i get it now. i get the project thing and i get what i need to do. i need to NOT do this particular kickstarter project because it really isn't a 'project'. and i needed to feel excited and ready to do this thing and i didn't. the more i read the letter a kickstarter staffperson sent me when i brought up my dilemma the more i see i will need to do something else.
and i now have given myself permission to let go of this and look forward to something else that IS kickstarter worthy. and that wont be until after the holidays so i have time to work on this 'new thing' and take the proper time that i need to do it right.
so. its all about the vases and flowers this month and december i hope to start some prototypes of my new idea, present them to you guys and see if they are a hit. if so, i'm all over kickstarter after the new year! i'm glad i allowed myself to not do something that i was feeling trepidation about. it was uncomfortable and as always you really do wonder if you are being a puss. i think based on how i feel right now, i was being true to myself. thats a good thing.
10/30/10
10/28/10
kick me
i will admit it. the pipe vase thing has totally taken over my existence. i get angry if something comes up and i can't work on them. i get annoyed if at 5 pm and the lighting is good outside and i can't get to my camera to go take pictures. our loft is full of vases. i trip over them. they are lined up on every surface, on the floor, in boxes, in crates. i've been toiling over the kickstarter project for two days almost non-stop and giving it every ounce of brain power i've got. haven't even done the photo/video/whatever visuals that it needs. my huge challenge is always to just make sense and not babble. tod just now read over it and approves. that says something. i also just now heard back from the kickstarter people in regards to a question i had about my project and i think i can make it work.
you see, you have to have a real project. it can't be just i need better tools... there kind of has to be some REASON, a 'project' that you want to launch in order to be accepted onto kickstarter. its a stretch for me. while tod and i have talked about renting my vases out (and if i EVER get enough flowers made those too) it isn't something that is going to happen any time soon. the holidays are coming up and i'm going to have to focus on etsy and personal sales in the real world. i'm still in that 'i need money to live mode' so i have to sell what i have NOW to buy food for tomorrow. so. i was feeling like it might be dishonest posting my project as needing better tools to start a rental business. its true i need those tools for that to happen but regardless of if i do the rental thing, i want better tools to make a better vase. period. so. the suggestion from them i will take into consideration and see if i can make this work. i gotta get on it because it will need to be up for at least 21 days and any longer and no one will care because they are going to be doing turkey day and buying christmas presents and who cares if paula gets a better tool? least, that is my thinking.
the other thing that im still grappling with is just the donation/offer thing. i could sell my blue limited edition kickstarter vases for x amount on my own and while i wouldn't make the $$ i need for an $800 cold cut saw and the $150 carbide blade or the $100 grinding tool and the $200 or $200 in supplies...i would have money i could save for it. if i do kickstarter i wont be selling the vases for what they are worth. you see, if you haven't visited the site you 'get something' for your donation but it is not usually what the item is worth (its less). while i know i have avid fans...i dont think i have ENOUGH of you to reach the $$ goal. hopefully i would get strangers on kickstarter which is the only reason to do it in the first place. if i don't reach my goal, i dont get the money, period. they take about 5% and amazon takes about 5% and then i have to ship the vases out of pocket. so if i ask for a donation of $55 and send you a vase that you could buy from me on etsy for $35 will you get that the kickstarter thing is all about 'donating' and helping someone and you getting something in return but not an equally valued thing? then lets not talk about all of the mad shipping i'm going to have to do when the project is over and i have 50 vases to ship (i've got 25 aluminum vases for donations too). my whole goal is to make life a little bit easier....this feels like a lot of work and i'm still questioning the best way to achieve my goal. back in the day, $1,400 was something i could make in a week if had to. now it takes me two or three months and thats all going to rent. it feels incredibly annoying how hard each dollar seems to come to me, but thats where i'm at and at least i AM mostly doing what want to do. (which is probably why money is such an issue)
it kind of boggles my mind. i know i'm not doing anything nearly as useful/fun or exciting as what i think others on kickstarter do. tod kind of disagrees. but he is biased i think.....
anyhow. i'm almost there i think. almost done with all the wording of the 'donations' and now will have to reword my project and then figure out some little entertaining visual blip while i try to sound alive and fun and babble on about what i'm doing. I LOVE MY VASES. i love my flowers...I DIG WHAT I'M DOING yet i can't believe strangers are going to care. it is a lot of work this kickstarter thing. it is very tempting to just sell my vases on my own. ugh.
push push push push push
i feel like i'm insane doing all of this sometimes.
you see, you have to have a real project. it can't be just i need better tools... there kind of has to be some REASON, a 'project' that you want to launch in order to be accepted onto kickstarter. its a stretch for me. while tod and i have talked about renting my vases out (and if i EVER get enough flowers made those too) it isn't something that is going to happen any time soon. the holidays are coming up and i'm going to have to focus on etsy and personal sales in the real world. i'm still in that 'i need money to live mode' so i have to sell what i have NOW to buy food for tomorrow. so. i was feeling like it might be dishonest posting my project as needing better tools to start a rental business. its true i need those tools for that to happen but regardless of if i do the rental thing, i want better tools to make a better vase. period. so. the suggestion from them i will take into consideration and see if i can make this work. i gotta get on it because it will need to be up for at least 21 days and any longer and no one will care because they are going to be doing turkey day and buying christmas presents and who cares if paula gets a better tool? least, that is my thinking.
the other thing that im still grappling with is just the donation/offer thing. i could sell my blue limited edition kickstarter vases for x amount on my own and while i wouldn't make the $$ i need for an $800 cold cut saw and the $150 carbide blade or the $100 grinding tool and the $200 or $200 in supplies...i would have money i could save for it. if i do kickstarter i wont be selling the vases for what they are worth. you see, if you haven't visited the site you 'get something' for your donation but it is not usually what the item is worth (its less). while i know i have avid fans...i dont think i have ENOUGH of you to reach the $$ goal. hopefully i would get strangers on kickstarter which is the only reason to do it in the first place. if i don't reach my goal, i dont get the money, period. they take about 5% and amazon takes about 5% and then i have to ship the vases out of pocket. so if i ask for a donation of $55 and send you a vase that you could buy from me on etsy for $35 will you get that the kickstarter thing is all about 'donating' and helping someone and you getting something in return but not an equally valued thing? then lets not talk about all of the mad shipping i'm going to have to do when the project is over and i have 50 vases to ship (i've got 25 aluminum vases for donations too). my whole goal is to make life a little bit easier....this feels like a lot of work and i'm still questioning the best way to achieve my goal. back in the day, $1,400 was something i could make in a week if had to. now it takes me two or three months and thats all going to rent. it feels incredibly annoying how hard each dollar seems to come to me, but thats where i'm at and at least i AM mostly doing what want to do. (which is probably why money is such an issue)
it kind of boggles my mind. i know i'm not doing anything nearly as useful/fun or exciting as what i think others on kickstarter do. tod kind of disagrees. but he is biased i think.....
anyhow. i'm almost there i think. almost done with all the wording of the 'donations' and now will have to reword my project and then figure out some little entertaining visual blip while i try to sound alive and fun and babble on about what i'm doing. I LOVE MY VASES. i love my flowers...I DIG WHAT I'M DOING yet i can't believe strangers are going to care. it is a lot of work this kickstarter thing. it is very tempting to just sell my vases on my own. ugh.
push push push push push
i feel like i'm insane doing all of this sometimes.
10/26/10
'Aspens' detail shots
Per the post below, I'm selling these vases from the blog as I do not have the time to take 'proper' etsy listing photos, edit and upload them. The Thundercloud Blue vases are selling, I will know later in the day how many I have left and take pictures. As too have the Adobe sold. Pictures coming of them as well. Many of you have purchased vases from me on Etsy. You can rest assured I will take the same care and speed when it comes to shipping your purchase. You can 'convo' me via my etsy shop, leave a comment here, leave one on facebook fan page (this blog post gets automatically posted there), or email me if interested. I can give you sizes and prices. Thanks for being open to me selling this way this time...it isn't how I prefer to do business but for right now it's a temporary solution until I know which vases I am going to use for real life markets/shops vs online etsy shop.
* note that vase #1 has a jagged top as opposed to a smooth rim. and #6 has a cut off where another pipe jutted out. all of these are waterproof and ready to go! All of the vases are CLEAN and I have ground down rough spots.
Vase size starting from left to right:
#4 is 8.5"
#5 is 7.5 SOLD
#3 is 8 SOLD
#1 is 7.5
#2 is 7
#6 is 8
all are approx 1 3/8" diameter
10/24/10
three new batches
Makes me think I will put more out there if people are interested as well as a few local market/show type opportunities coming up in November.
Have no fear, I am still going to attempt the kickstarter thing SOON SOON SOON and I will post more on etsy closer to the holidays. In the meantime, if you are interested in any of these you may purchase them directly from me via PayPal or check. I don't have the time right now to take photos/edit/upload new listings to etsy so I'm going to post them here right quick. Leave a message, email me...facebook fan page me...if you want them I'm here with boxes and tape in hand.
Thundercloud Blue.
I have scrubbed the heck out of them inside and out, my usual inside rust protection/2coats of enamel over that and an aluminum bottom. The outside is 'raw'. I suppose if you want perfect you wont want these cuz they are crusty little dudes and full of character. I can email you individual photos if interested
Aspens: I have six of these as well ranging in size from 7.5 - 8.5 inches and 1 1/3 diam.
Adobe Pink Square Tube Vases: I have
Prices are typically $20 for 7inches and a few dollars more for + inches. The adobe ones, since they are larger in diameter start at 23. Flat rate boxes unless just order one slim vase I'll bet i can get that to you for under $6.
I will post more in the coming days and don't worry about me having enough left to take places. I'm not getting that aggressive with them out there yet and still prefer online selling. back to work...
10/19/10
its true
once you get a bunch of art buddies on facebook and fun fans to banter with, blogs die a bit. and now that i've gotten a tumblr site i find i have more fun just sharing things that i see and being satisfied with that. i forget i have a blog sometimes. maybe i also think people might be tired of hearing about vases. the vases. the vases. boss the vases!if you can excuse the hideous lighting/color, here is a photo of my vases in public. today i marched over a few buildings to the one nice place in huntsville. facemakers. it is a salon. hair, facials, massage etc. its classy inside. so nice in fact that i bought some fall themed, artificial flowers so the vases dont look too scary and promptly got to place them near the front door on the nice display case.
it was nice to hear the exclamations from the workers there...they always walk by and see me out in the parking lot cutting stuff and looking like a dirty mongrel; i think they were pleasantly surprised to see me show up looking relatively normal and getting a clue what it is i've been doing. (who knows what they thought i like to think they thought that)
so. next i might try a little flower shop the scrap dude told me about. just sprinkle a few about town and keep pushing on. the next batch of vases probably wont see etsy for awhile. dont want to clog it up too much but if anyone is dying to know what i have and wants info let me know. you know how to reach me right? a zillion ways.
thanks for tuning in if i still have any blog readers left!
10/4/10
drowning in vases
well for anyone who isn't a fan on facebook, i thought i'd update it that i did get approval from kickstarter to do a 'project'! i initially thought i could make the project me needing a new machine but realize it has to be a bit more 'interesting' so while it feels premature, i went ahead and wrote down my project idea for why i need a new tool to cut these pipes for my vases. of course soon as that is done i will post a link here.i'm in some sort of oblivion right now...you know when you have 100 things to do and you end up doing a little here and a little there and lose your momentum? thats how i feel right now. as you can see, we are up to our eyeballs (well our knees if you can see tods legs on the couch behind this shelf i found outside this weekend) in vases. i thought this would be a good storage shelf for vases. our place continues to be a pit beyond any previously experienced way of living i've ever lived. i must have blinders on to be this obsessed with art/vases....i'm trading in all creature comfort so i can do this? am i nuts? apparently.
so. its all about the vases AND flowers. while you haven't seen many of those; what little i make goes out there in the world to be seen. mostly i'm trying to get these beautiful blue vases finished. yesterday while digging around in my stock i found one more blue pipe so i cut that up and will have 20 or so instead of the 15 i thought i had. these will all be for kickstarter donations as well as a few other pipes. i would imagine by next week i should have that done, so far this week is all about getting art in for the puzzle solo show (last set of eyes being attached as i speak on the mystic), working on flowers for said show as well as a show next week AND cleaning. joy joy
i'm scattered and not feeling as in touch with online peeps/world. forgive me if i'm self absorbed. my head is stuck in a pipe or some such thing.
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