Friday, April 30, 2010

What's in a Card? ...Business Cards, that is.

The options for business cards are endless, but most Etsians can agree on one fact: Business cards are an important tool for promotion.

I've asked people in forums and gathered information on the best tricks and tips for creating business cards. With so many available avenues, it's really up to you as a seller to decide which is best for your shop. I hope you can use this as a guide for creating your next (or first) business cards!

Where you get your cards printed can determine what your card can look like, so I'll go over the most popular options for printing.


Moo

Photo courtesy of Heather King Photography


By far the most praised option, Moo prints photos of your items from Etsy. It's super simple. You tell Moo your shop name, Moo retrieves the photos, and tah-dah... stunning cards. You can then decide what information you want included on the back.

Moo isn't the cheapest option, but those who use it say they are complimented all the time on their cards. Showing your product is a major plus when promoting your shop.

Additionally, Moo MiniCards are great to use as tags on items.

If you hurry, Moo is offering 50 free business cards (just pay shipping). Click here for details. This offer ends April 30th.


VistaPrint



One of the most popular choices for its ease and cost, VistaPrint has tons of business cards templates, ready to use. You can search for the type of look you want or the type of business. For instance, I found this owl template for the card above, which was perfect for my shop.

VistaPrint is great if you are starting out and don't want to spend much.
You get a professional look without breaking the bank. If you create an account with VistaPrint, they will send you emails regularly with free offers. You can get 250 business cards, and only pay the shipping. They offer similar deals with magnets, postcards, and more.

Also, you can upload your own design to VistaPrint for a customized business card. You do have to pay for the upload (unless you get a free upload email!), but the overall cost is still quite low.


Make Your Own

Photo Courtesy of Crown Bindery


Making your own business cards is a great option. It's a sure way to make your cards one-of-a-kind, and it can be inexpensive if you are thrifty. You can see a video here of how Crown Bindery creates the cards shown above.

Be creative! Having a different shape (like circle) is a good way to stand out. Making your own is certainly a great option if you are a new shop and are not ready to commit to ordering in bulk. Making your own means you can change the design whenever, which is great if you are indecisive!


Other Options

Other sites that Etsy sellers have mentioned as favorites for printing include these:

Overnight Prints
IprintSmall Business Printing
123Print
Business Card Makers on Etsy
And local printers



Tips & Tricks


Make your business card go the extra mile. Some advice I have gathered included ...

Double the use of your business card as a thank-you card. Write a little note to customers on the back to add a personal touch.

If you have two shops, print one shop on each side of the business card.

Anytime someone asks for your email or phone number, use your business cards.

At craft shows, hand out flyers, magnets, or postcards in addition to business cards. (cr8tivity is a great site with tools to create great-looking flyers.)



Thank you to everyone who contributed to this post. I appreciate your input!

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Free Shipping at Owlsome Gifts! (only through tomorrow)



Now through tomorrow (April 30th) at midnight (central time), all orders $10 and over ship FREE in the United States.

Visit Owlsome Gifts now to see what's in store!

Please mention free shipping in the notes to seller, and I will promptly refund your shipping charge through Paypal.

Spread the word! Click here to tweet this!

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Vintage in the Spring!

If you like vintage (or even if you don't), you're gonna love today's featured Etsy shop: Empress Jade Vintage!



Located in Victoria, British Columbia, Empress Jade offers unique dresses, lingerie, decor, and accessories from the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s. She has one-of-a-kind pieces that mix the charm of the past with the styles of today. I love these dresses and think they are perfect for the spring season!


Which one is your favorite? I can't decide!


You can find these and many many more selections in her etsy shop and on her website.


Keep up to date with Empress Jade by following her blog. She sas contest going on this week for this 50s party dress.



Like to sew? Empress Patterns has a wide selection of vintage patterns. And, be sure to check her twitter and facebook page!

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

This jewelry is good enough to eat.

I have created a collection of earrings inspired by the bright colors of ripe fruit! These are available at Curly Pearl.

(Warning: Earrings are not edible!)




Each pair of earrings is $7! Click below to see the listing:

Lime
Blueberry
Plum
Blackberry
Pineapple
Orange

Want a whole fruit basket? A set of 3 fruity pairs of earrings is available for $15.



These are inspired by a strawberry, kiwi, and pear.


Which pair is your favorite fruit?

Monday, April 26, 2010

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Whoooo's got your keys?

Have you seen the polymer clay owl keychains in my shop?





Owl keychains make great, affordable gifts!

See all my owl keychains here.

P.S. How do you like the new, wider layout?

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Searching and Finding.

Today I am featuring Chaucee, who writes the blog The Searched And Found and has a wonderful etsy shop called Taylor House.

To start out, if you like etsy, you will love her blog...



She has fun contests (like the one going on now for a super cute zipper pouch) and features cool finds from etsy shops. You've gotta check it out!

Her etsy shop is also quite a treat...




What a cozy cowl!



Take a look at this vintage belt.


Her shop has a mix of vintage goodies and handmade knitted items.

And you can stay up to date with Chaucee on twitter!

Friday, April 16, 2010

Black and White Treasury (& tips for creating one!)



I created a black and white spring treasury!



Tips for Snagging a Treasury


Sometimes it does take some luck to get a treasury, but here are some pointers...

Craftopolis.com has a treasury clock that counts down to when the treasury will open. It can give you an estimate of the time to check, but it is always good to go to the treasury ahead of time and check. Sometimes people close their treasuries early, and then the treasury opens up sooner than predicted.

Have your title ready ahead of time. Type it out and copy it. I don't know if you've seen what happens when the treasury opens... but a little space pops open at the bottom of the screen for your title. You have just a few seconds to type it before it goes away and you miss the chance. So... if you have it copied, you can just paste it, and hit the create button.

And, most importantly, do not refresh your screen when you are waiting for the treasury to open. That was my mistake my first few times trying. Etsy automatically updates the treasury page. As the time runs out for each treasury, they go away. When the 333rd one goes away, you'll see a little message pop up automatically at the bottom of the page. That's where you paste your title, and get your treasury.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

My favorite place to shop... Michaels!

I love shopping for crafty and artsy things. Michaels is located about 2 minutes from me! (I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing.)

Check out all this stuff I got the other day...



I went a little overboard.

But... they're having a big sale this week, so I had to take advantage of the deals.

If you're in need of a craft fix, they have coupons you can print out on the Michaels website to use this week!

I love a good deal!

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

If you like things that sparkle...

Then you will love today's feature!

Bits n' Beads by Gilliauna is a lovely etsy shop full of sparkly jewelry, charms, bookmarks, and more. Take a look at some of these pieces...


Charm Bracelet


Wooden Bangle


Purse Charm


Key Charm


Every piece is so unique!

The pieces here are actually created by two artists, Leal and Zoie, who live in Seattle and Vancouver. You can find their work in craft shows in the area. If you aren't near there, you can shop online through the shops on these websites:

Etsy
Artfire
Zibbet
1000Markets

And, be sure to check out the blog: The Meandering Musings of a Consummate Shopper! Here, you'll see gift guides and artist features.

If you want a chance to win a $20 gift certificate to this wonderful shop, enter the giveaway going on now at Audrey's Giveaway Blog.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

For the Wise Owls...

My bookmark section features some new glass owl bookmarks!




And... I've reached 200 followers! Hoot hoot hooray!
Thank you for helping me reach this number!

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Sunshine Blog Award!



Katy at Pie Bird passed the Sunshine Award to me. How exciting!

Now I'm passing it along to these great bloggers...

Little Ted Canvas
Waterwaif
it's the little things in life
Kate & Oli
The Dainty Squid
My Owl Barn
My Thread of Thought
Bohemian Vintage
Jewels of Saraswati
a bit of Pilli Pilli
cabin + cub
all things new

As part of the award, here's what's happening:

Put the logo on your blog or within your post.
Pass the award to 12 well-deserving bloggers.
Link the nominees within your post.
Let them know they received it by commenting on their blog.
Share the love and link to the person from whom you received the award.


Thank you Katy!

Blog and Shop Feature: bluewhitejewelrywear

Today I am featuring Claire from bluewhitejewelrywear.



She has a lovely etsy shop of unique jewelry and also some wine glass charms. Take a look at these blue and white pieces. I think they are so sweet!






...But her shop isn't limited to blue and white. I love the mix of colors in this bracelet...



Never have to worry about mixed up glasses with these charms...



Claire also has a great blog. She lives in Bangkok, so followers get a piece of Thailand! She also blogs about some great etsy finds.

And, you can find her on twitter.



See the Boosting Etsy Shops Team Blog to find out more about the BESTeam, and how to get featured by other bloggers!

Monday, April 5, 2010

Monday Owl Finds: Owls that'll make you smile!

Here are some owl items on etsy that make me happy!


Owl Figurine: $12.99


Card: $2.50


Hat: $65


Photograph: $19


Painting: $18


Wall Hanging: $33


Hoot hoot ha ha!


P.S. If you get a chance, please stop by the Handmade Artists' Forum Blog to vote for your favorite "Nature Calls" item. My cherry blossom tree painting is in the competition!