April favorites!

ok so it's time for the april favorites (whoo hoo!) i've decided to keep it close to home and Shop Local on etsy for my picks this month! so, if you're from the cincinnati area take a look and see what people are creating around town...



as usual... starting at the top left, going across to the right and down to the next row

1. maillemystique :: these earrings are beautiful and i think the photograph is what makes them that much more glamourous. the beads (if that's what they really are- i don't know much about the jewelry world!) look expensive and classy... something i love!

2. MMSIs :: this is just fun- my first internship was with a local paper company and in making all the gift bags that we did, i always loved the bright, fun colors. it's vibrant, playful and nicely done

3. chunkymcmonkey :: how comfy cozy! i've found myself looking more and more at children's items. i love the cherry pattern... i'm not sure you can go wrong with a cherry pattern (at least i haven't seen anything yet to disprove that statement, though i'm sure it exists somewhere... but not here!)

4. heatherknitz :: soft, sophisticated and appropriate for a child, a career woman or just someone wanting to feel "springy"

5. daphnephotostudio :: i love the contrast of soft and hard with the sky and the building. i love the texture on the building itself and i have a strong love of intricate architecture... very ornate and classic architecture

6. marriageofmetal :: my love of clovers takes over...

7. nancygamon :: can't wait to order one of these curling iron pouches! i'm still drawn to animal prints done nicely- which i think nancy's done... can't you see this pattern lined in bright pinks, oranges, blues and greens!? how fun would that be? on a side note, i have a headband from nancy (she made it from one of my hubz old ties) and i heart it!!

8. supergirlsstickers :: i love love love polka dots... so round stickers with polka dots make my heart sing

9. polymer :: i'm dying to use wall decals SOMEWHERE in my house, but i can't find anything appropriate for charlotte's room just yet. but, i love me some elephants and who can resist a whole train of them?

10. zephi :: i love the texture and contrast in this painting. i love how it seems as if the frog was painted and then moved to show white space... the painting wouldn't have the same effect without that white space

11. skydreams :: i dream of the day i buy a skydream piece of jewelry. again, the photo captures the beauty of the beads and chains

12. morninglori :: don't you love this little guy! it reminds me of a gremlin- love him!

13. luvkt :: he looks so sad, but nothing a good hug couldn't cure! i love the extreme length of his arms... i'm very into exaggerated extremities, be it arms, legs or ears on stuffed animals

14. odannysgirl :: what i couldn't show was how this thing folds up for easy travel. i love this thing and will order one once my little one is old enough to do some damage with utensils!

15. arthappens :: love the antiqued look of this pendant and the gold tint of not only the pearls but the crystal... beautiful

16. qpucel :: how retro! but with a twist. i love it and i really appreciate the careful placement of the dirty light blue.

17. ndeurshoes :: LOVE SHOES! what girl doesn't love shoes? i love this whole concept and i WILL own a pair of these one day. i love how from far away, the bubble pattern could read as lace, so you could wear them out on the town or in a formal setting

18. ovenfriedbeads :: this takes me back to my own bead making days. the time and care that goes into "babysitting" this little guys to make sure they turn out superbly is the true test of a bead maker, i think

19. orangewillow :: the simplicity of this painting drew me in... especially since i've seen this artist create much more complicated pieces. poppies are always a popular choice, but i like how they aren't as easily recognizable

20. retiredrecords :: loooooove this! taking something so industrial and making it into something so elegant- this would be perfect in a modern kitchen or bathroom... or even repurposed into a candy dish or remote control holder in a living room

21. lawatson :: i love the elegant nature of this teapot. the colors and the handle design are absolutely lovely and i like how it's not perfectly shaped as well. it gives it a weathered look that only vintage can inspire. plus it doesn't feel mass produced (yay!) and the imperfections give it that handmade feel

22. visualingual :: vine street! this makes me miss working downtown (but not the job that was downtown!). i love how the actual design is a bit of a secret- that you would never know it was vine street in downtown cincinnati unless you, duh, read the description

23. gazzu :: this is just so pretty. vintagey and pretty. simplistic and pretty. love it.

24. abbydid :: how fun is this little guy! a great way to keep track of the remote control or anything else that may find its way onto the couch. this would be great in a children's playroom or even a bedroom and is a great way to teach little ones how to put things away!

sorry it took so long to get my thoughts down... i know you were all losing sleep over not knowing why i chose everything! :-)

getting used to this "mommy" thing

i'm attempting to write this with a 6lb lump of sleepiness on my right arm, so hopefully i can finish before nite-fall. poor little thing gets bubbles in the tummy after she eats and gets burped (and can this girl burp!), so she tends to like to lay on my shoulder so i can pat or rub her back when the bubbles start.
unfortunately i haven't been able to do as much work as i wished to do before charlotte popped up. i'm painfully behind on my shower thank you notes (yikes- sorry family/friends that read this!) and- as usual- my house is still a construction zone. BUT, hubz painted the bathroom this weekend and I LOVE IT! it's a mustardy/marigold color. i've managed to get a list compiled of shops in the stationery biz that i would like research for my reopening, but that's about as far as i've gotten. i'm thinking i probably won't be able to open again until the holiday sales start up... i have a feeling i'm going to have to use the summer/early fall to build my new designs and put all my research to use... probably best because i know i have one wedding coming up.
the survey (Click Here to take survey) is going pretty well. i would love to get about 25 more people to take it, but i haven't had time to bump my thread in the forums lately. i did get one comment that honestly upset me a bit. the person said i was getting "caught up in all this box stuff". the way i look at it is that paper is my product. and no one enjoys a card that looks like it's been thru the ringer- especially if they still need to give that card to someone else. i have to do everything i can to ensure that my product arrives as intended- un-creased, un-smudged and as perfect as possible. so, maybe to some i AM over-thinking "all this box stuff" but i would rather over think it than under think it and, really, i think as a stationery designer i have to look at all possible ways to deliver my product.
alright, my lump has rendered my right arm un-usable so more to come later... hopefully before i go back to work!

She's here!

well... if this little one isn't anxious to get out and get to growing up! We welcomed Miss Charlotte Ryan Little this past tuesday, march 18th at 10:10am. she's 5lb 15oz and 18 inches long. she's a little less than a month early, but doing fantastic!

survey says...

so i've begun my head-first dive into my marketing research... on the right side of the blog you'll find a link to my shipping and packing survey. i'm really torn on how to package and send my stationery- i'm terrified that i'll begin to ship orders and people will receive items with bent corners and creasing due to the postal handling. i'm going to be very interested in seeing the results- so far i've had a good amount of hits on the survey and some good feedback, so after i let it run for over a month, i should get a good idea of how to handle shipping product. as i said, i'll post results here AND if you sign up for the newsletter, you're eligible for a stationery goodie bag :-) YAY!

so go take the survey!

Etsy shop on Maternity Leave

so i bit the bullet and closed up shop a few weeks early. many people around the office have commented on how miserable i look, so i took that as a sign to just relax. i wasn't anticipating any sales and, in all honesty, i haven' wanted to do anything when i come home from work, so i figured i would just close up shop, rest a bit and wait for this kid to pop out. it's been hard to not bid on custom jobs (though i've passed over most due to the ideal price listed... some are a bit insulting), but i need to take a break for bit, get my game plan in order and prepare to come back out of the gates full force this summer. unfortunately, i'm going to miss some key holidays that would be perfect for cards, but this just gives me that much more time to perfect them. i'm hoping to post designs as i work on them while on leave, but most of my updates will be about the business side. i'm going to keep up with my favorties posts, though- they're so much fun to put together!

so, if you've followed this link from my etsy shop, i really hope you'll check back to see what i'm up to and keep a look out for my re-opening!

FAVORITES!

i know i've been very picture sad lately and in thinking i will NEVER
get a treasury of my own (mainly because for whatever reason
treasuries don't show up on my firefox), i decided to pull together
my own treasury from my non-stationery favorites. this was so much
fun for me, so i think i want to try and do this 24 set once a month or every 2 months (it takes a lot of time and thought!! and i'm running out of brainpower!).

for this particular Favorites (as i'll call it), there is no rhyme or
reason... just things i have found that i was drawn to and i'll try
and write a quick blurb about each starting from the top, working
left to right and down. click on the shop name to go straight to
their etsy shop! i kinda hope these shops have google alerts so they
know they've been recognized! i know i got pretty excited when i
found one of my flickr photos on a wedding blog.



1. BeanPickleSprout : this lovely little bib! i had the pleasure of
doing a trade with BeanPickle and found her absolutely delightful!
The goods she sent are some of my favorites for my upcoming little
one and i can't wait to put them all to use! the pattern and color
pulled me in to this bib (though it was hard to pick just one!)...
these colors are similar to my nursery colors.

2. PalomasNest : how cute is this dishware? normally i would say that i'm over the bird trend, but these are too cute to pass up- unexpected and perfect for candies, nuts or appetizzers

3. EastBenchBears : i completely heart this little guy- so adorable and somewhat of a throw back to the traditional teddy bear that's quite refreshing. plus i just love his shy little demeanor...

4. Smeeta : this little guy is just fun with his little secret pocket. i love the use of texture with the corduroy.

5. PrettyLittle : i'm a sucker for bunnies right now and if i have a little girl, she will own a pair of these fun little booties

6. Oktak : the colors drew me in

7. MuttsyWonder : awww this looks like Dog! (real name, Dusty, my last dog) i can't order yet because it only comes in pink and i just can't make myself put a little boy (if that's what kid little turns out to be) in pink just yet.

8. TheTaylerBean : i had the honor of creating this shop's banner. it's a mother/son run business and who am i to not support a budding artist! i ordered a handful of buttons from Bean and decided to use them as part of my gift wrapping efforts.

9. Artsy : how fun is this guy?! i love artsy work- very creative and out of the box... saving my pennies for an original!

10. MermaidSparkle : i don't even like egg, steak and cheese on a muffin, but i do plan on loading up on plushies from Mermaid when my kid is old enough! great learning tools if you ask me- great for identifying veggies, fruits and down right yummy foods

11. RunnerBean : rolled paper- beautiful! another one i'm saving my pennies for- a great alternative to the plush-rush!

12. MayaBella : for some reason, i had this idea of giving a big-earred bunny rabbit to my little one when they get a little bit older. my plan was to tell my little one that those big floppy ears are for their secrets- things they only want to share with a good companion. i think this one might be perfect!

13. RagTrader : just simply sweet and adorable and i want one. i almost ordered it for myself for my birthday.

14. SeaSprayBlue : i would never call myself a romantic, but everything about this print makes me fuzzy. you can feel the awkwardness and the hesitation... and you can relate.

15. BabyLeila : little boys in ties are adorable- absolutely precious.

16. FeltAtHome : a purse! a freakin' genius purse! the mouth zips open to hold all your goodies... i discovered this seller while shopping for christmas gifts for my hubz's neice... unfortunately i found it too late in the game to order (she's overseas)

17 & 18. DogArtStudio : this first guy looks like my Marvin and the next sweetheart looks like my Matilda. these just might have to get ordered.

19. PlushOff : i've been craving pancakes and this is as close as i came- i love these genius plushies! if i pop out a little girl, can you imagine her little kitchen with all these great plushie foods?! i hope she would be the envy of all the kids on the block (um, because of course she would have the coolest mom!)

20. Takae : i just love the print and the coloring. beautiful beautiful work

21. Vital : i love him. i love that he would just stare at you while you're in the john.

22. DogBoneArt : i found dogbone christmas shopping as well. at the time, they had all the food groups in a plush set and i wanted to get it for my hubz niece, but i knew that would never fly. but i love these little mutts with their "mom" tattoos... hardcore on the outside and all soft on the insided!

23. SweetMeats : when your hubz' nickname is "TBone" how is this not appropriate?

24. CurlyQCuties : just a little something fun for the tooth fairy to stick your money in when you're all done with those baby teeth! there was a blue one i like better, but someone else got to it first!

now i must go hunting for next month! :-)

an actual product shot!

these last few days have been somewhat of a bust in terms of getting anything outside of the house done. we had the "blizzard of 2008" (so they say) here in cincy, so that meant that i didn't leave the house after noon on friday until this afternoon around noon. that's a whole lotta time cooped up in a construction house with two antsy dogs wanting to play in the snow, but not wanting the snow to touch their warm little noses. however, the construction zone is 50% done (the hubz just finished tiling the shower as i type!! yay! he's done such great work!). the picture above is of the pups trying to figure out what this white cold stuff is on their beloved deck.


a picture of my pretty little car covered nose to tail in white powder!

however- i WAS productive when it came to a few things... i'm thisclose to finishing up a promo request that i need to send out this week. i have 3 of the babysitter notes packaged and ready, i just need to cut down 1 more sheet and package that and then i have 1 more sheet of a tablet to cut down and then package both sets (after perfing and hole-punching.) sure they take a little time, but what else was i going to do cooped up in here?

i also finished my shower thank you notes which i decided would be great additions to my shop after maternity leave... here's a sneak peek...



my product shots and sneak peeks will probably be far and in between for awhile because i'm focusing more on the admin/business side of things to get myself in order for when i reopen. i made a spreadsheet that helps me figure out exactly how much i should charge per card, wholesale pricing and set pricing so that when i go to list, no more guessing! i know i'm on the higher (in some people's opinion at least) end of cards, but i'm confident in my pricing. i put a lot of time into perfecting designs, i handcut, score and assemble all my cards and i have goals for this business. i'm not ready to divulge those goals just yet ;-) but i know one does include to stay true to my belief that my time is valuable, this is a business and not just something to pass the time and that there is an audience/customer for my product.
i have a lot of plans for the next few months to get me in the business sense of stationery. oddly, my dream is not to have my own B&M shop, but it is my dream to have my own detached studio from my home. i think that if i really pay attention to my work, my creativity and my finances that i can make this work for me. i know it will take time and i'm okay with that... i have plenty of time to work at this. so, for now i research, read, plan and create!