Rise Up Designs

One thing markets have taught me is that growth is not always about bringing more. More products. More displays. More signs. More things packed into every available inch of the table. Sometimes growth looks like learning what to leave behind. When I first started doing markets, I wanted to bring everything. I thought the more choices I gave people, the better chance I had of making a sale. And honestly, that made sense to me at the time. But after doing markets for a few years, I’ve learned that too much can become overwhelming—not only for the customer, but for me too. A crowded table can make it harder for people to understand what I sell. Products can get lost. My best items may not stand out. And instead of creating a warm, inviting space, the booth can start to feel like I simply brought everything I own. Now I try to be more intentional. Before I pack for a market, I ask myself: Does this product fit the direction of my business? Does it work with the rest of my displ...

One thing I’ve learned over the past few years is that customers don’t just buy products—they remember brands. As summer markets turn into the busy fall and holiday season, I’ve been looking at every part of my booth asking one question: “If someone walks away without buying today, will they remember my business tomorrow?” This year I committed to making my brand more visible. Not by spending a fortune… But by using tools I already own. I already had my Cricut. I already had my heat press. So I started creating branded table linens, adding my logo to different covers, refreshing my display, and making sure my business name is visible from every angle. Because when someone tells a friend… “You have to check out that booth…” I don’t want them wondering what my business was called. I want them saying: “It was Rise Up Designs.” Your booth is more than a place to sell. It’s your storefront. Every sign… Every table cover… Every display… Every logo… They’re all working for...

One of my commitments this year was to become more involved in the small business community. This weekend, I participated in another small market at a local coffee shop. If you’ve followed my journey for a while, you know that most of my larger events are 10x10 booth spaces filled with products, displays, and lots of foot traffic. This market was much smaller—a cozy 5x5 setup—but it reminded me of something important. Of course, every small business owner hopes for sales when they attend an event. But I’ve learned that showing up isn’t always about what you sell that day. Sometimes it’s about building relationships, getting out of your comfort zone, and becoming part of something bigger than yourself. As I walked around the market, I took photos of the other vendors and shared them on Instagram. I tagged their businesses and encouraged people to stop by and support them. My thinking was simple: if someone comes out to support me, maybe they’ll discover another amazing small business...

 When I first started creating, my focus was pretty simple: tumblers, wraps, and learning everything I could about UV DTF products. Like many small business owners, I spent countless hours figuring out designs, testing products, and learning what customers responded to. But something interesting happened along the way. I realized the product wasn’t really the thing. The creativity was. The skill set was. The ability to take an idea and turn it into something meaningful was. For a while, UV DTF decals primarily meant tumblers for me. And while I still love creating them, I started asking myself: What else can I do with the tools I already have? That’s where the fun began. The same UV DTF products I was using on tumblers started showing up on: 📚 Blind Date with a Book bundles 🔖 Beaded bookmarks 🔑 Keychains 👜 Book lover totes 📖 Annotation kits 🎁 Reader gift bundles Instead of learning an entirely new craft, I simply found new ways to use the skills I already had....

Yesterday was my first summer kickoff market of the season, and overall, it was a great day. The weather cooperated, customers stopped by, and I had the opportunity to share some of my favorite products with fellow book lovers and market shoppers. But one interaction stuck with me long after the market ended. A customer stopped by my booth and began asking questions. Lots of questions. How do you make these? Where do the materials come from? How much does it cost to make them? Do you make them yourself? Do you buy them premade and resell them? As creators, we pour so much time, energy, and creativity into what we do. It’s natural to feel protective of our work and wonder why someone is asking so many detailed questions. But as the conversation continued, I learned something important. She wasn’t trying to copy my business. She wasn’t looking for shortcuts. She was trying to raise money for her church and was looking for ideas and inspiration that could help support their ...

If you’ve been following along, you know weekends are usually filled with market prep, product planning, inventory checks, and getting ready for the next event. This weekend looked a little different. After a trip to Waco and a week of feeling under the weather, I found myself doing something I don’t do very often: slowing down. No major crafting projects. No late-night prep sessions. No marathon product-making weekends. Just rest. At first, I felt a little guilty. As a small business ownerl, there’s always something that could be done. A product to create. A display to improve. A social media post to schedule. The to-do list never really ends. But this week reminded me that sometimes rest is part of the work. When we’re constantly moving, creating, and hustling, it’s easy to forget that our energy is one of our most important resources. If we don’t take care of ourselves, eventually our creativity, motivation, and excitement begin to suffer too. My next summer market is com...

This weekend I participated in a smaller market at a local coffeehouse, and honestly? It ended up being a really good reminder that growth doesn’t always happen in the biggest spaces. Usually, I work larger markets with a full 10x10 setup. This time, I had to scale everything down into a much smaller 5x5 space. At first, I worried about how much I’d have to leave behind or whether it would still feel like me . But once everything came together, I realized something important: Sometimes limitations force creativity. The market itself is still growing, and this was only their second event. The first time I participated, it rained most of the day, so there wasn’t much traffic. This weekend was different. The turnout was smaller than some of the larger events I’ve done, but the conversations were meaningful, the atmosphere was relaxed, and it gave me the opportunity to really pay attention to how people interacted with my setup. One thing I consistently hear at markets is how cohesive ...