Do it well

I stopped my work tonight to watch a movie with ML. Tomorrow I'm going to the market with what I have and although it's close to Valentine's Day and I still have tons to do to get enough stuff done for the market, I decided not to rush into anything any more. I just want to take one step a time and create something really nice for the market, not just whip things up (like I used to, I have to confess), it has to be something nice even in the "touristy" product line.

I "feel" the idea Message in a Puzzle will fly.

Too bad I don't have a puzzle machine to make curvy puzzles. I think sooner or later I will need to buy one. But I need to wait until I'm ready - i.e. enough good arts to support the business. Here are what I have so far, but I'm not sure if they are good enough... I need to think. Calm down and think.

One step a time, Carol. There is always tomorrow.    

Message in a Puzzle

This will be one of my product lines - puzzle with a message in it. It can be used as a love gift for holiday greetings. I will print something generic for sale off the shelf. Or people can write up their own messages and we mail out the package for them (to remain anonymous until the puzzle is put together).

I feel this will be a good idea for the market. We will see.

Puzzles and New Year Wishes

Just two weeks ago I had an idea. If I use magnet, I don't have to have puzzle machine to cut curvy puzzles. I could just cut into various triangles - yes! So I give it a try. And even my picky daughter Joy agreed it looked fun to play. So I cut some with my collage prints (laminated with a vinyl surface then onto a mat board + magnet sheet) and gave them away to neighbors, friends to test out. It took me 30 minute to finish putting one together and I also found out triangles are harder to push around on magnet. So I changed it to irregular square shape. I also gave up lamination with vinyl on top. Vinyl was to protect the surface from dirty fingers, but it turned out it could be sharp at the edge on the fingers too. So I checked on other puzzle making website, nobody used lamination, so I decided to cut short one step.
Then I cut short one more step. I apply the image directly to a thicker magnet instead of a layer of mat board. Mat board is too hard on the knife.
I started the business in the market, the first day I only sold 7 magnets. Second day, three magnets and one puzzle. Tomorrow will be the third day.
Name is also something I work on right now.
Puzzle D'arte, pack-a-puzzle, message-in-a-puzzle, puzzle-me-this, Magnettos. I love them all for different reasons.
In the market, everything has to be "right on" - people are busy and there are hundreds of little stands. If you don't catch their attention in the first second, they are gone. So what will be the name that catch the eye and the mind?
My new year wish is to make my Pike Place Market gig a viable one by selling both touristy puzzles & magnets as well as my art, and I could  paint and do the art I love while waiting on the booth.
Angels, please bless me and help me get there.