Welcome to the Asylum - The VSS Steampunk Event, Lincoln, Sept 2012

We set off early, squeezed into the car with two stalls worth of stock, my hubby driving and our daughter snug in her carseat, excited to be off to see Grandma and Grandad. Matt could hardly be seen underneath two large packages. (Oh how I wish I'd taken that picture!)

We sat through the trip, which took the best part of an hour, in full Steampunk costume. It is not an easy matter to sit corseted in a low automobile seat! We arrived in good time and met Trevor of the impressive moustache and deerstalker, a very nice chap and in charge of the market stalls.

Sister shop and brother shop, side by side. We were both happy with the way that our styles and colour schemes complemented one another's. The damask patterned taffeta cloth that I found from eBay, one on brown, the other black, really worked to tie our two stalls together and helped show off our wares admirably. 

The Navigatrix

Arcane Armoury

The Navigatrix and..

Matt's display

The display

Almost half of the stock I took was made for this event along with a few pieces that had not been listed from a local Steam and Vintage Fair during the summer. Of those pieces that came home with me, I only have about ten left to add to my Etsy shop.

The gloves (both now sold) that you can see at the front of the stall attracted a lot of attention. I could have sold 12 pairs easily, had they been a little larger. 

It is very interesting to see what people are most interested in. Having a market stall gave me some good ideas as to what to make next - more gloves, for one!

The atmosphere at this event was lovely. So relaxed and welcoming. We were both quite happy to sit and watch people passing by as there were some wonderful costumes, the overall standard of which was very impressive. I'll show you some later!  

Lovely weather for it!

THE Steampunk Guitar

Matt's original design Steampunk Electric Guitar attracted a lot of attention. It is still waiting to find its rightful owner, though a few were sorely tempted. It was allowed down from its place of suspension on the Sunday, plugged into a mini amp and played. There was a lot of music in Castle Square on the Saturday! Matt has, however, recently received a music-related commission. Have a look at his Facebook page for updates on his work:

ArcaneArmoury on Facebook

I'll leave you with a few more pictures. In part two of this blog article, I will introduce you to some of the people at the event and share lots of great links...I went round collecting cards from all sorts of  creative Steampunk types.

Do take one!

Shop Announcement and Intentions

The Navigatrix's Etsy shop will be set to 'Vacation' mode on Friday evening, in preparation for next weekend's upcoming event (8th & 9th September). Basically, it's because I'm taking all of my current stock with me. 

When I return, I will relist any remaining items and begin putting up any surviving new goodies that I have recently made. I intend to begin featuring other sellers, relevant, somehow to what I produce, so if you have any good suggestions of Bloggers who make Steampunk/Neo-Victorian items, who upcycle or are related in some way to the feel of The Navigatrix, do please let me know. Post your comments and suggestions aplenty below.

Let's build this Blog together. Share it on your Twitter, Facebook, Etsy Team, Google or other social media. Imagine this as the midpoint of the compass with lots of interesting stuff to point to! I'm learning as I go and I really appreciate all the help you'd like to offer.

My motto, at the moment, is 'do what I can with what I've got' and that includes time. However, I reckon that if I can help a few people get some exposure for their work, then that will help The Navigatrix in turn. Which means a decent sized business to provide my family with a good second income. (Hubby is a Careworker, they deserve a lot more reward than they receive).

So, how could I, in my own small way, help you out? 

Ooh, I've been Bloggered! 

I was surprised to find that I've been featured here:

Studio Stories

Thanks to Suzanna. You're on my list *to be featured*.

Do you think it would be possible to get 100 followers by the end of the year? What would you like to see here? Any improvements I could make? What do you like about this blog? I'm hoping to start running competitions here. Do you have any ideas about that? What sort of thing would you like to win?

These Lacy Rivet gloves are size S/M. Available soon - remember, everything is a One Of A Kind (OOAK)

The Gizmoidus....available from 8th September

Over to you...comments please :)

August Update

 A sneak peek at Arcane Armory's latest creation..the Electric Steampunk Guitar!

Matt and I went along to an enjoyable family evening recently. Of course, with our get togethers, some of the family members inevitably have strings attached. Acoustic and acoustic base guitars, a mandolin and this rather impressive Steampunk Electric Guitar among them! (I even sang a bit, not being a guitarist myself.)

Matt has given me permission to give folks a preview of his latest creation, which he intends to bring along to our stall at Lincoln's Steampunk event of the year 'Weekend at the Asylum', 8th-9th September. We'll be right outside the castle entrance and if it hasn't been sold by then, he may well be playing it...

The sound is wonderful; it has a switch to adjust the tone. I'm proud of my creative, musical family. Our Dad has long shared his guitar-building and electrical engineering knowledge with Matt, who is taking these skills forward into new territory. Anyone seriously interested in purchasing this piece can contact Matt through his Etsy shop Arcane Armoury or his Facebook page .

   

'Amber' necklace and earring set 

The Navigatrix prepares for the Steampunk event of the year!

With only four weeks to go, I must admit I'm starting to panic a little. My creative streak would love to be let loose the whole day long, but as a mother I have this precious school holiday time with my daughter as well. 

It can be a bit frustrating, trying to 'get everything done'... but what is meant by that, anyway? I've had my perspective balanced a bit by various things, one of which is a fellow blogger. In Megan's Creative Blog, the author has written some very grounding pieces such as 'Cut Yourself Some Slack' and What Doesn't Work'. Here is a woman who is on the same wavelength as me. 

The Brass-Anthemum brooch

You know when you read something and on the one hand think 'I knew that!' and on the other hand are very relieved to be reminded of it? Well, that's what I get from reading her posts, and others like her. Today, I'm on the computer a lot, spreading the word about Matt's guitar and not really making anything..because my gut instinct is to have a Facebooky, networking, blogger day. Oh, and maybe playing the addictive silly little game I recently found on my 'phone. 

I have things lined up, half made: two small pairs of leather now-fingerless gloves, an idea for new chokers, a beaded charm bracelet. The ideas keep flowing but I only seem to make successfully when I'm in the right mood. I'm learning now how to encourage and nurture that mood into being (Pendulum and Birthday Massacre in the CD player seem to help). One thing I am learning is to go easy on myself, do what needs to be done (even if I don't feel like it, when it's a necessity).

      

Inspirational Quotes series, necklaces

So here are a few examples of things that are finished but not yet up on Etsy. If you follow the Steamed blog, you will have seen most of these pictures already. I was given a guest spot recently, my first on someone else's blog. How exciting is that?! 
I really feel that I am making progress, successfully building my SEO web and finding wonderful people who genuinely love what I make. Sales are only a part of it, though an important, growing part! I'm so grateful for this wonderful internet, allowing me to share my passion with you lot out there in the world!

Tribal Airship necklace

So where have I got to? I have enough stock to cover my stall, I have five new flat folding black velvet necklace stands, I'm shopping around for some good, inexpensive damask fabric to cover the stall with. I now have the experience of running a trade stall over a weekend, so the rest is just polishing, really. Yes, and making as much stock as I comfortably can. I'm not stressing over this, that takes the fun out of the creative process. I did that enough back when I was a modelmaker. This time, though I am serious about this being a business rather than a hobby, I know myself much better and a happy Sally-Ann makes better things. 

I'll leave you with a link to Steamed - if you like it, do follow it (that goes for Megan's blog, too).

'Serendipitous Adaptations' on Steamed, August 2012

  

Behind the Scenes: Photoshoot!

A sneak preview of some new items soon to be available at The Navigatrix 

Little did my local circle of friends and acquaintances know that they were secretly being considered to be the first Navigatrix model. I have to admit being a little nervous asking, but having left my days as a shy little mouse well and truly behind me, I approached my first choice and briefly explained what I needed. Luckily, she happily agreed and so I am very pleased to introduce Kim:

 I walked into Matt's house on a Saturday morning to find that there was suddenly a professional looking studio setup in his dining room! After having been supplied with an essential cuppa, I set about ironing the backsheet as best I could (I'm an easycare, only iron on special occassions kind of mum).


I brought a mix of old and new items with me, to refresh some existing listings and to create new listings of items that have so far only been seen at the Morton Steam and Vintage Weekend. 

Absinthe's Plume

Dark Amber and Brown Velvet Choker

Copper Topper

Crystal Tube Necklace

It will take me a while to put up all the new items as I have to take additional photographs of some items on their own. Each photograph is run through photoshop to crop and rotate it where necessary. I rarely tweak the brightness and contrast as I like each photo to be as true to the item as possible. I did make myself laugh though on one image, where I found myself removing a few stray hairs with the airbrush tool... that's about the extent of my photoshop skill anyway!

Getting a lot done with very little

I'd like to encourage anyone out there who is dreaming of running a successful Etsy shop (or any other similar venture) by being up front about what I have so far achieved. Yes, I'm going to blow my own trumpet here a bit, out of a desire to help others. It's easy to say 'I can't, because..' and if I'd let that little thought dominate me, I wouldn't be writing this now. Let's visit a couple points of resistance and I'll show you how I dealt (or am dealing) with them :

• "I haven't got enough money to start a business."

~ I was in my overdraft when I started (and still am, but definitely looking up). This was one motivation to make things out of bits I already had, or could be given. I didn't have to spend anything initially to get things done. I am lucky enough to have internet access, a good camera on my phone and a strong creative impulse. I started by doing what I could with what I've got. Now, you've probably heard the saying that it takes a new business three years to turn a profit...well, I wasn't about to let that put me off, nor do I agree that that has to be my truth. Handling money is a skill I do admit I need to work on and this seems like an ideal opportunity to learn.

• "I haven't got time!"

~ Right now, my little one is at pre-school. I made the decision to treat this as a business and to allocate at least 14 hours to it. This does mean steeling myself against doing housework (not hard;) for the four mornings I have to myself at home (I do Tai Chi on a Friday). So, 8 hours, plus another 6 or so scattered throughout the week, whenever I can get time on the computer in the evening, or sitting making whilst my little one plays in the afternoon. Enough housework gets done. Usually. I'm still perfecting the art of balancing all the different aspects of living, but that is the endeavour of a lifetime.

What are your points of resistance? Leave a comment and I'll reply.

Anyway, back to the photoshoot for my most important insight: I have achieved this so far: 71 shop favourites, 127 Facebook likes, over 30 Twitter followers and a grand total of £270 in sales since I began in February this year. Plus having accepted an invitation to be be a joint leader for the In Here Life Is Beautiful Etsy Team. Not bad going for a very part time, specialised business, if I do say so myself. It's a promising start. And I couldn't have done any of it without help from other people.

Who is that dashing Skywayman? Nice earring.

'Tis Matt of Arcane Armoury, of course,
sporting another earring...

My brother does so much to support my work...in fact I credit him with the reason that The Navigatrix was created in the first place (read about my shop here. )


He helps with some photography, occassionally provides me with materials, tea and enthusiasm. In return for his help, I mention his shop wherever I can, give him feedback and support. I love our design consultations. More than once he has come to my door with a prop weapon wrapped in a jacket, laid it on the kitchen worktop and asked what else the design needs.  


Having just one person to talk to about your work, in depth, who supports you and encourages you, is essential! It can be very lonely making things by yourself and sitting alone for hours in front of a computer screen.


The support from friends and family also spurs me on, raises my self-esteem and helps me to maintain the attitude of gratitude for my creative work. 


I belong to several Etsy Teams and there are a few individuals who are fast becoming my 'Etsy friends', even though we've never met. Their generously shared experience, support and encouragement means a great deal to me.

 These are some of the new items that will be available soon. 
Enquiries are welcome, if there is demand it will encourage me to list the items more quickly! 

Tea With Elsie

I would like to thank Kim for being a great model and Matt for the wonderful photos. I'm looking forward to the next photoshoot, though that is not likely to happen until the autumn. 


Comments and enquiries are always welcome. If you're an Etsy shopper or shop owner, come and find me at In Here Life Is Beautiful , where we have a fantastic competition with a bouquet of prizes waiting for the one lucky winner!


If you like what you see and read, do share it, thankyou.


Wishing you Happiness, Health and all kinds of Wealth, whatever you do,


Sally-Ann ♡

The Navigatrix at the Morton Steam and Vintage Fair

Sophia Cardea, the Navigatrix

  
The Morton Steam and Vintage Weekend, Lincolnshire, has been running for over 7 years. It is an event that is authorised by the National Traction Engine Trust www.ntet.co.uk and is one of many rallies held around the UK. This was the first time that I had run a stall as The Navigatrix, so I turned to the Etsy community, mainly to the group I help lead In Here Life Is Beautiful. I was delighted to get some thorough advice, drawn from experience (thanks all!) which helped me to be very well prepared. 

The only thing I wasn't prepared for was that the organiser had been very thoughtful and, because of the weather, made a space for me in one of the main marquees. So, home went my gazebo with hubby, daughter and -oops- my banner.  Luckily, since we live nearby my banner was restored to me at lunchtime on Saturday.

At this point, it only feels right to acknowledge all the help I had in getting there. A 'mummy friend', who had heard of my crafty inclination, approached me one day and told me that she used to make jewellery and had some boxes left over and would I like them? 'Yes please,' I replied, thinking she meant about ten or so. Just over sixty boxes came my way later that week. These were an absolute gift, helping me to transport my work and display most of the pieces in a very professional looking way. My uncle had access to a large folding table and brought the beautiful cloth and two strips of 'pleather' to cover it with. I used a glass sugar bowl I'd inherited for my business cards and my beautiful personal jewellery tree and matching candlestick for displaying earrings.

The plastic boxes for storing and transporting had come from home, emptied of other things and borrowed for this event. Two blue glass bottles my hubby had saved made good hat stands (I'm glad he hadn't listened to my pleas to recycle them after all!).

 

The orange boards used to display the felt novelty brooches were originally slat shelves from cheap clothes storage system shelves languishing in the garage, covered by stapled-on curtains given to us by my in-laws. I hope by now I'm giving a few people hope that amazing things can be achieved on a very tight budget, as long as you are willing to accept help from others and be unafraid to ask in the first place! Even my costume, the most expensive bit, was bought in instalments, long before the event, thus spreading the cost. 

The fantastic custom-built goggles are by my brother Matt at www.etsy.com/shop/ArcaneArmoury . I had commissioned them but he surprised me by giving them as a birthday gift. {Hug} He also re-finished the mirror which used to belong to our Granny. Little personal touches meant a lot to me.

The little balloon necklace is again from Etsy, Elaina Louise Studios. The clip-on olive swarovski crystal earrings are by my Tai-Chi teacher's partner, Tracy at Because of Annie. 

The Edwardian style Tea Hat fascinator I'm wearing, I made myself and will soon be available to buy at The Navigatrix, for a limited time only. Because it goes so well with my outfit....

The hairclip was the first item I made and the one that inspired my whole shop. You can now read about the origins of The Navigatrix on my new About page. Etsy continue to impress me with their innovative developments and abundant support. I'm glad to be a part of it!

My three and a half year old daughter was quite
happy to tell passers by to 'buy Mummy's pretty
jewellery'.Bless her ♡

"When asked if one is a Time Traveller, the only proper reply is an enigmatic 'May be'"
~Sophia Cardea

Overall, I had a very good experience, made quite a few sales and gave out a lot of business cards. The comments I received from people there were very encouraging. One of the most often heard was that my items were different and people loved my costume. This hat had quite a few admirers itself! I would encourage any local-ish traders whose items complement steam powered vehicles and vintage cars to get in touch with Morton Steam and Vintage on Facebook or their official website.

Many thanks to all who made the weekend so enjoyable!

Photos by Matt of Arcane Armoury, Instagram images by dollydaydreams

Edwardian Tea Hat made and photographed by Sally-Ann Livingston of The Navigatrix 

The Navigatrix, Interviewed

This interview was written in response to a thread in one of the teams I'm involved in. With any luck, it will soon also appear in   a fellow team mates blog but I thought I might as well post it here for you:

1. How did your shop get its name and what was the main inspiration behind opening your shop?

I was putting together my first Steampunk outfit and made a couple of things to go with it, including a little feathery hairclip. I looked at it and had the sudden thought that people might like these enough to buy them.  At the time, my brother Matt was just putting together the first items for his Etsy shop, Arcane Armoury. I hadn't really heard of Etsy before he and a mutual friend started talking enthusiastically about it. I asked Matt if I could put my items in his shop (not really understanding how Etsy works) and he said the immortal line 'Why not make your own shop?'

The name came from a couple of sources. Firstly, having researched a huge selection of Steampunk outfits, the name of one from Clockwork Couture contained a name that stuck...'Navigatrix'. I looked it up on the Urban Dictionary
and loved the description, especially the bit about navigating her way spiritually and personally. I'm a practicing Reiki teacher (Japanese holistic therapy) who loves personal development books, so it seemed to fit me to a tee! I love the femininity of the name and have also been told that it's sexy...

2. What do you create and do you have a signature product? If so how did it come to be?

I create Steampunk and neo-Victorian inspired jewellery and accessories such as fascinators, gloves, bags..there are one or two other ideas brewing, too.

My signature product, I suppose, is the Governess Choker
as that was one of my first pieces. It's on my banner and my avatar, too.

3. Where do you find your inspiration and what makes you different from the other people that make what you make?

The guidelines for me are to create things inspired by Steampunk and neo-Victorian fashion; I never make the same thing twice (though I've made an exception for certain felt brooches). The reason for this is that, being a stay at home mum, beginning with limited resources, my materials have come from local charity shops and the bottom of family members' sewing kits. I occassionally buy new findings (earring wires, brooch pins) out of necessity but aim to support local shops as much as possible. However, I am 'upcycling' most materials and those are limited. This is why I'm not currently offering custom items - I've no idea from one week to the next what I'll have to work with!

So the materials themselves are often an inspiration. I'll have beads and wires, ribbons, fabric and bits & bobs laid out in front of me and suddenly I'll begin to see how certain things look good next to each other and how they can come together in a new way.

Apart from that, other inspirations have come from my background as an ex-professional modelmaker. I'm no history buff but I've always enjoyed science fiction and fantasy, so films have played a large part in informing my visual sense of cohesion (that feeling of 'does it look right? Ping! Yes!'). My brother Matt is a huge inspiration as we get to have Etsy meetings and design discussions now and again. Over cups of tea, of course. I wouldn't have a shop without him, so thanks, 'buv'!

4. What do you enjoy most about your craft?

Having the motivation to be creative again after a long respite. Allowing myself to follow my creative urge and be inspired by my materials and others' work. The fact that it fits fluidly into what little spare time I have is a huge bonus, too.

5. What is your best advice to newbie Etsians just opening their shops?

Do something every day; read as much as you can of the resources available on Etsy, in response to whatever aspect of your shop you are focussing on. Get involved in Teams. Keep doing what you do and list items as often as possible. Be courageous and open to learn. Listen to your intuition - does it feel good? Then go for it. If not, try a different route.

6. What are your top 3 favorite shops on Etsy and what do you like about them?

Number one is easy - my brother's shop Arcane Armoury http://www.etsy.com/shop/ArcaneArmoury
because I am often in awe of what he can make!
...this isn't easy!... I'd have to include The Engineer and the Gypsy. http://www.etsy.com/shop/engineerandthegypsy
I love the name, for one. The fabrics they use are wonderful (more women's clothes, though, please!) and I'd like to taste their teas. It's got a good feeling about it.

Another is Brute Force Studios http://www.etsy.com/shop/BruteForceStudios
The LRPer in me is in kit heaven! Perhaps one day I'll earn enough for one of their amazing creations (hubby is probably hoping I get the cog bra...hmm...)

7. Where else (other than Etsy) can you be found online?

(Here, at my Blog!)

And here:  pinterest.com/thenavigatrix/

Facebook:Facebook

and find me on Twitter as @Reikiblossom

I'm also on Google+ and LinkedIn.

8. Do you have any coupon codes / special sales / upcoming or current promotional events going on in your shop?

I've just finished one round of promotional coupon codes..but..every customer gets a special coupon towards their next purchase. I'm one of the Leaders of the  'In Here Life Is Beautiful' team and we're nearly at 100 members. When we reach that goal, there will be a special event to win donated items from other team members and I'm contributing to this. Apart from that, The Navigatrix is trading at a local Steam and Vintage weekend on the 16th and 17th of June. There may well be something to look forward to after that ;)