Thoughtfully Blogged — Thoughtfully Handmade RSS

Have you ever seen an item sold by an artisan and thought, “That’s so expensive! I can get this for less at Walmart!”? As a small shop owner and cardmaker, I hear this all too often. I’m writing this blog post to explain why handmade goods are often more expensive than similar items from big box stores. How? Well, I’m breaking down where your money goes after you buy one of my cards.

Recently, I’ve been having a little identity crisis for Thoughtfully Handmade. As you know, my slogan is Adjustable, affordable, adorable. While you can still personalize your cards with me and they are still cute, the prices of my cards have gone up. I was scared to do this- terrified actually. I still believe that $7 is too expensive to pay for a card, and I will never raise my prices that high. However, things have gotten more expensive and my time is now more valuable. What do I mean? Well, I’m about to show you what happens to your money after you purchase a $5 card.

I started making cards when I was 15. Needless to say, they weren't the best... Now, I know why my card designs weren't aesthetically pleasing, and it was because I forced my design and my creativity. But, I digress. If you want a blog post about my struggles as a creator, comment down below so I know! Anyways, onto the actual blog topic I'm covering today- transforming your old card designs. This is what my old card looked like...

I thought it was time to share one of my favourite mind-numbing activity- making tassels! Seriously though, tassel-making helps me de-stress as I can just pop on a movie and not think for 90 minutes. But first, I need to go over the materials and supplies that you need...

So, as you may have heard, Thoughtfully Handmade has teamed up with Seniors With Skills to spread positivity. Ten cents from each and every card or bookmark sold will be going towards their operational costs! Without further ado, here is Jaya, the founder of Seniors With Skills to explain exactly what they are all about.