Baskets or Patterns

Hi everyone.

Here are some examples of Hand Knit Felted Baskets I have designed and made.

Do you think people would more readily buy the patterns for these?

They didn't sell too well just as a product to purchase.

What do you think?

www.JudyAGoddard.Etsy.com

Well, after 8 months of trying to market and sell my Hand knit Felted Baskets, proving to be a fantastic failure at it, it's time to move on to the next BIG thing. It's so strange to me that folks will say how clever and great the baskets are, and that they are priced right, but only one has sold in all this time.

So, I have marked them down by 50% and hopefully I'll be able to get just a little back for all my effort.

But I'm trying to be philosophical about it. I will find the thing that I can I can do well and love doing. I'm just full of ideas! And the neat thing is, the more creative I am, the more great ideas I have!

www.JudyAGoddard.Etsy.com

www.Measureformeasuregrowthcharts.com

www.JudyGoddard.Homestead.com

Curse the Cold, I say! Curse it!

Last night I tried, yet again to enter and use an Etsy Virtual Lab. It was a Critiquing Lab and, finally, I actually made it work! The folks there were very kind and answered my questions. I was able to get some very good advise on how to improve the quality of my photos.

Later today, if I can find the time, I will be walking my felted baskets out the door and taking new pictures in the natural sunlight. Curse the cold, I say! Curse it! I WILL be successful at this!!

I have listed two new baskets. More Christmas Hearts, in different colors and sizes.

http://www.judyagoddard.etsy.com/

http://www.measureformeasuregrowthcharts.com/

"All the Leaves are Brown, and the Sky is Grey....."

This morning the sky is a shade of silver that tells me that rain is on the way. When I hooked the dog on to her lead the yard was blanketed with rustling brown oak leaves. The trees all around have lost their color and are settling into their sleeping season.

It's hard to believe that the season has progressed so far so fast. And now, Thanksgiving is just two weeks away! I made a collection of Autumn themed baskets and listed them on Etsy, but no one has purchased them, so now I'm discounting them by 30% of their original prices. Any of them would make wonderful addition to your Thanksgiving decorations. And, on top of that, they serve a purpose. They are more than "just a pretty face"!

Help to launch my basket sales! I've been so busy knitting and felting that I've got quite stock pile, and tons of new ideas to implement!

Christmas Baskets are ready to list!
http://www.judyagoddard.etsy.com/

http://www.measureformeasuregrowthcharts.com/

I'm Doing a Give Away!

Hi everyone!

This is my first experience doing a give away and Cheri, from http://www.wifemomwoman.wordpress.com/ is walking me through it. She's been great and did a little interview with me. You can see the Little Christmas Basket, that maybe you can win, on Cheri's blog. So, check it out and enter to win!

I've been working on new Handknit Felted Baskets and they are now ready to be photographed and listed on my Etsy site. Most of them are now going into my Christmas Theme baskets.

And my 2 Jack-o-lantern Little Felted Baskets are on sale at 50% off! So you can buy them now and put them safely away for next Halloween!

So, here's your chance to buy a Little Felted Basket at an unbelievable price!

It being election day, my hubby and I went out after lunch time and did our duty. I hope you did too.

now I'lll be gearing up for Thanksgiving.

I hope the rest of yourAutumn is peaceful.

http://www.judyagoddard.etsy.com/

http://www.measureformeasuregrowthcharts.com/

www.flickr.com/judyagoddard/

Another Bright Idea?

Well, I've not sold either of the jack-o-lantern baskets I made up. So today they go on sale. And, considering that I've only sold one Handknit Felted Basket, I thought maybe a few Handknit Felted Hats might pique someones interest. So I am busily knitting away.

Now that I've posted the hats it occures to me that they need to be doo dahed up. I guess I'll be off to purchase some gross grain ribbon. And i'm thinking maybe a live model will be better than good ol' Madeline here.

So, if you're looking for a really cute decorative basket for next Halloween, stop by

http://www.judyagoddard.etsy.com/ and snap them up for $7.50 each

And while you're there, check out my other baskets. There's a couple Winter themed ones as well as one Christmas one. I have a whole slew of LIttleFelted Baskets that make great tree ornaments and or little gifty baskets. I have to get the other Christmas baskets I have posted. The holidays are upon us!

http://www.judyagoddard.etsy.com/

www.Flickr.com/JudyAGoddard/

http://www.judyagoddardartist.blogspot.com/

Do You Have a Brochure?

Brochures I have known;
Grateful Creation Design, that was my batik tee shirt business.
Judy Goddard, Singer Songwriter, Artist
Judy Goddard Programs, these were my folk music brochures.

Now I'm a Handknitter and Felter.
So, I need a new brochure.

Sales on Etsy.com have been llittle less than slow. And I have been really, really trying to do everything I can do to make my shop a success.

Last week I sent a friend of a friend one of my Little Felted Baskets. She owns and operates a dance school for little girls. It's called "Through the Looking Glass" dance studio, in the Columbia MD area. She emailed me, asking for a brochure to insert into her November newlsetter.

So I sat down and put together what I think is a pretty snazzy pamphlet.

Twitter, Flickr, Blogger, huh?

I decided to try and sell some Handknit Felted Baskets that I had designed and made. So I set up a shop on Etsy.com and started uploading pictures. I was told that to promote myself I would need to spend time in the chat rooms and visit the forums often.

I learned to how sort through the miasma of a crowded chat rooms. I learned how to couch my forum posts in terms that would draw attention to my shop. And I sold a few supplies.

To be fair, I did sell one basket. And I sold one Canvas Growth Chart. All that since April 20, 2008.

So I asked what else I could do. I was told, "Blog!" I set up this blog and now have a new place to direct folks to show off my designs. And I do get some very nice comments. Thank you very much! But no sales of Art, only supplies. (So why and I complaining? At least I'm making sales!"

Next came the suggestion of Flickr. com. And then came the posts telling me to set up a Mysapce account and a Facebook account. Done.

And now I spend many hours everyday punching keyboard pads and squinting at my laptop screen. And still have quite a tidy sum of lovely baskets that people tell me are, "So cute!" "Really Great!" "Super".

I'm getting pretty frustrated. If you pray, please send one up for me.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31019349@N06/

http://www.judyagoddard.etsy.com/

http://www.measureformeasuregrowthcharts.com/

It takes so little.....

...to make a simple girl happy!

I knit. All the time! I obsess over knitting. So all my life I've looked for a way to make my knitting a renewable kind of thing. After all, you can only knit your near and dear so many sweaters and socks. Then it kind of becomes a bad holiday joke.

So I started designing and came up with this really cool way to make one of a kind, felted baskets. I've been making
them for a few years now and now they have joined the list of holiday jokes. But my family loves them and think they are really neat. So now I'm trying to sell them.

Here's where the little, to make me, a simple girl, happy, comes in....

I have a nearly complete collection of every kind of knitting needle, in every conceivable size and color and material. But, of course I don't have the one needle I need! A size 13 circular needle, 16 inches long! I checked out the on line catalogues and made some calls, and..... You guessed it! Nobody sells it!

My very wise husband suggested that I look on Ebay and, SHAZAM! There they were; the perfect 13 circular needle in just the right length!

I'm going away for the weekend, and, now that the needle has arrived, I can take it with me and knit my baskets and be very, very content.

It takes so little!

THAT'S what friends are for!

OOf! What am I doing wrong??!! My head is in such a fog and I can't think straight. I'm not focusing and my heart is pounding! You know, my sales are pretty slumpy. And I just couldn't figure out what to do next.

So I called my BFF and cried to her my woes. And she, in her wisdom, got all efficient on my ass, helped me straighten out my path and gave me a pat on the back to gently push me forword.

And out of her mouth comes, " Merchandizing! Marketing! Take better pictures! Show people what the baskets can be used for! Give the world an idea of how wonderful your baskets are! Help them visualize how your handknit felted baskets will look when they use them as gift holders,

table accents, party favors!, thank you gifts!

I hurriedly wrote down, in lists, all she was saying, and what her words suggested to me, on how to market my wonderful baskets.

So! Now I have a clear path! Now I can settle my pounding heart and make lists of what to do first, second and third. ( and 18th, 19th and 20th)

I'm so grateful for a friend who hears my desperation and reaches down inside herself to come up with advise that is truly inspired. I'

m so blessed!

http://www.judyagoddard.etsy.com/

http://www.measureformeasuregrowthcharts.com/

http://www.judygoddard.homestead.com/

Fall at Last!

Finally! the weather is acting its age! The temps last night dipped into the 50s. Today should climb only up to the mid 70s. Yay! Summer has always been my least favorite season.



My friends know I like to say, " Come the end of May, I'm lookin' for October!

At my Etsy site I've listed Handknit Felted Baskets that celabrate the georgeous season.

Each of my designs is an original and, because of the nature of the artform, is its own unique piece of art.

Autumn Maples Basket

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14541506

Autumn Oaks Basket

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=15031274

Autumn Leaves Basket
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=15251889

Yellow Autumn Leaves Basket

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=15252243

Don't forget that Winter and the Holiday Season are right around the corner!

What a cry baby I am!

So, I open my email yesterday morning and....
Ta da! I have sold a Handknit Felted Basket!! My very first one!

It's going all the way to Wagga Wagga, Australia!

Life IS good!

Yesterday was my 30th anniversary. I cannot believe I have lived long enough to celebate my 30th anniversary!
I love my husband! So much. For me, it really does get better with age. He's my very bestest friend.

So, now I'm caught up on my ETsy shop and now I've blogged, so now I can knit and felt the new baskets with my autumn theme.

Aaahhh....... good!
www.JudyAGoddard.Etsy.com

A New Beginning

I love yarn! I love natural fiber! I love cotton and wool and rayon and linen and all natural fabrics!

I've been knitting since I was 21 years old. I started knitting for 2 reasons:

My mom told me I could never learn becasue I was left handed. (She obviously never did two color knitting!)
And,
When I was a little girl my cousin in Scotland sent me a beautiful handknit sweater of wonderful golden yellow wool. It had cables and I loved it! And the first thing my mom did was throw it in the washer and dryer! I never got to wear it.

So now I knit my own beautiful cabled wool sweaters.

I have to knit every day. I just have to!
But!
I have learned to love felting! I make some pretty awesome stuff by shrinking things I have knit.

here's a couple of examples: