People ask me all the time how I got into designing hand bags and jewelry. Well, like most things in life, it's a long story. But the short version is that I was at an exhibition one day when I found myself drawn to a particular stand where hand bags were being sold. What I really liked was the fact that all the bags were made from cloth. You have to remember that at the time, fabric hand bags were only just becoming popular. I ended up buying some of the bags but felt the pricing was a bit low, so to test my theory, I tried to resell a few. I ended up selling all of them with people asking for more. They were really beautiful and each one had a very distinct and unique style. Not long after, I traveled abroad with the hope of continuing to order bags to resell. However, I suddenly found myself up against brick walls that I had never encountered before. Strange vocabulary, like customs, duties, textile quotas, shipping and other similarly dreadful words suddenly crept into my everyday dictionary. I soon realized that my new found "open door", had just slammed shut in my face. So I found myself at cross roads, as indeed those of us who call ourselves divapreneurs or entrepreneurs, are also at crossroads – being whether to give in, or trudge on hopefully as we stand by helplessly watching the world economy throw its tantrums.
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<br>But I think it does take a different sort of mindset to be able to look through all this to see some of the positive spin-offs of what's going on. For tough times never come empty handed; they certainly bring with them the negatives, but also the positives, in the form of new opportunities, fresh ideas, etc. When I saw myself standing in front of a shut door with the bags, eventually I chose to rise to the challenge, and rather than just SELL bags, I decided to DESIGN bags. Easier said than done because I didn't know anything about bags in the first place, and knew even less about designing, but we won't go there right now, 'cause it'll mess up my story…
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<br>Anyway, that's the bag thing, but when I first started making jewelry, my personal economy was in such bad shape that it took me seven months to save the $35 I needed to pay for the class. Then it took me another six months of saving before I could buy the tools I needed to actually take the class. I wish I could say it ended there, but it didn't, because I began by taking a very basic jewelry class that was so badly taught that I had to take it twice before I could figure out what it was about. My first creation was what I called "the ugly pink and pearl necklace set". It was so ugly, that I hid it in one of my drawers as soon as I got home. After a few months, common sense prevailed and I figured, it didn't really make any sense to have taken the class and not do anything with what I had learned. So I wore the necklace set one day and a colleague of mine happened to see it and asked me where I had bought "that beautiful necklace". When I told her that I had made it myself, she asked me to show it to her boss, a college professor who also happened to be a jewelry lover. Of course I didn't, but eventually she did mention it. Not only did her boss like the ugly pink and pearl necklace set, but she immediately placed an order for jewelry and subsequently became my best customer!
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<br>Looking back now at how both bag and jewelry evolved, I realize that each began with either a challenge, a problem, or both, and it wasn't so much the obstacles that had held me back, but the fact that I couldn't look beyond them to recognize what I had in my hands. I learned a powerful lesson on how important it is to develop a mindset that matches the creativity because if I didn't think I had something of value to offer, no one else would either and that if I could see it, then I could have it, regardless of the challenges and obstacles. But honestly, what gave me that extra push was also the fact that I would wake up in the mornings with this nagging feeling that I had something in my hands that I wasn't using. I would look down at my hands, but the more I looked the less I saw, until I got on the internet one day and started researching the work of other artists and designers. I studied their different styles with the hope that this would somehow help me to discover mine. I also tried to learn new techniques and test ideas for designs, for both bags and jewelry.
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<br>Everyday I wake up, determined to keep walking, as I keep looking at my hands and wondering what is hidden in them that I haven't yet recognized. It's a never-ending journey and I'm on mine. What about you?
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<br>About the Author: Edith Nkwocha is a hand bag/jewelry designer and fashion writer committed to promoting African Couture and African Haute Couture. Visit her website at <a href="http://sites.google.com/site/bilotecouture" title="http://sites.google.com/site/bilotecouture" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://sites.google.com/site/bilotecouture</a> for more info.
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Sunday, October 18, 2009
How to Come Up With Designs For Funny Coffee Mugs
Novelty items have always been a popular choice for gifts and giveaways but if you a bit cash strapped at the moment, instead of shopping for such kind of gifts, you may want to try making these in your very own home. One very popular item that you can easily do is mugs and these are also a lot of fun to customize and make even more special for your loved ones. Aside from photo mugs and travel mugs, you can also try your hand at creating funny coffee mugs with witty phrases or lines that can instantly brighten up someone's day.
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<br>So how can you start with creating such kind of mugs? Well there are actually loads of ways for you to be able to go about this starting with special kits that contains all the essentials in decorating a plain mug. Such kits can be found in craft stores and one of those pottery places where people are encouraged to design their own mugs. You can also check out kits on the internet. Such kits usually contain a plain mug, different colors of paint, a brush, and possibly some stencils of the featured design. If you find such kits a bit limiting in terms of the kind of design that you would want to make for your own mugs then there you can always get the plain mugs from the pottery stores and get your own arts and crafts supplies.
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<br>If you are planning to paint on your coffee mugs from scratch, do be careful and plan the design carefully so that you don't end up ruining the mug. You can also either use a stencil or lightly sketch your desired design on the mug so that all you have to do is just trace it with your paint and you're already good to go. While glitters and sequins are fun add-ons that can easily liven up things, these are not really best suited to be used for coffee mugs as such add-ons can easily be washed off. Just paint your coffee mugs with fun colors and make sure to come up with really catch lines for your funny coffee mugs.
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<br>You can always get some inspiration from the internet or your favorite book, movie, from magazines; don't rush into designing your mug while you are still not sure about what funny line or drawing you'd want to have on it.
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<br>As for those who are not that skilled in the arts department but are very much interested in designing cute coffee mugs for their friends and family, they can just easily have their mugs printed on for a more polished look. If your computer printer at home can do such things then you can just easily upload your desired designs then print or you can get those plastic mugs wherein there's a special compartment that you can use to put in your printed design. For this type of mugs, it's way easier to just check out the internet. And even though this type of mugs are a bit different and special, plastic mugs such as these are not really expensive, if you want you can even get these in bulk to get a better price.
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<br>About the Author: Are you looking for the best <a href="http://www.tshirts-gifts.com/" rel="nofollow">funny coffee mugs</a> at a very low price? Visit <a href="http://www.tshirts-gifts.com/" rel="nofollow"> http://www.tshirts-gifts.com</a> today and find anything and everything you are looking for!
<br>
<br>
<br>So how can you start with creating such kind of mugs? Well there are actually loads of ways for you to be able to go about this starting with special kits that contains all the essentials in decorating a plain mug. Such kits can be found in craft stores and one of those pottery places where people are encouraged to design their own mugs. You can also check out kits on the internet. Such kits usually contain a plain mug, different colors of paint, a brush, and possibly some stencils of the featured design. If you find such kits a bit limiting in terms of the kind of design that you would want to make for your own mugs then there you can always get the plain mugs from the pottery stores and get your own arts and crafts supplies.
<br>
<br>If you are planning to paint on your coffee mugs from scratch, do be careful and plan the design carefully so that you don't end up ruining the mug. You can also either use a stencil or lightly sketch your desired design on the mug so that all you have to do is just trace it with your paint and you're already good to go. While glitters and sequins are fun add-ons that can easily liven up things, these are not really best suited to be used for coffee mugs as such add-ons can easily be washed off. Just paint your coffee mugs with fun colors and make sure to come up with really catch lines for your funny coffee mugs.
<br>
<br>You can always get some inspiration from the internet or your favorite book, movie, from magazines; don't rush into designing your mug while you are still not sure about what funny line or drawing you'd want to have on it.
<br>
<br>As for those who are not that skilled in the arts department but are very much interested in designing cute coffee mugs for their friends and family, they can just easily have their mugs printed on for a more polished look. If your computer printer at home can do such things then you can just easily upload your desired designs then print or you can get those plastic mugs wherein there's a special compartment that you can use to put in your printed design. For this type of mugs, it's way easier to just check out the internet. And even though this type of mugs are a bit different and special, plastic mugs such as these are not really expensive, if you want you can even get these in bulk to get a better price.
<br>
<br>About the Author: Are you looking for the best <a href="http://www.tshirts-gifts.com/" rel="nofollow">funny coffee mugs</a> at a very low price? Visit <a href="http://www.tshirts-gifts.com/" rel="nofollow"> http://www.tshirts-gifts.com</a> today and find anything and everything you are looking for!
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