Flat Heads Paper Crafts

So I got my Fairy Eds onto Etsy before xmas, and whilst they haven't been the run away success I dreamt of, I've learnt a lot. Marketing and promotion are skills I need to work on, but to be a success on Etsy and in general I will have to build and strengthen my networks.

Whilst I'm continuing to design and test my next set of Box Eds I've started to work on some simpler paper crafts - Flat Eds. The design of these have come from what I've learnt over the last couple of months about who my ideal customer is. It seems obvious now but I worked out it's my wife! My ideal customer is a young, funky mother who is looking for a simple, fun, educational activity for their kids that doesn't make too much mess or involve screens and is reasonably priced. I always knew Box Eds would be better suited to children 7 and over but for those 7 and under I'd need a 'gateway' paper craft.

I've retained the same principles of big bold design and using as much of the paper as possible. They can be used as banners and bunting, birthday cards and for story telling and role play. So the kids and I have been road testing the first designs for Flat Heads - Flat Head farm. Although an Elephant does seem to have wandered randomly onto the paddock!

Christmas Fairy Eds now available on Etsy!

www.etsy.com/au/shop/BoxEdsPaperCrafts

Box Eds Paper Crafts available on Etsy!!!

After nearly two years of cutting until my scissors were blunt, folding ream upon ream of paper, sticking with cellotape, masking tape, glue sticks, hot glue guns, PVA, cement (!), prototyping, numerous paper cuts, tweaking, adjusting and fiddling I've finally made my paper crafts available to the world via Etsy! 

Now comes the hard part - marketing, promoting and crossing my fingers, toes and other body parts in the hope that people like them and buy them!?! They're available on Etsy at:

www.etsy.com/au/shop/BoxEdsPaperCrafts

Fairy Army

A very productive month for my Fairy Eds. Backgrounds, covers and instructions have been redesigned and polished. 

Had some fun playing around with the isometric fairies for the cover and made a Fairy Ed Army. I've also applied to exhibit at Craft, just a window space but I'll know the outcome by my next post. And also next month you'll be able to print, cut, fold, stick and play with your own versions of Fairy Eds as I plan to launch them on Etsy by the end of October. And if they start to sell I may even be able to give up the day job!!!

This month's story

I'm building quite a collection of Box Eds at work. They're all hand drawn and constructed on my lunch break ;o) These have helped me to refine my design process, as I can just concentrate on the lines and shapes and don't get distracted by the colour or whether I've lined up edges and joins completely.

I can now work out the kinks in these and start to add colour and maybe put them online to download for Halloween next year!?!

Master Frank

Master Mummy

Mr Wolf

Master Vamp

Miss Vamp

Mr Vamp

Mrs Vamp

The Vamps

Creative musings/ramblings/drivel!?!

The recommendation I've always heard with blogs is to update them regularly, either daily or weekly. At least that's what you're supposed to do to build an audience and keep them engaged. However with a full time job and a gorgeous family to look after I just don't always get the opportunity. Monthly seems to be about the most regular I'm going to get.

And when I look back on the last month it's quite revealing how much I have actually done with the few hours a week I get to channel my creative juices! I'd love to be able to give up work and design paper toys to pay the bills, and it's the ultimate aim of doing this. But at the moment I can't. Yet this brings with it certain opportunities rather than problems. I have to be more selective and disciplined as to what I focus on. I have to set myself goals and adjust them according to the limited time I have. Having more time to think about what I want to create means I have to push back against other ideas that pop up and scream, "Pick me! Pick me!" It can get pretty frustrating having so many creative ideas bouncing around in my brain with so little time to turn them into reality.

Anyway lets have some pictures. I had the realisation the other day that I'm 36 years old, 6 foot 2", 18 stone and I've been making paper fairies for the past 18 months!!! Sounds a bit weird doesn't it? I suppose I've done footy players and pirates too. But for my next bunch of designs I need to "man up" and let the testosterone pour out! Let's make some monsters!!!

A triple horned, demonic bunny!?!

 Chunky the death cat, needs more work.

And some colour sketches of a zombie family.

This is what I mean by an abundance of ideas, but not having the time to execute them as fully as I'd like. And on top of exploring different themes I debate whether to change the style of my Box Eds, do I go with single sided or double sided designs, is the template accurate and on and on and on! I'm realising that these things aren't worth getting stressed and anxious about, they are opportunities and they show me how many options and directions I can explore.

New Fairy Ed cover and instructions

It's amazing how quick time goes between posts but then as my lovely mum says, "the time goes quick but you get lots done!"

I've updated the cover for my Fairy and "Crikey Dick, Blimey Charlie, geeeezzzzz Louise!" it needed doing. And it needed doing because I decided the instructions needed to be bigger and clearer, instead of being squished into the back cover.

 

Since my last update I've also written a business plan for Box Eds, which includes a possible crowdfunding Pozible campaign. I've also completed a couple of caricature commissions which has prompted me to freshen up another dusty old blog at http://andrew-caricatures.blogspot.com.au/

Flamin' Nora Mum you're right, you do get lots done!