Saturday, January 29, 2011

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.

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