Paper flower centerpieces

I'm thinking of making a nice Christmassy centerpiece. I made several centerpieces for the bridal shower of my now sister-in-law and it was a lot of work but I really enjoyed the process. Probably because my sister-in-law is such a sweet person. Literally, I made hundreds of paper flowers by hand. Later I attached each of them to a styrofoam wreath ring with a pin. I wish I had pictures of how I made it, instead here are some photos of finished centerpieces. 

I will post "how to" pictures if I decide to make a Christmas centerpiece.

Listening to broken records

Last week I participated in a Holiday bazaar at the Trinity Church. Craft shows and bazaars are a very interesting and insightful experiences. Just like Goethe said " Knowing is not enough; we must apply". I could not agree more, regardless of how many books on marketing (my chosen profession) one have read, observing other successful vendors in action might be the best way to improve your own practices. I would like to share some of my thoughts.

I really like the quote by Charles Revson, founder of Revlon " When it leaves the factory, It's a lipstick. But when it crosses the counter in the department store it is hope". It is a great mindset to see vendors put it into practice as they engage and connect with potential customers by sharing a story about their products. A story that does not say what the product is but lets the customer imagine the experience of using the product.

After an hour or so of being surrounded by vendors, it does feel like listening to a broken record.  A good vendor has a brief, clear and most of all easy to repeat story that can be used every time when a prospect customer approaches their table.

A good example of that is the pitch of an artisan chocolate vendor that was situated next to me at the bazaar. He would start with a short pitch about his products to open a dialog with a shopper. Then he would say how delightfully it melts in mouth and how you should let it melt for a little to experience subtle nuances in taste right before he would offer a chocolate sample. Hardly anyone would say no to a sample after having imagined how wonderful it would feel to taste it, right? It was pretty easy to take it from there and close the sale.

This brings me to having your contact information readily available either in a form of business cards, tags or brochures. Despite the best efforts on the vendor's part, a lot of potential customers will show interest but they might not be ready to purchase right away. This is why it is so important to make it easy for prospect customers to find your products after the show. Even more so, it necessary to provide such information for those who did buy your products just in case they want to buy again or share their experience.  


Last but not least a creepy picture I took at a local antique store. I love antique shops for all these unusual things you can find there. 

It all started with birds

 have finally decided to launch a website about my crafts. I have been planning on doing so ever since I moved to the U.S. two years ago. I got to admit it, I have found a new direction in my crafting hobbies thanks to moving over the pond. It actually happened by chance, I noticed that nearly every American family I visited had some sort of bird- inspired home decor. My guess is that Americans love nature and it is not surprising because mid-west is abundant in wildlife and birds even in the large cities like Indianapolis. What is more, there is plenty of beautiful little birds and almost no pigeons so common in the major cities of Europe. 

Finally I gave in and I got my own bird feeder in attempt to attract local birds. It was fairly easy because my neighbor has a large garden with plenty of trees. Right now I have regulars coming to my feeder; a couple of Northern Cardinals,lots of House Sparrows, and  Dark-eyed Juncos. I also get to see an Eastern Bluebird, very rarely though. I have found it very relaxing and entertaining to watch them.

Needless to say, a lot of my crafts revolve around birds. I especially enjoy making candles because they are such an easy way to create a special mood and their soft light is so relaxing. They can improve any interior space instantly. 

Over two years I have worked through a number of wax recipes and have finally created one of my own that I'm quite proud of. I like working with wax blends and I usually add paraffin wax because it provides strength to molded candles. It is a must for a finished molded candle if it is to be used as a sturdy decorative item. I found that soy wax, on the other hand, gives a beautiful texture. Of course, there's much more to making a long-lasting high quality candle. I will write more about it sometime soon.  

Ps. You can always count on finding a duck in an antique store!