HF Feature Series: When Creativity Strikes, You'll Be Ready - Part 2

Military Service Medallion by BW Silver Jewelry

This 3 part Feature series is presented by Brittany Wende of BW Silver Jewelry

         Looking for a project to stay busy? Exploring the possibility of starting a creative business?   You’re headed in the right direction!  There are so many things that are available at your fingertips and can be delivered right to your door or found out in town.  Here are some projects to consider along with helpful websites, stores and resources for you to find what you need to get started…

Learn Calligraphy: This seems random, but actually it can be a profitable skill to have.  People pay good money for calligraphers to do their wedding invitations, etc.  By learning how to do it well, you can benefit from making a little extra money on the side with your ever growing military friends and families. You can find a starter kit at www.artsuppliesonline.com and begin the learning process.

Get Beading: Michael’s Crafts, Wal-Mart, and of course Hobby Lobby again, has all the beading supplies you’ll need to get started making your own bling.  But, try out these other online shops to help you get started: Etsy (www.etsy.com) has oodles of beading supply sellers that have great deals!  They don’t do the commercial mark up like most companies do, and the shipping can sometimes be cheaper.  Also try www.jewelrysupply.com or www.houseofgems.com to find affordable and chic beads, clasps, wire and more.  Make your own earrings or bracelets and you can even forge silver to make cuffs or rings and swirly pendant designs.  I think you’ll be surprised how addicting and fun it can be!

     Remember that happiness depends on you. It’s ok to be sad when your spouse is away, but it’s healthy to have a creative distraction or hobby to keep your mind churning and motivated.  You can learn new things every day and turn your craft into a profitable business or cherished item.  Whatever the case may be, keep your head high and your hands busy.  Get the kids involved too, they will love the projects and making those memories together will be priceless!

SHOP    
BLOG  TWEET 
LIKE ME 

Thank you Brittany! If you have an idea for Saturday tutorials, please contact us via the Contact tab at the top of the blog.

Creative Homefires: Left Circles Scrapbooks

Creative HomeFires is a series which highlights the value that creativity offers to family members of a deployed spouse/significant other.  We offer stories of the creative life and the beautiful benefits experienced during some of the most difficult seasons.

Let me introduce Karisa Hess of Left Circles Scrapbooks.  Here's her story:

 Best Friend Couples Mini Paper Bag Album

Having been married to a Marine for 15 years and endured five long deployments, my craft has enabled me to keep my husband completely up to date with everything that’s going on here at home. Through scrapbooking, I have made him countdown calendars, cards, albums and gifts. He knows that I take a lot of time to choose something special for him to have and he has often told me that his favorite gifts are the ones I make for him with pictures of our family all together.

 

Treat Bag For Valentines Day

Scrapbooking also kept me busy during deployments as I took classes and taught other military wives how to make gifts for their spouses as well. Whenever I scrapbook personal photos, I get to relive the moment in which the photo was taken. My favorite photos are the ones in which my entire family is together. As military spouses, we are able to appreciate those moments and should keep these mementos close to our hearts.

Thank you so much Karisa for sharing your story! If you would like to submit a story for this series please contact us ("Contact" tab at the top of the blog) for consideration.   

                                               Left Circles Scrapbooks -the Etsy Shop

Left Circles Fan Page 

Military Life...From a Spouse's Perspective: Jeananne Sizemore

The Military Brat Team and the Homefront Team are combining efforts to share our experiences with the military lifestyle so that others can fully understand the sense of community, sacrifices, benefits, and expectations we all share as members of a truly unique group of people. Each month we will feature a story shared by a Military Brat Team member, and a story shared by a Homefront Team member.

  This Feature is written by Jeananne Sizemore, shop owner of Art Whims

Military Life….

From a spouse's perspective

      A military life is a great one, one that I have known my entire life. As a Navy Brat and now as an Army Wife, I have experienced the ups and downs of what it means to be a member of a military family and that our family includes many more than my genetic relatives. Our family is all of the people in the military and those who have family members and friends in the military.

        I am proud that the Homefront Team is now part of that family. The military family mirrors the relationship of siblings; we may fight sometimes, have differences in faith and ideas, but when we really need each other we rally together and stand strong. And with the losses that many of us have faced it still brings tears to my eyes that I have so many people willing to reach out and give me a hug of encouragement when I need one. I am so thankful to be living this military life and would not have it any other way.

Jeananne's Beautiful Items can be Found:
Painted Items      

Photography (etsy)
Photography(zazzle)
Facebook
Blog

Twitter

Thanks Jeananne! If you would like to submit a story for this series please contact us ("Contact" tab at the top of the blog) for consideration.

HF Feature Series: When Creativity Strikes, You'll Be Ready - Part 1

 Librarian Wrap Necklace by BWSilver Jewelry

This 3 part Feature series is presented by Brittany Wende of BW Silver Jewelry

        Looking for a project to stay busy? Exploring the possibility of starting a creative business?   You’re headed in the right direction!  There are so many things that are available at your fingertips and can be delivered right to your door or found out in town.  Here are some projects to consider along with helpful websites, stores and resources for you to find what you need to get started…

Sewing:  By hand or machine, this is a great way to get crafty.  You can make drapes, pillows, bags, even baby clothes.  I’ve seen so many cute patterned baby bags and purses that are surprisingly easy to make.  Need supplies?  If you can’t make it to your local fabric store try these sites: Overstock (www.overstock.com) has different sewing kits to choose from with all the supplies you’ll need at a very low cost.  You can also purchase patterns to make fun purses and bags at www.homesew.com and find endless amounts of fabrics at www.fabric.com. Their prices and deals are awesome! You can also search for very affordable beginners’ sewing machines on www.amazon.com, but you local Wal-Mart or fabric store should also have them too.

Make a T-shirt Quilt:  This website has free instructions on how to get started making your very own t-shirt quilt: www.goosetracks.com Ragged old tees that you can’t bear to part with is a perfect way make a lasting keepsake.  If your hubby has a ton of battalion, company or even college tees he never wears, this makes for an excellent start in creating a functional “scrapbook” of old t-shirts. Great for old baby clothes or kids tees too.   Find the thread you need at your local JoAnn’s Fabrics (www.joann.com), Hancock Fabrics (www.hancockfabrics.com), or even Wal-Mart’s that still have a fabric section (www.walmart.com)

Like to Paint? Or course Michael’s (www.michaels.com) and Hobby Lobby (www.hobbylobby.com) have all the paints, canvases and brushes you might need to get started.  But, if you are living in a rural area or can’t get to a local art supply store, here are some online art supply shops that are just as good, and deliver right to your door: www.jerrysartarama.com has everything from paints to pasta machines and at great prices too!  Amazon of course has it all, if you search “drawing kits” or “painting kits” on www.amazon.com there are so many to choose from to get you started.

Remember that happiness depends on you. It’s ok to be sad when your spouse is away, but it’s healthy to have a creative distraction or hobby to keep your mind churning and motivated.  You can learn new things every day and turn your craft into a profitable business or cherished item.  Whatever the case may be, keep your head high and your hands busy.  Get the kids involved too, they will love the projects and making those memories together will be priceless! 

Find Brittany in these spaces:

SHOP
BLOG
TWEET 
LIKE ME

Thank you Brittany! If you are interested in submitting a post for our Saturday tutorial features, contact us via the Contact tab at the top of the blog

Shop Diagnostics: Bug A Booties

Shop Diagnostics is a series where we share tips coming from creative entrepreneurs who can run shops in light of adjustments brought on by military life YET APPLICABLE to all those interested in improving their shop's presence online and worldwide.

Take the Time to say THANK YOU!

Written by Lauren Murray, 

shop owner and creator of Bug-a-booties

Ladybug Picnic Booties

Hi Homefront Team! I am so excited to be a part of our shop tips! A quick little bit about me; My name is Lauren Murray and I am a 31 year old mother of one beautiful 17 month old daughter. I have been with my husband for 10 years, married for 7. I work during the day as an Orthodontic Lab Technician and I work on my Etsy store evenings and weekends during nap times, although that will change soon . My husband is leaving for basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky on February 1st. We are late to the military life, but we are very excited.

I started making baby booties when my daughter was 4 months old. I had many people tell me I should make them to sell. So in January 2010 I opened my Etsy shop! To date I have about 25 sales on Etsy and twice that many off site. I also have my booties in two different boutiques, one in Manhattan and one in Whitehorse, Yukon in Canada.

So what does an a person like me, with little experience in the military life and so few sales have to offer as a shop tip? Well, before I went into the Dental field, I spent over 12 years in customer service, mostly doing retail sales. My experience in the retail industry has been invaluable to my Etsy success. I believe that excellent customer service can take you so much further than just having a great product! As a crafter/handmade entrepreneur, you know that your items are not a necessity, but a desire to the prospective customer. Consumers do not come to your shop to buy something they need. They come there because they desire what you sell. With so many other sellers carrying similar items, you have to set your self apart from the competition. There are many ways that can be done, but I am amazed by how often good customer service is passed up.

One of the best ways you can wow your customer is to send them a personal message. When I buy something on Etsy, if I don’t get a convo from the seller confirming my order, I feel cheated. A simple “thank you for your order, here are my shipping policies, etc.” would suffice. I cannot believe that an Etsy seller would be too busy for that, and if you are, I hope you are writing a shop tips section, because I would love to know your secrets! 

 Woodland Squirrel Matching Mommy and Me Booties

I also always include a little hand written thank you card in each of my packages. The least expensive way I have found to do this is to buy a pack of scrap booking paper in note card size. You get a cute variety in one stack. Just simply fold it in half and write your note inside! You will show your customer that you took the time to thank them personally and that you are being thoughtful. With the economy in its current state of disarray, we should be thankful that people are choosing to spend their hard earned cash on our handmade goods!

Properly done, good customer service will lead to repeat sales and great word of mouth! There is a statistic that says something like, “a good experience is repeated twice, a bad experience is repeated up to 11 times!” Don’t let a simple thing like forgetting to say thank you become the bad experience your customers are repeating to their friends! I know this seems like common sense, but take the time to thank your customers! Thank you for reading this! I hope it helps. Best of luck and many sales!

Thank you Lauren for sharing your tips! If you are interested in contributing to Shop Diagnostics, please contact us (Use the "Contact" tab at the top of the blog).

HF Community: Monday Meet ups

4 Bottle Cap Magnets by Jeanna of Beans Things

Questions are a fun way to connect 

I LOVE questions

I hope you do too!

The 2nd and 4th (sometimes 5th) Monday of every month, watch this space for a few questions that you can take, post and answer on your blogs and THEN LINK BACK HERE so that we all can come around and visit.

This adventure is OPEN TO EVERYONE!  You DO NOT have to be a part of the Homefront Team.  We just ask that when you leave your link here, you TRULY have a post that pertains to the set of questions.

OK so....

You will meet the BRAINCHILD behind this series who will kick this off with her list of questions

on 

January 24, 2011 

Creative HomeFires: Blue Room Gems

Creative HomeFires is a series which highlights the value that creativity offers to family members of a deployed spouse/significant other.  We offer stories of the creative life and the beautiful benefits experienced during some of the most difficult seasons. 

Jennifer Avery is the shop owner of Blue Room Gems. Here's her experience:

 Colorful multi gemstone bracelet By Blue Room Gems

 Surviving a deployment is never easy.  My husband recently returned from a year in Iraq, and I have to say, creating jewelry and running my shop definitely saved my sanity while he was away.  I am a stay-at-home mom to three boys, who were all under the age of five at the time of the deployment.  To say it was hectic is an understatement!

I actually opened my shop only a few weeks before he left, and it quickly became a much needed distraction. It filled in the emptiness of the evenings, giving me structure and purposeful activity to pass those lonely hours. 

It also gave me something to look forward to each day.  I would frequently wake up with a new design in my head and couldn’t wait to get into the studio and make it real.

 Purple Gemstone Textured Necklace By Blue Room Gems

But, the thing I am most thankful for, was that it connected me to others, lessening the feeling of isolation.  I am still truly amazed at all the wonderful people I have met through Etsy.  They are such a blessing.

So now I am onto the next adventure, balancing kids, business, and a husband!  Good thing military spouses are always up for a challenge!

Thank you so much Jennifer for sharing your story! If you would like to submit a story for this series please contact us ("Contact" tab at the top of the blog) for consideration.  

Blue Room Gems -the Shop

Blue Room Gems Fan Page