Shop is OPEN!!

Wahey! I opened my Etsy shop today - check out the link on the right! I was very pleased to have a customer within the first few minutes of sharing the link on FB - my old colleague Alison! She bought three cards, which was lovely, but tricky as I've tailored my shipping charges to single purchases and I'm going to end up out of pocket on the shipping. Oh well, perhaps I'll figure out a better method at some point!

I am feeling pretty inspired right now, it is very nice to "get going" although I only made it to 8 cards out of the target of 15. Just thought I'd better get on with putting the Valentine's up! Next job is going to be new baby cards and some kid's birthday cards. I found it really tricky doing girl's stuff for Christmas gifts so we shall see how birthday cards work out!

I also made a BIG SU! order last night, I have planned some activities for Stamp Night around new stuff, plus I've restocked all my paper and bought supplies for Jacob's birthday party invitations. As a bonus, my neighbour signed up to SU! under me which is pretty funny as she was my only "customer". Somehow I need to expand my customer base but I don't think it'll happen without some effort on my part... :D Oh well right now is PROBABLY not the best time as it's only 2 months until Baby Pyne mkII arrives. No decisions on name as yet. Only disagreements!

Wahey - Authorised to seek Employment!

Not quite sure what I need to do in terms of Social Security but I now have a work permit!

I have also designed & made 5 out of my target 15 or so cards... so I'm getting there. I'd like to get another two done today, as my lovely next-door-neighbour is coming over this evening after our respective boys are in bed. Should be manageable. After having a total dearth of inspiration this week, I woke up bursting with ideas this morning. Brill!

I am planning on including a coordinating gift tag with each card, but I am not sure whether to make this a surprise freebie, or to include it in the pictures and details. I think including it makes more sense but I am slightly hesitant for some reason!

Hormones & January BRAK

Starting to catch up with my non-Etsy stamping now. Still only made two cards for the shop but I browsed my gallery on Splitcoast Stampers today and there are some designs I think I'll have another go at - so I just need to get on and do them!

Anyway, it's our friends' son's Birthday today, but I just felt so hormonal and weepy that I couldn't go - you know the type of mood that if anyone is kind to you, you'd fall apart? So I sent Stew & Jacob off, had a power nap then woke up feeling a lot better. So I did my January BRAKs. Normally, I seem to get people with birthdays early in the month, so I like to crack on with them the month before. However, luckily for me, they all have late January birthdays this month so I'm safe despite being highly disorganised.

Here is the card anyway. Not my best but the sentiment definitely matches the images!

I also failed to use the light tent & stuff - Stew's camera is beyond me! Oh well. Again, at least it got done! The sentiment is embossed in silver which really makes it stand out. Perhaps if I'd used the light tent you could have seen...

My first draft listing...

... is complete! Still waiting for the work permit though.


My plan is to "go live" once I have between 10-20 different listings ready. So I have a way to go! I also need to go to the post office and check the pricing of mailing a photo mailer. But, progress is being made! I am aiming to make another two cards tomorrow (along with my 4 BRAKs which are going out VERY late this month) whilst Jacob is at nursery.

Speaking of whom, we have had a lovely day today with a fun visit to the library and just generally chilling out. So nice to be back into the swing of things after the madness of the holidays.

A sneaky preview!

Trimester Three

So I'm apparently officially in my third trimester now and I am shattered! Neither Stew nor I are sleeping well, probably because I just have pains on both sides of my legs, hips & pelvis. This is not fun!

Anyway Stew and I have finished the light tent, it works pretty well now I've bought a new desk lamp & daylight bulb. Stew is in charge of taking & processing images so I hope to be able to post my first pics from it tonight. That being said, I haven't yet made a single item to sell, I am just practising with my stock cards! I was hoping to crank out some cards today as I do have the odd idea floating about in my brain, but today just seemed to fly by without much achievement.

Stew apparently almost fell asleep in J's bed after storytime just now until Jacob told him to "go downstairs and help Mummy with the lamp"... so here are the first pics. I need another lamp methinks and there is still quite a bit of tinkering to be done. Perhaps trying in daylight will help too....

What I like about these shots is that they do give all the detail of the card. However they're still pretty dark and we need to work on angles and things. But, a good start methinks!

NYR 2012

My New Year's Resolution this year is to make $100... that'd be about $100 more than 2011 then!

I have various plans afoot, like perhaps trying to pick up a bit of tutoring, but the idea closest to my heart is to make a bit of money through stamping.

The first phase is to try a bit of selling on my Etsy shop. I have done this in the past, with a little success, but since then I feel like my designs have gotten better, and I think I'll also find it easier selling from the US. In any case, I need to wait until my work permit arrives (fingers crossed for soon - I submitted my application in October!).

The second phase is to add my name to Stew's on the Stampin' Up demonstratorship and think about getting a DBWS (a Stampin' Up website & shop). Stew signed up to get the discount on my behalf but I believe in SU's product so much that I'd like to have a go at being a bit more active.

Finally - the tutoring. Probably the most potentially lucrative, but I really don't know where to start!

So, what have I done so far? Well, I have purchased 10 photo mailers from another Etsy seller in order to put my toe in the water. Most places I found only wanted huge orders, but I found this shop to be pretty reasonable. Obviously, you pay less per envelope if you buy more, but I don't want to drown in envelopes to start off with!

Next up is a project with Stew to build a "light tent" using this tutorial. So tomorrow I am aiming to purchase Bristol Board (???) and a desk lamp with a daylight bulb.

Incidentally I haven't yet produced any cards to put in the shop but when I'm ready, I'll swing into action!