Re-Love Project Part 5

The big day has come! Our rocking chair is going up for auction along with the seven other amazing pieces of remade furniture from the Feast Watson Re-Love Project. Some really great work has come out of this project with lots of inspiration and instructions on how to re-love your own piece of furniture on each of the designers' blogs. The auction will run on eBay until Sunday 3rd August with all proceeds going to the Salvos Stores. Go here to check it out: http://myworld.ebay.com.au/feastwatsonre-loveproject

Re-Love Project Part 4

We're up to the final stage - varnishing!

We used Feast Watson Mastertouch wipe-on poly in gloss and loved it! It was so easy to use - we just dipped a rag into it and wiped it on the rocking chair. It was a lot quicker than using a brush and easier to get into all those nooks and crannies. We did the whole chair, applying it to the stained areas, painted areas and bare wood. We did a few coats, waiting at least 6 hours and giving it a light sand in between coats.

Rebecca and Nicole from Made on the Left with the finished rocking chair

Re-Love Project Part 3

Now, I know I promised the fun bit of our Re-Love Project next but first... some more sanding! Fortunately all the major sanding is done and we just need to give it a light sand this time.

We are using 2 products to add a bit of colour to our rocking chair - Feast Watson Prooftint traditional stain: Brown Japan and Feast Watson Crackle Lacquer top coat in Opal Gleam. 

We gave the base section and the headpiece of the chair a few coats of the brown japan stain. It is quite strong smelling so don't forget to use it in a well ventilated area and wear a mask! After applying each coat, we wiped with a rag to remove the excess stain.

Next we gave the armrests a coat of opal gleam. We only used the top coat as we didn't want a crackle effect.

Now we're almost finished!

Re-Love Project Part 2

Stage one of the Made on the Left Re-Love Project was finding our piece of furniture.

Stage two was getting it back to a bare timber surface. We had to remove the varnish by sanding it… and sanding it and sanding it! So much sanding! The trickiest bits were the details in the base and armrest bars. But we did it!



After the sanding was done, we wiped it down with a damp cloth to remove all the dust and then we applied a surface sealer - Feast Watson Proofseal.
Next step - the fun bit!

Re-Love Project Part 1

Last year we redid an old school desk as part of the Feast Watson Re-Love Project and this year we were asked to do it all again!

This time we chose a big old rocking chair and we're going to work our magic on it before it's auctioned off to raise money for the Salvos Stores.

We'll keep you updated on how it's going!

Check out the other participating designers and their projects here.

5 Things All Crafters Need On Their Website Home Page

Having your own website is a great way to tell your brand story in as much or as little detail as you like. It gives you the opportunity to showcase your products however you like and is also a great place for you to connect with buyers and direct them to whatever information they need. 

It’s also is a great place to sell, free from listing charges and competition. But what if you have your products for sale on your website but they’re not selling as well as you’d like? Here are 5 simple things to include on your home page to make sure you really are being found by customers and directing them to where they need to go to make a purchase.

1. A link to your shop 

Sounds obvious but is sometimes forgotten. Make sure the link is easy to see and completely obvious. If it’s not in your header then make sure you put it there asap. Also add another link somewhere else on the page such as a clickable image or in any text.

And if you have any images or text of a product make sure that links to the product in the shop so a customer can easily find it and buy it.

If you offer wholesale and sell to retail outlets don’t forget to include really easy-to-find links to both those sections on your homepage. Don’t make wholesale customers search for your wholesale page or expect shoppers to know you have products in shops if it’s not obvious to them.

Make it super obvious. 

2. At least one paragraph of text on your page that includes several keywords.

This should be in text, not within an image or in Flash/PDF. The text is there for the benefit of Google so it can place you in search queries so make sure there are plenty of references to your keywords. Keywords are words customers use when searching for your products. They are sometimes very obvious (your name, what you sell) and sometimes a little less easy to think of (a description or feeling of your brand). Below is the text you can find on my website homepage. All keywords I used have been bolded to make them easy for you to see. 

Delight Society is an artisan soap company which stays very close to the simply natural while being a long walk and two bus trips from the frankly artificial. Using only natural ingredients Delight Society produces bath and body products which are free from Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, Synthetics, Parabens and Palm Oil. Hand crafted in Western Australia each product is carefully prepared to be gentle and nourishing on your skin such as handmade soaps, decadent body scrubs, skin loving body oils and kid friendly bubble baths. Delight Society also sells to wholesale clients; providing handmade products of high quality to companies who are looking for unique and luxurious items.

Buy Delight Society products straight from the source or from these retailers. 

These aren’t my only keywords throughout the website but they the major ones for what I sell. The first step is to make a list of keywords that shoppers will use when searching for products that you sell. Then build a paragraph around those keywords and add it to your home page. Include inbound links when necessary.

3. Social media links 

This encourages customer interaction and by making it easy for customers to “Like” your Facebook page they will be more likely to do so. Put them in an easy-to-see spot, such as the header, footer, a side bar or wherever they will be easily seen.

4. Constant new content 

By constantly changing some information on your homepage you become increasingly attractive to search engines. Content is king when it comes to being found on the internet so make sure your changes are positive and contain your keywords. The easiest way to do this is to have a blog/Facebook/Twitter feed directly on your home page. Then every time you update your social media it immediately updates on your homepage. Wordpress and other open source platforms have widgets for this but if your website was made by a professional developer then it will not be difficult for them to add this feature in.

5. Amazing photography 

This can’t be emphasised enough. My photography skills are really not as good as I’d like them to be so I stick to simple product shots and am slowly building up a collection of “behind the scenes/lifestyle” shots that I can add in as I go.

If you don’t have a lot of great photographs, start with your very best images and put only them on your home page. Keep updating them as you go, this is also great for SEO. Don’t put any poor quality photos on your home page...ever.

Also name and tag your images correctly. This increases you being found in searches.

These five additions to your home page will help increase traffic and get sellers exactly where you want them...at your website. 

Jacquie Hughes is on the Made on the Left committee and is the founder of  delightsociety.com

Re-Love Project Update 4

We've been working hard on our desk for the Feast Watson Re-love Project.

We applied the Feast Watson Sanding Sealer and then after it had dried, sanded it back. The wood was then so smooth! A great surface to start work on. Our idea was to have a nautical theme with a sailing ship on one desk lid and a whale on the other. The waves would go across the bottom of both desks. We started off by drawing the designs in pencil directly onto the desk lid.

We then started painting. We needed to keep a steady hand as we would not be able to cover up any mistakes. The paint we used was a new Feast Watson product to create a crackle effect. If you want a crackle effect, you paint over a layer of the crackle lacquer but it can be used as a normal paint as well and comes in a range of pastel colours. We also selected a Dulux Minted Gold metallic colour for something a bit special.

We ended up changing our minds about the whale and ship and went with a rainbow instead. Surprise! We kept the waves though as they were looking good.

Next we added a bottom to the inkwells so they could be used as pencil holders and painted the insides black. And now for the varnishing - as soon as we applied the varnish, the wood looked amazing! We used Feast Watson Satinproof varnish.

We are really happy with the desk lid and love how the varnish has brought out the warmth of the wood. We did a few coats so it would protect it.

On the inside of the desk lid, we wanted to have a chalkboard surface in the shape of a cloud and here it is, freshly applied (and still wet!). We did a few coats in Dulux Chalkboard paint and left it to harden.

Now we just have to attach the lid to the desk body and it will be done!

http://www.relove.feastwatson.com.au/designers-auctions.aspx

Re-Love Project Update 3

We're working hard to make our old school desk look new again, ready to be auctioned on 9th May in the Feast Watson Re-love Project! 

Here's where we got up to last time – the desk top has been detached from the base and all the surfaces have been prepped. 



In the last post we did glueing and clamping and lots of sanding. Let's look at the results! 

We glued and clamped the veneer that was lifting off the desk lid. Now the glue has dried, we have to sand back this area to make it smooth. We also have to fill the damaged edge areas using putty in a matching colour.



For the legs and body of the desk, we used an undercoat of Dulux 1 Step Acrylic Primer, Sealer & Undercoat which is rust resistant then gave it numerous coats of Dulux Spraypak Quick Dry in black over a few days, letting it dry between each coat. We chose this product as it would give a hardwearing glossy even finish and was quick (and fun!) to apply.



The next step will be for us to finish the wooden desk top and prepare for artwork and final paint finish.

We are all excited to see this desk start to come to life!

Re-Love Project Update 2

As you may know, the Made on the Left team has been invited to participate in the Feast Watson Re-Love project . We will be bringing an old school desk back to life with a lot of love and hard work. We've finished the planning stages and the muscle work has begun! We've got some pictures to show you our progress (bulging biceps not included). 

So far it's been all about sanding – the metal desk tray had areas of rust and flaking paint and the wooden desk top was uneven and peeling. To make things easier, we detached the wooden top from the metal body. We then used glue to stick down the veneer parts that were coming off and clamped it down to get the best effect. 



Tune in next time to see us prepare the surface ready to paint!

Re-Love Project

We're pleased to announce that we have been asked to participate in the Feast Watson Re-Love Project along with 8 other designers. Our mission is to bring an old piece of furniture back to life which will then be auctioned on eBay on 9th May to raise money for the Salvos stores. We are so excited! 
Our piece of furniture is an old school desk which we have big plans for. 
Here is a 'before' photo - as you can see, it certainly needs some love... stay tuned to see how it progresses!

Market tips

There are some great tips for preparing for markets on the internet and here a few we thought might be useful:

Top Five: Market Tips from so little time

Top 10 Tips: Market Stalls from Finders Keepers

Tips for Market Stall Holders from Handmade Canberra 

Selling at markets: some tips and advice from The Square: Bendigo's Handmade Market

Six useful tips from Craft Blog 

A Market Organiser’s insider tips on a successful market stall! from The Market Roll 

Top 10 tips - Visual merchandising for your market stall from Dance in my Garden 

Lessons learned from my first market from Emmaline 

The Contemporary Handmade Alliance's Market Week series:
Goals and Expectations
Visual Merchandising

Market Checklist

Top Tips with seller Sweet William 
Top Tips with seller Rabbit & the Duck

And some tips from our very own Made on the Left team:
What to bring to your craft fair 
Market Guide - Stock Levels 
Craft fair etiquette for stall holders 
So You've never had a Stall Before - Monday Hint 

What are your top market tips?

Photographing Flat Products : Help from Etsy.com

photo from letterhappy

"Taking great photos of your work is key! How you present your artwork is just as important as the work itself, and more often than not it's what makes the difference between someone understanding/buying your work. Flatness is one of the biggest obstacles to overcome when photographing 2D work and presenting it online. Context is everything; it is important to remember the item isn't just an image on a screen! For flat 2D objects, such as drawings and prints, show a scanned version of the work, but also a shot with space around the work. You want to give your viewer an idea of the size of the piece, as well as its presence!"

Read the rest of the article HERE. Its really good, and has made me realise that I usually purchase prints that are well photographed more frequently than "flat"images.

xx Lauren & The Team

So You've never had a Stall Before - Saturday Hint

Yes, yes I know its about two weeks late. :)

Saturday's Hint.
Hello My Name is...
Arrive at venue. Unpack. Set Up... what comes next? Introduce yourself to your stall neighbors. This not only gives you the opportunity to suggest covering each others toilet breaks, but could also get you a life-long friend! I always make a point of chatting to the designers either side of me at a market, and usually try and chat to others close to me too. You'll find the day much more enjoyable, you'll make great contacts, and hey, who knows, you might even make a sale from it! Attending meetup events is also a great way to network, make new friends and have a great time, and it just so happens MOTL teamed up with Etsy the weekend before last for a Etsy Birthday Craft Party.

Check out the pics below, and if you're interested in coming to our next one, sign up to this event, and you'll get notified when the next one is scheduled. :) Yay!

So You've never had a Stall Before - Friday Hint

Yay, so glad it's Friday!

Fridays Hint:
Label Me. Go On.
Two things that are really important and are the basic starting point for advertising your "label/brand" and ensuring that people who dont want to buy on th eday can find you later, either though a google search or email.
1. Business cards/postcards with your business details on them/etc. Even a half A4 design photocopied in black and white is an ok start. Just get something on the table that people can take away.
2. Your business/label sign. Even if it is as simple as an A4 printout pinned to the front of your table, but you can really go all out with this one, as it's a really important tool in telling people about your brand; what the style is, is it cute and quirky, or serious and refined? Make your business sign tell the story. I made my OSIER sign out of fabric, craft letters and a vintage frame (yes, I do have an unhealthy obsession with vintage frames), but you can sew, paint, graphic design, or professionally print yours, it's up to you. The front of your table is an ok place to put it, but I recommend eye height. I keep mine behind my table on the end of an old screw apart (so easy to transport) room lamp stand.

So You've never had a Stall Before - Tues, Wed, Thursday

Oh Dear.

Been having problems with my modem over the last few days, so havn't been nearly as organised as I would have liked. So here's the three tips from Tuesday to today, all in one hit!

Tuesday's Hint:
Stand Up and Smile.
This is standard knowledge amoungst the market regulars, but unless someone had told me, I would still have no idea. Standing up for as long as you can, instead of sitting in a chair behind your stall, as well as looking happy to be there and NOT letting on you've sold two things all day is one of the MOST effective way to increase sales. We're not 100% sure of why, but we KNOW it works. So show those pearly whites and wear comfy shoes folks.

Wednesday's Hint:
How Much?
Imagine you've got a shy, unassuming customer at your stall, who LOVES handmade but simply can't bring yourself to ask a seller how much that beautiful notebook is. Sure, if she REALLY wants it, she'll ask, but if she's maybe tossing that up with something also pretty cool, and she can't compare prices easily, she'll just go with the one that the other seller priced clearly. So make sure prices are large and easy visible, or each item is tagged individually so that if they pick it up, they know how much that item is. You'll also not have the challenge of having to know the prices of each one of your one-off, seperately priced handmade bags. Which has to be a good thing, right?

Thursday's Hint:
Love Yourself.
Have you ever gone into a phone shop and been thinking about what phone you're going to get, and the assistant comes up and recommends you a phone, and assures you that its the best one, and that she uses it all the time, its her favourite phone to date? Only to see her later on her lunchbreak chatting to her boyfriend on a completely different phone? Sure its great to talk about your items to buyers in a positive way, but if it's not the truth, people can smell insincerity from a mile off. And I for one would not want to buy handmade from someone who I don't believe or who doesn't believe in what they've made. I want to buy from someone who wears their work everywhere if they're a jewellery-maker, or who has her couches smothered in her custom-made cushions whenever I go over their house. So love what you do, and wear/use/show it, not just as advertising, but because you want to!

p.s. this hint was inspired by Sarah G (oddgirlout/MOTLteam member), who is always sporting her black polyclay earrings whenever I see her, and forgets she even has them on :)

Stay tuned for tomorrow's hint, the second last one for this series. Let us know if you have a request for something we should write about net, or even if you have an article you wrote and want to share.

Help is at Hand

Hi All,

As market season is about to start in earnest, we just thought that sellers would benefit from one of our old articles a couple of years old about organising your self for a market.

Don't forget to comment if you have anything to add, you might have a secret trick that will really make a sellers day easier.

So click here to read our article What To Bring To A Market.

Oh, and also check out our Stock Levels Advice Article.

xxo Lauren & The Team

Ta Ta for Now!

Hey, Its Lauren, your guest blogger signing off at the end of her two weeks, tomorrow you'll have a brand new person to entertain you. I'll miss you all, you were great company :) do come and visit me at my own little blog. And as a goodbye present I'm posting my five-minute vintage fabric ring tutorial. Its really easy, give it a go! Click on the image to get a big version.

Trash or Treasure?

Lauren/Osier here, back for another informative and interesting blog post (psht, who am I kidding...)

Today I went op-shopping, one of my favourite past-times. I'm lucky that the town where I op-shop, is generally a low socio-economic area, so shoppers arn't looking for the same stuff I am at thrift-stores. They're looking for work/boring clothes, whereas I'm looking for vintage retro delights. I like to think I'm pretty good at finding the good stuff, I went looking for a cardigan today, and found three that were perfect. So I thought that I might share my tips with you.

1. Go to a low socio-economic background area and visit the thrift stores there. Subiaco, Fremantle and Dalkeith have already been stripped to the bone, so dont bother going there.

2. Use these websites to find shops close to you or where you intend on heading. You'll note that I've only listed charity stores. This is because I only shop at charity stores, because feeling good about spending money on clothes is pretty rare.

salvos :: vinnies :: anglicare :: good sammys :: paraquad

3. ALWAYS try on shoes and go for a walk around the store in them. Dont buy them if you're thinking "oh, they'll stretch" because they wont (no matter how cute they are), they've already been worn. Or if they're really high heeled, or they rub, cause they'll give you blisters pretty quick.

4. The dress sections are always my favourite, and basically offer a whole outfit for under $10 most of the time. Make sure you try these on too, as not everything is going to flatter you.

5. This goes without saying, but never buy socks, undies or pantihose/leggings from op-shops. Yuk.

6. If you're struggling to think what to wear something with, either dont buy it or find something in the store that will go with it, otherwise it will be chucked under the bed and forgotten.

7. ALWAYS take a car and your own bags, as many op-shops now have a "no-plastic bag" policy and often dont have anything to replace them. Juggling three pairs of shoes, a dress and a vintage typewriter on the bus home is just going to annoy you.

8. Take note of the price. I've had a couple of nasty surprises when I've gone to checkout and found that the cute jacket I thought was a cool bonus was actually THE most expensive second hand item in the history of the world.

9. This might sound gross, but smell the armpits/crotches of anything you've got your eye on. Chances are that if it stinks, you're not going to be able to get rid of the smell, sorry.

10. Lastly, always wash things at home before you wear them.



Any questions or tips? I'd love to hear them! xoLauren

Take me out to the Show

Hello, Lauren here.
Ok, so I'm no expert, but I've now done a significant amount of handmade markets (hmmm, about 5 I think) and have basically got the set-up I want now, just a few tweaks here and there to freshen it up now and then. Heres a pic of my display at the last market I went to, Perth Upmarket.


Things to note:
- Tablecloth that reaches all the way to the ground. Nothing looks worse than your handbag, tool box, extra stock, tissue box, food and rubbish bag all layed out for the world to see. Plus its usually a requirement from the people organising the market. I only wish I had gotten a no-crease one, as I have to iron and roll mine up before packing.
- Mirror. Essential if you have jewellery, acccessories, or anything people wear. Otherwise dont worry about it.
- Height displays. My sales literaly doubled when I added those displays, and they dont have to be expensive. I know people who have found great stuff at Ikea, but mine are an op-shop find; vintage spoon collection displays.
- Label Sign. This can be as simple as an A4 Word printout pinned to the front of your table, or as complex and big as a display board behind you. Mine works because the stand screws apart, and the frame is flat and sturdy.
- Pricing. Either swing tags from your local newsagent, or on the back of the item's display card, or whatever. Just make sure its obvious, as most customers would rather walk away than ask you "how much?".
- Interesting display items. Not essential, but I like them as I can place my expensive items on them. Ideas include jewellery boxes, cool twigs, boxes, vases, or necklace busts. You can make your own necklace bust really easily with this tutorial.
- Plus dont forget the stuff like a cash float, small bags for purchases, business cards or flyers, tissue box, food, water, scissors, tape and pins.

Anyone have anything to add? Comment away.

xo Lauren

p.s. have a read of these great etsy articles on prepping for a craft fair:
How To: Craft Fair
Craft Show on a Budget

What to bring to your craft fair

Getting ready for a craft fair is a daunting task, especially if it’s your first. I had my first craft fair earlier this year and was constantly agonizing over what to bring, how much stock to take and whether I had everything organised

Thankfully Made on the Left is at hand to help. We’ve put together a series of articles to help you keep things as stress free as possible.

Preparation Is KeyOne great way to get ready for your craft fair is to write out a list of everything you need to do beforehand and when you’d like to have them done by. Setting goals and deadlines will help motivate you so you’re not spending the week before in a frantic rush to get everything ready. I blogged about getting ready for my first craft fair, listing everything I was planning on making and how it was going. Putting my goals out there made me feel more accountable and motivated me to finish things. I even listed my stress levels which really helped me keep perspective.

Don’t feel you need to have a whole new collection of stock for your show. Most people coming to the market will not know you from your online presence and will have no idea you had a particular item out two years ago. It will be all fresh and new to them. Additionally don’t discount something because it isn’t selling on Etsy/Madeit/your online shop, some stock just won’t sell online but will do really well at a market where customers can see it up close.

Ideally you’ll have completed your stock well in advance and will be able to spend the last few weeks on marketing your business so people know you’ll be there. Sometimes this isn’t possible, you’ve been really busy, you just sold a bunch of stuff elsewhere or deciding to do the market was a last minute decision. However, you can still get everything finished; it just takes getting super organised.
So make a list of everything you still need to do to get your stock ready in time and set goals to get them done.

Talk To PeopleReaching out to your peers for advice is the easiest way to gain knowledge and have any queries or problems answered. The crafting community is enormously friendly and you’ll find many people willing to answer most questions you have. This blog was started to help the many people we meet on a regular basis who are just beginning their crafting business or doing their first craft fair and needed a place to get information and advice.

If there is a particular artist or crafter you admire try emailing them for counsel. You’ll be surprised how happy people are to answer questions and offer advice. They won’t tell you specific secrets about their business or where a lot of their sources are from, those are closely guarded secrets but most people are flattered by someone asking about their expertise and if they can’t answer a question will generally be able to introduce you to someone who can.

What To PackYou'll need a list, and it’s a pretty long one at that. Some of the items listed will not apply to you and reading the list may remind you to add items not included. The best thing to do is to copy the list into a word document and modify it to suit your particular situation. Also don’t forget to take a copy of the list with you to the craft fair and use it as a kind of inventory so you don’t forget anything when packing up.

In addition don’t forget to label your items. It will eliminate any problems at the end of the day when you’re tired and can’t remember if you packed one or two double adapters or which white tablecloth is yours and which was supplied by the organisers.


Indoor Craft Fair Packing List
MerchandiseEnough merchandise for the day (how do you know you have enough? A good rule of thumb is to pack twice as much as you think you’ll sell)

Display/PackagingSignage or banner
Product information sign
Shelves, clothing rack, jewellery displays, mirror for customers
Backdrop if you have a partition wall
System to hang stock if you have a partition wall – ‘S’ hooks/fishing wire
Own partition wall (optional)
Table cloth if you want something besides white
Extra price tags, string
Care instructions for textile items
Bags, paper/bubble wrap, boxes for sold items
Lighting, double adapters and extension cords if you have a booth with power
Duct tape to tape the cords to the floor
Spare light globes

Promotional
Business cards and holder
Catalogue or flyers to use as bag stuffers and handouts
A newsletter or contact information list so people can sign up to your mailing list
Copies of your latest newsletter
Information about you/other shows/exhibitions you’re in
Wholesale catalogue with wholesale and consignment policy
Wholesale order form
Custom order form
Media pack
Something to make during slow times (customers love to watch an artisan at work)
Free samples (optional, sometimes good for customers that spend a lot of money)

Currency
Receipt book
Small safe, cash box or apron for holding cash
Change (at least $50 to $100 in a variety of denominations)
Calculator
Ability to accept credit cards (optional) and credit card authorization number

Stuff
Scissors
Needle and thread
Safety pins
Pens – red one for discounts
Sticky tape
Paper clips
Thumb tacks
Elastic bands
Stapler
Ribbon
Baby wipes
Rubbish bags
Glass cleaner
Camera
Mobile phone
Clip board with spare paper (especially good for taking notes about the show)
Inventory list with prices
Something to pack all of this in...preferably with wheels

For YouJumper/jacket
Water/drinks
Snacks – don’t bring chewing gum, no one wants to see you chewing behind your stall
Comfy shoes
Pain relievers
Tissues
Emergency contact numbers
Deodorant
Make up
A friend to help you
A good attitude