Don't you just run out of ideas?
How do you keep coming out with fresh, new project pieces?!
We get these questions a lot! It is pretty flattering knowing that people enjoy our pieces and the creativity that we keep coming up with. When we first came out with the shovel chairs I had the idea that they were going to be a huge flop, we'd only make a few because they would never sell and just become a conversation piece that will bring people in. WRONG! We've come to the point we are making so many and bringing so many because we've been selling out of them in past shows or before the shows and even in winter. So from there, when we find out we have a hot ticket item like that we sit down and ask each other, "What can we do next to top this? What will be the next out of the box idea to do?"
If you look at a lot of our items they are altered over time to either make them better or more interesting.
Some instances:
+ Shovel chairs. They started out pretty basic. Now we've moved to adding the pitchfork to the backs. With/out a bracket on the top. We've learned that the basic chair still sells really well and that we absolutely have to have a bar across the top the pitchforks because it turns into a "backscratcher" or "is a weapon." (Don't even get me started--haha)
+ Home signs. We started with the basic painted home signs. They went over like hot cakes, but we have pretty much saturated the market in the area or we've been victim to them being taught at local craft classes. What good does that do for me making a living at my business? None what-so-ever. So I had to revamp it. What would make it harder for someone to copy or to teach? What would be more unique that someone would rather purchase it for less than what it would cost for them to purchase all the pieces and go through the work of making it? We've added galvanized metal cut into state shapes and also cut the state out. What did we find out? They are doing just as good, if not better, than the originals.
Well, new ideas literally come to me in the middle of the night. One reason I had to quit my day job; I would NEVER sleep a whole night. I was constantly thinking of that next big thing and not sleeping making me a cloud during the day. My ideas are no longer written on my hands or a piece of paper in the middle of the day.
I usually avoid Pinterest like the plague unless it is seeing if it is already massed produced and making sure there isn't just a "how to" video out there.
I look for inspiration in every day, normal things. I will sit here and research beyond the point of no return and find myself looking at something irrelevant. (Now you can see how I can talk about one thing and go to the next, unrelated, run on sentence, kind of thing.)
Another thing I do is market my area. Is this something people in my area are going to get? Can they relate to it in some way? Will I hear some kind of back lash? Will this be something people want to buy?
One of my top things is I try to make sure that crafters in my area aren't doing the same thing or close to it. Also that it isn't just the usual Pinterest find. There are successful crafters I am friends with that their project ideas are straight outta the book taken from them. These things are precious to people like us. Nothing is bad business ethics than that. A lot of crafters are trying to make this a living and when it is swept from under you it either makes you 1)Rethink what you are doing 2)If it is worth sharing with the world 3)Keep doing what you are doing 4)Lash out 5)Work harder than you have before. I think I can say that I am a mix of #4 and #5. I always have to have my husband there making me back down. He knows I am a strong woman that works hard for where I have gotten, so it is difficult for me and my personality to "just let it go." Working harder than ever before is something I am constantly doing. I have applied for two different things lately just to get my name out there, my community out there, and to push both to its fullest potential. Hopefully I will be able to post about those one day.
What about those things we do see on Pinterest?
Don't get me wrong, we do do the usual stuff for requests, fillers, or just because we tried it and liked how it turned out. We try our best to up those items and go beyond those; making them not our "featured" product. You can usually find those pieces for $15 or less. We pride ourselves on everything we make and are so happy to do what we do for the people who love what we do. We wouldn't be as far or hear our names tossed around in such a positive light if it wasn't for everyone who believes in the quality work we do. Whenever something goes out our door we always hope it lasts and if something does wrong, that someone lets us know and we can fix it for them and the product before it goes to the next.
So, what IS next?
We never know! Like I said everything just randomly comes to me and we collaborate to see where it can do and the potential it has. We will sometimes toss it around community members and if it gets the approval, we do it. It is essentially for this community we love and live in, so it has to pass!
Where is next?
Our next show is Saturday, June 25th at the Pipestone Courthouse lawn for Watertower Festival. We will bringing old and new pieces so come out and get things you've been eyeing for awhile and see some new stuff.
