With COVID-19 giving everyone fits of fright, regular sales channels for Buckaroo Bling have mostly dried up. Back in May and June, I faced a hard decision when I found out all of my scheduled live events for the summer had been cancelled. I had to decide whether to let Buckaroo Bling completely fold, which meant throwing away all I put into it in the past two years, or figure out how to go with the flow and keep the business afloat until better times come.
If the events of this year taught me anything, it's not to put all of my eggs in one basket, not to skate on thin ice, and not to get out on a limb if the said limb doesn't look sturdy enough to support my weight (and that's quite a bit of weight, trust me). Now, this doesn't mean one basket shouldn't have more eggs in it than the other, or ice skating shouldn't be done - period, or ambulance needs to be called every time I get out on a limb. Not at all!
The show must go on, they say. That's not always the case, especially when organizers are completely dumbfounded by all the new public health rules which differ from state to state and from county to county, sometimes without rhyme or reason. The easiest thing to do when faced with potential lawsuits and exorbitant fines is to cancel the event, refund the vendor fees, and swallow the loss hoping things will get better next year.
To do any job properly, you need the right tools. A jeweler's hammer is not the same as a blacksmith's hammer or a carpenter's hammer, for example. Even within the jewelry industry, different tools are used for different types of jewelry making. Today, I'm taking you behind the scenes of Buckaroo Bling to show you the tools I use in my studio.
Participating in live events is part and parcel of a maker's business. There also comes a time when you have to decide whether to do only local shows or to travel out of town for other opportunities. Is it possible to have a good out of town show experience on a budget? Peek behind the scenes at Buckaroo Bling to find out.
With the new year getting off to a roaring start, it's time again to take you behind the scenes and show you what's new at the Buckaroo Bling studio. If you follow this blog and Buckaroo Bling online shop with any regularity, you'll know that the original Dream Catchers collection is getting retired in 2020. So what's next? Read on to find out.
So, you know Buckaroo Bling is made in Montana, but Montana's a big state, and where exactly is Buckaroo Bling? Flathead Valley locals know that we're local too, but Flathead Valley is a pretty big area, so where exactly is Buckaroo Bling? Today, I'm taking you behind the scenes to show you where exactly we are, from the general neighborhood, to our backyard, to the studio itself. Just like that silly doe in the cover photo, you'll be able to take a sneak peek, no matter where in the world you are.
If you follow Buckaroo Bling with any regularity, you know that in October, our studio was closed for a few brief periods throughout the month. Looking at a regular calendar, those days might have seemed odd: October 9th, October 14th and 15th, and October 20th and 21st. What's up with that?
Can you believe it? There are only 56 days left till Christmas. Only 56 days to plan, only 56 days to shop, only 56 days to wrap gifts... But, before panic sets in, let me get you in on a piece of information that'll make your gift shopping and gift wrapping much easier and more rewarding this year.
Summer in Montana is the time when a lot of art and craft shows are happening. After all, we want to catch all the tourist traffic we can get during our short summers, and show the visitors what we, Montanans, are capable of. This is also the time when county and regional fairs take place. So, what would happen if the two types of events were combined?
Part of life as an artist and a maker is applying for shows. Although there are some similarities in the process, different shows have different rules and requirements, and sometimes, making sure one meets those requirements feels like jumping through hoops.
With COVID-19 giving everyone fits of fright, regular sales channels for Buckaroo Bling have mostly dried up. Back in May and June, I faced a hard decision when I found out all of my scheduled live events for the summer had been cancelled. I had to decide whether to let Buckaroo Bling completely fold, which meant throwing away all I put into it in the past two years, or figure out how to go with the flow and keep the business afloat until better times come.
If the events of this year taught me anything, it's not to put all of my eggs in one basket, not to skate on thin ice, and not to get out on a limb if the said limb doesn't look sturdy enough to support my weight (and that's quite a bit of weight, trust me). Now, this doesn't mean one basket shouldn't have more eggs in it than the other, or ice skating shouldn't be done - period, or ambulance needs to be called every time I get out on a limb. Not at all!
The show must go on, they say. That's not always the case, especially when organizers are completely dumbfounded by all the new public health rules which differ from state to state and from county to county, sometimes without rhyme or reason. The easiest thing to do when faced with potential lawsuits and exorbitant fines is to cancel the event, refund the vendor fees, and swallow the loss hoping things will get better next year.
To do any job properly, you need the right tools. A jeweler's hammer is not the same as a blacksmith's hammer or a carpenter's hammer, for example. Even within the jewelry industry, different tools are used for different types of jewelry making. Today, I'm taking you behind the scenes of Buckaroo Bling to show you the tools I use in my studio.
Participating in live events is part and parcel of a maker's business. There also comes a time when you have to decide whether to do only local shows or to travel out of town for other opportunities. Is it possible to have a good out of town show experience on a budget? Peek behind the scenes at Buckaroo Bling to find out.
With the new year getting off to a roaring start, it's time again to take you behind the scenes and show you what's new at the Buckaroo Bling studio. If you follow this blog and Buckaroo Bling online shop with any regularity, you'll know that the original Dream Catchers collection is getting retired in 2020. So what's next? Read on to find out.
So, you know Buckaroo Bling is made in Montana, but Montana's a big state, and where exactly is Buckaroo Bling? Flathead Valley locals know that we're local too, but Flathead Valley is a pretty big area, so where exactly is Buckaroo Bling? Today, I'm taking you behind the scenes to show you where exactly we are, from the general neighborhood, to our backyard, to the studio itself. Just like that silly doe in the cover photo, you'll be able to take a sneak peek, no matter where in the world you are.
If you follow Buckaroo Bling with any regularity, you know that in October, our studio was closed for a few brief periods throughout the month. Looking at a regular calendar, those days might have seemed odd: October 9th, October 14th and 15th, and October 20th and 21st. What's up with that?
Can you believe it? There are only 56 days left till Christmas. Only 56 days to plan, only 56 days to shop, only 56 days to wrap gifts... But, before panic sets in, let me get you in on a piece of information that'll make your gift shopping and gift wrapping much easier and more rewarding this year.
Summer in Montana is the time when a lot of art and craft shows are happening. After all, we want to catch all the tourist traffic we can get during our short summers, and show the visitors what we, Montanans, are capable of. This is also the time when county and regional fairs take place. So, what would happen if the two types of events were combined?
Part of life as an artist and a maker is applying for shows. Although there are some similarities in the process, different shows have different rules and requirements, and sometimes, making sure one meets those requirements feels like jumping through hoops.
