MEGAN AUMAN

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fall SALE

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I was doing a little fall cleaning in my office this weekend, and decided it was time for a really BIG SALE in my etsy shop. I think you’ll enjoy it!
And cozy/cuffs are all still just $20 while I prepare to launch the new version.
I’m also just 2 sales away from 200, so as a little thank you, I’ll be sending out a special surprise gift with the next 5 purchases! (Note: Apparently I was already at 200 sales when I originally wrote this – special gifts for the next 5 purchases anyway! Thanks for your support!)
How’s that for a fall sale?

cozy/cuff sale!!!

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Ok, so I know this seems a little counter-intuitive after my last post, but all the cozy/cuffs in my shop are now on sale for $20! That’s over 40% off!
Why, you may ask. Well, I’m trying to make room for the next generation of new and improved cozy/cuffs. (And no, I won’t give you any more info than that – I’m just going to keep teasing you until I’m ready for the big reveal.) But in the mean time, enjoy the original cozy/cuff at a really great price!

the cost of the cozy/cuff

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When I showed the cozy/cuff at the New York Gift Fair in August, I got a lot of feedback on the price – namely, most people thought they were too expensive. While I’ve been fluctuating the price a little bit, its been within a range that covers my expenses plus allows me a little profit. But most of the cost is wrapped up in material and making costs. Why? Because they are made in small batches in the US, rather than by the truckload in China.
I was talking to a friend the other morning, and explaining that, as the daughter of a US-based manufacturer, I could never outsource overseas. Its just not something I’m interested in. Its important to me to keep production as local as possible. She then asked me, would I be willing to mass-produce the cozy/cuff overseas if it meant that then everyone in the US used one? What’s more important – the type of production I value, or getting more people to stop using a wasteful product?
I was also thinking about reactions to the cozy/cuff at Crafty Bastards. I occasionally get comments from people to the effect of, “I’d probably forget and throw it away by mistake.” And today while watching Big Ideas for a Small Planet, it hit me. People don’t think about what they are throwing away. If we paused before tossing things in the trash, you wouldn’t have to worry about accidentally throwing your reusable coffee sleeve away.
So, if I sent the cozy/cuff overseas to be manufactured just so that they would cost $5, it would be defeating the whole purpose. What’s the point of replacing a disposable object with a practically disposable object? If the cozy/cuff has a higher perceived value, hopefully you will think before throwing your coffee cup away. And maybe you’ll start to think before you throw other things away as well.

i heart wool

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Today I’m working on prototypes for some new cozy/cuff designs (and no I won’t give you any more details than that!) and it has me waxing poetic about wool and felt. So I thought it was about time I showed some images from my trip to NYC a few weeks back. I went with a bunch of Towson students a faculty, first to see Design for a Living World (again). Afterwards, we took the ferry to Governer’s Island to see Pioneers of Change, an exhibition of Dutch design.
With out a doubt, my favorite installation was of my design crush, Christien Meindertsma. Sadly, Christien wasn’t there on the day I was there, but I loved how she displayed all the steps of her process. I especially loved the details on the types of wool and dyes she uses. It brought me back to my feltmaking days in grad school, when I meticulously recorded all the wool dying I did.

Now all I’m thinking about is what a wonderful material wool is, and all the fabulous things I could do with it. (Oh, and that wouldn’t it be fun to have a few sheep of my own!)

thanks crafty bastards!

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A little late, I know, but thanks to everyone who came out for Crafty Bastards this weekend! Its been a year since my last retail craft show, and I had forgotten how important they are – for connecting with your customers, for getting feedback on designs, and for catching up with all my crafty friends! Thanks to everyone! (And thanks to whoever made the weather so gorgeous!)

And a big thank you to Amy Klainer, who shared a booth with me! Thanks for making the day go smoothly! Its nice to not be alone in the booth all day for a change!

crafty bastards!

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Hey everyone – if you’re in the DC area tomorrow, don’t forget to stop by Crafty Bastards. I’ll be in booth #116 with fabulous Towson grad Amy Klainer.

I’ve got cozy/cuffs galore, plus the new ornaments (you can’t even get ’em in my Etsy shop yet), gocco prints, and all your favorite jewelry (including some new chains in all sterling silver). So stop by and say hello!

clarity and certainty

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Today was one of those rare days where suddenly I can clearly see the direction I want to be headed in. I feel like I’ve been spinning lately, but can now see a path out of the chaos. I’m not quite ready to expand on the details, but I wanted to document how I was feeling. Because right now I am feeling sure and certain. And excited. And tired. (Ok, that last one is only because I’m coming off a long day of teaching, so its time to say goodnight.)

orange coat

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I’m all about finding bright, visible clothes to wear while riding bike that don’t look like, well, neon cycling clothes. I think this orange coat would be adorable to wear while I’m biking as the weather gets cooler. And its waterproof, which would have come in really handy yesterday when I was biking home from cross country practice and got caught in a sudden rain storm!

i heart teaching

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I apologize for the sporadic posting of late. I’ve been so busy lately, and my brain has been so scattered, that its been a challenge to marshal my thoughts into a cohesive blog post. And I apologize if this comes off a little rambling.

One of the reason that I’ve been so busy lately is that I’m teaching A LOT this fall. I’m actually teaching 3 classes in the Metals + Jewelry and Interdisciplinary Object Design programs at Towson University. I’m also helping coach cross country at the local middle school/high school again. Plus, I recently completed my LCI training through the League of American Bicyclists, and I’ll be attempting to teach a few bike classes this fall as well.
All of this is a long way of saying that I’ve come to the following conclusion – I love teaching!
I know I said a while back (I can’t find the exact post) that I was done with teaching, but I was wrong. I think I’ve grown a lot in the past year, and I’ve come to understand just how important teaching is to me and my own creativity. I think I’ve also learned a lot about myself as a teacher – things that are helping with my stress levels so that I don’t reach the burn out that led me to take last fall off.
I’ve frequently joked that if I could, I would be a lifetime student if only I could afford it. I’ve now come to realize that teaching is learning (and I get paid for it). I feel like I have freedom to learn, and play, and experiment, and hopefully get to pass that new information on to my students.
I’m also understanding how much the environment I’m teaching in has a lot to do with my happiness level. I’m lucky to teach with some truly amazing people at Towson, and I’m grateful I keep getting asked back to teach.
Something else I’ve realized is that I can actually be a rather competitive (and dare I say, jealous) person. When I see someone with a successful business, its hard to quash the voices in my head saying, “why her, not me?” I’m not proud of that, but its true. With my students and the kids I coach, I’m the complete opposite. I want only amazing things for them. I want them to be more successful than me. Its an amazing feeling to see the accomplishments my students make, and know that I helped them (even if it was just a little) a long the way.
I’m also starting to understand (with a little help from Seth Godin) that teaching is an incredibly effective, personal form of advocacy. Instead of screaming from the rooftops in the hope that someone hears me, I have a slightly smaller audience that is actually listening. Teaching can be a powerful tool in the pay it forward method of advocacy. If I can reach 3 people, and each of them reaches 3 people, and so on, suddenly so many people are impacted.
At this point, I still can’t honestly say that I want a full time teaching job at a university. Even after all the growing, I still don’t think I’m ready for the all the bureaucracy. But I am happy to continue teaching and coaching and learning along the way, because I can now honestly say, even on the hard days, that I love it.
Thanks for reading.