10th Sale Celebration ~ Plus a New Halloween Bow!

I just crossed another couple of items off my 101 in 1001 list.

#6

Fulfill 1 custom order.

#9

Reach 10 sales.

I am so excited to finally be crossing these ones off my list! It was a big week for my humble shop! I had my first international sale, my first custom order, and my 10th sale all in the same purchase. It was such an awesome learning experience, and I am so happy to finally be seeing my sales in the double digits too! This is what I sent out:

This bow was already listed in my shop, but she asked if I could make her a 2nd one, which qualifies as a custom order! Not only that, it was sent to the UK! How awesome is that! Because of this I also discovered that my shop's international shipping rate was grossly inaccurate and had to change it. Whoops! Well, like I said - this was definitely a learning experience! My lovely customer also told me that these bows are being used by 2 excited bridesmaids at an upcoming Halloween wedding! So cool! I hope she sends me a picture!

So, since this bow was finally purchased, I realized I have NO Halloween products left in my shop! That is just outrageous - Halloween is one of my favorite holidays after all. So, of course, I had to whip up this beauty:

Candy corn bow! Hooray!

I think it turned out pretty stinkin' cute. Have you ever seen those little candy corn witch costumes for little girls? SO cute! I think this accessory would look really cute with something like that.

Well I guess that's it for now! I hope to be putting more Halloween bows up in my shop soon, as well as some CHRISTMAS stuff (yay!) so remember to keep checking out my shop which can be found on the right sidebar over here ------>

Thanks for stopping by!

What You Made Wednesday #3 with Linky

Welcome back to What You Made Wednesday, everybody!! I look forward to this day every week. Let's start off with what I did today.....

Duct Tape (Duck Tape) Headband!

I know, you're probably sick of me saying it, but I have to...... - I'm pretty much in love with it. It is made ENTIRELY out of Duct Tape (or as most people call it, Duck Tape..... I still call it Duct Tape, call me old-fashioned) and also Electrical Tape. Electrical Tape is great for the headband because on the off-chance that the headband size you order is too snug when you receive it, electrical tape can be stretched to your desired size! I still have a few more touches to add (maybe rhinestones? We will see....), and some model photos to take of it before it goes in my shop, but when it does it will be going for $4!! Such an awesome deal in my opinion.

And now for What YOU Made. Last week we had 7 entries, but the one that got the most likes was.....

Toeless Yoga Socks by Made by Meg!

Click the photo above to be taken directly to the listing. She has some other really neat stuff - ceramic tiles coasters, super cute coffee cozies, etc. So go show her shop some love!!

And now it's YOUR turn! Show me what you've been working on all week, I love looking at them. Remember that this Linky will be open until April 10 at 11:59PM, so if you don't have something to share yet you can always come back later in the week to share your stuff! Just remember to follow my blog -------------------> so that you can find your way back here later on. Also remember that the link-up with the most likes gets a special mention next week just like Meg did today, so tell your friends to vote for you!

'Til next time, thanks for reading! <3

~*~Gela~*~

Made of Money Monday #2 - Button Bouquets

Hello again!! I have to say, I am really enjoying this blog. I really look forward to writing, you know? Even though I don't have many followers/readers yet, it makes me feel good, and so it's worth the time and effort. =)


Ok, enough of the mushy stuff. Let's go ahead with our Made of Money Monday!! So, if I were made of money today, I would probably be buying some of these....

Button bouquets!!! These are made by Angela D. and are sold in her shop, angel9. They vary in price range - some of the smaller flower girl ones are only about $18 - $23 (which is actually incredible when you think about how much buttons normally cost, and how much time it probably takes to make these), but some of the nicer wedding bouquets can get up to $150. But if I were made of money (or getting married again haha) then I would definitely shell it out for these. They are adorable, and it's such a cool and creative take on the traditional wedding bouquet. Here's some of the nicer bridal-style button bouquets:

I mean, it seems to me that whenever brides are planning a wedding, they are always looking for a way to stand out. Things that their guests are going to remember. And to me, this seems like something that may go unnoticed at the ceremony (just because they are smaller, and actually LOOK like real bouquets from far away) but when the reception rolls around, as guests approach the wedding line or just go to congratulate the bride in general, they would see it and go "OH MY GOD ARE THOSE BUTTONS?? Look how cute they are!!" I know that's what I would be doing anyway if I had never seen one before and saw my friend sporting one in her wedding apparel. It's something that is both traditional and unique at the same time, and also fits under the categories of "classy" and "adorable", and that is so rare a find. These bouquets are also made in less traditional colors, and I think could have an alternate use as some of the CUTEST CENTERPIECES EVER. I mean, picture one of these in a cute little transparent vase sitting in the center of your table at an event:

In fact, that last one is even pictured in a glass jar, and it looks so elegant in and of itself - just imagine if you were to adorn the jar with little gems and fill it about half-way with some of those transparent stones you can find at the dollar store, etc etc. So many possibilities wrapped up in such a cute little piece. I'm telling you, if you are planning a special event or know someone who is - keep angel9 at the top of your list. Her stuff is so cute and perfect for almost any occasion you can think of. As usual, click any of the above photos to be taken directly to that listing, or click here to be taken directly to her shop.

And just so everyone knows (because I didn't specify last week) I am not compensated for any of this. This includes Made of Money Mondays as well as Feature Friday. I do it because I appreciate the work that these shops do, and enjoy bringing great products to the eyes of my readers. They don't sponsor me in any way, and I don't even tell them ahead of time what I am doing. But who is going to argue with some free exposure and a bump in traffic, am I right? So show their shop some love.

If I don't have something fun and exciting happen between now and Wednesday, then I will see you then for another What You Made Wednesday!! Remember I will have LINKY up on that day so you can share your stuff with me (and other readers), and I will also be giving a shout out to the listing that has the most likes from last week. So if you haven't posted your stuff yet, the Linky from last week is still OPEN, so go post your products and get people to like your stuff! Thanks again for reading, everyone~ <3 See you then!

~*~Gela~*~

Etsy Success Symposium

Well, originally my plan was to wake up on Friday morning, eat breakfast, then let the hubby take care of the kids while I bust out my notebook and watch the symposium all day.


........That didn't happen.


Life happened instead, and the hubby had one of those rare days where all he wants to do is spend time with me ( =O ), so I had to take him up on the opportunity and ended up spending most of the day with him. Not complaining! But because of this (and 2 screaming kids) I didn't catch as much of it as I would have liked. But this is what I caught.....

Storytelling: I don't know how much this relates to my product. I sell bows...... Not much of a story behind that other than maybe the decision that got me to choose to fabric and the style of the bow..... Not very interesting. I do think I need to go into more detail about how the bow is made though.  Like.... how I heat-seal all my bows' edges by hand from a candle to avoid fraying. That's important! It means that it's going to LAST. I should be telling my customers that. Definitely something to think about.


Prices: People don't buy into the "I'm selling amazing items for super low prices". I was selling bows for about $5 a piece..... That was almost no profit. But I thought to myself "I'm just starting out, people won't want to buy my stuff if it's too expensive, maybe I'll raise the prices later when my shop gets busier." ......But honestly, my customers are probably looking at my prices and saying "Wow, this bow must have been stapled together for that price." So I went back and repriced EVERYTHING. I gave them prices equivalent to how hard I worked on them instead of how much they costed to make. I need to start paying myself fairly. And you know what? I went back later and looked at my inventory in my shop with the raised prices, and magically felt BETTER about my work. I was definitely shortchanging myself. I also need to be able to hold sales and give out coupon codes without worrying about losing money on it. They need to be at a price where I will still be making profit even if I sold it 25% off or something. One person at the symposium pointed straight at the camera, and said something like "YOU ONLINE. Go to your store and double your prices right now. I'm serious." So I took that to heart, and I feel like my prices are more fair to me and also give proper credit to my bows and their quality now.


Photos: .......Oh my lord I have been over-exposing my photos to light. They all of a sudden look terrible to me!! One person at the symposium mentioned that if you're not sure if your photos are up to par, you should take some frequently Front Paged items and put them all in a treasury with one of your items to see if they blend together nicely. Mine totally don't. I feel like my bows are really like... IN YOUR FACE close to the camera. No bueno. Also, there was a little "commercial" between sessions that teaches you how to take proper and professional photos. I was already doing most of her techniques, but she said "Don't be afraid to experiment with props." And that is something that I haven't really done. I generally put the bow on the white paper, take a bunch of different angled photos, then slap it on my daughter and take some more photos. I should be trying them on teddy bears or in the foreground of some pretty jewelry that could work with it or something. I need to play around with it more and have fun with it.


Pinterest: ......Apparently a lot of Etsy traffic comes from Pinterest. I just barely joined this site myself.... And I still barely know how to work it. I need to figure it out. Seriously. If anyone has any tips or tricks about Pinterest, or just wants to teach me how to use it, I am open and thankful for your advice.


Craft Fairs: I really am interested in doing these some day, and those folks from Crafty Bastards really helped me see what will and won't work when that time comes for my business. How to decorate your booth, what to plan for, what to bring, what's important and what isn't, etc. I wish I had written down more notes about it to refer to later when my 1st craft fair comes up, but I didn't because I was busy holding a baby in my arms while watching. Bummer!! But hopefully with their guidance, my first attempt will be a fairly successful one. There are no craft fairs around these parts (I sound like such a hillbilly right there), but there is one in SLC every year. The deadline is coming WAY too soon for me to participate this year, but maybe next year I will attempt it. It should be a good starter fair before I (hopefully someday) move on to Renegade or even the Crafty Bastards showcase.


Well, I learned a lot. If you didn't catch it they still have all the videos available on the online labs page on Etsy, so you should check some of them out. Hope they help you as much as they have helped me so far!!


Remember to join me again tomorrow for Made of Money Monday #2!! I have some great stuff lined up. Thanks again for reading~! <3


~*~Gela~*~

Feature Friday #1 - DragonNerd

I am so excited about today! I have been looking forward to it all week. Today I am going to introduce a new concept to my little blog - Feature Friday! Basically the plan is that every Friday I will choose a shop to Feature here. We'll talk about their products, what makes them special and unique, and even have a little Q&A with the geniuses behind it to get better acquainted with the history of their shop - as well as get sneak peeks and advice from them! So, here goes Feature Friday #1!


This week I was lucky enough to work with Mike & Shaunna Fuellbrandt from DragonNerd. This is one of my favorite shops to browse on Etsy! Mike creates beautiful pieces of jewellery using wire bent in geometrical patterns called fractals. Here is one example of DragonNerd's work:

This is the classic Dragon Curve design by DragonNerd. Beautiful, right? They have this particular design in all sorts of colors, and some even have matching earrings! Check this one out!

But this isn't the only design they have. There are plenty of beautiful patterns to pick from! And they even offer to do any design in your own custom color choice, and they will even bead it with your choice of colors as well!

In fact, there are so many beautiful pieces that I wish I could just post ALL of them right here!! Here's just one more....

I had a few questions about this FANTASTIC shop. So I contacted DragonNerd and got to ask Mike a few questions. Here are some of the answers I got.....


Q: When did you start crafting?


A: I started in the summer of 2009. I was reading and getting interested in the "making" phenomenon; seeing these "makers" build these ornate sculptures with recycled materials intrigued me. Then I stumbled upon a project by the Evil Mad Scientist and it amazed me. It was an intricate 3D art piece designed by a mathematician/artist: George W Hart. The article showed me that *I* could make something like this, something beautiful and amazing. Before that, I had very little creative confidence. I was grounded in logic and never really thought of myself in any artistic capacity. I had a ton of cardboard in my garage (from a recent move) and I set out to create one of these for myself. That was the first time I threw myself whole-heartedly into crafting.


The article that started it:
(www.evilmadscientist.com/article.php/frabjous)
The artist's work, on etsy:
(www.etsy.com/listing/87292191/frabjous-geometric-puzzlesculpture)


Q: What inspired you to start your own shop?


A: I had discovered a certain class of fractals called Lindenmayer Fractals. In particular, there was one called the Dragon Curve: AKA the paper folding fractal. I had a moment of inspiration that I could recreate this fractal in wire (and not paper). So I did, and gave it to my wife. Then I made some smaller ones, and arranged them in a cube. I was burning with a feverish desire to see this finished, so I was using every spare moment to make these 24 copies. I was making them everywhere I had a spare moment, even on the bus ride home! Eventually I lost count of the pieces, and made too many. My wife saw these extra pieces, and thought that it would look good as a pendant. We put the extra Dragon Curve on a cord, and she wore it out with her friends. They all went wild over this and wanted ones of their own. I made those, and then Shaunna introduced me to this little site called Etsy...


Q: What hopes do you have for your shop in the future?


A: I want to get back to creating. I really love that I am creating something that people would generally use a computer to express. I'm constantly seeking out new fractals to try out. I'm even trying to design my own! I am also playing with them and seeing how they look in different arrangements.


Q: Is it hard for you to keep your personal life balanced while maintaining your shop?


A: Not really, I make most of my fractals either on the bus or after everybody has gone to bed. My wife is really supportive and does most of the product write ups and chains during the day when our youngest naps. Sometimes we try things out in the evening after the kids are in bed. Taking pictures can be tricky, but with summer on the way, I should get more hours of useable sunlight.


Q: Any advice you would give to people that are interested in or just starting out on Etsy?


A: I think we were somewhat lucky to have an almost completely unique idea. The catch with that is that it's a bit harder to get the word out! Who's going to look for dragon curves - most people on Etsy haven't even heard of them. So I guess our advice would be to tell everyone, EVERYONE, that you are selling. And if you are selling something niche, to go and join forums and tell people that you are selling stuff they might be interested. Worse case scenario? They ignore you. (But don't get spammy - you don't want to get blocked either.)


Also take good pictures. Practice and take a 100 if you aren't sure. The sun is your friend - indirect is best. We still take tons and tons of pictures - different angles, different backgrounds, any idea that comes to us and might work.


Q: Can you give us a sneak peek of what is coming soon?


A: I've been experimenting with some shapes - I decided to do a 5 pointed star. It was a little drab, so I did a second layer, and bent it up. I call them Star Flowers, and my family loves them.


He was nice enough to give me a picture of this exciting sneak peek! Here it is, people!

Well, I hope you have all come to love and enjoy this shop as much as I do. I also hope to be able to consider myself a lucky owner of one of these beautiful pieces some day!! If you haven't already discovered that any of the above pictures will take you directly to their shop's homepage, here's yet another opportunity!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/DragonNerd


So go check them out, buy their stuff, make a statement. Then tell your friends!! Together we can help DragonNerd become an even bigger success!!


A special thank you to Mike and Shaunna Fuellbrandt for allowing me to feature their shop in my VERY 1ST Feature Friday!!! Looking forward to doing this again next week. As for me, I have an Etsy Success Sympsium to attend ALL DAY (as I'm sure most of my fellow Etsy shop owners will be doing today), so stay tuned for my report on that tomorrow. Thanks everyone! See you next time!


~*~Gela~*~

What YOU Made Wednesday #2 w/ LINKY!

Hi everyone!! I am so excited about today!! I finally got Linky! (I know, I'm so behind the times.) So now What I Made Wednesday can officially be turned into What YOU Made Wednesday! So, this is what I worked on this week~

I call this my BRIDAL BOW! I'm pretty much in love with it. It's made from this beautiful white and metallic silver floral fabric that just looks DAZZLING. Plus the center finish is just SO classic. It's also one of the largest bows I've ever made, measuring about 5 inches wide. Definitely for adults rather than children. Which means I will need to find a grown-up model for this one.... Hmmm..... I'll have to think on that one.

So that's my sneak peek - It will be heading into the shop later today!! In the meantime - Show me what you have been working on!! My Linky is limited to one per person, but it will be up until 4/3 at 11:59PM, so if you want to add something later on in the week then feel free! Just make sure to follow my page ---> so that you can find your way back here. Remember to click on and like some of your favorites! We are all here to support each other =)

As always, thanks for reading! <3

~*~Gela~*~

Kameo Crafts banners!

Hi again! Hope you guys all enjoyed my 1st made of Money Monday yesterday! Tomorrow will be our 2nd What I Made Wednesday, but today I'm here to talk to you about something different. =) My shop just got a new look. Let me tell you, it's beautiful. Tom from Kameo Crafts was nice enough to design a new shop banner for me!! Check it out!!

Yeah, I'm pretty much in love with it!! It even features one of my hand-sculpted clay roses on the right! That was a nice touch. His idea, of course. Now..... Despite how embarrassed I may get, I feel obligated to show you this banner in comparison to my old one...... Don't laugh!!!

I know, I know!! Tom's is sooooo much better!! It's nice to finally have a professional-looking shop and it's all thanks to this guy!! 

By the way.... HE SELLS THESE!! Yeah, I'm serious. And for a reasonable price as well. Click the pic above to be taken directly to the listing. And go check out his other stuff while you're at it! He's got some really cool graphic pins and magnets that are really cute for a low price (I'm serious about how cute they are. I never joke about cuteness.)

Show him some Etsy love!!! Thanks, Tom!!!

~*~Gela~*~

Made of Money Monday #1

Here's my newest weekly post - Made of Money Monday. It's not a feature - it's just things that I have come across on Etsy that I LOVE and would definitely buy for myself if I was made of money. =) So, here goes!!


This week I found - ORIGAMI LAMPSHADES!! They are so beautiful. I wish I could replace every lampshade in my house with one of these. I can't believe I have never heard of them before! Check this one out. This lampshade is made by tyART:

So gorgeous!! As always, click the photo to be brought directly to tyART's listing. Show them some love!! This one is for the amazing low price of $25.00 and it comes in nearly every color you can think of! Amazing!! Here is another great one:

This one comes in different colors as well, but is approximately $120. Still very beautiful though!! This one is made by Studio Snowpuppe (click photo for listing), and they even have an adorable little story in the description of this item that you MUST read. So cute. Go check it out and show them some Etsy love!!

Guess that's all for today. As always, thanks for reading!

~*~Gela~*~

More Inventory, Supplies, & Hope

Hi again everyone! I have been very busy. I've added lots of stuff to my inventory. I am now at 21 items!! Almost a quarter of the way to my goal. Man, there is still so much to do!! But I got more done every day, so it's a work in progress. You can see some of my newer items in my brand new SLIDESHOW!!! ------------------------------->
Isn't it pretty? =)


So, the other day I had a little mini scare. I made about 3 pairs of mini classic bows. Only had enough small alligator clips for one set of them. So, I set off to the store. Wal-Mart first because I had to pick up a couple things for the fam anyway, and because they usually have some there. Nope, out-of-stock. So I head over to the ONLY other place in town that sells them, Jo-Ann. (Did I mention that this town is teeny?) And wouldn't you know it. They are completely out of them. And the best part was that they had NO idea when they were getting more. =D Whoo-hoo. So I looked online to see if I could get some without an outrageous price tag. I had heard of www.hair-hardware.com before, but had never visited. But in my google travels, I stumbled upon it and decided to check it out. They had just what I needed. AND IN BULK. ON SALE. It was amazing. At Wal-Mart I would be paying roughly $2 for a package of 10. At Hair-Hardware.com I got 144 for $10. I KNOW!! Never again, Wal-Mart. NEVER AGAIN!


So, I love what I do. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE IT. 110%. But I haven't had any sales since my first one. I get compliments on my photos and items and shop and treasuries and such ALL THE TIME! But for some reason I have had no more takers, and even my views and favorites are going down. Sometimes it's hard to keep going. But in the long run, I know I wouldn't stop making bows.... And they would just pile up in my living room anyway even without a shop, and at least this way I have an excuse for my obsession! Just gotta keep up the hope and the faith that someone else will love my bows as much as I do someday!!


~*~Gela~*~

Promoting, Inventory, & New Section!

Hello again, blogosphere...... I don't know why I keep calling it that. Oh well!! Lately I have been exhausting myself everyday trying to promote my shop. Treasuries. Forum posts. Favoriting. Linking. Etc, etc, etc. But all my hard work seems to be coming up with little to nothing. So, I decided that maybe the problem is still that my inventory is too dang small! So I'm working on that. Got a couple more new items up today. But even still, I only have 16 items up. Ahhh!! That's not enough! Everyone says that 100 is the magic number. So I will shoot for that. But it's gonna be slow-going. I think maybe 1-2 a day. Until then, I don't expect to see a whole lot of traffic. But I am still going to try my hardest!!

As I said above, I added a couple more items to my shop today.... One of them being..... Drumroll please....... A pair of earrings!! Whaaaat?? You thought I was a BOW SHOP?!?! Oh, wait. I am a bow shop. Oh yeah, my earrings ARE BOWS. Whaaaaat?? Genius, no?? I thought so. You can see them here.....
http://www.etsy.com/listing/95443894/black-hot-pink-bows-earring-with-rose
I'm pretty pleased with the outcome. I made a whole new section dedicated to flower & bow jewelry! Maybe someday I will have matching earrings/necklace for each flower bow and I can sell them as a set. How fun would that be?? Next up.... TATTERED ROSE EARRINGS!! So look out for that, people.

Oh yeah, remember how in the last blog post I said that I'm looking forward to the day when I am fatured in a treasury? Well, right after I posted that I went to check on my Etsy account, and VOILA. I was featured ina treasury. Wow, it was like magic!! Now I should say "I'm looking forward to when I make my second sale!" and see if that happens like magic too. =) Yeah, tough cookies haha. Speaking of which, I still haven't heard from my first customer. I'm getting worried and anxious. At the very latest her package should have arrived today. I want to know what's going on!! Oh, well. Hopefully everything got there in one piece and she loved them. Ideally, in mind, that's what happened. =D Alright, that's enough rambling for now. Until next time!

~*~Gela~*~

First Sale, Treasuries, & Revamping!

Hello, hello, hello!! I have some fantastic news!! I got my very first sale on Saturday night! Whoo!! It was the cheapest item I had in stock haha. But it was also my newest item, and was only on the virtual shelf for a few days before it got snatched up! I took this as a sign and got busy making more of them. I shipped it out today! I am so excited. Somewhere in Michigan my bows are going to adorn some cute little girl's hair. Such an awesome thought. I also sent one of my newly received business card with it =) Hopefully she will pass it along to someone who compliments her daughter's bow? We shall see.

In other news, I have discovered (or rather had shoved in my face by other Etsy members..... in the politest of ways of course) that the zebra print I had been using as a background for my products was waaaaay too busy and was drowning out the product. After looking around on Etsy, I stumbled upon someone else that was using a busy background like me. It was black with white polkadots. And suddenly, I agreed. I could not see their product for the life of me. SO! I have spent the last few days REVAMPING all of my photos. And, can I just say. They look fantastic. I am super proud of my work. I feel like some kind of fantastic photographer. And all I had to do was buy some white fabric, lay it out in front of a window during high noon, change my camera setting to "natural light" with the macro setting active, and take some super close ups. Then on my computer I hightened the brightness & contrast a little bit, and voila. Masterpieces began pouring into my shop!! It really gave me a new found appreciation for treasuries and how beautiful they are. (I have to admit, I didn't really understand the whole concept before.) Which brings me to my next subject.... Treasuries!!

I created my very first treasury today. It can be found here. Because let's face it.
The world would be a better place if everything was pink.
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTY4MjUwMzR8MjQzMjAxMTU2Mg/my-perfectly-pink-world

Beautiful, no? I love it!! There will definitely be more treasuries in my future. I enjoy it a lot. And I hope to give some nice exposure to my fellow Etsians this way. I am looking forward to the day when I am featured in someone's treasury.

Oh, one more thing before I wrap up. I got my very first sale from something I discovered called a link up party!! You link your new listings onto someone's blog so all their readers can see it. SUCH a good idea. I tell you, the Etsy community is brilliant!! So, in honor of getting my very first sale from that, I think I will link my blog to THAT blog, and also host my own link up party!! ......Some day. Not yet, lol. But I am looking forward to it, hope you are too!!

'Til next time my fellow entrepreneurs!!

~*~Gela~*~