, or 144 of something (a dozen dozens).
- Shipping : Since this is directly from a warehouse, and most wholesale places are similar, shipping can be rather expensive, because of the amount of handling factored in, storage space, and shipping via their most convenient method (usually UPS, which I find to be horribly expensive, but from a business standpoint, you are paying for convenience). Not to mention, when ordering 400+ items (remember, they're usually by gross) it can get pricey if they work on a per-piece shipping calculation.
- Convenience : Okay, I will admit this here. I absolutely hate telephones. Ask anyone I'm friends with, and they'll tell you exactly how bad it is. But, every wholesale place I've found requires either catalog or phone orders, even if they are located within the US. Again, from their perspective, I can understand the convenience, but from my own, it's a real pain in the butt!
- Business Requirements : And, finally, most wholesale places to purchase from require you to be a registered business with the US Government in order to purchase from them. That requires you to file as either a Sole Proprietorship or LLC with the government, as well as acquiring a State Sales and Use Tax ID (I think they're called different things state to state, but basically, it says you'll agree to pay sales tax you collect on sales within the state to the state) This is a real pain in the ass, and has caused me many a headache dealing with the paperwork for it (not for filing, no, usually the yearly reporting that gets me in trouble!) You usually need to fax this information to the wholesale company before they'll even set up a merchant account with you, and it can indeed be quite a pain to get through.
So, as a business or even a small producer of goods for sale on the Internet, there are definite advantages and disadvantages to wholesale ordering! I truly recommend starting out with buying the materials locally, testing out your idea and seeing if it's valid, and then investigating further.
Also, save or bookmark anything that may be even remotely interesting to you - you honestly never know when, four years from then, that you come up with an idea and need to find where to start ordering from, or research ideas, or any of that good stuff!
Wednesday, June 9
Of Craft Shows
Well, sort of craft shows.
I'm in the process of getting ready for the very first "non-anime" thing I've vended at. Ever. Which is really frightening.
We'll be vending at the South Milwaukee Downtown Market tomorrow, which is in (aptly enough) South Milwaukee, Wisconsin. {link to more info}
It is such a weird feeling, though. As I've said, we've never vended anywhere but conventions before, and I have next to no idea what to expect. Not to mention, South Milwaukee is indeed my home town, and I know what the people around there are expecting - suffice to say, my stuffs will be "out of the ordinary" to say the least.
And, it may even be that, even if there is interest in my stuff, no one may be willing to pay more than $5 for much of anything. It's that kind of town - I can't quite describe it, but the value on handmade, unique or artisan is very low. It's not like everyone is poor or anything like that, but the city is the epitome of Midwestern blue-collar, and art always seems to take a back seat, as far as I've ever experienced at least.
I guess I'm rambling here to try to boost myself up a bit, and steel myself for the worst reception possible - sometimes, as an artist, you need to do that. Or, at least, I do.
I know that my products are good. I know that they're very well made. I know that my pricing is competitive or lower than even lower-quality products. But, I also know that times are tough all around, and that there may or may not be a good reception (or, any reception) to my pieces because they are not... well, standard craft-show fare.
But, it's good to take chances.
It's good to do something different.
Risk is everything, as my husband would say.
That doesn't just apply to the world of theatre, too, I'm starting to learn - taking risks is what makes successes so much greater, and failures easier to cope with, because you realize that you were willing to take that risk, and that there are others out there who would be scared away by it.
I'm not that easy to frighten, though (or so I'd like to think)
So, long story short, if you're in the Milwaukee area with nothing better to do tomorrow eve, and want to drive out to the southern burbs, come stop by and say "hi!"
I'll have a lot of my kimono jewelry there, all of the new Steampunk lily jewelry, and perhaps some other things such as corsets and cocktail hats, just for the heck of it!
I'm in the process of getting ready for the very first "non-anime" thing I've vended at. Ever. Which is really frightening.
We'll be vending at the South Milwaukee Downtown Market tomorrow, which is in (aptly enough) South Milwaukee, Wisconsin. {link to more info}
It is such a weird feeling, though. As I've said, we've never vended anywhere but conventions before, and I have next to no idea what to expect. Not to mention, South Milwaukee is indeed my home town, and I know what the people around there are expecting - suffice to say, my stuffs will be "out of the ordinary" to say the least.
And, it may even be that, even if there is interest in my stuff, no one may be willing to pay more than $5 for much of anything. It's that kind of town - I can't quite describe it, but the value on handmade, unique or artisan is very low. It's not like everyone is poor or anything like that, but the city is the epitome of Midwestern blue-collar, and art always seems to take a back seat, as far as I've ever experienced at least.
I guess I'm rambling here to try to boost myself up a bit, and steel myself for the worst reception possible - sometimes, as an artist, you need to do that. Or, at least, I do.
I know that my products are good. I know that they're very well made. I know that my pricing is competitive or lower than even lower-quality products. But, I also know that times are tough all around, and that there may or may not be a good reception (or, any reception) to my pieces because they are not... well, standard craft-show fare.
But, it's good to take chances.
It's good to do something different.
Risk is everything, as my husband would say.
That doesn't just apply to the world of theatre, too, I'm starting to learn - taking risks is what makes successes so much greater, and failures easier to cope with, because you realize that you were willing to take that risk, and that there are others out there who would be scared away by it.
I'm not that easy to frighten, though (or so I'd like to think)
So, long story short, if you're in the Milwaukee area with nothing better to do tomorrow eve, and want to drive out to the southern burbs, come stop by and say "hi!"
I'll have a lot of my kimono jewelry there, all of the new Steampunk lily jewelry, and perhaps some other things such as corsets and cocktail hats, just for the heck of it!
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