Personally designing/upcycling shoes

With my love of fashion i have decided to come across in adding something amazing to Kasha Designs. Iam up cycling my old shoes or shoes I can get a hold of. So yeah  you can say a shoe designer. One of a kind and a friend has even asked me to upcycle a pair of her old not so pretty shoes anymore. This is going to be so much fun as I can design an outfit with shoes and accessories and have a fully complete line now. This was the first part and they turned out great. I can not wait to get started with even more.

This is the shoe before. I have had these for some time and they were just too bland for me. Also the other shoe the strap broke and I did not just want to get rid of them.

After. My mind and hands went to work and I got this now vamped up wedge. All fabric was from what I had laying in my sewing room and rhinestones add some bling to it. I really love them and will look great this spring and summer.

 Not bad for my first attempt. I'm excited to do more and will be doing themed shoes as well. I may be doing a Nicki Minaj or Katy Perry inspired shoe : ) Every so often I'll find something themed to design the shoe around.

Krista
Kasha Designs
http://www.facebook.com/kashadesigns

*GIVEAWAY* Fashion inspired jewelry Kasha Designs

I am having a giveaway for a handmade jewelry set with necklace, earring and a bracelet. It is very beach, summer ready with shells and a beautiful blue and with pearls. Watch the video on how to enter. This jewelry was inspired all from one shirt that I got at my local Goodwill.

See more Kasha Items at:

http://www.Facebook.com/kashadesigns

Kasha Designs
kashadesigns@live.com

CLOSED*GIVEAWAY* our custom LIP BALM I NEED VOTES

You just heard right. Kasha Designs is expanding in many great ways. You can get handmade jewerly, home decor items, hair accessories and now our very own lip balm.

But I need your help. I have 7 flavors to choose from and only 3 will make the cut. I need all of you to vote for which you would like to see Kasha start out will. 2 people will get to sample all 3 flavors and a select few will get to sample 1 of their choice. I will let voting go until Monday and announce the flavors and winners Tuesday but if I do not have enough votes voting will have to continue another day until I have finals.

the pole is on facebook here

https://www.facebook.com/KashaDesigns#!/home.php?sk=question&id=233593359996589&qa_ref=ats

BUT IF YOU DO NOT HAVE FACEBOOK OR IT DOES NOT WORK HERE ARE THE CHOICES AND JUST COMMENT YOUR CHOICE.  YOU CAN PICK 2

1.French Vanilla
2. Cherry
3. Chocolate
4. Love Potion (watermelon and Vanilla)
5. Pina Colada
6.Tropical
7. Spearmint

Kasha Designs
www.facebook.com/kashadesigns
www.kashadesigns.webs.com

Up coming YouTube review

Kasha Designs will be having a fantastic fan all the way up in Canada do a review on our jewelry for all to see and join in on the upcoming success that Kasha Designs hopes to have. Shaniqueka has a fashion vlog (video blog) where she shares tips, tricks and reviews of items that she buys from places she loves to shop.From make up, jewelry, clothes, purses, hair pieces. We will keep you posted when the vlog will be up and get information on how to enter a Kasha Designs giveaway for this special milestone!! Thank you Shaniqueka and all of our fans!!


Krista
Kasha Designs
www.kashadesigns.webs.com
www.kashadesigns.Zibbet.com

Double your fun.

When making a craft that you plan on selling and making a business out of it is a good idea to make at least two of that one product. Now I would personally stop at making three because if you make 15 of one product then find out that it is not a hit you are out of money and stuck with all 15 of them. But if you make one and others are asking for them you may end up working even harder trying to keep up with orders.
There are some things you buy that come in packs of two or more like pendents in jewelry making take those and make two and see how those go. Or make two different variations of that one product.
The ending note is don't just offer your customers first come first serve unless that is all you have left or all you could get your hands on from the store.
Just a little something to keep in mind to keep customers happy when you have a product that is in demand.

Krista
Kasha Designs
www.kashadesigns.webs.com
www.kashadsgns.etsy.com

Versatile baby/toddler blanket (boy)

Versitile baby/toddler blanket (boy) - Kasha Designs- handmade accessories
(CLICK ON THE LINK)
This is the versatile baby/toddler blanket I have made. This one is for a boy, but you dont have to get it for a boy; girls like blue too. It is 27" x 36" with a checkered print of stripes, white, puppy dogs and polka dots with green, brown and blue on the various squares. I have trimmed it with brown blanket bindind and on the back side of the blanket it is a navy blue finish.


I will be making the one for girls this week so it will be up soon. I have a few new projects I have been working on. Some home decor items, hand panting and decorating vases to use for flowers, decorations, or a holder to hold pens, scissors or your ring mandrel it's versatile too.


You can find this blanket on the website along with many other items and many more are coming soon.



Krista
Kasha Designs
http://www.kashadesigns.webs.com/
http://www.kashadsgns.etsy.com/

Elegant Chandelier earrings

I was at home and I had some free time before bed and I added an extra hour of designing. I try and keep a good schedule of daily life and work(designing). Making a personal schedule like book keeping on certain days for 1-2 hours, designing on certain days 1-2 hours and then everyday activities... I'm sure you get the idea but it's a schedule that works for me. Well back to the point, I just wanted to share how I manage my time to make the items I get to make.


I came up with what I call the Elegant Chandelier earrings. I'm sure you have seen a basis of this type of earring but something about this one stuck out for me and I'd like to show you ; )


I had the following.....

Pick your style of beads you will need one good size main bead, I picked blue, and a hand full of other beads, in a smaller size and color of your choice as well as style. I went with a clear crystal/rock style bead. ( I got a long necklace from the Goodwill) I love recycling old jewelry from thrift stores. I did not count how many beads I put on each earring. I think it makes it more original; not every earring will be a like but by all means count yours if you would like.. continuing you will need a head pin to stick in your larger bead (my blue bead you see I have mine inserted that I closed with an eye) a medium jump ring and your metal earring.


You will also need a hand full of eye pins to attach to the eye of the head pin and the jump ring after you attach all three as follows.

When your earring looks like the above picture you can start adding your other beads. Using your head pins to insert through the bead color of your choice (my clear beads) start off by adding beads to the eye of the head pin and then go up to the jump ring and to the eye of the earring.

Keep going until you have a look that you like....

And here is mine : ) I hope you like it and go a head and try it out yourself. If you don't make jewelry these will be for sale on the Kasha Designs website. Happy Easter!!!

Krista
Kasha Designs
http://www.kashadesigns.webs.com/
http://www.kashadsgns.etsy.com/

Small Business Bible

Yes you heard right. I bought The Small Business Bible by Steve D. Strauss.(2nd Edition) Some people think seriously you got a book about business but please don't knock it until you try it. I'm into the first chapter and so far it has some pointers that I never thought about and have put to use. I also got some websites to look at because yeah I think I am good at my art, but for now I am the one having to be the accountant, marketer, owner etc so I need to get a basis of each category and then some.

($10.98 at Amazon.com I have the direct link in my previous blog post of recommendations)I will read this book, write down pointers and try them. I am very serious about Kasha Designs and I want to meet, greet and experience so many things and people on my journey.

I am very excited about my read and I hope you at least look into this book or another one. Again look at my recommendation post, there are craft books and business books I posted.

Oh I'll be using my beaded cross key chain and bookmark for this book.

($5 key chain/bookmark cross. You get to see it first. It's not on the website.... Yet)








Have a great Earth Day and Good Friday!!

Krista
Kasha Designs
http://www.kashadesigns.webs.com/
http://www.kashadsgns.etsy.com/

Pricing your items guide

I just read this great blog, I mean it's fantastic for those who are looking to make their crafts a real business. You want to make a profit off of it but you also want to get paid what you are worth. If you do just make crafts as a hobby and just make a few extra dollars besided covering for the supplies that is fine. But read this blog, subsrcibe to the blog and download the free ebook that is offered on pricing you itmes. it's a great read and helpful for your business

Art Bead Scene Blog
"Pricing & Value"

http://artbeadscene.blogspot.com/2011/04/pricing-and-value.html



Kasha Designs
http://www.kashadesigns.webs.com/
http://www.kashadsgns.etsy.com/

Recommendations on books for business and crafts

Here are a few links to some books that I love and recommend for running/starting a small business and keeping up on your craft. If jewelry making and sewing is not your craft. Go to my previous blog post and click on the amazon link and search for your craft. Eitehr way I recommend finding atleast 1-2 good books to read up on.









DONT FORGET CHECK OUT KASHA DESIGNS WEBSITE AT www.kashadesigns.webs.com

Read up on your craft

Anyone can make crafts, if you are self taught or went to school or took classes. Most crafts are really simple to catch up on but I would always reccommend that you read up on your craft. There are many things that you can teach yourself and be taught but there are even more things out there that can be learned and so many books that I have learned new techniques from that I did not know about. Do not think that you know everything there is to know because everyday someone could be coming up with something new.
Check out the amazon link to books and search for your craft and always feed your mind to keep your customers happy and your art unique.




Kasha Designs website
http://www.kashadesigns.webs.com/
http://www.kashadsgns.etsy.com/

Recycle & reuse

When falling in love you can sometimes see that you find yourself spending more to keep up with your love... I'm talking about crafts of course.
I got into fashion design, jewelry making sewing and many other crafts and after time trying to get a good stock started to buyers, you can find your pockets getting lighter and lighter. So the solution, recycle and reuse. I have so many extra pieces of jewelry I will never wear again, those pair of pants that got a whole in the butt from when I was having a really good time to my favorite song so what do I do? I throw them all into my reuse pile. I take something old and create something entirely new.
A hold shirt can become a new popular hand bag and that old necklace may become a new bracelet with some added beads from an other old piece of jewelry and well you should get the point. It helps when you are light on money but your creative mind will not seem to stop. I also find myself going to my local Goodwill or Salvation Army and going through their jewelry and finding some great items to add to my collection. I only pick those that are in good condition and can easily be cleaned.
So when in doubt if you find your start up is costing more than you are making just take a step back and I'm sure you can find items to recycle and reuse and if you have to go through your mom or friends stuff, I already have friends telling me to come over and take their stuff and I am more than glad to.


DONT FORGET CHECK OUT KASHA DESIGNS WEBSITE AT http://www.kashadesigns.webs.com/

Great blog for entrepreneurs to read

This is a blog that I read on etsy.com It was so great that I just had to share it. I will be taking the advice that is given in this blog and put it towards Kasha Designs because I love what I am doing and only want to see it grow. I can say that I too have put myself in a job field that I thought I always wanted. I go there and now I see I need to stop pushing it and do what my heart is telling me.

Enjoy,
Krista - the link is below

"Quit Your day job: Snapcrafty"

http://www.etsy.com/storque/seller-handbook/quit-your-day-job-snapcrafty-12552/?ref=sell_blog_post


Krista
Kasha Designs
http://www.kashadesigns.webs.com/
http://www.kashadsgns.etsy.com/

Inspiration

Alot of things inspire people to want to do something. Mine I think is a bundle of many things, people around me who want to see me do something with my life, parents and siblings and my son are most likely my main inspirations. Well with personal inspirations comes outside inspirations. I grew up in a home with a mother who is what I call the queen of crafts. I do not know one thing she couldn't fix, make or figure out. Every creative string in me came from her. Well getting to the point every Sunday morning I would wake up to shows a long the lines of Sewing with Nancy.
After time, i would pick up on what the shows were about when it came time for me to make something; of course with a lot of help from mom. When I was growing up Nancy did a lot of clothing but now the show shows crafts around the house and quilting which I would recommend this show to any creative mind that is out there, but just don't be surprised if it's a lot of quilting talk.
What I'm saying is dont just be inspired by your surroundings go out and find outside inspiration. From shows like Sewing with Nancy or this new show called beads, baubles and jewels. This show is on weiu(PBS) through direct tv showing every Sunday 1:30 (central standard time) I'll try and find a showing on sewing with nancy if needed. But beads, baubles and jewels has a website if you do not own direct tv at beadsbaublesandjewels.com Honestly I really dont know how new this show is I just caught wind of it this year, I dont watch too much tv.
There are other tools that I use to get new ideas or learn how to do things that I can not quite pick up. Youtube is very good for that. Now all of the videos can become very overwhelming but, if you take the time and look you can find some really great videos. I'll have to make a blog list for you for the top 5 videos that I found that have made me better at making the crafts that I love.


Krista
Kasha Designs
http://www.kashadesigns.webs.com/