Money Money

I'm not sure when it happened.

Maybe when I figured out how to add zippers to my book purses?  Maybe it was gradual, seeping in over the years I've been on Etsy.

At some point, money became more important to me than the craft.  More important to me than the people.

If you don't know what movie this is from, or who Bob Fosse is, 

you best get your Google on NOW.  REPENT!  REPENT, I SAY!

I think I was trying to be more "responsible."  Like one of those people that counts every penny, making certain to not go over budget on any projects.  Those people aren't bad, their ways are just quite foreign to me.   I work better in clutter, nestled in piles of things that are only vaguely related but somehow make sense to me.

For one reason or another, I began to feel my way was wrong.  I felt maybe if I was more organized, I'd be more successful.  At that time, to me, success meant money.  I abandoned my piles and began to pay more attention to costs and hours.  I raised my prices.  I ignored creative impulses in favor of the bottom line.

I sold items at my new prices for a short time.  Then something happened.  I lost interest.  If you deny your creative impulses long enough, they'll get the point and leave the party.

I found myself procrastinating on projects for my Etsy shop.  I initially blamed it on my health.  I've had a rough few months.  After a recent conversation with a fellow crafter, I realized that was an excuse.

This crafter was quite cynical and clearly prized her time and money over her customers.  I nodded politely as I mentally cringed.  Her attitude nauseated me.  Then a thought popped in my head.

"I'm no different than she is."

I didn't start BiblioBags to make a fortune.  I knew I never would.  I'll never wholesale my products because I'm part of every single one.  Everything I sell, I make myself with my own two hands.  That was the point.  To share my talents and to make a little pocket money on the side to feed my artistic inclinations.

I was sick when I started my Etsy shop.  I've fought through constant waves of nausea and exhaustion to finish projects.  However, those projects don't hurt me.  They take my mind off of the discomfort.  Crafting soothes my brain and makes me feel useful.  There is nothing more satisfying than working with your hands to make a finished, physical product.

When I began BiblioBags, I was extremely touched to find that every purse I sold became a part of that person's life.  I've had dozens of thoughtful customers share sweet stories about surprising a loved one with a purse.  I never fail to get a rush of excitement thinking that items I've made are sitting under someone's Christmas tree.  Custom purses are my favorite.  I've had some interesting requests over the years and those have challenged me and made me a better artist.  I love being a part of someone's imagination and bringing their ideas to life.  I've made lots of wonderful friends.

Selling my purses is not going to buy us a house or pay down our crushing student debt.  But I think that when I start back up, I'll feel so much happier if I do it generously.  I'm no business person.  I'm a crafter.  I need to make art and I need to connect with people.  I need to share what I can do even if it's quirky and a little silly.  If I just break even, I figure it's all worth it.

The Three Musketeers Custom Book Purse

First of all, I wanted to direct all of you to my new gallery!  Click on the gallery tab above to look at all my purses, past and present.

A few weeks ago I got a custom order to make a Three Musketeers book purse.  I'll admit, I've never read any Dumas.  My focus in college was American Literature and so I never read any Dumas, nor have I on my own.  The closest I've come is that awful movie version with Chris O'Donnell, who along with Charlie Sheen, kept their American accents even though they were playing Frenchmen.  At least Oliver Platt and Keifer Sutherland attempted a British accent (which, in American movies, is pretty much the same thing as a French accent).  Does anyone remember, the annoying theme song?  I think it was a rule in the 90s that your movie had to have Bryan Adams sing your theme song.  Gosh, the 90s were awful.

I think it is so amazing that people trust me enough to make all the choices for their custom purses!  The customer picked out this cover then told me to just go for it.  I love that!  I looked at a few fabrics with cross patterns but they were all religious and I needed something more gothic.  Then I remembered this Alexander Henry fleur de lis fabric . . . what's more french than a fleur de lis?  Plus, it had little crosses in the pattern as well.  Score!

This was really one of the easiest custom purses I've done because everything came together just right.  For the button, I happened to already have a gold fleur de lis button in my stash but it was too small.  I found a large navy button and glued the two together.  Perfect!  It was just so awesome how all the details came together . . . just like the harmonies of Bryan Adams, Sting and Rod Stewart . . . 

The customer seemed very happy with the final product, which is all that really matters.  I really love this custom purse.  What do you think?

BiblioBags Custom Book Purse Giveaway!

This month marks the second anniversary of my Etsy shop, BiblioBags.  To celebrate, I'm giving away a free custom book purse!  

FREE CUSTOM PURSE FROM BIBLIOBAGS GIVEAWAY

 

An up to $85 value!

                                                                                          

How to enter:

1. Post what book you would want made into a custom book purse on BiblioBags’ Facebook Wall as many times as you like.

2. Post one comment on this blog.

I will choose a winner at random next Monday, May 21st and announce it on my Facebook wall and on my blog.

Rules:

1. All entrants must be 12 years or older.  However, I will make whatever book purse (within reason and the following rules) you like for whomever you like!  Say your 9 year old niece really wants one . . . you can enter the contest and I can make a book purse for her.  Make sense?

2. All materials including the book, fabric and handles must be within my set budget.  No $400 first edition books or diamond encrusted handles, okay?  I’ll let you know what is reasonable and what is not.

3. Please no books that include or promote pornography, hateful speech, symbols, etc.  Let’s keep it nice and clean, folks . . . especially on the cover!  Example: Your favorite book may be a historical text on WWII but if it has a swastika on the cover, I’m not comfortable making a purse out of it.  While we’re at it, no religious texts allowed either.  I don’t want to anger any dieties . . . my life is complicated enough.  I reserve the right to turn down a book if I find it offensive or inappropriate.  But relax.  I may be Mormon but I’m pretty laid back.  I just don’t want to put my name on something that is offensive or in excessively bad taste.  A little bad taste I’m okay with.  Wink, wink.

4. Your choice of book is subject to my review, meaning, if it’s too shabby to make into a purse, you’ll have to find another one.  I prefer hardcover/hardback books in good condition.  I will try to make your wildest book purse dreams come true but if it’s not possible, we’ll have to try something different.  So be patient with me!  (Because the best way to make someone patient is to throw an exclamation point at them . . . )

5. Please allow at least 5 weeks for me to complete your custom purse.  Sometimes I am backed up with several orders at a time, sometimes I have none at all.  It just depends on my work load at the moment.

Need ideas?  Go to my shop page and peruse my “sold” listings.  There’s a huge range of what can do and what I have done in the past. 

GOOD LUCK!

HodgePodge Sneak Peek!

Well, it's that time of year again . . . craft fair time!  

This year will be my second year with a booth at HodgePodge, my hometown's craft fair.  Last year was my first time and I learned a lot.  I did reasonably well and made a pretty good profit.  I'm super excited for this year since I have a lot of new items I didn't have last time.  I'll actually have lots of jewelry this year: book spine bracelets (which I came up with AFTER HodgePodge last year), book themed pendants and charm bracelets made from book pages.  For this post, I think I'll just show off purses.  I'll post pics of my jewelry soon!

Last week I purchased a special purse hanger on eBay (for $35!).  Check out how cute (and please try to ignore my mess on the table)!

It only holds 10 purses, so I'll have to find other ways to display them.  Speaking of purses, I already have two made especially for the fair.  I wanted to have a better selection of classics this year, so I'm not posting these on Etsy.  Here is an exclusive sneak peek!

I made this brooch inspired button for the purse closure.  The image was cut from the book and I coated it in some sealer.

Yes, that is Alice in Wonderland fabric!  It's covered in the original John Tenniel illustrations--love it!

Here is a shabby chic "Pride and Prejudice."  The book cover was faded and had spots but I think that only adds to the charm.

A similar brooch-like button for this purse, again made from a book illustration.  It's purty.  ; )  Right now I'm working on a "Wizard of Oz" book clutch that is very different from the classic style of these two.  Imagine if Tim Burton had directed the adaptation and you'll have an idea of the style.  I'm very excited to show it off . . . which I will in a couple of days when it's done!

Best Laid Plans . . . Cracked and Scrambled

The pictures are actual item listings on Etsy from some extremely talented people. Simply click on the picture to view its Etsy listing.

I've had quite a month, as expressed in my cryptic (or painfully obvious, depending on who you are) treasury in my last post. To help explain some of it, I have a stubborn 3 year old I'm trying to potty train, I was a dance coach for a cultural celebration for the rededication of the LDS Atlanta Temple, my family traveled to Atlanta for the Temple Open House, Easter, I have IBS which flared up big time (probably in the face of so much stress) and I was trying to write a screenplay in 2 weeks to make a contest deadline.

Everything surrounding the temple was a success and worth all the work. The kids danced beautifully at their program last night and the temple is beautiful.

My IBS is just something I have to live with. I have good days and bad days. I'm juggling a lot of medication which I don't like but at least I have insurance and some sort of treatment to help with this horrible condition. I can at least be grateful for that.

The screenplay thing is a little more complicated. The contest I planned to enter was the Nicholl Fellowship Competition. It's done by the Academy (the "Oscar" people) of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences every year. They award 10 amateur screenwriters a $30,000 fellowship and even better than that, comes the prestige with the title. You're guaranteed an agent (the Holy Grail of wannabe screenwriters) and your script has a much bigger chance of being sold and made into a movie. Both "Finding Forrester" and "Akeelah and the Bee" were winning Nicholl scripts, for example.

Even if you don't win a Fellowship, being a finalist has its perks as well. Your name, script name and genre and contact information are put on a list that is sent all over Hollywood to agents and producers. I was a quarterfinalist in 2009 and was approached by about 12 different agencies. I sent my script to only 7 or 8 (some of them seemed shady). I haven't heard anything back but it was still such an honor. So, I sent in the same script from 2009 in again this year. I'm hoping it'll go farther in the competition . . . you never know.

I pray about a lot of things I think most people would find strange. Heck, I'm a Mormon and most people find that strange! I believe that when I pray, I'm heard and I get answers. They are not always immediate nor are they always what I want to hear . . . but I do get answers. So, I was praying saying that I sent in my script and that the OTHER script I'm working on I'll submit next year. Well, I immediately had the thought, "Don't give up." It sort of threw me for a loop for two reasons: one, I had only half of the treatment (a basic scene-by-scene summary of the script) written; two, the deadline was two weeks away.

What hit me the most was the last time I prayed and got the answer "Don't give up." It was two months after I opened my Etsy shop. I had almost no traffic and no sales. I felt humiliated and frustrated. I prayed saying I just wanted to quit and it was a waste of time. Then I felt someone tell me, "Don't give up." Less than one year later, I have almost 40 sales. I knew that if I was supposed to get that script in that contest, I would happen!

I talked with my husband and arranged for the most childcare I could get so I could write. I decided to put my Etsy shop on vacation the week before the deadline with the message, "My shop is on vacation until May 3rd while I try and finish my screenplay in time for the Nicholl Fellowship Competition deadline. Eek! Wish me luck! : )"

The first week went pretty well. I was able to finish my treatment (it got up to almost 40 pages which is about right) and write 7 pages of my script. That weekend we went down to Atlanta for the Temple Open House as a family. It was very important for us to do that and I'm glad we went, even though I wasn't feeling the best. My doctor had just prescribed me a new medication that made me very nauseous but I was able to get through the trip anyway.

As the days went by, it was obvious my IBS was out of control. I was in constant, intense pain. I knew in my heart there was no way I could finish the script when I was this ill. I prayed about it and felt like it was the right thing to do. There's no sense in killing myself over a script when I'm ill and have a child to take care of. At first I was really disappointed. Why in the world would I need to go to the trouble of trying to write a script in 2 weeks only to have to quit because of illness? I got to thinking about it and realized a few things:

1. By cleaning out my schedule and arranging for childcare, I had the time and help to rest and get better.

2. By closing my shop I was able to relax a little and take the time to reassess my shop. I've been able to brainstorm and create goals for BiblioBags with a clear head.

3. I was never keen on sending in a first draft of a script anyway! I mean, people have won fellowships on first drafts but I was super uncomfortable with that notion. Despite my messy blog, I'm actually super meticulous with my writing and it would KILL me to think of industry professionals judging me on a first draft.

4. I only wrote 7 pages of that script but it got me hooked. I got the writing bug again. I always believed in this story but actually writing it grabbed me and now I'm so excited to keep going. Those of you who write know what a struggle it can be to get yourself to do it. You may love it and writing may even give you life (I feel that way) but sometimes, you'll do almost anything to avoid writing. But now that I got a little taste, I'm begging for more. Maybe I needed that kick in the pants to get me writing again.

Even though things didn't work out the way I thought they would, maybe they worked out better for me in the end. Heavenly Father knows me better than I know myself and I've learned a lot from this experience. So I guess I'll make an omelet out of these broken eggs . . . with lots and lots of cheese. (That's metaphorical . . . I can't eat cheese in real life. I eat it rhetorically as much as possible, though.)

What Knot to Wear

I have to be honest . . . I hate summer. Hate it. I hate heat, I hate humidity and I hate bugs. While I'm being honest I should also admit that as an extremely pale skinned person, I don't look great in shorts. Heck, I think I look ridiculous in most summery getups. This summer, I'm determined to find my own look to get me through the next few balmy months.

One summer style that never fails to return every year is the nautical look. White, navy, lots of stripes and gold accents are all traditionally nautical. No matter how long the trend has been around it always looks fresh and new.

I caught a glimpse of Tea Accessories's work on the front page of Etsy a few weeks ago. It was a knotted headband and I immediately had to check out the rest of the shop. The bulk of Tea Accessories is sailor knot inspired jewelry and accessories. I have never seen accessories made from sailor knots before and I think it's absolute genius. Here's why:

1. Inexpensive materials = inexpensive product. The prices are extremely affordable.

2. While the items in Tea Accessories' shop reference ages old sailing knots, making them into jewelry keeps the idea fresh yet classy.

3. Ingenuity. Many Etsy shop owners have one great idea or talent and they try to stretch it as far as they can (book spine bracelets, anyone?). A lot of the time, that sort of motive makes for gimmicky items and reeks of desperation. However, this shop owner has taken her idea and reinvented her idea into several incarnations each of which has their own use and style. There are necklaces, brooches, belts, bracelets and headbands. Each one of them makes sense on their own and doesn't need a collection to exist. There are even other non-sailor accessories featuring anything from leather to flowers. This, unfortunately, makes it very hard to decide what to get . . . I've been drooling over this shop for weeks and still haven't decided on what I want!

Anyone have suggestions for what to buy in Tea Accessories? I think I have it narrowed down to a bracelet or a headband.

One the way to Tea Accessories' shop, be sure to check out the Facebook page to get coupon codes!

Natalie Portman's Book Clutch Moment

Happy New Year! I hope each of you had a wonderful holiday season.

I got a special gift this year in the form of a convo. A wonderful gal sent me this link about Natalie Portman's look at the London premiere of her movie, "Black Swan." To my surprise, Natalie was carrying . . . (dramatic pause) a book clutch! A Hollywood starlet at the peak of her career carrying a book purse to a premiere the movie everyone knows will win her an Oscar?! The fashion gods have indeed smiled upon me! Not to mention, said wonderful gal requested me to make her a similar clutch. Hooray!

original images from here and stylebistro.com

While Natalie's Olympia De-Tan clutch is gorgeous (and pricey!) to be sure, I was disappointed that it's not actually made from a real book. Not to mention, I don't think the design is very user-friendly. (Yes, this is the part where I talk about how my purses are better AND cheaper. Just so you know.) The clasp is darling but it looks like it would be difficult to stick your hand in and pull something out. No one wants to have a tampon fall out of their purse on the red carpet. Not that someone as perfect as Natalie Portman would have need for a tampon, but you get the point. I use magnetic snaps on the inside of my book clutches for closure. The De-Tan is also missing a wrist strap. I add straps to all my clutches because I know how clumsy I am. But if you prefer a strapless clutch, all the straps I make are removable.

I explained all this to the gal and she agreed on my design. Yay! I wish I could share which book she picked for her own clutch because it's beautiful . . . but, you'll just have to wait until she sees the finished product and approves. This clutch will certainly be the most elegant purse I've made to date. I'm waiting for the book to get here . . . I can't wait to get started!

In the meantime, I'm going to contact Rachel Zoe (celebrity stylist) . . . one of her clients definitely needs a BiblioBags "moment" at the Oscars. ; )

Shopcology

It's been about 3 weeks since I put my Etsy shop up and I haven't sold a thing.

I'm not sure what I expected or what I'm expecting. All I know is that when I post a new item, I spend the next 6 hours constantly checking my shop to see how many views and hearts I'm getting (or not getting). It's not normal. I think subconsciously I believe if I stare at it long enough I can will someone to buy one of my purses or cards. I kept telling my hub last week, "If I can just sell one, I can buy so many more supplies!" I'm not made out of money (obviously, since I write screenplays and make purses out of books for "a living") and my resources are depleting. Yes, selling one purse would make it all okay . . . I would feel less guilty about the money I've spent on supplies. I would have more confidence in what I'm doing. Or would one sale make a difference?

I began to think about it (okay, I've been doing nothing BUT think about my shop!) and I realized that no, one purse wouldn't do it. I'm very in tune with the vibrations of the universe (that's a joke, by the way) so I can tell you now . . . if I sell one purse, it won't solve my self esteem issues. It wouldn't even begin to make up for the money I've spent so far. I would be happy for all of thirty seconds until I freaked out about if I'm doing the shipping right, or if the person won't like the purse when they get it in person, and most of all . . . when am I going to sell ANOTHER purse?

I would like to blame these insane thoughts on Etsy itself. While there are lots of things I love about the Etsy culture, there are a lot of things I don't like. I'm starting to believe you have to live on Etsy to sell thing one. I suspect some sellers have found a way to "Tron" their way into Etsy and literally live there like it's some sort of virtual time share. That's the only explanation I can offer for the people that are filling their shops with items nonstop.


I don't have the luxury of making and posting things 24/7. I have a lot of health issues (not to mention a rascally toddler I have to keep my eye on constantly) I don't have the time, money or energy to put items up every day. I went into this project with the attitude, "I'll do what I can and if people like it, they'll buy it." Obviously, I'm not the business gal. I'm not a numbers gal.

I'm a craft gal. A creative gal. I'm more interested in making beautiful, unique and practical things. It's unfortunated to see that many people on Etsy obviously spend more time on marketing than actually creating. It's even more unfortunate that a lot of those guys are the ones making sales!

And that makes me feel like crap. It's beyond frustrating for me to see people selling similar things that are not well made. Fancy photography can only do so much . . . I've looked at plenty of product pictures and seen unbelievable flaws. If that wasn't bad enough, some sellers are flat-out liars. I was shocked at some of the things one seller in particular claimed . . . I'm not going to go into it but let's just say at least half of their FAQs answers were so false that anyone could Google and figure out within 30 seconds that those seller's pants are definitely on fire. I strongly recommend researching a handmade item on Etsy before you buy it . . . sometimes the product description is more "creative" than the product itself!



As much as I would like to blame my lack of sales on other people or on other factors, this isn't about them. I can't change what they do. Really, this is about me. I can't change the fact that I'm sick. I can't change the fact I don't have the resources other people have. I'm honestly doing the best I can to make high quality purses and sell them . . . I'm not sure there is more to do to improve them. However, I can change what my definition of success is. My self esteem should not be hanging on whether I have hearts, views or sales. I love making purses and cards and I feel an extreme sense of pride when I finish them. Really, at this point, that's all I can do. And that should be enough. When I really thought about all this, I decided to change my "Bio" page on Etsy to reflect my honest feelings on this whole crazy business. Here's what I wrote:

I'm supposed to be a writer. I should be writing books, not tearing them up.

I am a screenwriter. I write screenplays but I have yet to sell one. Last year, one of my scripts made it to the quarterfinals in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (The "Oscar" people) Nicholl Fellowship Screenwriting Competition. It's a big deal. Unfortunately, I have yet to sign a big deal.

It's a frustrating choice of vocation. Writing screenplays is like designing the blueprints for a building you never see built. It's the business of making plans without the ability to follow them through. Then these book purses came along.

Almost a year ago, I saw an article in "Country Living" (I live for that mag!) on how to make book purses. I immediately ran upstairs, grabbed an old Shakespeare textbook and gleefully tore out the pages (take THAT, Dr. Baker!). A couple of hours and hot glue gun burns later, I had a fabulous (if imperfect) purse. To this day I carry that purse around and get compliments and questions literally every time I carry it.

While I'm still plugging away at screenwriting, it's so rewarding to have something else that I can see through from beginning to end. Each of these purses reflect my love of story and history, my quirkiness and my unique fashion sense. I'm also very grateful to have a platform to share my silly cards that I've been making for years and years. (Confession: Sometimes it take me longer to make one card than an entire purse! I just can't control myself . . .)

I'm in my mid-twenties and right now and I'm not where I thought I would be when I graduated college four years ago. I have a lot of health issues coupled with financial issues (who doesn't?). My circumstances don't reflect who I am as a person . . . but my craft, my scripts, my purses and my cards, do. What a blessing to have creativity in my life! So, yes. I will continue to rip apart books in the name of expression and sanity. Wanna come along?

Unfortunately, I'm a total nutjob and rational thoughts like these are few and far between. That's why I need to write them and post them for all (all three of you) so I have some feeling of responsibility to carry the new attitude through. We'll see.

I would be totally remiss to not thank all my friends and family for the support they've given me in this loopy endeavor. Also, thank you to all those in Etsyland who have hearted me . . . it means so much to have such great talents take notice of lil' ol' BiblioBags. It's been a hard ride so far, but I would do it all over again!

The pictures throughout the post are the "making-of" my Edward Cullen (or Robert Pattinson for the purists who don't accept him as the "real" Edward) linoblock. It was my first linocut portrait, so cut me some slack! ;)