Let's Get Serious

I'm getting serious - seriously serious about the stuff I make and the interest I have to turn this hobby into a small business that I will grow until I can retire and turn it into my full time second career.

What the heck?

Yes.  I'm going to do it.  How - I am asking myself- really this post is for my own edification but if you would like to ramble down this road with me, I'm fine with it if you are.  *How's that for a run-on sentence?*

I have made some significant investments of a crafty nature in the past decade.  I've blogged about a few of them.  The 1" button maker.  The laminator.  The brewing equipment.  But I've also added a few more weapons to my crafting arsenal.  A spinning wheel, an embroidery machine, a paper/vinyl cutter and many leatherworking tools.  I also have a knitting machine that's been collecting dust for 16 years that I need to bust out and oil and determine if its still working.

What that equipment does for me and my crafty business idea is to give me the wherewithal to make bespoke nerd objects for folks.  There's a market for this stuff and I need to figure out how to break into it in a way that is reasonable and legal.  I'm not a sweatshop worker.  I'm also not a person who really wants to be breaking copyright law.  So I guess this means I either get really good at coaxing permissions out of nerd companies/franchise owners or I get good at creating my own nerd art.

Some things I've done:

In process, a leather Hydra patch

Nearly completed Hydra patch

An embroidered patch for a heroic librarian

Team Valor Pokemon GO patches

Little Bitty Buttons

In 2006 I made a $200 investment in my crafty future.

I bought a seriously hard-core 1" button maker.

This is the real deal - it is made of STEEL and it makes 1" buttons REALLY FAST!

What was the downside?  The 1" circle of paper that you have your design on.
I have figured out how to make a 1" design - using word and the ruler function makes it pretty easy to size down images or put your little phrase in a 1" circle.

Cutting that little circle was the hard part.  I searched and searched to find an affordable 1" circle punch.
Finally, Michaels heeded my call and I got one for about $10.  Why wait?  Why not plop down another $100 for a circle punch from the button maker guys?  Well...I'm weird about money that way and I thought the price too high for what you got.

Okay now let's talk buttons.  Easy to make, quick to manufacture. Its just that I really don't like to be a sweatshop worker.  So I'll make you a specific button to your requirement or I'll guess what might be useful - like appearance based merits and flaws for LARPing.  Or if it is funny to me - like "We Do The Weird Stuff" from Dr. Horrible or Vote Petrelli from Heroes...

We Do The Weird Stuff!

Also simple stuff is best on such a small palette.  Don't be wordy because no one will be able to read such small print!  I like to take pictures from discarded books and punch out 1" circles of the text or from sheet music or origami paper.  Those buttons are very nice.

So - conclusion?  EXPENSIVE INVESTMENT!  Worth it?  Over the course of 5 years?  Yes.  Recommended?  No - unless you are crazy like me or have money to blow.  Otherwise, ask me to make your buttons or to borrow my machine.