Monday, October 29, 2007

Are You Prepared to Run a Home Business?

Today was not a day directly related to business. Ok, Mel and I both worked all day but he was working mainly on getting the siding up around the rabbits and the fireplace wood. I on the other hand spent most of the day taping and mudding drywall in the basement of Mel's house - the laundry room to be exact.

Thinking about it now neither jobs were for Nature Inspired Handcrafts but at the same time both were connected to business. Getting the wood out of the weather will make the rapidly approaching Michigan winter a bit better to bare as there is nothing like a nice fire to warm the old bones. The laundry room will not only be nicer to do laundry in but will also have a work table for 'crafts' when we don't feel like going out to the studio.

One of the great things about running a business from home is being able to multi-task such as today - both Mel and I's work for today will benifit both business and personal lives and at the same time our 2 grandchildren were here most of the day.

A draw-back to a home business is you don't get away from work as easily as the buzzer going off at 5. Often work goes late into the night and 7 days a week. It's important even in a home business to set aside time to relax, have fun, and not work 24/7 - burn out can happen if you don't.

Another draw-back is it's easy to put things off and you need to be very very dedicated to what you are doing. For a home business to be successful you have to be self-motivated, able to work alone, and be prepared to put in some extra time when needed.

Many home businesses fail the first year or even before they get started because people think that because they are 'the boss' they can do what they want when they want. This is far from the truth - you may be the boss but if you don't have a plan and stick to that plan your doors may be closing before you know it.

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Juried Arts and Crafts Show

This will be yet another first for me - a juried arts & crafts show. Mel has experience with these from years back when he was showing his handmade unique jewelry but I'm new to this.

If your not familure with this term, which I wasn't until a few months ago, a juried show means that a selected 'jury' will be judging the arts and crafts. Some of these shows offer very high priced awards for the winners while others merely do this to keep out the flee market junk and can monitor the quality of the arts and crafts shown.

I have no great expectations of taking first place but it will be a great experience for future shows and hey, who knows, we just may be more original and creative than I think we are at this point.

So, if your looking for something to do On November 10th, 2007 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. why not pop into Marshall High School in Marshall, Michigan and pay us a visit at our Nature Inspired Handcrafts booth. You just may find some great gifts for friends and family while at the same time you can help support the Santa's Bag Arts and Crafts Show which is a fund raiser for the Fountain Clinic.

You can learn more about the Brooks Memorial Fountain in Marshall Michigan at the Marshall Chamber of Commerce web site but I can tell you this much - it's beautiful. I remember as a young girl visiting Marshall with my Grandparents and the thrill of driving around the beautiful fountain. I'm happy to know that the chamber of commerce is working at keeping this a terrific Michigan landmark.

If you need directions to the arts and crafts show in Marshall, Michigan feel free to leave a comment on this discussion and we'll do our best to help you out.

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Latest Addition to Our Arts & Crafts - Dream Catchers

Neither Mel nor I had ever made a dream catcher until this last month or so but he's had an interest and I have some Native American blood in me so dreamcatchers were a natural fit into our line of crafts at Nature Inspired Handcrafts.

Thanks to the internet and all the free information available we've now added 12 unique dream catchers although oh gee - one has sold already. That tells me right off that they are going to be profitable. Also our Grandson, Andrew, received one for his 5th birthday earlier this month after he mentioned to Grandma and Papa several times that he 'really needs a dreamcatcher' because he has bad dreams.

We've added some dream catcher history on our web site but today I'd like to talk a bit about the dreamcatcher 'construction'. How to make a dream catcher turned out to be much easier than I thought and really lets the creative nature come out.
  • The dream catchers we have in stock right now started with metal rings purchased at the local crafts store. We then wrapped each ring with leather (we have 3 sizes in 2 different shades of leather).
  • After the rings were wrapped it was then forming the 'web' of the catcher. Afraid we didn't use natural here - the original dream catchers were made with sinew which is tendons (the Indians saved this from the deer they killed for food and clothing).
  • The web is woven to simulate a spider web where the 'bad dreams' are caught and not allowed to ender the sleeper below it's rest.
  • We've added to each dreamcatcher a small glass bead which are made by us also by using the lampworking process.
  • Lastly the dream catchers are decorated with more glass beads and feathers (we collect those mainly from the chickens out behind the studio).

This picture is a sample of one of the dream catchers we have available for sale right now and one of my favorites as I love lavendar which is the color of the beads.



This coming week we plan on added even more unique dream catchers to the line making these even closer to the original by using grapevines rather than the metal and leather. Mel has already cut the vines, I have a great collection of beads finished and feathers waiting.



Feel free to visit our online store Nature Inspired Handcrafts Store to see more pictures of our dream catchers and other handcrafted items.

Friday, October 12, 2007

Building Construction and Remodeling!

At the time we decided to start Nature Inspired Handcrafts Mel had a nice sized building behind his house that served for storage, workshop, and as of this past spring home for his newly acquired chickens.


Over the last few months he's been working nearly daily at fixing the garage/shop/chicken coop/studio so that it will serve all purposes effectively.


Nature Inspired Handcrafts - Unique Jewelry, candleholders, shirts, afghans

This first picture is pretty much what the building looked like when Nature Inspired Handcrafts was started although 'the guys' were starting work already. My son Shane, Mel and I's grandson Andrew, and Mel all spent several hours on the roof shingling half the roof that hadn't been finished as well as the chicken portion that was added to the back. That's Shane and Andrew you can see in this picture.


Nature Inspired Handcrafts - Unique Jewelry, candleholders, shirts, afghans

In this picture you can not only get an idea of the size of the building but see how 'rough' it was when we started. Mel had already started siding and trimming the side that faces the front of the property but the two sliding doors (both open in this photo) were heavy and certainly not weather proof for a Michigan winter.


Nature Inspired Handcrafts - Unique Jewelry, candleholders, shirts, afghans

Great progress had been made by the time this photo was taken. The entry to the 'attic' has been sealed up and one of the sliding doors closed off. Mel and I installed the new entry door - ok I have to admit Mel did most of it, my big contribution was holding the door a couple times while he put nails in to hold it in place - level and all. The tan siding and black trim are a great improvement over the weather worn plywood.


Nature Inspired Handcrafts - Unique Jewelry, candleholders, shirts, afghans

That's Mel busy at work on the other side of the building now. He removed the second sliding plywood door and is framing in the area before installing the new 8 foot garage door. When I have more time some helpful tips will be coming on how to do this - it's not nearly as easy as the instructions from the manufacturer make it out to be.


Nature Inspired Handcrafts - Unique Jewelry, candleholders, shirts, afghans

The garage door is in place and Mel is now adding the siding and trim to the second side of the building. The black trim will continue across the front. What a big difference this has made from what was there.


Tomorrow will be a brief discussion on the floor plan of the building.


Thursday, October 11, 2007

Introductions - Mel Draper, Owner/Artist

Mel Draper is the other owner, and a very key partner, in Nature Inspired Handcrafts.

Many many years ago when going to college in Arizonia Mel and his wife at the time made their living by creating, making and selling unique jewelry and accessories. They used the lost wax process which involves different precious metals, a lot of equipment, and as much time.

For some time Mel had been thinking of getting back into the business but has been busy working full-time as a Registered Nurse. This summer he came up with the idea of starting a home business mainly because of our daughter. Yes, Mel and I were married and parented our daughter but have been divorced for 16 years. Who would have thought then that some day we would be in business together.

Back to our daughter though - Valerie and her fiance neither one seemed to be able to find jobs so Mel thought this would be a way to get them motivated and earning. They and my younger son thought it a great idea but none have at this point managed to buckle down and put the work needed into starting a new business.

Mel's business knowledge, hard work, and financial backing are at this point keeping the business growing but eventually he hopes to be more active in the creative part of the business and not so busy building and remodling to make a comfortable place, for us all to work, our studio.

Tomorrow I'll share more about our studio and some of the projects we've created and are working on.

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Introductions - Faith Draper, Owner/Artist

First let me introduce myself. I'm Faith Draper and am not only a freelance writer but am also part owner of the business 'Nature Inspired Handcrafts'.

I come to the business with:

  • 40 years of experience dabbling in various arts and crafts
  • 9 years of experience in Internet marketing, web design, and writing web content
  • 2 years of writing for a variety of blogs
  • and I can't tell you how many years of having a desire to be my own boss

I am also the mother of 4 and grandmother of 5 beautiful grandchildren.

As I am the writer in the business I will be the partner you hear from most here on the blog, on our web site and on our online store. You will also be seeing a lot of my arts and crafts including crocheted afghans, glass bead jewelry, different hand painted items, and more to come in the future.

Tomorrow I will be introducing the other partner in the business, Mel.