Selling your craft items

First sale on folksy!
Today I sold one of the lace silver anniversary cards! What excitement!

I don't think I'll be retiring on the proceeds yet, but it is so satisfying to have someone like what you have made enough to pay over money for it!

coastwalker - it is ellies crafty crafts, the direct link is elliescraftycrafts.folksy.com . I have a house full of fabric, wool, card blanks, silk paints, you name it I have it. My intention is to convert it all into various nice things and pass them on, I hope, to people who will pay me a small amount of dosh for them. At the moment I have only listed a few cards - more cards are in the pipeline. Naturally, as soon as I started to make them I realised how nice it would be to make some wedding anniversary cards with real lace, so I went out and bought some .......

I shall go now and favourite your shop. More power to Gran's (knitting) elbow!

Elegran - we are called HattieandJane. There is not much on at the moment as Hattie has not got her mojo back after the baby but I am planning to add some more hand knits at the end of the summer. I'm letting the shop coast at the moment in the hope that Hattie will do more jewellery once she is getting some sleep so that we can sell a few bits for Christmas.
What is your shop called? I'll return the compliment and favourite yours too Us grans must stick together

crosstitchgill - yes, copyright could be a problem. I think you might be OK as your cards are a step away from the actual charts. What I mean is, the books/mags may have the copyright on charts, but not things made from the designs in the charts.
I know a website which has free templates for box shapes etc where they say you are at liberty to use the designs to make things for commercial use, but not to publish the actual templates as your own (I believe they had trouble with people selling copies of their templates on Ebay)
Perhaps there is some guidance in the books themselves? Sometimes they do say what the position is.

Elegran - I have looked at Folksy and would be concerned about infringement of copyright as my card designs are taken from books and magazines. However, when I browsed other people's cross stitch cards I noticed that some of them are designs such as Noddy and Pooh and also some of the free magazine cover kits and designs from magazines.

As a wood turner, I have sold a few pieces, but few people will pay a price that reflects the cost of the wood and labour involved. So many ask me to make a large fruit bowl or similar, when you tell them just the cost of a piece of interesting seasoned hardwood, they are no longer interested. I would rather turn things that interest me and give them away. ( I do a nice line in firewood !)

coastwalker - Ive just seen that you and your daughter have a folksy shop. Tell me its name and I shall pop over and favourite you.

crossstitchgill - you could try folksy. I have just joined - only listed a couple of cards so far (as elliescraftycrafts) so can't tell you how well I am getting on. There are some really beautiful things on there, which people are obviously successful in selling, also some people who have been there ages but sold nothing. I suspect you also need to be on Facebook or Twitter to direct people to your folksy shop. That or persuade all your friends and relations to recommend it on their Facebook or Twitter.

That was clever - I managed to use bold.

I've an Etsy shop
Pharaonic embroidery designs

I make cross stitched cards and pictures which I try to sell at craft fairs but only manage up to half a dozen fairs a year. I don't drive which means I have to rely on my husband to take me to places. I have met a lot of other crafters who have differing success rates. I have just been made redundant from my office job but I doubt very much if I will get more stitching done as it involves sitting down for too long and I need the exercise.

It depends how much you make and how often you want to sell. One way I earned a bit for Christmas was to do an 'At home' sending out lots of invites to all asking everyone to bring a friend...I offered a glass of something and it was a great night and I earned enough to make quite a difference. You cant do it very often tho! Another way is to get friendly with a small shop that sells nice things that you fee are similar to yours and ask them to take some stuff on a 'sale or return' arrangement. Also many local schools now do craft fairs where the tables dont cost an arm and leg.

I sell on Folksy and have a shop with my daughter. It is a bit empty at the moment as she is otherwise occupied so her bracelet making has taken a back seat. I am knitting like mad in preparation for the autumn when I will put on lots of hats and baby clothes.

One the baby is a little older, we will go back to the personalised bracelets we were making and selling before H got pregnant!

Handmade notebooks and journals, hand-decorated stationary sets and greeting cards...set it up earlier this year and had some good sales just as my husband took a sabbatical from work! Haven't had a moment to call my own since...but he's going back next month so perhaps I'll have a chance to re-open my shop then...

What's in your shop mollie?

I have an Etsy shop but I'm 'on holiday' at the mo ... hoping to turn the 'open' sign again very soon...

Etsy was the one I was trying to remember ....thanks.

Etsy or Folksy are 2 sites I know of for selling crafts but I haven't tried them.

I make SOCK MONKEYS which I sell to friends and I also take a stall at a local Agricultural Show. I know what you mean buy not getting the 'cost of your time'...as each Monkey takes me about 2 hours to make (some more) and I sell them between £6 and £10.
They involve a lot of hand sewing but I love making them and as I spend a lot of time at home due to my Husbands health problems, they keep me busy.
I also donate £1 from every Monkey to a charity (last year was Simba..which helps parents who lose a baby at birth and this year to send a profoundly handicapped little girl for specialist Physio.)
I also end up giving a lot away !!!
There is a website for crafters to sell thro' but i can't remeber the name of it.
I find the same with making wedding cakes for friends (or friends of friends). I could never really charge for the hours put in to decorating/making sugar flowers etc)
Destined never to be a business woman !!!!

Yep. Opened a shop!
I used to do craft fairs but the public - of which I am a member- really don't want to pay for the cost of your time. And time it does take.
Are you a crafter Fivegs?