Becoming A Spoon Flower Designer!

BECOMING A SPOON FLOWER DESIGNER!

By Arianne Plehandzic

Anyone else love calling themselves a designer?!!

Well...I do!! It is so fun to be a designer for Spoon Flower! I know some of you are asking 'What is Spoon Flower?!'... a few months ago I was asking the same question. Let me give you the run down...

(I am not an affiliate for Spoon Flower, but a designer. I do not earn commission for this post. I am simply sharing my excitement and knowledge with you! See my disclosure page for more details.)

GROWING AS ARTIST!

I am so happy to be doing what I love for a living. Painting is my passion, my dream! As much as I love having my Etsy shop and sharing pictures of my paintings... I wanted to grow as an artist. See what else is out there. The best way to grow and get better at your craft is to challenge yourself. Right?! I started to look around to see what other artists were doing and what other challenges I could give myself. 

I noticed other artists talking about their entry for a Spoon Flower challenge. I was curious. Then I started to see artist sharing these beautiful products they were making out of their artwork. Turning their watercolor paintings into beautiful blankets, cute pillows, lovely wrapping paper. I thought 'I WANT TO DO THAT!!'. You can get tired of making just paper goods sometimes. So I decided to research this company 'Spoon Flower'.

LOOK WHAT I MADE!

When I went on www.spoonflower.com , I was blown away by all the neat things you could do. As an artist, you can upload your paintings to start a design. Then you can create a product like fabric, wallpaper or gift wrap. Which opens up a whole new window of opportunity! I can order my own fabric and make my own products to add to my Etsy shop. I can make cute pillows with my fabric or a cozy fleece blanket...all featuring my own watercolors. 

ANOTHER MARKET FOR MY ART!

The other very cool thing is I can simply upload my watercolors and let other people buy my designs to use!! That means I make a commission from Spoon Flower whenever someone buys my design. What a super fun and easy way to make some extra income! Plus you have the joy of being featured by other markets and enjoying collaborations! For instance, if a famous seamstress buys your design... you then have instant free promotion for you and your designs. Or if you collab with someone that has a good following, you also get free promoting. On top of that, you are building wonderful relationships with fellow designers and building your reputation! The only catch is you do have to order a small test piece before you can sell your design. This is to ensure that its a good design and that you are a legit designer.

DESIGN CHALLENGES

One thing that I really enjoy about Spoon Flower is their Design Challenges! They always have challenges going on. Which I find so fun! I love stretching my wings and creating a challenging piece of art. This month they have a GINGERBREAD HOUSE challenge that I am very interested in!

(DID YOU KNOW? Did you know that Spoon Flower offers 'Emerging Designer Grants'? If you are currently enrolled in design school, you might be eligible. They help you to create custom fabric and wall media for fashion shows or exhibits. They also support the designer in as many ways possible...check it out! www.spoonflower.com/design_grant)

MORE TO COME!

I just got my first test piece and it is beautiful! I am super excited!! Did you know that you receive a designer discount? Really happy about that! I have already ordered my second design. I am turning my second design into a fleece blanket...perfect product for winter. I can't wait to share it with you!

It is also a wonderful place to connect with other designers/artists and spread your wings!!!

CHECK OUT MY SPOON FLOWER SHOP: www.spoonflower.com/profiles/lilacfarmsstudio

Giving Your Small Business The Value It Deserves!

GIVING YOUR SMALL BUSINESS THE VALUE IT DESERVES!

By Arianne Plehandzic

Let me tell you about the excitement of growing as an artist!

When you first start out...you feel unsure and nervous about where you fit in as an artist. I have tried doing other things like nursing, hair dressing, computer graphics designer, jewelry making in my life. It was not until I picked up that paint brush that it just FELT RIGHT!! It came easily to me... it relaxed me... it made me very happy! It started as a relaxing hobby and has become a passion. It was tough for me personally to put my work out there. I don't have the greatest self esteem. Once I had the courage to put my work out there, I was so delighted by the response. Everyone loved my art and they said 'You have talent!"...!! So you mean everyone likes something that I love doing?! How wonderful!!!

My very first watercolor painting!

The next natural step for me was to sell my art. My husband works hard as a pipe fitter/construction plumber. He never complains and is always willing to work overtime. We both enjoy the idea of having me home to take care the kids and our home. Call us 'old fashioned'...we don't mind. The idea of making extra income sounded good to me anyway. However, my problem was that I didn't put any real value to my hard work and it showed. Listing products much lower than what they were worth. Selling products at the price that it cost me to make them. I was just thinking about making a quick buck and trying too hard to be 'nice' to my customers. 

My 'Wild Flowers' painting!

It has taken me almost a year to learn and accept the true value of my work. Seeing that hard work should be paid just like any other job. Understanding that what I was doing was unique and one-of-a-kind. Only I can paint the way I paint...and no one else! Which is true of any craft or job. Be happy about what you have to offer. When others see this joy, they appreciate your work even more. Your confidence helps a customer feel a sense of trust with you as a business person. 

A day spent painting a bird is a day well spent!

Another problem I was having before was trying to please the customer by not taking in account all the extra things I was doing for them. I was trying so hard to please, that I was taking money out of my own pocket to pay for that extra shipping cost, or giving away free products that were worth the same price as the product they paid for. Sometimes being 'too nice' is a good way to go out of business. Remember that the product they paid for is good enough for that price. Adding a couple dollars for shipping so that you aren't losing your profit IS OKAY! 

My art studio giving off a rainbow effect! :)

You have to remind yourself that what you do is handmade with love! Yes in this industry we use that term a lot, but IT IS SO TRUE!! We are not a factory popping products out by the minute. We are passionate people who work very hard on a single product. And the silly thing is many of our customers already know this. That concept took me so long understand. I have an Etsy shop and almost everyone shopping on Etsy are looking for handmade items. Keep this in mind when you are pricing and putting together your product. Don't try to compete with Wal-mart or Target. That will just cause you frustration and profit loss. An art print in Target can be bought at $12. An art print in my shop starts at $15 and up. The difference is my art prints are unique and one-of-a-kind. Plus I have put in hours and hours of sketching, painting, scanning, editing, printing and packaging. All those things need to come into account when I list my print.

My shop display at a local farm.

Every small business has to go through a learning process and it involves a lot of hard work. The true joy comes from finding the value and pleasure in your small shop. Knowing that what you have to offer is special and you enjoy sharing it with the rest of the world. So please take a tip from me...don't take your value away to make your customer happy. You will have a more success and be a more profitable business giving yourself the credit you deserve!

Here's to you and your success!
xoxo, Arianne