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Welcome to another edition of A Frayed Knot's
Newsletter. This month I am going to talk a bit about my site and
American trends and styles. For those that don't know this, my site is
located at
http://a-frayed-knot.com .
I have gone through many changes over the years at this
location. Guess what, there is more to come.
DARE TO BE DIFFERENT
As seasons changes, so do styles. What is in this month
may not be in two months from now. That is how things works in the
world today. So, the crafters must also change.
Keeping up with the trends and styles home décor is
important to me, whether I go with the current trends or not, I like to
be informed. I read lots of magazines, watch home decor shows, and check
out sites on the Internet. Enough to know that no matter what the
designers or the critics, or predictors of the future say, they haven't
the foggiest clue as to what the customer will want. Oh, they can make
statements like "the new styles this year will be" but, basically, they
are basing it on two things. What sold in the past and what new styles
the Designers and manufacturers are developing this season. For, in
truth, it's been the designers and manufacturers that have truly picked
out the styles.
Face it, most people will go shopping in the malls of
America and will buy what the retailers have on display as the latest
new trend. Many shoppers don't want to take the time from their busy
schedules to go to the individual little shops that are tucked away in
the corners of a strip mall or located on a back street. They will be
willing to buy what is convenient and close at hand. But there are still
those shoppers, and we love them, that are dedicated to buying the
unusual, the different. These people are the real Trend Setters of the
decorative world.
These shoppers know what they want and what they want is
something different than the average person has. They want to reflect
"their" style not the "cookie-cutter" style that every house on the
block has. They know how to ferret out those little shops and how to
search for the perfect item to fit into that corner of the living room.
We, as the individual crafter, thank those customers that dare to be
different.
With the Internet becoming more prevalent in both the
office and the home, the savvy customer has learned their way around in
the world of e-commerce. They have learned how to let their fingers do
the walking in search of new, different and stylish. Believe me, this
has opened a whole new door in the decorating world. Which brings me
back to the beginning of this conversation. designers and manufacturers
are having a really hard time predicting what really WILL be the next
new trend. Oh, they can still push out and predict the basics: i.e.
chairs, couches, beds. But to put a finger on exactly what the public
will want as their accessories, well, that is a crap shoot and they are
banking on the numbers to back up their predictions.
Departments, Styles, Changes are coming
I started out doing painted clay pots and afghans. As
time went on, I broadened my base to include such items as wood crafts.
I had geckos, kokopellis, cows, girls, candle holders, etc. Then I
added more. The rag dolls. Wonderful little dolls from days gone by.
Strips of cloth were twisted together to form the plain little dolls of
yesteryears. Followed by Gowns for Barbie or as we like to call them,
11 1/2 Fashion Doll Gowns. I have created gowns, evening dress,
jackets, and shrugs. Just perfect for the little lady. There will be
more added as time permits. Then the little Wanna B Bears. Just
something I had in me that wanted to get out. lol.... so many things I
have done, some made it into the store while others are still waiting to
have their pictures taken.
Departments were made for different categories. Items
moved around to show the versatility of many items: i.e. pots to hold
soap, potpourri, candles. Afghans were made larger and heavier,
showing both the functional as well as beauty of the afghan. Dolls were
shown to be not only for children to play with but also for mixing with
the styles of country, primitive, shabby chic, etc .
One of the things that the Internet and E-Commerce will
teach you is Change. Always add, move, change, but never, ever, stay
the same. For those uninformed about the way of E-commerce, there are
such things as little robots called "Spider" that crawl your site all
the time. When they note something different or something changed, they
make note of this. This helps you in the ratings ( or hinders, lol )
Also, there is the fact that I like to try new and
different things. I am still practicing on my weaving. Hopefully, I
will master it and be able to bring some items to the store. There will
be embroidered items and quilts in the near future. I, also, offer
custom embroidery.
So, if you haven't
shopped at the store in a while. Start checking it out later in the
month.
That is the end of this long monolog. But before I
forget, Happy Thanksgiving! |
