www.KennaKristine.com

 
 
The holidays are upon us! Where did the time go? I wanted to share a few of my favorite things that help me get through the holidays effectively and efficiently.
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#1. My new sewing machine that I am in love with! My friends and family all pitched in to get me the Brother innovis 80. It is like dream compared to my old machine. I can sew so much faster. I love it!
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#2. A rotary knife, pattern weights, and a cutting board. I was using pins and scissors to cut out all my patterns, but I recently discovered rotary knifes and pattern weights. These are traditional used in quilt making. I was amazed to find them so much faster and easier to use. My newly discovered tools also allow me to cut stacks of patterns at once and the edges of my pattern's come out much cleaner than the would have with fabric scissors.
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#3. World Famous; How To Give Your Business A kick-Ass Brand Identity by David Tyreman who dose branding for all the big names such as Apple, Ralph Lauren, ans Virgin Atlantic. This book takes you through multiple branding exercises to help your business authentically stand out from the crown, and attract your target market.
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#4. The Handmade Market; Place How to Sell Your Crafts Locally, Globally, and Online  by Kari Chapin. This book has lots of great advise from successful crafters in the business. It also gives longs lists of very helpful resources. This book is a great general overview to get any crafter started.
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#5. My giant paper pad. If it is not right in front of my face it doesn't exist. To stay organized and on track I use a giant paper pad. I hang it on the wall in my studio. I use this to make lists of what I need to get done each day and check things off as I finish them.
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#6. My MacBook Pro! I recently upgraded from my 7 year old iBook G4 and I am so happy I did. My MacBook Pro keeps me so organised and runs all my art programs seamlessly. For me it was on the pricey side, but it is totally worth all the money.



What keep you organised, on track, and happy? I would love to know the tools others use to navigate the entrepreneurial world.
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Generally, creative people are a little shy. This makes it hard to promote your creations, much less to sell them. This is why online shops are great. But even though you are online, you still need to put your self out there. Doing local craft shows, talking with people in line at the grocery store, and getting involved in the crafting community, are all important factors in weather your online shop will succeed.

I am one of these shy creative people. I can put on a brave face when I have to, but most of the time, I close myself off from others. I tell myself everyday, “be more open”. I need to be more open to criticism, more open to meeting new people, and more open to customers wanting to buy my product. But doing this is harder that it seems for someone like me.

I found this article online and it gives many great tips on how to stay open. I hope you will find it helpful.

http://positivelypresent.typepad.com/positively_present/2009/04/are-you-open-.html


So, keep loads of business cards on hand, make connections, and grow. I know I will.

-Kenna
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