Day 1 Assignments What Happened?

[PillowThrowDecor]

In this thread is where you are going to post your responses, ask questions, make comments and generally hangout.

Cheers

Christine
PillowThrowDecor

[PillowThrowDecor]

IT’S ALL ABOUT ME  Christine at https://icraftgifts.com/pillowthrowdecor

I’m retired from a 26 year career in real estate which includes sales, ownership, university instructor, trainer, Board President and a whole bunch of other cerebral boring stuff.

Since I am still very, very young  :lol:  I get to turn my lifelong passion of sewing into a business. I have a drapery and upholstery workroom where I create fantabulous stuff and play with my pillows.  (Have I mentioned my talking pillows and flying fairies…? Hmmm? )

After spending most of my life in suits and heels, I now make my fashion statement in PJ’s and sweat socks. I’m a night owl and also an early riser so you’ll see me online anytime day or night.

After 32 years apart, I recently married my high school sweetheart. Some days I’m an idiot, a genius, a maniac, a mother of 2, grandmother of 6 wee ones, wife to Laurence, sister to 4, daughter to my Mom, and more… but everyday I’m  always a friend for you and an amazing pillow creator for everyone who comes by to visit my store at PillowThrowDecor.

Cheers

Christine
PillowThrowDecor

[Thyme2dream]

Hi,
Im not sure how much time I will have to participate this month since I am working hard on catching up with things, BUT it looks like a very helpful "camp" so I will try.

I create jewelry and fanciful things with a fairy/elven theme...I live in Kansas USA which is a rather ordinary sort of place, so I spend alot of my time dreaming myself to somewhere far away;-).

In a gradual and slightly sneaky way over the past two years I recruited my talented hubby into the circlet making part of my business (he is the official Thyme2dream Circlet Wizard). This year we went full time with the business and took our show on the road to Renaissance Festivals around the Midwest, all the while maintaining and expanding our online shops. It has been fun and challenging keeping all aspects of the business growing, but even when Im working LONG hours I love my work so all is well.

I am on lots of sites all over the internet, and have just a small selection here on ICraft, but hope to work towards expanding that with the ideas from this boot camp.

Cheers,
Karla (& Ian across the studio adjuring me to get back to work on orders;-)

[PillowThrowDecor]

That's hilarious about snagging your husband into your business.

Wow... you must be running a real operation!!! Well I am all ears on how you do it.  You will have lots to share with us about going big time!!!

And, don't worry about not having time to do everything on each of the assignments because you are heaped with orders... wow what an excuse... too many orders LOL.  Just teasing... but try everyday to pop in and say hi and a few bits as it helps all of us to plug in and there will be INCENTIVES for checking in everyday!!!

Thanks so much and say hi to your husband.... I will let my hubby know that he may be pressed into service too just like yours

Cheers

Christine
Pillowthrowdecor

[CiteFuzz]

Hi,

I am not sure if this is where I post since I am the first.

My name is Lori and I am the creator of Citefuzz. I started Citefuzz in 2004 after all of my friends wanted my hats so I started selling them, first locally and then online. I have 4 children (just had my last baby in September so it is busy here) but my hats are a way for me to still feel creative and have some ME time.
I have been quite successful on other selling sites and found icraft. Being a proud canadian I was was overjoyed to find a canadian based site for my creations.
I make mainly baby and childrens hat out of natural fibers like cotton and wool yarn.
https://icraftgifts.com/citefuzz
I am really looking forward to reading about everyone and learning some new tricks of the trade!
Happy selling
Lori
a.k.a Citefuzz

[Hats Galore and More]

Hi, I am Sharon. I am an Early Childhood Educator. I live in Ontario, Canada. I have successfully participated in craft sales, fairs and festivals for many , many years.   I just became a member of our community Makers Market.  My first knitting project was at school and I still haven't finished the second slipper.  :lol:
I presently make hats that have been approved by the children at the center.

[designsbydebra]

Hi Everyone,
I'm Deb from designsbydebra and I create jewelry and cards. I started creating jewelry about 10 years ago after attending an artist's open studio. I create using 14K gold and sterling silver with semi precious gemstones and glass.
I have had a shop on iCraftGifts.com since March 2008 and love it. I also have shops on Etsy and DaWanda.
I live in Langley BC,I work at a women's center in South Surrey, have one daughter and a super son in law and two of the cutest grandsons Myka 5 and Cody 4.
I'm looking forward to the assignments in bootcamp even if I'm completing them late at night. And I'm looking forward to meeting some of my iCraft neighbors.
Deb
https://icraftgifts.com/designsbydebra

[GalleriaLinda]

Hi Everyone!

I am Linda of icraftgifts.com/GalleriaLinda and live in Lakeland, FL USA. I know this is a Canadian venue but I love the clean look and that it is focused on handmade and not supplies and vintage. iCraft is getting more and more sellers out of Canada so we must think of it as international! I now have so many great Canadian friends - both sellers and customers, although we are thousands of miles apart - it is fun.

Quick bio for me: I have been close to art things all my life. My mother loved to craft and tried so many things during my childhood. She was a master at crewel needlework and always said that fabric was her canvass and thread was her paint.

After going to art school and an Interior Design degree, I had a 12 year career in hospital design on the west coast USA. My career has evolved through opportunities and new business technologies along the way. Now, for many years, I am a marketing communications consultant to small businesses locally.

You can find me at my computer working hard for a variety clients, wearing the proverbial home office bunny slippers! True! My husband bought the bunny slippers for my home business' "casual Fridays" LOL!

My jewelry design happens on weekends and a few week nights and keeps me sane, I have designed jewelry for myself since college and have been online for several years. I have a different design perspective for beaded jewelry - based upon my art and architectural lessons in college - and may be somewhat minimalist at times. And, this year started working with sterling wire and now make my own sterling ear wires and clasps.

I am a veteran iCraft Bootcamper and this will be my 3rd. I come away with new things each time and the most important thing it does for me is to keep me accountable.

Also, I am the iCraft Marketing Advisor and Mentor for all of you - be sure to visit the marketing and the business sections of the forums https://icraftgifts.com/forum/ - great stuff!

[PillowThrowDecor]

While I am one that comes up with great ideas it is Linda that
Keeps me organized and pointed in the right direction.

She's a great help at executing ideas and tasks and especially
Getting ready the past few weeks has really saved my butt while I
Fighting the flu.  Applause for Linda please.

Debra is an awesome bootcamper who so diligently supports many of us
On twitter very late into the evenings. We often bump into each other
On Twitter at night. Deb lives about twenty miles from me yet we haven't
Met in person yet.... Very soon deb and I are going to meet at starbucks or
 something.

Both of these ladies make incredible jewelry. You MUST go and check their
 stores out.

This is typed on my Blackberry as I am sitting on top of very high
Painting ladder... Painting of coarse so forgive me for mispells.

I am just so excited about seeing all of you online here I ve gotta keep checking

Back to work.

Cheers
Christine
Pillowthrowdecor

[Big Tub Botanicals]

Okay, I am very new to all this, but I’ve made it this far (figured out where to write this) so here it goes.  I’m Erin of Big Tub Botanicals, https://icraftgifts.com/big-tub-botanicals

I am the creator of a unique line of herbal skin care products that are handmade (from scratch), fresh & all natural. These healing products delight the senses with an array of colours, scents & textures created with real fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, flowers, herbs & essences.

I turned my hobby into a full time business in February and spent the summer traveling around doing shows in southern Ontario.  It wasn’t until September when the show circuit started to slow down that I began thinking about on-line craft sites and on-line marketing.

At that same time Wendy at https://icraftgifts.com/winged-heart-studio started a downtown Sunday crafter’s market here in our neck of the woods (how awesome!?!), and told me about icraft and bootcamp.  

I’m so excited as I have so much to learn about on-line sales & marketing.  Thus far, my on-line store on my website serves mainly customers who already know about me from shows.  I now have an icraft shop as well as a couple of others that are developing a little too SLOWLY for my liking.  Hopefully this will help :0)

[GalleriaLinda]

Erin - you are half way there by just finding this forum thread! lol! Welcome.

Your shop URL is https://icraftgifts.com/big-tub-botanicals with underscores.

We will be excited to see your products. I suggest you list about five to get the most out of bootcamp. You will love this!

[Winged Heart Studio]

I'm Wendy, the Crafty Canadian, and you can find my shop at https://icraftgifts.com/winged-heart-studio!

I'm a Craft Trends Columnist for Hand Made News.org; I write for iCraft and I'm a Design Partner with The Beadin' Path, HHH Enterprises and Bead FX.

In September, I started the Peterborough Downtown Craft Market, a year round, handmade, Sunday market located at Peterborough Square, which is right downtown, in Peterborough, Ontario. (Where I met Erin of Big Tub Botanicals, a fellow Boot Camper and experienced her wonderful, natural products for the first time).

Very into social marketing with Twitter, FaceBook, Ning and Blogger and happy to help with these particular topics. Also have a lot to say about free and easy ways to market your on/offline shop.

This is my first Boot Camp and I am looking forward to seeing RESULTS! Plus, I am really honoured to be associated with the amazing Christine and Linda! We are all very lucky to have Christine leading this and Linda sharing her expertise, here and through her site, IndieCeo.com.

Here to learn and to help!

At Your Service!

[storybeader]

My name is Deb and I'm the storybeader.  My shop is here: https://icraftgifts.com/storybeader

I'm a museum curator in southwestern Oklahoma and love my job, all 22 years of it.  In the past 10 years, I started writing the text for our new in-house exhibits.  I love to write, and edit - I also am the newsletter editor at work.    

My exhibit page contains handmade journals and sketchbooks.  This is my new love.  I began two years ago designing jewelry and giving it as presents.  Then I started selling in the Museum's gift shop and on various online venues.  And I started my blog.  Each necklace, and now my books, come with a little haiku that I write.  I thought I was going to have trouble, transitioning from jewelry to books.  As of now, this is the one shop that has only books in it - I guess I need to change my avatar....

Very excited to me here and meet everyone.  And I see a few familiar "faces"  {:-Deb  

[storybeader]

Thought we were starting tomorrow   :roll:
because of the Sunday.  So I have the start day wrong on the blog.  
Here's the link:
http://www.storybeader.com/2009/11/bootcamp-at-icraftca.html

[mountaindreamers]

Hi everyone! Third time around. I am hoping to do everything this time. My name is Laura and I am a nurse by day and a beader by night. My kids are grown ( 4 , Jason, John, Kathleen, and Nathaniel ) and now I split my spare time between making jewelry and hiking where I pursue my love of photography .  I love nature and work to reflect that in my work . I particularly enjoy genuine North American Turquoise and semiprecious stones on sterling or 14 K gold filled wire. I enjoy making asymmetric necklaces and pieces with an organic twist.  My twitter link is :

http://www.twitter.com/mtndreamers

My Blog is where I preview a lot of things as well as share pictures of my Nature adventures. I recently took my mother to the Rockies via Amtrak. I have posted some of my photos on my blog from Glacier Park and the area.

http://www.mountaindreamers.blogspot.com

Good luck to all, I love Canadians, one of my best friends is from Canada!
If you have any questions feel free to email or leave a comment at the blog. Have a wonderful week filled with happiness and blessings. Laura