Sashi Made Some Sales: Bearly Dreadfuls are back!

 

Back in 2016, I decided to make a patchwork bear or a frankenbear to go with my Halloween costume.  Mortimer turned out so cute that my then-fiancé wanted one as well.  Then our friends and coworkers wanted one so I made more.  

Sashi with the very first Bearly Dreadful, Mortimer
October 2016

By the time he and I got married in 2017, they had grown in popularity amongst our friends that we decided to have them as our centerpieces for friends and family to take home.

A sampling of the centerpieces, complete with paper roses I made

Matilda was the centerpiece on our table and held onto my bouquet for me when I needed my hands free

Another centerpiece.  You can also see my homemade paper roses and comic book table runners I made.

I took a small break from making them but by 2019, I had more bears than I could store so I decided to open an Etsy shop called Bearly Dreadfuls.  It did okay and at least gave me purpose with the BDs. When the pandemic hit in march 2020, though, I decided to close it temporarily so I wouldn't have to go in public for shipping.

Then, admittedly, I got lazy and just didn't reopen it.  That is until I went to my first Goblin Market!

As soon as I walked in, I knew my Bearlies would fit in with the crowd!  It got me excited to make them again!  So I reopened up the Etsy shop in October and even set up their own website (powered through Etsy).  Within days, I already had sales and it felt good to be back.

Then I heard about a Goth Flea Market in Atlanta that was happening Sunday, Nov. 6 so I decided 8 days prior to see how the Bearly Dreadfuls would do in person.  It was a week of a lot of work to get enough merchandise ready for a mini-popup showing but I got it done and ready!

Mini booth at the Goth Flea Market in Atlanta

I also sold prints and stickers I made

Mini booth at the Goth Flea Market in Atlanta

Better shot of the prints and stickers

The show went over really well!  So many people smiled and a few squeed when they saw them.  It made my heart so happy!  I had 20 Bearly Dreadfuls done in time for the show plus made 30 ornaments.  By the time we left, I had only 5 BDs and 8 ornaments left!  I'm not even sure how many stickers I sold (I should probably do inventory on that) but there were quite a few.

We consolidated the product down to one table about 30 minutes before we closed down completely.

This last minute (to us) mini event was a helpful learning opportunity for getting ready to sell at the Goblin Market in April.

Here is what I learned:

• I need bigger hooks for the ornaments. The ones I had gotten were way too small.
• I will make half of the ornaments into key chains because I received multiple requests.  I've already purchased the hardware!
• I need to have e-payments available so I am setting up Venmo, Cash App, and Zelle (the 3 I was asked about multiple times)
• Signage showing that I take credit cards/e-payments should be in multiple places in the booth.
• I need to steam iron out the wrinkles from my tableclothes beforehand!
• Lighting for the booth is not a bad idea. I'm thinking fairy lights!
• Sometimes the Bearly Dreadfuls choose the people instead of the other way around.

Goblin Market 2023

Sashi Made A 2022 Weight Loss Tracker

 

I made a monthly weight loss tracker for this new year! Please feel free to save it and use it yourself.  😊

You can save the image FROM HERE

Sashi Made A Drawing: Halloween Cards

Halloween 2020

When I was still sending them, I hand made my Christmas cards almost every year since I was 18. They started out with designs cut out of construction paper and grew up into other non-traditional designs, like gingerbread men cut out of sandpaper or Christmas trees cut out of green scrubbies.  Once my card list got into the 50's, I started having them printed because yikes!  That was a lot of cards to make by hand.  The 2 years I didn't make them, I actually had people contact me to specifically tell me that they were disappointed to receive a "generic" card... even though one of them was of my wedding pic to my ex. LOL (The other time I sent out purchased cards was because I had been sick and just ran out of time.)

In one way, it felt good that my handmade or hand-drawn & printed cards were appreciated.  On the other hand, it really started to feel like a burden.  And now, Christmas cards seem to be going away and those that do send them seem to be doing so just out of obligation. I know I fit that description for quite a while!

So now, instead of sending out Christmas cards every year, I send out Halloween cards.  Last year was just the 3rd year that I've done that, but it feels so much more... right... to me.  ❤❤❤

Halloween 2019

Halloween 2018

Sashi Made A Wine Label

 

My awesome in-laws recently moved from Michigan to South Carolina and are going to get back into wine making.  They asked me to design a label for their bottles which I was very excited to do!  These are currently being printed and will be sent directly to my in-laws.  I can't wait to see them (both my in-laws and the labels) in person!

Sashi Made A Drawing: Little Sarah by the Sea

I drew this in September for my friend Sarah and her little boy.  She loves the beach and was missing it so I thought this might cheer her up. 🙂

Sashi Made A Drawing: This Is Us

 I absolutely adore this show so I definitely needed to pay an homage to it in...in my own way, of course! I'd thought about opening up a website to do ragdoll portraits on commissions, but with working full-time and planning D&D every other week (I have a homebrewed world called Forealia), I don't want the rest of my free time taken up with just one thing.

I have a bunch more of these drawings that I will be sharing occasionally.  🙂