Day 3 ... What happened?

PillowThrowDecor

Posts: 1096

« on: November 03, 2009, 04:26:52 am »

Here is where you tell your story.... Always watch for the "What Happened."

Cheers

Christine
PillowThrowdecor

Callidora

Posts: 38

« Reply #1 on: November 03, 2009, 09:43:17 am »

I managed to get caught up with the assignments today. I've updated my email signature. I usually get my cards from Vistaprint and 123Print - they always have free specials.

Weezi

Posts: 58

« Reply #2 on: November 03, 2009, 10:06:39 am »

Hello! I thought I posted this yesterday..but it seems to be missing. I don't want anyone to think that I am a "slacker"....I am looking forward to boot camp in many ways.

I am not sure if this is the proper place to reply for the 2nd day assign't.
I am a newbie to I.Craft as well as to "boot camp"

Tell us about yourself…bio 150-200 words:
My name is is Lisa.
I am born and raised in London OntarioCanada
Graduate of Fanshawe College Fashion design programme 1989.
I have a line of clothing called "Weezi" that I have been sewing since 1989.
I have known for a long time that in order to really make things progress the way I need them to...I need to establish an online presence and grow a following thru my wep page and other online venues. London is too conservative and won't do for me what I need it to.

I am not sure how to go about this...time is short as it is and as much as I need to do it, I am overwhelmed by what is ahead.
Selling online seems like it would be another full time job.

I love to sew and create...nothing makes me happier.

I detest big box ,corporate fashion. I have little use for mall fashion or mall mentality. I am afraid of what "mall culture" is doing is to us and our priorities.

I am a cat fanatic. I luv to go thrifting and I cannot cook to save my life.
****
Tell us about your shop.

I sew one of kind bags and totes. I make clothing in limited runs. One or up to 5 of a kind. It is very colourful and fun...for grown ups.
I try and design clothing that is feminine and fun for functional on many levels. I luv to make retro inspired dresses..combine vintage patterns etc.
I sewing everything on my own.
***

How did you get started?
I started selling in consignment shoppes allover Ontario after college and I worked with a dressmaker for 6 years.
After many failed attempts at "real jobs" I knew I had to be self employed.
***

What is your favorite item in you shop (attach link please)
This is tough...
At this moment: http://www.weezi.com/bags/page01/bag01/bag01.html
****

What’s your favourite _____________ that you have ever made
I can't say that I have a favourite...each new item I make is my new "favourite".
***

Whats you most memorable sale.
I sold a skirt to Alice Cooper for his wife.
***
Where do you find inspiration for your designs?
Vintage and retro book, patterns, magazines...photos on line, anything I can get my hands on that has a vintage or retro influence.
****
Tell us about a favorite designer.
Mary Quart. A woman ahead of her time and fearless with her imagination.
She is a true original. Vivien Westwood is close behind. I admire designers who go over the top.
***

What's your favorite color .
Pink...
***
What's your favorite room at home? Why is it your favorite?
My studio...it is where it all happens. I am there 12 hours or so day, it grows on you Wink

Do you have a (your product) tip you'd like to share with readers?
Do what you know....
****

What are your (upto 5) favorite blogs or website? (outside yours or icraft)? -

This changes on a regular basis
1.http://adore-vintage.blogspot.com/
2. http://www.hoyfashion.co.uk/
3.http://www.stopstaringclothing.com/sunshop/
4.http://www.lushlee.com/
5.http://modish.typepad.com/modish/

****
What are your (upto 5) favorite magazine(s), and or book(s).
1.BUST magazine
2.any European fashion mag I can find ( besides at Chapters)
3.Amy Sedaris I think I Like You:)
4.Threads
5.Dennis Lehane..it is all good.

What do you do to relax and unwind?
Relax? Huh

?!!!!
Well, if there is any summer in Canada I like to go camping.
Thirfting in small towns
Watching old movies ( by old, I mean prior to 1970)
Red wine
Perusing thru a great new magazine while in a hot tub filled w bubbles.

That doesn't seem very interesting but there you are....
Looking forward to the next assignment.

storybeader

Posts: 69

« Reply #3 on: November 03, 2009, 11:51:30 am »

Alright! I think I have a light day today! Whew, I need to create! I took the day off work, because I had so much blogging to do. Stayed up way late last night! I love to blog, but do you think it's taking over my life? Hope I'm not to wordy for y'all...

1) interview - done

2) I already have icraft on my signature (actually, I have ALL my URLs on my sig), but moved it to the top, since it's smaller than some other URLs. For those using gmail (like me), your signature can be changed at "settings" on the top right.

3) business cards! I switched to postcards, for my business card. I should have put my domain name (instead of Etsy shop URL) on it, but everything is still correct. A friend suggested postcards, because they're more useful and attractive, and I agree. And if people like how they look, and place them on their refrigerators, it's free advertising! How's that for forward thinking! I think my next postcard will have a variety of handmade journals on it, like Christine suggests. Picasa, a free photo storage and editing software from Google, makes real nice collages - here's a collage I used in my latest in my carnival post: http://www.storybeader.com/2009/11/etsybloggers-carnival-november-6-2009.html

4) product tags. This might sound confusing, but I'll try to explain. First of all, I write a haiku for each necklace and book. The book is easy, I glue a little piece of paper with the haiku on the inside of each book. On the signature wraps, I punch a hole with a holepuncher {:-D, and put the price on that. WHEN I sell one, I’ll include my postcard! For the necklaces, I've just started something new. I take a piece of paper, approx. 1" x 3", and glue a picture of the item on one side, and the haiku on the other. Then I write the price on another tag, so if the piece is a present, the gift-giver can take off the price tag, and the haiku can still reached the recipient of the present. I know my presentation needs help, but it’s been hard to fit my big necklaces in boxes. I just bought some neat looking boxes at Hobby Lobby - here’s something about presentation on my blog, BTW {:-D
http://www.storybeader.com/2009/10/dont-forget-packaging.html

MadMavenCreations

Posts: 17

« Reply #4 on: November 03, 2009, 01:50:09 pm »

I did my interview this morning, actually got up early to finish it before work.

I use gmail, and I have a signature that automatically posts to ALL my emails that has all my links to it. I rarely use yahoo, but I have the same thing set up there too.

I wanted something different for business cards, esp. since I also do photography. I have ordered from both Moo.com and www.MyMiniCards.com. I love them both! You get a lot for your money, something like 100 individiually customizable mini cards for under $20.00. I went with them because for each you can upload your own images, and you can upload a different image for each card if you want. I get a LOT of interest with my cards because they either have one of my own photographs or a picture of a piece of my own jewelry on the front, and they're all different. One of those sites, I don't remember which one, allows you to upload your own logo to the back of the card where the text is, so I have the pic of my 'square eye' on them. I have several posters with my photography on them at my office, so I keep a lot of mini cards around the place, ready to hand out at a moment's notice!

storybeader

Posts: 69

« Reply #5 on: November 03, 2009, 02:03:49 pm »

great idea about the posters, square eye! I have people that come into my office to do rereplacement, and that would be great advertising for my jewelry in the Museum's Gift Shop Cheesy

Thanks, {:-Deb

PillowThrowDecor

Posts: 1096

« Reply #6 on: November 03, 2009, 02:29:45 pm »

lol.... WHEEZI I am sure you are not a slacker. Great interview! I can see we have lots in common!

I am going to ask you a favour here so everyone can figure this out too. Your assignment 2 is in day 3 thread. That's ok to leave it here but is easier for linda and i if you copy it over to "Day 2 What Happened" as we are taking an "attendance" everyday AND these Bios and Interviews need to be easy for us to find because we will be using them in blogs and we DEFINATELY WANT TO FIND YOU WHEN WE NEED YOUR INFO.

Theres two ways of moving your postings to the right day
1) Just copy and paste it into the new/correct thread. It's ok if it is in print twice.
2) you can go back and EDIT a post using the edit button on the right hand side of your post (I think that is where it is). I think you can totally delete the message and then paste a copy in the right place or you can edit a post because you missed putting a link in or spelled something wrong or whatever.

icraft has some remarkably powerful tools in their forums. We are lucky!!! I sometimes try and clean my posts up with edits because I know that potentially 100's and 100's of people are going to read what we are writing.

We are making seller's online history in our Bootcamps. Their is NOTHING LIKE OUR BOOTCAMP OUT THERE RIGHT NOW and especially at this price... grin grin. so everyone stand up and applause yourself

Christine

Quote from: "Weezi"

That doesn't seem very interesting but there you are....
Looking forward to the next assignment.

Weezi

Posts: 58

« Reply #7 on: November 03, 2009, 03:20:44 pm »

Hi sorry about that! I think I moved it to the right spot.
thanx! Lisa

PillowThrowDecor

Posts: 1096

« Reply #8 on: November 03, 2009, 03:28:30 pm »

No opologies needed. We are all learning... even me:)

Keep it coming everyone. There is some awesome stuff here that will look great in the icraft and icrafter blogs.

WE NEED MORE STUFF!!!

If you are stuck... just write down the bones... Linda and I can put some meat on 'em!

Christine

PillowThrowDecor

Posts: 1096

« Reply #9 on: November 03, 2009, 03:34:50 pm »

A few others have talked about Vista

another one is Moo

another one you have just mentioned is 123 Print

I have my PillowThrowDecor Business Cards but I also have my main business Just For Looks Custom Drapery. Need to figure out a way to have them both on one card so I can double my exposure for my online store. May experiment using one of these three online stores but must have customizable... hmmm.

Need to do this today so I get my homework done too

Christine

Quote from: "Callidora"

I managed to get caught up with the assignments today. I've updated my email signature. I usually get my cards from Vistaprint and 123Print - they always have free specials.

storybeader

Posts: 69

« Reply #10 on: November 03, 2009, 04:21:08 pm »

Christine -
what about using two sides of one card - one for each shop!? :lol: {:-Deb

MadMavenCreations

Posts: 17

« Reply #11 on: November 03, 2009, 06:48:45 pm »

I like the idea of using one side of a business card for each business. You never know when the extra exposure is going to get you a sale. I have multiple web addresses on my mini-cards just in case! Cheesy

Thyme2dream

Posts: 9

« Reply #12 on: November 03, 2009, 09:16:37 pm »

I use uprinting.com and pay around $35 for Full colour two sided cards...We tried the free vista print cards and they were not nearly as nice as the ones we get with this company. One side is all photograph of one of our tiaras and the other side has one of my best ear cuff photos (on an ear;) along with our names, city & state, web address, email address. I chose NOT to put a phone number on because we vend at renfaires and give out hundreds of cards per festival so who knows who would have your number!! I do have plenty of space on the info side to write it in personally if I need to give it to someone;-)

One thing I have seen with a lot of people's cards- even if you have a great logo, its still nice to be sure to have at least one photo of your actual work- that way people remember what you do more specifically..this is especially helpful if you are giving things out at a big event where people are likely to have picked up a lot of cards during their visit!

For branding on my items themselves, most of my jewelry ships in boxes and I have labels that I stick there and inside the box with my basic portal website (www.thyme2dream.com) listed on each.

The next thing I am working on is a simple self published catalog to have at shows- not one to hand out, but more of a portfolio type catalog to custom order options available to show people who are thinking about weddings, etc...I plan also to use this when I get ready to approach brick and mortar shops about carrying my stuff as well- but that's a ways down the road yet

Thyme2dream

Posts: 9

« Reply #13 on: November 03, 2009, 09:19:33 pm »

One note about Uprinting.com -they are customizable- you can design your own card on a blank template, or even just upload camera ready artwork on one or both sides ....and MUCH cheaper than moo- even tho I love the minis from Moo, they are just too expensive for the amount of cards we hand out during festival season.

Fairy Cardmaker

Posts: 1115

« Reply #14 on: November 03, 2009, 09:35:28 pm »

Yay, a light day!

My interview is posted in Day 2. By the way, I was recently interviewed here:
http://calebandemilydesigns.blogspot.com/2009/10/interview-with-lisa-topps-of.html

I print my own business cards with my quilled dragon's head. He was my prototype and I love him. I've often wondered if I should use something more recognizable and more pleasantly coloured, but this one is just me.

I do need to print more though!

I did make moo cards once. Never again. It was a waste for me.

Post cards, now that is a good idea. I may go to the office supply store and see if they have any print-your-own ones. If anyone is familiar with Etsy, you can make a post card layout of your products using the "Etsy Mini". This is also the thing you post on your blogs which is equivalent to the iCraft widget. Does iCraft have one that you can print out? Or only a widget? Anyone know?