* Your portfolio can include personal "pet" projects as well as client work. So build something that you enjoy working on, and limit yourself to, say, 3 days. Link to it, get the code up on GitHub.
* Recommendations from your previous employers can still be beneficial to you. Having a testimonial from someone is going to increase the confidence of anyone looking to work with you.
* Go to local networking events. This is a great way to put yourself out there and start talking to people about what you do.
* Related to the above -- practice your elevator pitch. Instead of technology specific stuff -- "I am a Ruby programmer" yawn try being more specific about what you do "I build mobile applications for small businesses" -- this is more likely to pique somebody's interest when you are at a networking event.
* Keep scouring jobs boards. It takes time, but there are a lot of decent jobs out there. If you want to save a bit of time, sign up to lead generation service -- there are a few out there. (I run one at https://freelancedevleads.com if you are interested).
* Enjoy it! Going freelance is an amazing thing, so remember to take a step back every now and again and appreciate what's going on!
Good luck with everything, and please do give me a shout if you need any help (e-mail in my profile).