Mermaid Furniture Still Selling

I’m still deep into painting Mermaid Furniture. Here’ a look at my latest pieces. The tables sold in a couple of days. The mermaids are made using resin and art Clay in IOD Sea Sisters moulds.

Mermaid Designed Furniture

I've been having great success with mermaid furniture. I got the idea totally form Debi's DIY Diary where she used IOD mermaid moulds to create an end table in sea colors. I loved it and decided to create my own. 

First I made several mermaids using the mermaid mould and resin. I bought the mould from a IOD stocklist seller in Charlotte. I have applied to become a retailer myself and I am awaiting confirmation. I bought the resin at a local craft store. 

Then I adhered the mould with wood glue taping it in place with painters tape and leaving it 24 hours to dry. This is a project that takes time. The moulds take 24 hours to cure and I only have one. 

After the resin moulds have cured and have dried on the drawers, I then painted the whole piece either DIY paint color mint chip or Old 57 lighten with White Swan. I've painted 5 now so colors have varied a bit. But you start with a light color and move to a darker as you go down.

I let that coat dry for a day. The I painted the top drawer another layer of mint green.  The next drawer a coat of Old 57.  The next drawer I painted Mermaid Tail and the bottom drawer I painted Bohemian Blue. As I painted each drawer I used a mister bottle to spray on the drawers to blend the paint, and I painted the darker color on the bottom of the drawer above it. 

I repeated these steps to paint the sides and top. 

I let these layers dry for a day. Then I used clear wax to seal the whole piece. Next I used dark wax the accent the mermaids. Lastly I mixed some clear wax with Mermaid Tail and added it on the mermaids and in other places on the piece to accent the designs. 

These have been selling as fast I can make them. 

I really love making these. 

Buy what you love and sell what you love.

Is it Spring yet?....

Yes I know...it's been almost a year since I have added to this blog. But what a year!

My friend, Sherry Bourbeau and I have created a new business called Kackie Jacks Makery. We are teaching people how to create crafts. Mostly we have been teaching sign classes. We teach one class a month at the Lincoln Cultural Center Studio. We have taught hot mess signs, Chalk Couture signs, Stenciled Christmas Trees, stenciled trays, stamped coasters and signs. SO MUCH FUN to do.

I am, as always this time of year, immensely ready for spring. I’m so tired of rain. So I have filled my booth with Spring decor. I’ve added chalk painted and stamped books, upcycled candle sticks, floral arrangement on pale spring colors, and much more. Enjoy. You can find these at Just Around the Corner in downtown Lincolnton, NC.

Spring

I'm so ready for Spring 2018. The long cold winter needs to end. As I am sitting here on the cold and rainy day I am thinking of nothing but spring. So what is in and new for Spring 2018?

New in antiques and collectibles for Spring of 2018 are the colors of purple and green.

I'm seeing green in furniture, pillows and accents.

 I am also seeing more purples.  I think the purples are coming from the BoHo influence which is really getting hot. BoHo says comfortable and color.

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From The Vintage Belle Kins at Just Around the Corner

Lots of green plants, live and artificial,and  lots of flowers including dried and paper ones are trending now. Flowers embroidered in decorated items and clothing is also another hot area. Wicker and baskets go right with the BoHo look too. 

There are lots of other themes that are popular for spring and summer. These themes can be seen in hats,  pillows, shirts, signs and other decor. Cute little retro campers are popping up everywhere. Cactus and succulent plants on wearable crafts as well as home decor. 

from JumpinJacks Gifts

This includes real and artificial plants. Along with cactus and succulents you see boxwood wreaths and cotton.  Look for maps as decor too. Galvanized baskets, containers and other decor are still strong too.  Wood tones are also lighter with a natural look. Furniture pieces that have been sanded down to their natural surface and lightly whitewashed. In kitchenware I am seeing an increase in white ironstone pieces. Jadeite is hotter than ever. That includes vintage and new. 

So what does this mean for the crafter, antique dealer, seamstress and each individual? In your homes use these trends to update your decor. In your businesses add these pieces to keep your inventory interesting and current. If you paint furniture be sure to add something BoHo like the ever popular mandalas. 

 Remember, buy what you love. 

The Demise of Retail Shopping

Have you heard? Retail is dying. People still shop but not in retail stores like we once did. I’ve been reading and hearing lately that the way we shop is changing. Malls around the country are standing empty just like downtowns did when the malls were built. Even the big box stores are closing being forced out like they once forced out many mom and pop businesses. Here’s a report about it. 

If you haven’t ordered something from Amazon you are in the majority. Many people have Amazon Prime. We pay monthly for the privilege of getting free shipping as well as digital movies, books and music literally at our fingertips. Online shopping is replacing store fronts. 

There are many advantages and some disadvantages to online shopping. Many times you have a huge selection and you can comparison price. You can search for exactly the item you want from the comfort of your home. Recently I was shopping for drawer pulls for a dresser I was painting. I went to several stores including a big craft store that I prefer not shopping because of their support of organizations that I do not support.  But when I’m desperate I go there. They had the pulls I liked but they were $5 each. Often this retail craft store will have the pulls at half price. But not that day. $40 was too much for me to use on a dresser to resale. While waiting my hubby to foo oath shopping in a sports store I searched online using my phone and found 10 beautiful pulls  for $15 from Amazon and they arrived 2 days later. That’s what is killing retail. Online you have multiple selections, fast delivery, easy payment and you can buy from home, your car, vacation or anywhere you have cell service any time. 

Of course there are disadvantages with online shopping. If you like to actually touch and feel the article you are buying you are  not going to do that online. This is especially true if you are buying clothing. And if have trouble finding the right fit in clothing, online clothing shopping will be difficult for you. I recently decided to try Switch Fix and luckily everything fit perfectly. Switch Fix is an group that will choose an outfit for you based on a survey of your likes, activities and preferences. Again ending the need to go from retail store to retail store putting an outfit together. Here is my first Switch Fix and thanks to losing 100 lbs over the last year and a half everything fit. 

Another disadvantage is the delay in arriving. With Amazon Prime most packages arrive in 2 days. Anything shipped USPS Priority Mail will usually arrive in days. Shipping costs is also an added disadvantage when you not using a service like Amazon Prime. 

Damage in shipping is another disadvantage. I’ve had good luck with shopping for the most part. A set of foam tiles in a plastic box was delivered from Amazon but the box was cracked. After contacting Amazon I was given three choices of which I chose a 30% refund which I thought was very fair. I was delighted to receive an email that since I was such a “good” customer  they were refunding all the expense and my grand daughter’s teacher ended up with a free box of foam tiles. Let's not discuss how "good" a customer I am. 

For elderly folks or those that do use computers the demise of retail shopping makes it harder and harder for them to find the things they need and want. I order things for my 91 year old mom all the time. Most recently a carpet sweeper. But many people in this situation don’t have someone to order things for them. 

What does this mean for small business owners like me? It means I should be prepared for change. Boutiques and specialized stores are still surviving. Many in those small downtowns that were displaced years ago by big malls. With the addition of great restaurants, craft beer businesses and other unique stores places like the antique store where I have two booths are surviving.  There is a trend to buy handmade and artisan products. And thanks to Joanna Gaines, from HGTV’s Fixer Upper, antiques and vintage items are all the rage now. 

But a business like my antique and collectible business cannot rely solely on a storefront for all their income. We have to have addition revenue sources. I sell on eBay, I have an Etsy shop (GoodsonVintage) , I sell on Facebook Marketplace and occasionally to friends and family as well as the store where my booths are located. Many vendors like us sell at Vintage Market Days which are much like the craft shows of years past. Some even have their own "Barn Sells". 

So we live in a rapidly changing world. Being prepared for changes will enable to deal with these changes in a smooth and seamless way.

Remember to buy what you love.