Archive | October 2014

Everyone Deserves a Stuffed Krampus

stuffedkrampus

I love my Krampus.

The story of Alpine Europe’s Krampus tradition was told to me many years ago, by my friend Gretchen, over one of our bacchanalian Thanksgiving dinners (which I pine for every year).  Gretchen is a true story teller, you can’t help but be captivated by her travel tales. Her description of Krampus fascinated me. I kept thinking, “Why don’t we have this here?” It kind of worked out perfectly because at that point I had no idea what to do for my yearly Christmas card and Krampus was the perfect idea. I immediately went home, drew him up and printed the 3-color illustration on my Gocco printer.

I made the cards again the next year. People seemed to love him and the idea of Krampus has seemed to spread into pop culture over past few years. I still loved the cards but what I really wanted was to make him 3D, I couldn’t get the idea out of my head.

Plush Krampus

Finally, I got my stuffed Krampus idea out of my head and into real life. I loved him. Everyone loved him. Isold him for a below minimum wage price to my newsletter subscribers and friends. And I gave one away in a contest.

But last year I didn’t make plush Krampus even though he was one of my favorite things I’ve made. Why? Well, realistically, I can’t afford to spend time making him. And even if I paid a friend to do the sewing he’s just a little too expensive for my average customer. Some people might argue that I just need to sell him to the right people or market him to the right people. But I have so many other things to work on too. Plus, even though I enjoy the zen like feeling that comes along with hand sewing I don’t want to be making 100s of these every holiday season.

Then I was left with the idea that my stuffed Krampus will never be around again, and that kind of bummed me out. Maybe this sounds a little weird but I really like the idea of stuffed Krampus(es?) out in the world forpeople to enjoy. He’s such a cute addition to mix up with the traditional Christmas decor. (At one point I had 7 of them made in my apartment. They were SO CUTE sitting all together. I really wish I had a photo.)

So what should I do?

Quit making him or charge the price he’s worth? Maybe make him just as a promo item? I tried making a pre-printed fabric version of him, which is pretty cute. But not quite the same.

And then…. Eureka!

One day a friend said he would come over and help me make them if I would show him how. He thought it would be cool to learn how to make a stuffed animal. And then it hit me: I NEED TO MAKE A DIY KRAMPUS. Then people can still enjoy him (maybe even more since they are making it themselves, there’s something magical about watching something transform into 3D) at a price they can afford. And it’s perfect timing because everyone needs some kind of indoor activity to do during November and December.

In the works

So, I started. First, beginning with the template I used for myself and then writing out step by step instructions (which is always harder than I think). Thankfully, I’m already an Illustrator pro, so I don’t have to teach myself a new skill in that area.

But now what?

  • Should I give it people to test for free at first? Maybe ask newsletter subscribers? Friends?
  • Where do I sell it? I know Etsy now has a digital download option. But what if I want to sell it from my own site? Is there an automatic download option that’s easy or do I have to manually send it to them?
  • Who proofs it and how many rounds? Do you hire a professional copy editor? If so, where is the best place to find one?
  • Are there any copyright things I should put on the pattern? Like, it’s okay to make, but not to sell?
  • And how the heck do you price something like this?

Good Timing! An online course just for me!

Just when I started having these questions I saw an announcement from April Bowles-Olin about her upcoming course on Creative Live: Create Digital Products that Sell While You Sleep. Wow, could the timing of this course be any better? Don’t you love it when that happens? This is just what I need!

Let’s be S.A.D. Together

640x430SAD

Do you feel that? The darkness starting to sink into your soul? Okay, maybe it’s not that dramatic. But it is mid-October and by now I think we are all starting to feel a little bit of that darkness creeping in on us. The other day I woke up at 7:30am, I swore it was 5:30am because there was no light. And we’re not even to the worst part of it yet – the evil known as Daylight Savings Time doesn’t end until November 2! Ugh.

So, if you are a bit of a sun worshipper like me, what are we supposed to do during these dark months? How are we supposed to pull ourselves out of bed in the morning? Well, I’ve learned a few tricks from growing upwest of the Cascades in the Pacific NW (where there is every shade of a gray day ever imagined). I’ve pretty much been combatting SAD my entire life. Here are my top tricks:

TRICK #1: GO OUTSIDE EVERY DAY
No excuses. A five-minute walk outside will do wonders. Even better if you can do more. But AT LEAST do 5 minutes. Even if it’s the WORST DAY EVER.

TRICK #2: MAKE COFFEE A SUPPLEMENT TO YOUR DIET
Before you head out on that walk brew yourself some coffee so it’s nice and hot when you get back. Or walk to the coffee shop (this works for me when I don’t want to exercise, I tell myself that I can have a treat if I walk/run to the cafe that’s a mile away).

TRICK #3: MIGRATE OR TRAVEL
When I first arrived in Brooklyn all of my friends said I wouldn’t be able to handle the winter, they know I can barely handle a Seattle winter. But do you know which key ingredient NY winters have that Seattle winters are missing? SUN. Even when it’s 15F, there’s still bright sun-filled days. I actually need sunglasses during the Winter. It’s never cloudy for more than a few days in a row. In Seattle it seems like it can be months without sun. Did you know Seattle only averages 58 sunny days a year?  Even though I’m often homesick in Spring and Summer I do not miss November-March in Seattle. (That’s one reason I’m working on being bi-coastal.)

But seriously, I know not everyone can just pick up and move. Before I decided to split my time between coasts I would plan a vacation for Mid-end of January. This is usually my tipping point, when I start to feel like I can’t get out of bed. The magic of Fall’s transformation is gone. All the sparkle of the holidays are gone. It can be so… blah. A warm and sunny destination can do wonders. Or even if you can’t go far, a change in scenery can work too.

TRICK #4: PICK A PROJECT or LEARN SOMETHING NEW
This is the big one. I come up with a project list. Nothing serious or super stressful. And nothing with a tight deadline. Only fun and creative things. Maybe some things that I’m scared to do, just to push me out of my comfort zone.

Some samples from the past include: learning to play and sing a Mexican Ranchera song on the guitar (no I don’t play regularly, so this was extra hard), Turkish language classes, develop new choreographies, take a yoga class challenge, experiment with new recipes, make a new costume. You get the idea. I’ve learned that I tend to stick with the projects that require the least amount of decision making – like going to a class, or learning to play a song, or reading a book.

I call this my Persephone phase. I feel like I’m underground, developing myself as I work on projects. And when the light finally comes back I’m ready to bust out of the cocoon.

Here’s my Persephone project list for 2014-2015:
• take a surf lesson – http://www.surflessonsnewyork101.com
• dance – http://www.cumbedance.com
• 21-day drawing challenge – http://www.lynda.com
• handwriting – http://www.skillshare.com
• inking – http://www.skillshare.com
• learn to play this song on the piano – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HN5mwcrYbLA
• print making – http://www.gowanusprintlab.com
• create a guide with tips for small business owners/marketers on how to work with a designer
• create a stuffed Krampus pattern
• illustrate more patterns
• retouch more photos

What’s your Winter Blues Battle Strategy? Let me know in the comments below.
Want to join me with a Persephone project? Let me know what creative project you decide to work on in the comments below.