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Hi, I’m Jaime, the owner and designer of 2 Boys and a Dog. I started my Etsy shop: Two Boys and a Dog in 2012, mostly selling reclaimed wood trays and signs. In the past few years, I have actually done most of my business making custom signs for people in my local area by word of mouth and through my Facebook page I recently made the jump and opened my own vendor booth in downtown Lompoc, CA! But enough about me, here’s how to make your own custom sign…
Once I’ve decided upon a saying, I start designing my sign using my silhouette software. First set the paper dimensions to match the sign. Then add the quote or image that you’ve decided upon; adjusting the size, font, and spacing until you love it. When you love it, go ahead and select “Send to Silhouette” and “Start”. I usually stay close to watch the initial feed of the vinyl through the machine to make sure I loaded it straight. Every once in a while it will pull out from under the rollers, messing up your stencil. Once it has fed the full length of your sign, you can walk away… want to go refill your coffee, now would be a good time.
Since we’re making colored lettering on a stained sign, the next step is to remove the lettering from the “stencil”. My son volunteered to model how this is done so that I could take pictures for you guys. Be cautious on the letters that have a center which will remain on the stencil (like the lowercase e). *tip - I usually use my weeding tool to hold the center down while I pull the rest of the letter up.
Once I’ve decided upon a saying, I start designing my sign using my silhouette software. First set the paper dimensions to match the sign. Then add the quote or image that you’ve decided upon; adjusting the size, font, and spacing until you love it. When you love it, go ahead and select “Send to Silhouette” and “Start”. I usually stay close to watch the initial feed of the vinyl through the machine to make sure I loaded it straight. Every once in a while it will pull out from under the rollers, messing up your stencil. Once it has fed the full length of your sign, you can walk away… want to go refill your coffee, now would be a good time.
Since we’re making colored lettering on a stained sign, the next step is to remove the lettering from the “stencil”. My son volunteered to model how this is done so that I could take pictures for you guys. Be cautious on the letters that have a center which will remain on the stencil (like the lowercase e). *tip - I usually use my weeding tool to hold the center down while I pull the rest of the letter up.
Once all the letters are removed you have your stencil. How are you going to get it onto your sign without messing any of it up? Transfer tape! I use a large roll, but it is easier with to use a flat sheet that has been cut to the same size as your stencil. To use the roll, unroll about 10 inches of the transfer tape and insert your arm into the center of the tube (makes it much easier to control). Align the closest edge of the roll with the edge of the vinyl and carefully put the corner of the tape that has been unrolled onto the matching corner of the vinyl (bottom left of the transfer tape onto the bottom left of the vinyl). Smooth the tape onto the vinyl working up and down the stencil while moving slightly towards the roll, trying to not get any bubbles or creases. Once you have worked your way up to the roll that is on your arm, push down on the tape and vinyl while unrolling the tape further. Keep doing this until your whole stencil has been covered. Cut the tape along the edge of the stencil.
Using some force, run a scraper or credit card all along the vinyl, making sure that it is firmly attached.
Position the vinyl stencil on top of the sign, taking special care to center it and keep it straight. The best way that I’ve found to actually stick the vinyl on the sign is to hold it firmly in place (usually I put my entire forearm on the stencil to hold it securely), unpeel one corner of the backing folding it back on itself. Work the vinyl down, starting by creasing the backing, then going back and forth, working towards the outer point. Once it has been secured to the sign, you can reach under and pull more of the backing towards you, sticking the vinyl down as you go.
The last step of the stencil is to remove the transfer tape.
Now the sign is ready to be painted. *tip - Chalk and mud paints are thicker and don’t bleed under the vinyl. Once the paint has thoroughly dried, peel off the vinyl… don’t forget about the center of the letters.
Protect the sign by adding your favorite sealer, frame it out and it is all done. You have your very own custom sign.
- 7:43 AM
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- 3:09 PM
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We hope everyone is enjoying the first weekend of Fall. The weather has been gorgeous. Not too hot or cold. Just right. We've noticed some Fall foliage starting to take place around here. Eeek. Like many others, this is my favorite time of the year. There's something about Fall that makes me want to get out and pick and junk till my hearts content. And speaking of pickin...we are interviewing, Alana Waters-Piper today of Nest Vintage Modern.
Nest Vintage Modern
Blog/website: http://www.nestvintagemodern.
Facebook: https://www.
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/NestVintageModern
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/NestVintageModern
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/
Instagram: instagram.com/
We are so happy to have her here today. So let's get started!
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1 . How long have you been a vintage dealer? 4 years.
2. What type of setting are you in? I sell at Jackson Square Antique Mall in La Grange, IL. It's about 20 minutes west of downtown Chicago. I was a customer there for 12 years before I got my own booth. I've found so many wonderful things for our home there, so it's a great fit. I also do regional markets like Nellie's Barn Sale and Kane County. Last year we had a blast at the Country Living Fair in Ohio. (Highly recommend making the trip!)
3. How many booths do you have? I keep one booth in the antique mall, then my traveling setup. -Plus I sell on Etsy.
4. What size booth/s do you have? My antique mall booth is about 10x18, but the market setup is usually about 10x10 and in front of my vintage trailer. I find that manageable to set up on my own.
5. What do you sell? I try to keep a defined story in mind for what I sell. Usually it's something which could have been in my grandmother's home. One grandmother was all about 40's farmhouse style, the other was into designer mid-century. I tend to lean toward farmhouse with a little MCM thrown in. I'll mix in new items that have vintage flair, like handmade pennants, candles, and jewelry.
6. What do you find sells the most in your booth? Linens. I think those really tug on people's hearts. Folks see an old tablecloth and it takes them back to great moments with their mother or grandmother. They're easy to store and usually affordable so you don't have to feel guilty about picking one up for your collection.
7. What do find sells the least in your booth? Oddly, soaps. I really thought beautiful handmade soaps would sell well since it's an affordable luxury, but nope! Sometimes I get a gut feeling that something will really light folks up, but sometimes it's off. Oh well!
8. Why do you think your booth has been successful? I think it's successful because everything about it is a genuine love of mine. My heart is completely in it. It's not something I did just because I thought it was fun, though there's not a thing wrong with that. A large reason I have my booth is because somehow going out to find, clean up, rescue, and find new homes for these items feels like I'm honoring my family history. My mother has 2 booths in Texas and has pretty much always done antique malls and markets. My grandfather on my dad's side had an antique furniture store. My grandmother was a big believer in getting something well made then caring for and repairing it if needed. Things rarely got thrown out. She sewed her curtains, linens, and clothes. They were simple with pretty touches to make them special. A plain green pillowcase would get hand-tatted trim. Simple cotton curtains would get a plain ruffle to make them sweet. That's what I grew up around and the wares I sell are tangible memoirs that honor the people I love. Does that make sense?
9. How often do you refresh your booth? I try to get it at least once a week to spruce up and add-to.
10. What mistakes have you made and learned from as dealer? Not mixing in enough smalls. At first I wanted to be all about furniture. The tough part with that is it makes doing markets absolutely exhausting. You're basically moving an entire apartment's worth of goods each weekend. Take a handful of good furniture pieces, then mix in linens and smalls. Make sure there's a little something for anyone who likes your style. Something that's an easy treat to indulge in, some good giftables, or affordable painted furniture that's easy for a young woman trying to outfit her first home.
11. What advice do you have for someone just starting out? Paint the story you want to tell with your booth and stick to it. Make a set of questions that help you define the story you want your personal brand to be about. Keep asking yourself those questions as you hunt for goods, then you'll have a cohesive collection instead of a box of clutter. That and get a Square reader & a reliable truck!
12. What do you think the number one mistake is that unsuccessful dealers make? Being inflexible or refusing to listen to their antique mall owners. Those folks know what sells in their space. Pick their brains and ask for advice.
13. Do you do this full time? I have before. I am now, but also freelance as a graphic designer.
14. Do you stick to a specific color scheme with your booth? No, but I try to keep my brand colors teal & red.
15. Do you utilize social media, and if so, which ones work best? I love Facebook. I started a page about 4 years ago and am up to just about 30,000 followers at this point. Pinterest is strong, but I'm not as strong on Twitter or Instagram. Facebook tends to be the place where we're all more conversational. I'll post a picture of an old Green Stamps book and everyone has a memory of them. Sometimes the conversations go on for days or weeks. I love that! It's so fun to hear everyone's stories.
16. How do you break down and come up with your prices? I balance between my comfort level as a potential customer, sold prices on eBay, Etsy, and my peers in the mall. I try to lean to the lower end of the price range for quicker sales. It's better for customers to know they'll see fresh goods when they come back then the same old stale stuff that I could have sold a long time ago if I had priced it for $10 less. Everything has to pay it's rent. If a dresser sits for 6 months at $300 when it would have sold in 1 month at $200, then it didn't pay it's rent.
18. Do you change your booth out to reflect the season and or holidays? I do! I need to go over now and pull out the summer camping stuff, but I leave the picnic items and add wool blankets for fall tailgating. There's a baseline of items which are always there, like dishes and furniture, but I'll add touches of holiday items to making being there fun for customers.
19. Do you swap out stale merchandise or do you reduce it for a fast sale? I do! And sometimes it's all about rearranging. I'll move something from the shelf to a tabletop and all of a sudden it's gone. For some reason people see it as new or maybe they didn't see it before. So in addition to swapping out stale goods to go to market or putting it on sale, sometimes just rearranging stimulates sales.
20. Do you think booth location is important? YES! Absolutely, just like any retail location, you want to be in the main flow of traffic.
21. Do you use any kind of inventory software for your personal use? I use Square register to track sales at markets, then I keep photos & a list of everything at my antique mall booth.
22. Do you market your booth/s outside social media? I used to place print ads in local publications, but as much as I personally want to support print media, I've found that I get much more bang for my buck in social media, so that's where all of my ad budget goes now.
Do you have any other advice tips or info you would like to add? Sell what you love. Pay attention to trends, but if you sell what you love it'll always be fun. A couple winters ago I sold at a market about 4 hours from home. It was freezing cold and I slept in my chilly vintage camper but I had a blast! The people who do this for a living are good folks. Salt of the earth people who are usually pretty darn nice. Get out and meet the other dealers. You'll see them over and over. They'll become your clan of vintage gypsies, like family you look forward to seeing at the next market. It's a wonderful community to be a part of.
Thank you so much, Alana for an awesome interview!
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- 11:19 AM
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Happy Sunday friends. Hope everyone had a great weekend. The weather is certainly beginning to feel like fall around here and we are loving it. We were able to get out this weekend to a small town festival and car show. As usual we ate to much junk food that the vendors were offering up this year. But enough about our weekend. Let's get on with our weekly interview. We had the pleasure to of speaking with shop owners, Barb and Bob of Hand Pickin Emporium They are located in the heart of old Rocklin 4155 Rocklin Road, Rocklin, CA 95677. Click here to visit their facebook page.
1. How long have your been a shop owner? My Partner and I have had a shop going on 4 years. Hand Pickin Emporium is the second store. It is an Antique Mall
2. How large is your store? 5000 sf.
3. Do rent out booth space? Yes we have indoor and outdoor spaces and we do Outdoor Picker Markets every 4thSunday.
4. Before becoming a shop owner, were you a vintage dealer? We started collecting as a hobby.
5. What do think your hot ticket items are that customers just can't get enough of? Wow that really changes Monthly, weekly and daily.
6. What are your non selling items? Vintage Clothing
7. Do you think the shabby look is still selling very well? Yes, We sell more painted furniture then natural wood.
8. Do you sell a lot of industrial chic and salvaged items? We sell hardware, doors, windows and anything Victorian.
9. Do you utilize social media? If so, which ones work best for you? Yes, I am a huge believer in the internet and the power of it reaching people. Facebook is still my favorite.
10. Does your store offer any kind of creative classes? Yes, We have a paint class featuring our Pretty Powder Paint. We teach different paint techniques.
11. How many days a week are you open? 7 days a week. That will change in winter I am hoping for a 5 day week.
12. Why do you think your shop has been successful? One reason is our dealers. They are all so talented and smart "PICKER'S ". We try to have something for everyone and every type of collector. We also keep a "wish list" for our costumers.
13. What advice would you have for someone going into business for themselves? Know it will be the hardest job you will ever have. We work 7 days a week 13 hr a day. We eat, drink and sleep Hand Pickin Emporium. Make sure you love what you do and who you do it with because that makes all the different in the world.
14. What do you think the biggest mistakes are that vendors make? Thinking they will go into a space fill it up and forget about it for a month. I warn all mine that getting a booth is when the hobby becomes a business. Booths need fresh stock weekly.
15. What do you think the biggest mistakes are that shop owners make? Thinking it will be fun to own a store. It is a lot of work and finding a partner that shares your vision is a must. I am lucky my partner knows my strengths along with my weakness and trust me when I make a decision.
16. Have your done any barn sales or Vintage Markets? If so, how many? We have Pop up Markets called "Outdoor Picker Market's every 4th Sunday. We have been doing them for about a year.
17. Do you doing shows? No shows any more. I miss doing them, just like I miss hitting the road. Hopefully those will be in my future again.
18. What are some advantages and disadvantages of doing shows? I feel the advantage is it helps you streamline you pickin. Teaches you what sells and what doesn't. Also let's you meet people that shares your passion. Disadvantages? Early Mornings, long hours, lots of lifting and lots of cookie loos.
19. What advice do you have for someone that wants to do a show, but has never done one? Have a cute booth. I know people a visual and cute booths do good. Neat and organize wins.
Thank you so much, Barb and Bob. We appreciate you taking the time to speak with us.
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