The Tale of the Grey Rhombus

Many moons ago, long before I ever touched a sewing machine, the handmade market looked a little like this. It was an exciting rainbow of ideas and creativity. Some good ideas, some bound for Regretsy.

But there was something out there for fruit loops in every flavour!

But then something very strange happened. One day for some reason the grey rhombus became super popular. Perhaps it was a really clever  idea that filled a void in the market? Perhaps it solved some problem and made life easier? Or perhaps someone spotted Brangelina with one and then everyone else decided they needed one too? In any case, these things rarely make sense, but for some undefined reason the grey rhombus developed a halo and they flew off the handmade shelves..

Voila!

Soon enough the handmade market place had to change a little to accommodate the grey Rhombus’s newfound halo ‘as spotted with Brangelina’ status. Hand maidens everywhere couldn’t see the point in selling their beloved gold stars, when it seemed everyone wanted a Grey Rhombus, so production of the Grey Rhombus soared to meet demand. But it was ok, the handmade customers were so happy that they too could finally get their hands on a grey Rhombus too! Grey Rhombus for everyone! Yaaaaaay!

But over time, with so many Grey Rhombuses to choose from it was hard for the happy handmade customers to decide where to buy their grey Rhombus. A few hipster happy handmade customers weren’t even sure that the grey Rhombus was so special after all, especially after that recent cosmo feature where Brangelina was spotted with a pink heart. With sales of Grey Rhombuses declining, handmaidens everywhere started to look for new ways to sell their Grey Rhombus wares. And one day, someone did this!

When everyone is selling the Great Grey Rhombus, and they all look pretty much the same, what better way to make your own Grey Rhombus start out but to make it cheaper?  Sales of the $25 Grey Rhombus soared! Why pay $30 for a Grey Rhombus when you can buy them elsewhere for $25? And with the success of the $25 Grey Rhombus, even more folks jumped on on the hand-maker train and mass production of the Grey Rhombus carried on, full steam ahead until the handmade market looked…

like this..

Grey Rhombus makers everywhere fought to get their very own Rhombus to be noticed in the overwhelming sea of grey. Even the handmaidens who had resisted the pull of the shiny Grey Rhombus started to wonder whether there was any point in producing anything else but a Grey Rhombus, and as the doubts crept in the price of the red Pentagons went down too.  Until eventually the handmade market looked like this :(

Meanwhile, the previously happy handmade customers, spontaneously snoozed at the mere sight of the Grey Rhombus!

and not even the promise of a 99cent Rhombus was enough to get them moving anywhere but the trash. Owning a Rhombus became almost passe, akin to owning a Backstreet Boys CD or a hypercolour T-shirt?

When even the local bum under the bridge won’t use a grey rhombus for a toilet, the Happy Handmade people wouldn’t be seen dead with a Grey Rhombus!

So next time you put your creative powers to work, pause for a second and think ‘Am I adding to the handmade market rainbow, or is this just another grey rhombus?’ I know which I would prefer!

Lisa is a wife, mother, handmaiden and cupcake connoisseur with a passion for pretty. She is inspired by all things sweet and shabby chic and can usually be found under an enormous pile of lace, ruffles and bows. To find out more about Lisa visit her blog littleloulouhandmade.com or follow her crafty adventures on facebook

Thank you Lisa for letting the {CHA} repost this very informative blog post.  Together lets make 2013 the Year of Originality ~ Christine

Where do you blog?

One thing I like about blogging is the fact that I can blog from anywhere.  Currently I'm sitting on the train bound for Sydney, today I have a 2.58 minute trip where I can sit back, write some blog posts and listen to some music of my choice, how novel. 

Where do you blog? 
Do you have to be in a special place to write of can it be anywhere? 

About the Contributor: 

Christine is a Wife and a Mum of 3.  She is the owner of C Percy Designs and the Editor of The Contemporary Handmade Alliance.  She is also the Editor of the Handmade Cooperative - Australian Handmade 4 Kids and is a little obsessed with all things crochet. 
To find out more about Christine go to her blog or follow her on Facebook.

Shopping Guide: Back to School

1. Rainbow Pencil Roll by Blue Jacaranda
2. Angry Ninja iPad by HoobyGroovy
3. Indigo Vintage style Denim Backpack by Bagy Bag 
4. My Routine - set of 9 fridge magnets by Badge Bliss 
5. The Alphabet by Rachelle Anne Miller Creative Studios  
6. Cute animal friends Coloring book by Joey Design 
7. Congrats It's been made official, you're smart by Venerate Card and Stationery Boutique  
8. Fabric Journal Cover Notebook by BonTons
9.  Ladybeetle Pink Bookplates by Pixels Plus Paper 
10. Reusable sandwich lunch wrap by Frankys
11. Personalized Kids Bag Tag by DaniLu Designs
12. Vintage Wooden School or office chair in green by Tri Becas Vintage
13. Starry Owl Book Stickers by Little Mo and Friends
14. Deer Love Pencil Case purse by Oopsidaisi 
15. Wish upon a shooting Star by Jallie~bean Kids 
16. Morning Routine Canvas Art by Billymac Clothing

{Promotion} Creative Business Planning

Take just one hour each day, for one week, get your butt into gear and focus on your business planning.

For many years now I've had my head in the sand when it came to business planning.

This year I made a promise to myself that I would spend the time and put a business plan together ... I'm yet to keep that promise.

Why?

Well I haven't set aside time to plan. Its the school holidays and I simply have not had the energy,  inclination or child free time to sit down and focus purely on my business. The fact that I'm also feeling a little lost and overwhelmed by the whole thing could also be holding me back.

If you are feeling like me, then you should take part in Studio Exsto's Creative Business Planning course.

Studio Exsto want to take their students on an express journey to get them thinking strategically and creatively planning for business success. Starting 21 January they are running their Creative Business Planning course.

This course runs for an hour a day, for one week. It has been designed to be fun and inspiring. It is focused on you and your creative business, not matter how big or small and they strongly encourage creative thinking throughout the process.

Forget the wordy-generic-uninspiring business plan templates you’ve all seen before and try adding some colour to your plan instead! Sketch your plan, make it a collage of your business vision and goals, or even dedicate an office pin-board to post-it note plans that are easily interchangeable and update-able.


To find out more about the Creative Business Planning eCourse head over to the Studio Exsto site.

Head in the sand vs Business Planning

Source: emmajanenation.com via Sacha on Pinterest

I am a big believer in business planning and setting up systems that allow you to work more strategically. The thing is with so much advice out there, much of which is hard to scale back and relate specifically to your own business and life situation, business owners often become so overwhelmed, that instead of taking steps to improve their business, they stick their head in the sand and carry on as they did yesterday.

Planning can be challenging, exhausting and of course hard to find time for but it really does make the world of difference in a small business.

Many of my clients mention to that they feel overwhelmed when putting their 2013 busines plan together.  Here are a few tips to get you started.

Plan time to plan

It sounds silly but if you set aside time once a week, even if it is only 20 minuets which you dedicate to planning you can begin to see the benefits and hopefully create more space to get planning done.

It is all too easy to get caught up in the day to day of business, family and life; but if you want to create a sustainable, profitable business, planning is critical.

Just start.

At a conference I went to this year entrepreneur and world traveller Chris Guillebeau mentioned he is always asked, “When is the best time to start?” to which he replies;

“Without a doubt it is a year ago – but failing that, start today”

He was referring to blogging; but the same is true for business planning.

Put it to paper

Write it down, it doesn’t count if you think up great plans as you drive home but then never put pen to paper (or fingers to keys). The power of getting thoughts out of your head and onto paper is something I can’t even quite explain.

When I started writing down goals and plans for my business the speed at which I would then achieve them was nothing short of astounding.

Obviously you need to work hard as well; but once you commit something paper the tasks required to achieve those goals becomes much clearer and it is far easier to catch yourself when you veer off course.

Where to you start?

Write down five things you want to achieve in your business in 2013.

It may be a higher number of followers on social media or it might be increased sales. Perhaps it is to create a new product or to launch a collection.

The point is to take sometime out and decide 5 things that you would be proud of if you could tick them off by the end of 2013.

Then under each of these five goals write down 5 actions you can take to move you towards that goal.

When you have some time to come back and review these goals and action steps, think about it in a little more detail.

For each of your five goals commit to taking at least one action towards achieving them in January, write yourself a list of “To Do’s” for January that you know will be moving you towards your larger goals.

Enjoy the holidays and take some time out to consider what you want for your business in 2013 – but what ever you do don’t feel fearful of business planning. It is as fun and exciting as your wildest hopes dreams.

Elle, business and marketing strategist and co-director of Studio Exsto (http://studioexsto.com), is passionate about helping small businesses thrive. Studio Exsto is THE workroom for creatives in business to engage in the design, development and drive of their business. Elle is also founder of the Artful Business Conference (http://artfulbusinessconference.com).

2013: the year of originality

Over the last few weeks I've been thinking about 2013.

I've been working on my winter range for C Percy Designs, reviewing themes for the Handmade Cooperative and I've been thinking about what my wonderful {CHA} readers would like to read about in 2013.

Part of planning for the new year is looking back.  One of our most popular posts on the {CHA} has been the post by Tania from Chicken Inc. where she introduced the Handmade Originally Pledge.

This pledge is as relevant today as it was back in April 2011.

Personally I believe originally, along with craftsmanship and quality, is one of the major draw cards for buyers of Handmade products.  Buyers of handmade are looking to purchase something unique, something original.

Back in 2011 the {CHA} simply stated:

So when you are doing your planning for 2013, I ask you to make originally part of your strategy.

Have you signed the Handmade Originality Pledge?
How has signing the pledge improved your business? 

Window Shopping: Educator

1. Ipad Sleeve by Monkey and Me, $30.00 

2. Ho Ho Ho cookies by One Sweet Chick, $3.00 

3. Sock Monkey graint paperclip by Snickerdooles, $6.00 

4. Drawstring bag by Shelley Berelli, $12.00 

5. Patchwork Fabric Lanyard by Scrappy'n Happy, $15.00 

6. 250g roasted single origin coffee by Gridlock Coffee, $15.00

This guide was created by Bree from meandmy2guys

Window Shopping: Out of Space

1. Wooden Memory Matching Game by Mollydag Made $24.95 

2. Set of 8 Space Invaders by Bubble Lane handmade Soap $7.00 

3. Solar System Wall decal by Tiges and Weince $59.00 

4. Galaxy racer shorts by King Billy $24.00

5. Starry Starry Night Mobile by Happy as Larry Designs  $44.95 

6. Space Ship Boys Baby Onesie by Lil Birdie $20.00 

7. Felt Monster Mini Toys for Car by babua $35.00 

This guide has been put together by Anna from King Billy

Window Shopping: Watermelon

1. Pink Rose Print Dress $35.00 by The Poppy Patch
2. Pretty Green Felt Bird by Eme Creations
3. Absinthe Cocktail Ring $21.00 Two Cheeky Monkeys
4. 'Butterfly dreams in pink and green' 5 clips $13.50 by VintageNanna
5. Fluoro Pink Chevron Cushion $89.00 by Ivy & Lil
6. Mineral Eye Shadow - Fuchsia $6.00 by Rhasdala Bath & Body


This Guide was put together by Deb from Two Cheeky Monkeys.
Deb is a Melbourne-based scientist turned jewellery and homewares designer.  She spends her time entertaining her two cheeky monkeys and creating vintage-inspired items from vintage and vintage-styled supplies.