Weddingbee PRO

I discovered DK Designs when Weddingbee blogger Mrs. Pineapple had them create all of her wedding florals.  Diane is an accredited Deco Clay Craft Academy Instructor and handcrafts the most beautiful clay florals for weddings.  Here she is to tell you a little more about herself and her growing business!

How did you start your business?

I have a MBA in International Business with a minor in Japanese and having worked in high-tech marketing for over 10 years, I knew it wasn't something I wanted to do long-term. I wanted to find something more creative and rewarding, and always had a knack for the creative and doing DIY projects. Back in 2001, I found the DECO Clay Craft Academy. I was in the process of buying a home on the island of Oahu, and telecommuting a couple of times a month so I asked if I could take classes when I was in town. My instructor, Yukiko Miyai agreed and I immediately took to the clay. I can't say that I was a pro from the beginning; it honestly was a challenge to get the flowers right, but I was determined. Yukiko was just expanding the instructor's program and I saw the business potential early on. I went through the program in 1.5 years and became an instructor! Yukiko was excited because she didn't have any mainland instructors so she really pushed me to finish and start teaching. I was working full time but taught in the evenings and on weekends to interested students. The interest was phenomenal!

In 2005, I had to make a decision, as my company gave me an ultimatum — come back to San Jose or lose my job after I had my son. So I opted to leave high-tech and focus 100% of my time making DK Designs successful. I focused mainly on the flowers and wedding invitations and taught here and there. In 2007, we had to move back to California, and I joined Etsy and started selling. Honestly I didn't sell a thing for over 2 months and then Martha Stewart's show producers found me and asked me to send samples, and all I can say is the rest is history. I was getting calls and emails left and right for classes and clay flower bouquets. I wasn't ready for the level of interest, but I'm happy to say that I've kept up with the demand. Mrs. Pineapple also found me via Etsy and she asked me to do her bridal party flowers. That was a HUGE boost to my business as well, especially from brides-to-be who saw the work I did for Mrs. Pineapple.

Although my work experience is a huge departure from what I do now, it taught me a lot about how to successfully market my company and my products, so I can't say that it was all for naught!

How long does it take to make a flower?

Depending on the flower, it could take me 2 minutes or it could take me 15 minutes. I can make hibiscus flowers in 2 minutes flat; large complex flowers like gerberas and peonies could take closer to 15 minutes. My favorite flowers currently to make are the peony, ranunculus and dahlia. Beautiful flowers with lots of petals.

Why did you launch your blog, and how has it impacted your business?

A photographer friend, Debbie Friedrich Photography, told me that I should blog because it's an extension of my website and a way for me to bring in potential customers. We both commented on how we have nothing to write about, but the more and more I thought about it, it became something I had to do. I learned about how blogging can increase where you end up in the search engines. I could blog that day and would get a Google alert telling me about my blog post. I love to write rather than speak, so blogging is a lot of fun for me. I can express how I feel about a certain project or what inspires me. I can give potential clients my honest advice on certain aspects of flowers and invitations. Most of all it's a chance for me to share photos of my most recent work that's not on my website.

My blog and Etsy has really been a wonderful marketing presence for me. Companies like Estilo Weddings found me and various well-known wedding blogs have featured my work on their blog after seeing my flowers on Etsy and my blog! I've also gotten some magazine coverage, and it’s always so amazing to see your work in print!

Tell us about your typical day.

Normally I start my day drinking coffee while responding to emails, updating my blog, reading blogs, and updating my Twitter and Facebook pages. If I have any items to post on Etsy, I'll do so. I really don't have a typical day. It's basically try to tackle my orders whether they are flower or invitation orders. If I am making flowers that day, I pretty much spend the entire day working on the flowers. If I've just assembled an order, I will take photographs, upload them and send them to my clients, and at the same time update my blog.

I also teach two weeks out of the month so I have students come from all over the Bay Area, who also want to learn how to make flowers and possibly teach one day. Even students from Canada and all over the US have been taking accelerated courses with me because no one else teaches currently in the mainland that will agree to do the accelerated course with them.

I work out of my home so my work space is the kitchen table, the living room is my photography studio and every available piece of closet space is my storage! I'm very excited though because In the coming months, we will be converting the living room into my studio space where I can have ample room to work on my flower projects, teach classes, make invitations and have a showroom to meet with clients. Having a studio is going to make a huge difference moving forward!

Up until last September I was a one woman corporation. I did it all. I then decided that if I was going to be able to keep up with the demand, I needed to hire someone. I decided to hire some of my relatives who are also crafty, have that eye for attention to detail, and just truly want to help me grow and make DK Designs a “household” name. They help me on the invitation side of the business so I can focus more of my energies on the flowers. Making the flowers takes years of practice, honing your skills to perfect the flowers. Between being a stay-at-home mom and a entrepreneur, it's all a juggling act. There is no day off in my life. Every day is a work day from 7:00 a.m. to midnight. One day I could be focusing all day on flowers and the next is all invitations. My passion and joy is really the flowers because it's so creative and it is so meaningful to be able to create a piece of a bride's wedding day that is one of the most important elements! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE what I do and I think brides are happy with the idea that they are spending their money on a bouquet that they will have forever. That's the wonderful thing about the clay flowers. They are forever and it's eco-chic!

The CLAYCRAFT by DECO, air-dry polymer clay product is so amazing. There's nothing like it out there. I always can improve on my techniques and try new things to make the flower look more lifelike. It's an artform that always evolves. It never gets boring and that's why I love it! I love working with it and creating one of a kind custom bridal bouquets and centerpieces for my clients. No two people will have the same bouquet! I always make the bride's bouquet unique and their own regardless if they like another bouquet and want the same exact one.

Thanks for showing us a glimpse into your business and life Diane!  If you have any questions for Diane, please feel free to ask below.