madbird

Wow - long overdue....

2010-06-11T11:19:00.003-04:00

I know it's been FOREVER since I blogged last, but I'm now blogging weekly for Notes From the Handmade Highway! You can read my latest post here. So, come over and visit....and check out my posts every Tuesday! :)

Have a fabulous weekend, everyone!

New products for the New Year!

2009-12-29T11:22:00.003-05:00

I hope everyone had a magical holiday - I know we did! All of the gifts I featured in my earlier blog post were very well received AND I got most of the wishes on my list too ;^) Now that the holiday rush has subsided, I'm working on some NEW ideas for the NEW year. First up is an improved zip pouch - longer, shorter...and s o f t e r .....lined with fleece interfacing, it's a little more substantial, and the size allows for pencils, crochet hooks, dpns, and any other notions you may need for your projects. Or...it fits nicely inside a larger purse to round up smaller items/cosmetics, etc. Pretty sweet! I like them a lot...here's a peak...

Underwater Sisters in gold

Charmer

Kilo

I'm also going to start offering LARGER project bags in my shop! With interior pockets ;^) Let me know what you think and Happy New Year!!

FREE shipping upgrade!

2009-12-12T11:56:00.003-05:00

***********Starting today - ending Dec 20th***********

All orders over $10 (excluding standard shipping cost) will be automatically upgraded to Priority Mail for FREE! This does not include international orders, sorry, only orders shipped to US addresses. Take advantage of this offer for the rest of your holiday shopping - Priority mail only takes approximately 2-3 days to arrive!

Happy Holidays!

Yes, please!

2009-12-10T08:52:00.008-05:00

I think it's time I list my own wishes for gifties! After all, I'm on etsy all day....I'm bound to have a wishlist of my own! Here are a few.....

Ahhh...black thorn earrings. From redheart13 - where you'll find all sorts of curious jewelry. I like curious, and this shop doesn't disappoint. These particular earrings sold out fast *boo* , but Leila promised to make a pair just for me *yay* and a certain someone said he'd buy them. Now I'm happy!

Frankincense soap from daisycakes soap. You all know how obsessed I am with handmade soap - and I love to try all different shops. Why? Because all soapmakers have their very own methods & supplies that make their soaps unique. I don't buy from one in particular, but am always looking for a new vendor to try (I do admit to having a few faves though!).

Next in the line of my obsessions is lip balm. I'm not a lipstick wearer at all, but I love lip balm! I must have dozens of tubes. This particular flavor - absinthe!! - is from For Strange Women. You've got to check out her shop. It's very very cool...I love the packaging too!

Remember the belt buckle I got for Rob? This is similar, except purple! Same shop - fosterweld.

I really want this! Another from minus, this bag is simple and practical. I really like his work, and after seeing Rob's new messenger with my own eyes....well I did say I had my eye on one of minus's bags for me! This one!

Hope everyone is having a magical holiday season and that you get all of your wishes (within reason) ;^)

For simple men

2009-12-03T10:24:00.009-05:00

I notice that a lot of gift guides for men are nice and all...but what about guys who don't wear cufflinks? Or ties? Or cowls for crying out loud? You know, simple guys who wear jeans and t-shirts and sneakers most days...guys like the one I'm married to. It's so incredibly hard to buy for him, and the gift guides simply don't cater to that breed of man. So, here's a sneak peak at what he'll find under the tree this holiday.
A high quality hard bound sketchbook by marquandeditions. The spine is green, the cover black. Very plain and simple goodness :)

A belt buckle (hand cut leather belt included!!) by fosterweld. He uses only American metal to create his buckles. This particular buckle is smaller and very simple - perfect!

A wooden comb by pieceofpeace. Handcrafted in Montreal, this comb is a nice natural wood with a beeswax finish.

Beowulf! This soap has a rich musky scent, with some dragon's blood (one of my fave's!!) Handcrafted by HeathensHearth, this soap definitely smells like a tough guy, even on a 2 year old!

And, this isn't for Rob, but I bought these for his brother - he's single, and tough to buy for. He just moved into a new house, so I thought these, along with his own Beowulf soap, would make a nice gift. They're recycled soda bottles - made into super cool 8oz glasses by YavaGlass.

Do you have any gift ideas for men? They are so much more difficult to buy for than women, so share your tips!
Happy Holidays :^)

Some awesome etsy finds!

2009-11-29T16:49:00.009-05:00

Well, the holiday shopping season is well underway, and I'm almost done! YAY! Here are some fabulous gifts I got from etsy for my family members....

For Rob, who desperately needed a new bag for work, I bought this super simple messenger from minus.
His work is amazing - and since I sew myself, I can spot hack when I see it. This certainly is not that, but rather quality work with nice material. Ships pretty quick from the UK to the states too! I have my eye on a bag for me too, of course.

For my niece, whose birthday is in February, I got these really pretty amethyst studs from phoebestreasure.
Those will be super cute on her - she's a tiny 10 yr old.

For my mother-in-law (I hope she doesn't read this post!), I got this really awesome toad house from Anne Marie's Pottery.
Yup, that's where I got my berry bowl! It's really nice and will go well in my mother-in-law's herb garden.

One of the gifts I got for my boys - a night light for their room by GeekGear.
This fancy ball jar changes color thanks to a tiny LED under the lid. I tried it out and it's very cool. Perfect for a boys' room - and boys can be tough to buy for as they get older! Check out his shop for all the geeks in your life ;^)

And, for my babes - my fastest growing boy who I wish would stay two forever, I got him this really cuddly soft and super fun bath mitt from ecoleeko.
If you have a baby to buy for, you MUST check out her shop!! All organic materials and a fabulous price - seriously! I will certainly go back for more.

I'm not quite done, so I may post more finds later! Friends, I can't stress it enough...this holiday season, buy handmade. Support local indie artists and small business owners. You won't get better customer service and personal attention, I guarantee it. And, have fun while you do it! Happy shopping!!

And the winner is.....

2009-11-23T10:07:00.002-05:00

Debbie Covart - ALineofHerOwn! Congratulations Debbie!! Come on over to my etsy shop and use your $10!!!

Thank you everyone for participating!!

A little pre-holiday Giveaway!

2009-11-20T08:44:00.004-05:00

I haven't hosted a giveaway in a loooong time! Well, the holiday season is a perfect time to do that! You can either get something for you, or a gift - totally up to you :) Here's what I'm offering up this month - $10 toward anything in my shop! That means YOU pick what you want, and get 10 bucks to use toward it!

How to enter...you get 1 entry per:
Follow my blog
Follow me on facebook
Tweet this giveaway and add @4madbird to your tweet
Post about this giveaway on your blog/facebook and link back here

Please let me know in the comments what you've done.

As a bonus entry....of course anyone who buys something from my shop and enters "giveaway" in notes to seller will get an additional five entries!!

This giveaway ENDS Monday!! You only have this weekend to enter, so don't wait! The winner's name will be randomly pulled from a hat ;)

Good luck!!

An early gift for me

2009-11-11T12:51:00.003-05:00

Sometimes, I buy myself something. Big deal, I know....but it isn't very often that I just splurge a little and buy something really nice for no reason. I did this last week when I bought this super functional berry bowl.

I have a great love for pottery. Maybe it's because my high school clay teacher was really nice to me. But, I remember learning to throw on the wheel, and that, friends, is no easy task. When I taught art to middle schoolers, ceramics was my favorite unit. I always loved working with mud.
Anyway, about this bowl...it is extremely nice, high quality, and a really gorgeous blue. More of Anne Marie's work can be found in her etsy shop. She's very nice, and her customer service is tops!
What I reeeally need is a new mug, but both hand thrown mugs I've owned, Rob has dropped and thus, broke them both. His hand thrown mug, however, survives to this day....curious, isn't it? Maybe I can convince him that he owes me one.

I just bought...

2009-11-04T17:00:00.003-05:00

this super cool mini-journal/sketchbook (complete with the letter A) from Useful Books. It is made using a 45 red record - how cool is that?! I cannot wait to get it! I also must start holiday shopping soon....yikes.

My dream necklace

2009-10-28T11:40:00.005-04:00

A week or so ago, I asked a fellow etsian - Mavis of sparklegarden - to craft me my very own "story necklace" . I was excited to see what she would create for me! And, she did not disappoint. I sent her a few things to incorporate into my necklace, including a couple charms from hint (who makes amazing silver, by the way). I asked Mavis to make my necklace mostly green, with some blue and orange. I also asked for custom stamping - here's a look:

Here, Mavis stamped my husband's name and a tree-ish design complete with a bird. And, look - a fish!

The stamp at the top includes my boys' initials and a lotus. You can also see one of the small charms by hint - a goddess.

The whole piece: the large olive jade pendant is from a necklace Rob bought me a long time ago. It was a nursing necklace, and since I don't nurse anymore, I never wear it (but it's still special!). The green cabochon was from a ring my grandmother gave me. Mavis took it off the ring and incorporated it into the necklace. She also added scissors, since I do sew an absolute ton! Overall, I was very excited about the necklace, and can't express how awesome it looks in person!

Materials used: sterling, ceramic, carnelian, turquoise, jade, fluorite, lampworked glass, Hilltribe silver, Aventurine, green garnet, green tourmaline, ocean jasper, tree pendant, blue lace agate, freshwater pearls.

Support Handmade - what's your favorite?

2009-10-20T10:17:00.005-04:00

Not only do I sell handmade, but I also buy handmade more often than ever. Why? For me it's for a couple reasons....first, I like the one-of-a-kind-ness that comes with handmade. Second, the customer service cannot be beat when you buy straight from the maker.

Lots of people have a certain category of handmade goodness that they cannot live without. For me - it's soap. Just regular old bar soap. But, handmade soap is nothing like what you buy at Target. It's creamy and extra lathery - and the smell. You can get any smell from sandalwood (one of my most favorite) to fresh cut grass. From fruit to nuts. Flowers and leather. The possibilities are endless. I myself will never ever buy store bought soap again. I even use handmade soap on my youngest who is 2. His current bar is orange sandalwood. It is fabulous! My husband and boys are currently using "beowulf". Mine is a floral blend this time, and of course we have our facial bars too.

Soap is my handmade obsession. What's yours??

NEW Offerings!

2009-10-08T13:49:00.003-04:00

Due to many requests for dpn (double pointed needle) organizers, I've decided to make some up! Check them out HERE , and let me know what you think! They can also be used as larger crochet organizers, or a combo of both!

A new find

2009-10-04T10:28:00.003-04:00

I love Tatsu fabric....the purpley orange dragon fabric from Alexander Henry, as seen here. I was pretty excited to get my hands on a black/red version of this fabric yesterday! I've already whipped up a couple of products with it....
A new SUPER organizer, for crochet hooks and knitting needles

and a new project bag

Both incorporate a really nice gray batik. I am definitely making a bag out of this for ME....I deserve it, right?? ;^)

Also....my "weekend deals" sale ends today!!!! Take advantage while you still can!

WEEKEND DEALS!

2009-10-02T08:11:00.002-04:00

WEEKEND DEALS!!! Pre-Halloween sale! Save 10% off your entire order from Oct 2- Oct 4 only on Etsy! No codes to enter, no coupons....but hurry, sale ends midnight Oct 4!
pumpkin skulls project bag
disco blue crochet organizer
pumpkin skulls crochet organizer

the Paisley Frog

2009-10-01T15:50:00.002-04:00

This pattern is really cute! I don't usually like "cute", but I like this. Check out the project bag and matching crochet organizer made with this froggy fabric!

a lock for love

2009-09-24T12:18:00.003-04:00

I had been thinking about doing it for a long long time...and either scheduling got in the way, laziness, or I just wasn't sure about parting with so much hair, but this past Tuesday I FINALLY cut my hair off! I've had it long for years now, but being no stranger to short hair (or blonde hair, red hair, black hair, green hair, curly hair, straight hair), I wasn't that nervous. I haven't colored my hair in over a decade, so it was nice and healthy. I decided to donate it to Locks of Love. They require 10" minimum, but I had 14" cut. It's pretty short now, but I don't miss it...and I'm hoping it will help to make a child somewhere happy :^) Got hair? Donate it!

Because it's almost Halloween!

2009-09-18T10:46:00.004-04:00

This is one of the most favorite times of year in our house. We love Halloween! So, in the spirit of the upcoming holiday, I've introduced some new "skully" products in my shop! purple skull crochet organizer
and matching project bag!

Fun! I also have to get cracking on the Halloween costumes - I haven't even started. I did get the material, but I've got four costumes to sew and I'm running out of time!

New! Octopi, Birds and Tattoo

2009-09-11T08:13:00.003-04:00

I have a lot of new items in my etsy shop! I've been trying to stock up for holiday shoppers (I'm being quite optimistic about the holiday season!) and have added more organizers, more totes and will be adding more book covers and pouches soon too. Here are some of my newest!
For cephalopod lovers!
Love Birds ♥
For anyone who loves ink!

Come on in, and have a look around - I will be listing a LOT of new things in the next few weeks!

Relisted and On Sale!

2009-08-31T15:34:00.002-04:00

This apron is adorable, has 17 hearts, over 550 views, and yet there it sits. It is marked down from $17 to $14, because it really really needs a home! Come check it out! I have only two aprons left...this one, and also my owl half apron - which is my favorite! If only it fit me...

Freshen up!

2009-08-26T15:43:00.004-04:00

You know the smell - stale rug. Or, dog-smelling rug, cat-smelling rug, kid-smelling rug. In any case, your rug needs some freshening up. Of course, washing your rug is optimal for getting it squeaky clean, but when you don't need an all out wash, what do you do? There are tons and tons of pre-made carpet fresheners out there. Some are full of chemicals, and some claim to be "natural" (uh huh, sure). This past weekend - yes, while on vacation - I decided that I wanted my rug to smell good without the use of a can of powdery chemicals - so, remember these herbs I dried out? ------>

Here is what I did (and it worked!) :
Gather some dried out herbs...something you love the smell of. Crumble them up and sprinkle over your carpets. Now, if you live in a house with wall-to-wall in every room, this could take some time and a fair amount of herbs. We have hardwood, so I only had to treat a few area rugs. After covering your rug with said herbs, walk on them and grind them into the rug with your feet to release their scents and (hopefully) rub it into your rugs. Let them sit for a few, and vacuum. It works great (also makes your vacuum smell great!), and I imagine will last a while. The smell is so amazing, and so much more subtle than "gentle breeze" or "spring rain" or whatever nonsense scent they can come up with, that's for sure. Here's a list of herbs I tried:

rosemary - love the smell, and if we're talking folklore - great for ridding your house of negativity and promoting health and well being

jasmine flowers - eh, this was ok. not a strong enough smell, but I wanted to use them up.

lavender - you can't go wrong with lavender, can you?

yarrow - just like lavender, you can't go wrong with yarrow. Widely used in dried floral arrangements because it retains it's color (yellow works best) and smell.

scented geranium - I think this worked the best because the scent is pretty powerful. I dry the leaves only.

Other herbs/flowers that are worth trying....rose (if you're up for using them. I couldn't justify crumbling and vacuuming my dried rose), chamomile (I'm going to try that next, I love chamomile!), any mint, basil, lemon balm or verbena, or whatever herb you like the smell of. Give it a shot! And please do report back with what worked, and what didn't.

**A word of caution** If you are pregnant or nursing, please be cautious. Some herbs are not suitable for pregnant or nursing mothers. Also, please consider if your dog/cat is a bottom feeder - as in, they'll eat ANYthing. If you own such an animal, good for you! Your floors are probably immaculate. But, some herbs aren't good for their digestive systems. And of course, if you have a toddler/crawler who also likes to clean your floors, please do not try this while he/she is up and about. Wait for nap time :^)

a small break...

2009-08-21T09:48:00.004-04:00

A vacation is in order! Starting today (ok, tonight) I will be on a mini-break from madbird. I need more sleep, more fun, and more time with my boys before school starts back up! We have plans to hit the beach, take the boys to Pirate's Cove , sleep, watch movies, sleep, go on a picnic or two, sleep, go to the pool, and just have some fun! I will be back on Wednesday - but I'm not really "leaving". I will still be online, listing new creations, answering convos, etc. I just won't be sewing. Or shipping until Thursday morning. All info is in my shop announcement. Have a wonderful weekend everyone!! :^)

Organize this!

2009-08-14T22:36:00.014-04:00

New super cool organizers! A gorgeous Alexander Henry fabric, fleur de granville, makes a really fun organizer. Lime green & navy....I like that. Tatsu, one of my best sellers - and a personal favorite! Finally, Park Slope - which is not listed yet, so no link. Coming tomorrow! I love making crochet organizers. They are relatively small in scale, so I can piece together really cool remnants, making one of a kind organizers to tidy up a bunch of hooks!

More totes!

2009-08-12T09:49:00.004-04:00

I added two more yesterday since two sold last week! I love them, they're so fun to make, and so functional. I will definitely be making more soon :^)

Taxes? Who, me?

2009-08-11T09:58:00.003-04:00

Yes, you. You are a self-employed business owner, are you not? Chances are....if your business makes a red cent, you have to at least file your taxes. That doesn't mean you'll owe, but you do need to file. You'll also be made aware of self-employment tax. Yeah, you'll probably have to pay that too. But, don't worry, the IRS is busy making it extraordinarily impossible to figure out on your own. Chances are good you'll seek some outside help. Whether an accountant friend, a tax preparer - and please folks, seek a reputable one - or the IRS itself, unless you love long and wordy forms, clicking multiple links, and following trails of breadcrumbs....ask for help. There is a great source of info in this thread , but WOWZA - see what I mean about all those links?? And, that's just the Federal stuff.

Depending on the state you live in, you may have to pay not only sales tax you've collected (and you HAVE been collecting it, right?? If not, well...tsk tsk and run along to your state's .gov and set yourself up to collect it! No, really!!), but you'll also likely need to pay income tax too (unless you live in a state that has no income tax, of course). I live in MA - which is apparently a tax-loving state. I really pity the folks who work in MA, pay our income tax then skibble up to NH where they live, and pay their whopping real estate tax - but I truly digress. I just see so many of these people packing 93N every day to get to their highly taxed homes.

Finally, please keep records of EVERYthing. I keep spreadsheets of all expenses and earnings as well as all receipts/invoices to back them up. I have it broken down and separated all pretty-like by tax quarters. You really don't need fancy accounting software - excel will do. It's especially helpful if you're a whiz at excel's math formulas! In any case - even if you use the ole' ledger and pencil - keep records. It'll save you one big fat headache.

**Um, ok, judging by my post, I hope you can plainly see that I'm no tax expert. Please seek professional advice if you have questions!**

Yahoo!

2009-08-07T20:55:00.002-04:00

A sneak peak...

2009-08-07T01:08:00.004-04:00

Project bags! Not totes, bags. I decided to offer both types...I have a couple listed already....but this particular bag won't be listed until tomorrow.

They are very light weight, but I added a layer of batting and interfacing to the base, making them sturdy enough to withstand travel. Small enough to be portable, but big enough to hold a project (8.5" tall with a 6" base). Or...use it as a cute little purse. My favorite features: it's reversible! And, the square, not rectangular, bottom. They stand up very well when packed! Try one out!

All right, all right, I'll show you the inside...;^) (or the outside, depending)
Have a great night! Or, good morning if you're on the east coast with me! I need to get to bed...

New Project Bags...

2009-08-04T15:56:00.003-04:00

Here is the first bag listed! See it and all of its features here Tell me what you think! More to be listed shortly.

A new project...

2009-08-02T18:19:00.002-04:00

is in the works. I'm thinking of adding a new product line - project bags! I recently made a custom bag and I really loved the way it came out. So much so, that I'm thinking of making a couple different styles for the shop! I'm anxious to get started...;^)

My Soopsee featured in the Storque!

2009-07-31T13:08:00.003-04:00

I was alerted by a repeat customer (ok, I confess, I don't frequent the Storque) that I was sort of featured in a Storque article! Well, how exciting is that!!

The article is about a site called soopsee which was designed for etsy sellers. It basically allows you to connect your shop, blog, etc all together at one location. It's pretty cool. Read up on the Storque article, and check out the website. It's worth looking into - I hear there is a waiting list!

My SALE ends Friday!

2009-07-29T08:57:00.016-04:00

The sale currently going on in my artfire shop ends this Friday!!! Save while you can on some early Christmas shopping, or just treat yourself (you know you deserve it). Come in and check it out!

Do you double up?

2009-07-26T11:07:00.004-04:00

Let's say you have two or even three online shops. Do you create different things for each shop, or do you list the same stuff twice...in hopes that something doesn't sell simultaneously from both shops?

For me, I like to keep my etsy shop fully stocked with goodness. Etsy is my main squeeze. Artfire is coming up second....I only have two sales so far in my artfire shop (compared to 228 on etsy) but the traffic there is steadily increasing. They're so young, and have so much potential. I am staying insofar as I can tell.

The problem is that I'm so busy...it's very hard to have 70 or so things available on etsy at all times as well as: keeping up with custom orders, and stocking the B&M's I'm in - oh yeah, and having a life outside of madbird. I can't imagine doubling that for Artfire. So, I basically double list. There are some things available only on etsy, and some only on Artfire...but that's not the majority. And 1000Markets? I'm not so sure about them. The website is beautiful and it's nice and clean, but the traffic is zip. I also think relying on amazon checkout w/o accepting paypal is a mistake. I admit - I hardly list there at this point, but now I'm getting off topic.

Anyway....I've yet to have things sell at the same time. I don't think I'll be so cavalier with my listing practices come holiday season though. Things are picking up already, never mind Oct-Dec. So, I think I'm going to have to stop double listing and just start cranking out more work.

*sigh* At least it's been a really lousy summer thus far on the East Coast of the US...so I'm not missing much by being glued to my sewing machine. I do, however, have a plan that involves bringing my sewing machine and supplies pool-side, if the need arises ;^)

Do you have a medicine cabinet in your yard?

2009-07-21T15:05:00.057-04:00

I do. But, in my case, it's not a coincidence. I planted most of the herbs in my yard myself. Over the past couple years, I've grown a pretty potent garden. Many gardeners don't realize the medicine they've got growing in their yards! Yarrow, calendula, mints, mullein, etc. A lot of people have these common perennials mixed in with their veggies and don't even realize the potential.
Here's a quick glimpse into my garden....

Feverfew - as its name suggests, feverfew was used to treat fevers. It is said that chewing one leaf a day will prevent migraines. I have yet to try feverfew as a medicinal. I just love the cut flowers - they last for weeks.

Lemon balm (Melissa officianalis) - oh, my lemon balm. She's such a prolific gal. I have so much lemon balm dried, it should last a solid year and yet she keeps on growing. The one problem with this wonderful herb is that she will take over your garden if you let her. She's rather domineering. In tea, lemon balm is wonderfully lemony - but a little less so than lemon verbena (which I also grow and love, but is a very very tender perennial, not as tough as Melissa). Great for common colds, sore throats, congestion - an all around great tea ingredient. You can even toss a sprig in your iced tea.

Bee balm - As you can see, bee balm is a friend to pollinators. They love it. I have the purple variety, and am currently on the look out for red. Makes a great tea, a little citrusy (orange) - hence the nickname bergamot. Good for colds and sore throats. I dry the stalk, leaf, flower and all. Yum.

I've got some calendula petals drying, and below that you can see the calendula growing amongst some dahlias that haven't bloomed yet (there's also a really pretty blue flower that's mixed in, called "love-in-a-mist"). Calendula is awesome. There are many uses for it, but I will likely make salves and creams out of mine. I harvest it by popping off the flower heads, and pulling out the petals to dry. That's the purest and (in my opinion) best way to dry calendula.

Peppermint - the main ingredient in most of my medicinal teas. I grow a lot of mints. I also have spearmint, orange mint, catnip, etc. Mints are great in tea. I don't think I need to carry on about why peppermint is a staple for any herb garden. Pretty much everyone knows that.
Below I have some lavender drying as well as some paprika yarrow. I haven't harvested the yellow yarrow yet, which dries much better than the red - aesthetically speaking. Below that is some of my catnip drying.

I have many other herbs growing. Chamomile is one that I can't have enough of. I love it for tea, of course, but it also makes great oils and soaps. I love stocking our medicine cabinet with homemade remedies. I can truthfully say I've saved us at least two trips to the doctor this summer - one of which for an infected bug bite. One of my older sons is a mosquito magnet. He has horrible reactions to their bites, and with the use of herbal medicines, we were saved a copay. The first time we rushed him off to his dr, resulting in a copay, and expensive antibiotic as well as OTC allergy meds. I'm talking bug bites that swell up to a 5" diameter. My sons also - very willingly - will drink any tea concoction I slip under their noses. Just an encouraging wink and a nod that says "oh, yeah...that will make you all better" is all it takes. I should note that common sense is needed here. Any time anyone exhibits an ailment that won't leave after 24-48hrs, a dr visit is warranted.

So, who else grows herbs for fun or for medicine?

This weekend I also put up many many jars of raspberry jam, pickled beets and sweet cucumber relish. Pics and tips to follow in another post later this week ;^)

Give away winner!

2009-07-20T18:45:00.003-04:00

Using random.org....a winner was selected for my blog give away and it is.....Sara from Red Owl Designs! Congrats to Sara, and thank you all for participating!

CIJ - How is it going?

2009-07-16T15:37:00.002-04:00

If you're a seller - whether on Etsy or Artfire or both - and your shop is participating in a Christmas in July sale, have your sales picked up as a result? I'm curious to know how it's going....both sites' sales end July 22nd (I think). So, less than a week left!

My etsy shop has seen a huge increase in traffic and sales have certainly picked up. Artfire? Not so much. How about yours?

What did you expect?

2009-07-13T16:11:00.003-04:00

I mean, really. As a business owner - and yes, you are a business owner. Whether a sole proprietor or an LLC, you sell to the general public, pay taxes, etc = owner of a business, no longer merely a hobbyist. What did you expect when you had this brilliant idea to open shop? Well, I'll tell you what I didn't expect...

I didn't expect to make any money. I was doing this for a few reasons. Mainly because I am always making things anyway, and usually give my stuff away. I was encouraged to try selling my stuff on ebay, but I hate ebay so I never tried. When I found etsy, I thought about it, and procrastinated for a solid year before opening shop. I have three shops online now, and have my goods in two B&M's in New England. I make money.

I didn't expect to be so busy. Honestly, I totally underestimated the amount of hoopla involved. I can't even guesstimate my weekly hours because it seems I'm always working. Not just sewing, but convo'ing, tweeting, fb'ing, researching, shopping, etc. I'm often pulling extremely late nights.

I didn't expect to, or want to, work so hard on any of this google schmoogle crap. If I never hear of SEO again, I'll die a happy girl. After Etsy's SEO debacle, lots of us suffered. And we worked excruciatingly hard to be found again on google. I am soooo SEO'd out, I could spit. But, I won't...because I stuck it out and it seems to be improving. I mean...if I wanted to learn about meta tags and titles, I'd have my own web page, dammit (which is currently in the works, by the way).

I didn't expect all the support. I can't thank enough my immediate family members who are such a system of support that one could only dream up. Seriously. Between Rob being my shipping/photo/designer guy, to my parents doing whatever and anything they can to help me succeed, I'm so grateful. So, hey, thanks.

I didn't expect I'd be so tired. I live in yoga pants. I must have 5 or 6 pairs, that sadly aren't used for yoga workouts lately. They're "lounge/work" pants now. I do have this fantasy where I wake up an hour early and get a yoga practice in before starting my day....but I'm foul tempered enough at 7am (after going to bed around 2am most nights). Trust me, the world doesn't want me up any earlier. After I throw hot coffee in my face, I'm good to go though.

So tell me...what did you (or didn't you) expect?

Twosies!

2009-07-13T12:11:00.003-04:00

I'm so psyched to have made Etsy's front page again! YES! Right around lunch time on the east coast too!
The end result: 30 new shop hearts, 27 new item hearts, 3 sales and 1 custom order!!!

FP!

2009-07-09T21:11:00.004-04:00

YAHOO! It happened, I FINALLY made the front page of Etsy! I noticed I had a huge increase in shop hearts tonight, so I went to one of my most beloved sites, craftcult, and searched the vault (the vault usually tells me "nope, nothing for you" and I move along...but not tonight. Tonight the vault told me I hit the front page around 6:30 EST! My mermaid bookcover made it, and it sold around 7:30. I was pretty excited to make it to the FP - so, thanks for that, to whichever Etsy admin is responsible :)

Christmas in July on Etsy!

2009-07-07T15:30:00.003-04:00

Hello my lovely followers! :) Just wanted to give you a head's up....

Some sellers on Etsy have decided to have a Christmas in July sale in their shops. I am one such seller. This starts TOMORROW (the 8th)...and lasts until July 22nd. The sale varies from shop to shop. Search cij or christmas in july or christmasinjuly. Sounds confusing, I know, but sellers used different tags. My sale will be as follows:

Spend $25 to receive a $5 refund via paypal, spend $50 to receive a $10 refund, $75 to receive $15, etc. The sale EXCLUDES shipping. Come on now - start your shopping early!

Win my Giveaway!

2009-07-07T08:41:00.005-04:00

I figured it was time to host another giveaway. This time the winner selects any zip pouch from my "sale section" in my etsy shop OR any small zip pouch throughout the shop. There are many ways to enter...each step equals an entry. Complete all of the steps to increase your chances of winning :) Here they are:

Go to my etsy OR my artfire shop. Comment back with your fave!

Follow my blog!

Tweet about my giveaway and be sure to add @4madbird so that I can see your tweet! (Don't forget the 4!)

Blog about my giveaway and provide a link.

Become my fan on facebook .

If you are so inclined to purchase something from either shop, that equals 5 additional entries - AND a free secret gift if you win!
(just be sure to let me know in "notes to seller" that you are participating in the giveaway)

Comment and let me know what you've done so that you get all your entries in!

Good luck! :D

**edited to add - winner will be pulled from a hat on July 20!**

July Feature - Spool Design

2009-07-04T22:01:00.016-04:00

This month I'm featuring a fellow etsian and friend, Alison - aka Spool Design. She has a knack for creating intricate jewelry from vintage finds, flea market deals and collage to name a few. I am always impressed by two things upon entering Alison's shop, and that is her photographs - because they're so in synch with the delicateness of her creations....and I'm also impressed by the voices her creations have. They have a soft secretive whisper, as if they've been somewhere I haven't and know something I don't. Honestly, I could spend (and have spent) a long time in her shop musing over all the views of her beautiful jewelry. Try taking a walk through her shop - it won't disappoint.

I recently asked Alison what inspires her:
"I'm inspired by antique stores, flea markets, and other creatives. Etsy is a huge source of inspiration because it connects me to so many talented shop owners with an insane amount of creativity. Lately I've been drawing lots of inspiration from vintage shops with fabrics and fancy flocked wallpaper and sewing notions. I've been trying to incorporate these types of things into my work."

When asked about her favorite materials to work with, Alison replied:
"I try to keep with salvaged jewelry items, items that have no home because they are are broken or have missing parts. I adore painted and repainted junk items, with chips and tattered parts. Right now I'm IN LOVE with vintage lace, millinery flowers & tiny applique flowers. And bows. These days I just can't get enough of bows, whether it be metal, fabric, drawn, whatever. "

I love that. Finding small parts of a whole that are no longer wanted and repurposing them into something great again.
Please visit spooldesign on etsy and have a look for yourself. You won't find any two like pieces, as it's all one-of-a-kind greatness! Mention madbird in "notes to seller" upon checking out to recieve 25% off your entire order through Sept 1!!! Now, that's a fabulous deal! See Alison's shop policies for details. Also, please check out her blog to see her "beek of the week" features and other insights into her work. Tell her this bird sent ya!

Another cool giveaway!

2009-07-02T19:31:00.001-04:00

Check it out! It's super cool!

Christmas in July!

2009-07-02T15:55:00.002-04:00

It's Christmas in July in my ArtFire shop!!! Everything store wide is 10% off - prices are marked down already! Come on in and take a peek here! I have a good amount of stuff there, so check it out!

A new style...

2009-06-24T11:44:00.002-04:00

compact bifold wallets are here! There are a few in my etsy shop and I have a couple more I need to list. I really like the way they came out! I'm currently using one and I love how simple, yet functional, it is. They close easily with a snap. Let me know what you think!

Monday - June 22

2009-06-22T10:29:00.003-04:00

Good Monday morning - I hope all the dads out there had a great Father's Day! I woke up to a pleasant surprise....a friend of mine from etsy featured me in her blog. It was such a great way to start off the week - thanks, Johanna! Check out her shop here.

Over the weekend, I added more card holders to my shop. Check them out - they are really fun to make!

Coming later on this week....a new bi-fold wallet. I made one for me and I love it! So...I will be making more to list in my shop. Have a great start to the week everyone! As always, thanks for reading :) Be sure to let me know what you think!

Alecia

More sale items!

2009-06-20T22:27:00.003-04:00

I moved more things into my "sale" section of my shop. Check it out! I need to make room for new stuff!

I've added new card holders to my shop too. They're a new design, and nicer :) Check them out here.

Happy Summer Solstice!

A fabulous giveaway!

2009-06-19T13:05:00.002-04:00

There is a great giveaway on this blog - go check it out and enter to win!!!

Alecia

and ArtFire too...sure, why not?

2009-06-17T14:29:00.002-04:00

I've also moved on over and secured a spot on ArtFire. Why not, right? I will be filling up that shop with more madbird-y goodness in the days to come. Right now it has some of the same stuff from etsy (no, not duplicate listings, I actually have two of each in stock) - but I'm thinking of filling up that shop. I like it a lot. Why? Because for 12 bucks a month there are zero fees, unlimited listings, and I get to customize my shop which is AWESOME! The wee ArtFire logo in the back does not intrude on my space.

This is not replacing Etsy. I love Etsy...it has so far brought me great success, and I am there to stay as far as I can see. But, who said a little tryst on the side was a bad thing? ;^)

Guess what?! madbird is no longer ONLY on etsy!

2009-06-16T13:41:00.002-04:00

That's right folks....madbird is branching out a bit. My stuff is now available at 1000markets ! Hooray!

Admittedly, the shop is half empty, but I just got accepted yesterday, so please check back for more soon :^D

An octopuslet

2009-06-15T13:38:00.003-04:00

I've made another wristlet...this one with some really fun Giant Octopi fabric. See it here. And, please do tell me what you think!

How do YOU know when to say when?

2009-06-13T12:40:00.008-04:00

Rewind several years ago....when I was a senior in art college....after the multitude of painting 2 classes, and a couple painting 3 classes, I took painting 4 - visiting artist**. A visiting artist class is just that....an artist (in this case, a painter) who legitimately earns a living off his art, teaches a class. Yes, he's paid to do so, but he's not faculty, and only teaches occasionally, hence being a "visitor".

I remember being smacked into reality by this class. The reality was: you need to paint constantly, producing 2 -3 GOOD paintings a week in order to be worth a dime. And, more importantly, everything you make is not fabulous.

The first critique....I was so frustrated. I had my 3 paintings up in front of the class of....maybe 20 other painters....and I hated every one of them. When asked to talk about them, I quite bluntly stated that I had nothing to say. Neither did anyone else. Why? Because they sucked, that's why. My frustration and dislike for them was obvious, and so my instructor, turned to me and said "ok, throw them away". Whoa....that's not what I had in mind. When I encountered a sucky painting, I worked, reworked, and worked more until it was good. I never threw out my precious work. But, I did. I took a "real" artist's advice, and tossed those canvases in the dumpster outside the building. It was SO fantastic. I felt relieved, and free from the suckiness that encompassed them. I have to not-so-humbly admit, my paintings following that event were MUCH improved.

I took what I learned from that class and apply it to what I make now. I discard pouches, wallets, etc if they're not up to snuff. If I can easily rework something, I will. But, if it just sucks...or isn't of top quality, I either toss it, or give it away to my sibs, my niece, etc. Don't sell anything that you wouldn't buy. Scrap it, or donate it. So, my question to other fellow crafters and artists is: when do YOU know when to say when?

**Incidentally, this was the first class I ever had with my now-husband, Rob. We knew each other before then, but we were never in the same class before senior year. We traded paintings by the end of the semester, and our mutual friend Jon convinced me to ask Rob out. And, here we are....;^)

A new product!

2009-06-08T13:09:00.007-04:00

So, last weekend I toyed with the idea of making a wristlet - similar to my large zip pouches, but with a loop handle. I didn't toy with the idea for too long though, and I whipped one up! It is interfaced to keep it a bit structured. Check it out! What do you think?

Monthly wrap up - May

2009-06-05T09:10:00.004-04:00

Yay, I think I've hit most of my goals from last month! I just squeaked by with 164 sales...my goal was 160. It hasn't been a great month sales-wise. It's been pretty slow and unpredictable, but I'm still satisfied with the progress. I am working on building up more inventory, and that's going well. Some things to consider for June:

Branch out. I'm going to look into 1K markets. I've heard mixed reviews, but one thing I've learned is to never put your eggs in one basket. I can't depend on etsy to be my one and only. I will have some of my bags in two shops in MA by the end of the month. One is in Groton, the other in West Concord. The shop is noagifts. I was pretty excited to be contacted by the owner recently. She was extremely nice - we agreed on the numbers and pricing so now I've got a ton of bags to make. It looks like quite a nice shop!

Price restructure. I'm starting to add more features...my bags will from now on be interfaced. My organizers are better than they were when I started. I'm going to add a wristlet to my inventory - I can't wait for this one, they're going to be soooo cute. Comparatively...I'm cheap. And I shouldn't be - hey, I work hard! And...the fabric I use is not boring OR cheap.

Build up lots. I need more inventory stocked up. If I don't sell it all during holiday shopping season, I'll save it for fairs the following year. I've got to get me into some fairs! I turned down any offers I got to vend this year. I'm way too unprepared. But, I'll be better prepared next year. I have my eye fixed on the one in Boston.

Those are June's goals! Good luck to all my fellow sellers :^)

Read my new article on handmadenews.org!

2009-06-03T11:19:00.002-04:00

Check out my article! And please leave me some feedback :^D Thanks!

And.....the winner is......

2009-05-31T09:00:00.003-04:00

SPOOL! Hooray!

Thank you to all for participating! This was a lot of fun. Congratulations to Spool!

I will do this again soon, since I had fun doing it, and hey - free stuff is a good thing, right?

The end is near!

2009-05-29T13:08:00.002-04:00

The end of my give away, that is. If you haven't done so, please enter up to 3 times to win a fabulous credit/debit card holder made by ME! I've decided to let the winner choose a card holder from my shop! Here's an added incentive...if you already own a card holder from me, I'll allow you to pick one small pouch from my shop instead! So, there's an added bonus...enter NOW - winner will be chosen Sunday!

A really cool giveaway from onarollcozies...

2009-05-28T09:54:00.001-04:00

Check out this give away! Only a few more days to enter!

Hey, time! Where did you go?

2009-05-26T19:04:00.004-04:00

Did you ever notice...that there's never enough time in a day?, days in a week?...and, well, you get the picture....

I'm feeling that way right about now. I never seem to have enough time to do what needs doing. I don't just mean sewing and work stuff. I mean house stuff. I'm talking about wondering why your dog is whining incessantly only to realize you haven't let him outside since 7am, and it's now 2pm. Forgetting to feed your four year old lunch. What's that sweetie, you'd like chips and strawberries for lunch? Perfect! Come on, fess up. You've done it too.

But, in all the madness of crafting or whatever it is you're doing, be sure to appreciate the season. Go outside and get your hands in the dirt. Plant something. Walk barefoot on the grass and give the full moon some of your attention. Eat ice cream. Watch a ball game. Ground yourself and stay sane for crying out loud.

All right, I admit, this is a pep talk for me. But, I know that some of you are guilty of missing out on some springtime fun! Catch some springy goodness before the hot summer rolls in ;^)

Monthly feature - On a Roll....ipod cozies, cup cozies and accessories

2009-05-23T10:22:00.017-04:00

This month I'm highlighting a fellow etsian who knits up some really fun stuff! I like knitters. After all, they buy what I make, but also because they have a patience and dedication to their craft that is most admirable.

This month the spotlight is on Kara, from On a Roll - check out her shop! She knits up these really delicious looking ipod cozies. Some are beautifully simple while others sport a cable design.

I asked her about her creative process: "Sometimes I'll see a yarn I really like and work from that or sometimes I'll think of a new item I want to make and then find a suitable yarn." Hey, I think a lot of us work that way! I also think that the spontaneity of this method leads to really fresh and amazing projects. I also asked her about her material choices: " My favorites materials are definitely wool and cotton. The wool I use with for my iPod cozies knits up so nicely with a really satisfying definition to the stitches. And buttons! I can't forget buttons! I have a couple boxes full of buttons now, and it's been so great to actually have a reason to have an absurd amount of buttons around." I'll say! Gorgeous stitch definition! I want to reach through my screen and feel up those projects! They look so soft and cuddly - a great home for my ipod.

But, Kara doesn't only make ipod cozies. She also makes cup cozies, scarves, and other accessories. In between using your cup cozie for your coffee, wear it on your wrist as a super cool accessory! Buy one for your eco-friendly co-worker as an appreciation gift! Lots of possibilities! Want even more incentive? Kara says: "From Friday, May 22, 2009 through Monday, May 25, 2009 - Spend $14 USD or more (including shipping) and receive a free hand knit cup cozy of your choice! The deal includes custom orders placed before the end of the day on Monday, May 25!"

If you would like to find out more about On a Roll, or keep up to date on happenings and new projects, follow her blog. Thanks for reading my spotlight post! Now, go give her shop some love ;^)

Post and follow = win!

2009-05-19T09:22:00.003-04:00

Enter my giveaway and win one of my business/credit card holders! Examples of my card holders can be found here . You won't receive any that are currently in my shop, but you will receive one that is SUPER cool, I promise. No requests for specific patterns, please...but I will try to accommodate your favorite colors!

How it works:

1. Follow my blog
2. Visit my shop on etsy. Look around. Post back here and tell me what you like and what you'd like to see more of.
3. Post my shop/blog/giveaway info on your blog.

Each of these actions = 1 entry. Enter up to 3 times if you like, but be sure to post here informing me of your "follow", your blog post and what you like or want to see more of in my shop. That's it! Winner will be picked May 31.

Good luck!

Oh, how I love Craftcult

2009-05-14T22:38:00.004-04:00

If you don't, you should. Here's why:

The owners of Craftcult are super nice. AND, they're etsy sellers themselves.

Craftcult is full of seller-friendly features, such as:
The heart-o-matic
Enter your username here to find out how many shop hearts and/or item hearts you have. They are even nice enough to tell you the date and TIME you received each and every bit of love. See how many item views you've got. Check if you're featured on the front page, in the storque, or in a gift guide.

The Vault
This feature is soooo cool. View by date, or search specifically for any etsy member. If you're in or have been in a front page treasury, it will show up here. Trust me, it works. So far, it's informed me that "no lists were found with madbird featured. Try another search already, you pest!" Sadly, it's correct. I keep trying though.

Advertising
Oh yeah, it works. Sometimes, paid advertising is a good thing. I only paid $15 for four days. The first day of my advertisement, I got a $60 sale directly from Craftcult. How do I know? Because she told me Craftcult sent her, that's how. This was my second time advertising with them. I did so well the last time I bought a 4-day ad, it took a lot of restraint to wait a few weeks before buying more time. My goal is to advertise one spot monthly. It's a good deal - give it a shot.

Even if you're not keen on buying an ad spot - if you haven't checked out the heart-o-matic, you're missing out. But be warned, it can be addicting!

JUICY

2009-05-12T09:20:00.005-04:00

I was asked to make an apron for a little girl's 5th birthday by her aunt. The request was to make it "citrusy - think lemonade stand". She is giving her niece a lemonade stand themed party. So, I pulled a couple fabrics together that said "citrus" to me.

The first side is a Robert Kaufman print from his Monaluna line - called Florets in melon. I instantly thought of this fabric because it always struck me as lemon-limey. The second fabric I picked was also a Kaufman fabric (his fabric is tops, I mean really) called Juicy. Um, yeah...those are lemons. You can't get more lemonade-y than that!

The finished apron is now listed on reserve. I hope little five-year-old girl loves it! I sure do.

I participated in a Giveaway....

2009-05-10T21:23:00.002-04:00

Check out the giveaway on this blog...some really cool items are up for grabs!!!

Introducing.....the SUPER organizer

2009-05-08T09:34:00.003-04:00

I was playing with the idea of creating a bigger organizer, and decided to expand on my current design. It's not much bigger when folded up, but it has an EXTRA row for more tools. My standard organizer has 24 pockets with 2 rows. This big boy has 3 rows, totaling 39 pockets! Yowza! Check it out, it's SO cool and I'm SO tempted to keep it for myself!

May Goals

2009-05-07T08:14:00.006-04:00

I have a few May goals - but they're really just a continuation of last month's goals with a couple new ones tossed in.

***Hit 160 sales*** That may be a stretch, as sales seem to be slowing down the past couple weeks. But, I'm setting my goal a little high anyway. That's where I want to be on June 3rd. I'm going to do my best to get there.

***Build more inventory*** Who knows when/if the Christmas rush will hit. I want to be prepared with products that are stored away and not listed. So far, I have a little less than a dozen things. I want to triple that.

***Review best sellers*** Take a look at the best sellers - figure out what percentage of all my sales is due to these specific items. Make more of them, and take a look at the ones that aren't selling so well. I need to decide whether to keep making them, or let them phase out. I've already done this with some products, but I feel like I shouldn't take time away from my best sellers to continue making more of under sellers. Also, cohesiveness is so essential. I think my shop is pretty cohesive, but I totally shy away from shops that aren't. A disorganized shop does not spell quality, it spells.....I don't know what the hell I'm doing, so I'll just list a bunch of stuff. eek!

***Buy less*** As far as supplies go...if I find a fabric I love, I almost always buy it. My fabric is insane - I have a LOT. I need to work with what I've got for a while and stop buying so much (but it's so damn good looking!). Profit, people. You've got to make a profit - even if you're doing it for love. That brings me to my last goal.

***Remember why I started*** I recently answered a poll by another etsian asking why we create/sell on etsy. My own answers surprised me. I didn't start madbird to make a lot of money. I did it because I LOVE to make stuff. That was the main reason. No lie. The second reason - to stay sane. Let's face it, I'm a mother of four and I stay home. I can get a little crazy. Having all of these orders to fill, and goals to meet keeps me grounded. The third reason was - money. In that order, those were my answers.

No boss for me. No regular hours. No dress code. No daycare. No time away from my family. No layoffs. I have the best possible job I could ask for, and I stay home doing it - with my kids right here. I'm only sad my husband has to go to his job. But, someone does need to make a guaranteed salary, that's for sure. I'm just glad it's not me! So let's all give etsy a great big warm hug. What would we do without it?

Review April 3 - May 3

2009-05-06T10:25:00.003-04:00

My April Goals were:

**Hit 80 sales - I did, as of May 3, I had 121. So, here is the monthly sale breakdown to date (I'm counting to the 3rd of every month since I opened shop on Feb 3):
Feb = 11
Mar = 43
Apr = 67

**Take over one bill - I did.

**Make more faster - Nope. I've been making more, but not faster. I've been getting lots of custom orders, and that slows me down. I've also been taking a night off here and there because I think it's wise to do so, and my production has slowed down some. I have to figure out how to get the most out of my time spent working.

**Rid of kitchen stuff - Almost. I traded and sold most of it. I still have a few things left, and will probably continue to make aprons on a custom-order basis. I will also be unveiling a new creation soon. A BIG one for all those knitters out there.

**Get organized - Almost. I have been much better at staying organized and tidying up after work. I still need to work on this, but it seems inevitable that I will have some chaos surrounding my work. Chaos isn't a bad thing.

I will soon be drafting up my May goals, I'm a little behind! Anyone have some simple goals to share? Post them below!

Cool Tools in Google Analytics

2009-05-01T09:03:00.007-04:00

I thought I'd list a few super cool informative tools available in your google analytics account. There is an absolute wealth of information contained in your account, but it often can become overwhelming - and confusing - to even the savviest number/graph/chart lover. I've listed a few nifty features below.

Site Overlay: This function allows you to see which items/keywords are being clicked within your shop. I like this function a lot, but on slow days, expect very low percentages.
Sign into your account. Click "view report", "content", and finally "site overlay".

Search Terms: What are buyers searching for that lead them to your shop? A common question etsians have goes something like this "why does it say "metal purse handle" as a search term someone uses that lands them in my shop? I sell soap!" Well, the search term "metal purse handle" is what lead them to ETSY, not your shop. While in etsy, they visited your shop. That's all that means. To see what terms people used to actually get in your front door, follow the trail below...

Before attempting this, be sure you have site search tracking set up. There is an excellent tutorial available on etsy via a storque article here. Once you have that completed, it's easy. Sign in, click "view report", click "content" then "site search" below that. Below "site search", click "search terms". VIOLA! These are the terms used to get in YOUR shop, not just etsy.

Visitor Trending: Ahhhh....now I know when to list my new items! Ever wonder the BEST time to list new items for the most exposure? This is a topic that often comes up in the fora, but the answer isn't simple. And that's because it's different for everyone. To see what time of day your shop generates the most views and activity, follow these clicks.
Sign in, click "view report". Click "visitors", "visitor trending" and then "visits". On the right side of your screen, under the dates, it will say "graph by". Click the cute wee clock. This switches the result to show visits by the hour. The default is by the day. You can also look at a weekly and monthly graph. Pretty cool huh?

I'll stop there. There are many more cool tools in analytics, poke around and see what you find!

SALE at madbird

2009-04-30T20:44:00.002-04:00

Yup, I'm having a sale! Time to clear out some old inventory (old being a few months old) to make room for all the new stuff! Come check it out!

Past 100 and still April

2009-04-28T10:41:00.002-04:00

I'm at 111 sales as of this morning. May 3rd will mark my 3month anniversary. Will I get to 125? I tend to doubt that, but who knows. I do know that weekends have slowed waaaaay down now that the nice weather is here. I made one sale this past weekend and 3 yesterday. I've been doing lots of international shipping which is cool! But, it means Rob has to make special PO trips...we sent to Israel, Australia and France. Canada too, of course....many to Canada, but they're close neighbors IMO.

This week I'll attempt to beef up my stock so that I can list more regularly. It's been hard because the babe has been sick. And now I'm feeling the wrath of allergy season combined with the babe's cold. Yuck.

Coming soon....fabric book covers. I'm really excited about these because they are really cool. Still working out the kinks, but they are really soft and nice and make me want to curl up with a good book and mug of tea. Speaking of tea....sun tea is amazing. Especially when you grow your own mint. Give it a try ;^) there's plenty of sun lately.

Sunday, nearing the 100 mark

2009-04-19T19:07:00.002-04:00

Ok....so. I'm at 97 sales. My goal was to hit 80 by May 1. However, I traded 12 or 13 times last week (I forget exactly) because I participated in a tradeAholics thread. I met some wonderful sellers and am awaiting some great things in the mail! I was able to unload most of my pot holders and all of my coasters - yay! So, I'm happy with how that turned out.

Anyway....take out 13 "sales" (although Rob insists it still counts as theoretically, I simply "sold" and "bought" even though technically, it's a "trade") I'm left with 84 sales! YAY I met my goal! And I will exceed it since it's only April 19! What were my other goals? Oh yeah...well, I'm working on those.

Getting ready to ship another package to Kindred this week. They told me that they're receiving very positive feedback about my stuff, but no sales yet. She told me not to be concerned as that's very common the first month. I'm not at all concerned, if it doesn't sell there, I'll put it up on etsy anyway. However, I'd like to see at least one sale in the coming weeks.

I bought some ad space on craftcult.com today. I only bought a four-day spot because I want to see how it goes before investing more money. Hopefully it brings new views. Based on my google analytics acct, I'm meeting almost all benchmarks except new visitors. I get lots of repeats...but only about 18% of my daily visitors are new...that should be more like 80%. So....that's way off. The good news is that my bounce rate is declining. So, people who are coming, aren't leaving quickly. I avg at least one sale a day, imagine if I was able to direct a much higher percentage of new peeps into my shop?! That would be fabulous. I'm hoping some ad space will help with that.

All right, must go work. :^)

Again!!!!!

2009-04-14T17:27:00.001-04:00

Yahoo!

April Goals

2009-04-10T13:13:00.002-04:00

My goals for the month of April: (I think it's a good idea to have goals...I just never do it. So, I'm doing it finally!)

**** Hit 80 sales**** I was around 51 on March 31st. So, I'm setting myself a goal of approximately a sale a day. I wanted to hit 50 by the 2nd month anniversary, and I did. So, I'm setting the bar a little higher this time.

**** Take over one bill**** I'm selecting one household bill that my shop is responsible for paying every month. Even if it's only 50 bucks...eventually I'd like to be able to pay for more.

****Make more faster**** I'm starting to make two or three duplicates at a time. This is working out well, because I can save one, list one, and send one (to Maine). Having inventory is really important in case I try a fair next summer.

****Rid of kitchen stuff**** I'm no longer making pot holders, coasters, or place mats. I want to get them out of my shop and into someone else's home. Alternatively, I may just ship them to Maine. I love them, but they're not big sellers.

****Get organized**** I know this may be a shock to those who know me, but I'm very disorganized lately. I need to get more storage, and put everything away every time I'm done working (ummmm, yeah ....this is a goal, not a must).

I think that's it for now. As of today, my sales are at 65....so I'm pretty psyched! Thank you to everyone who has and does support my shop!

If you think you can sew

2009-04-09T15:08:00.004-04:00

Or are thinking of trying to sew, read this blog entry. It doesn't cover everything, but it made me laugh because it's all so true. Sewing takes patience, precision, and perfectionism. Anything less just leaves you disappointed and covered in thread. OK, so most nights I'm covered in thread - seriously, and I have a pencil and my pokey-tool (a paintbrush w/the bristle end removed) sticking out of my hair bun - but I am patient, and precise and a perfectionist. And so, I'm hardly disappointed with what I make. Although on the occasions when I do not follow said sage advice, profanities spill out of my mouth at a steady pace. Never cut corners.

Thinking of Linus

2009-04-06T14:33:00.003-04:00

For a long time, I've been wanting to donate to Project Linus. I think about it every so often, when I see the empty bins at my local JoAnn's, or when I see the blanket Vinny got from a Project Linus contributor. It's special to me because two of our four boys wound up in NICU shortly after their births. The NICU is a horrible place, a place I'd soon like to forget...yet I can still remember the smell of it. It's a very clean smell, like soap, but it just makes me think of lonely babies and heartbroken mothers. Inside the NICU were specks of bright colors here and there. Those were the blankets lovingly handmade by women (and I suppose men possibly) from all over the country and then donated to local hospitals for sick babies and children. I was so appreciative that someone, somewhere, hand crocheted a blanket to keep my sick baby(ies) warm. Why not return the favor? Starting this month, I will be pulling proceeds from my shop to purchase yarn for Project Linus. As if I don't have enough to do....but the thought of giving something special to a small baby whose mother may be too worried or preoccupied to knit herself is so rewarding. Charity is totally underrated.

Another giveaway from EverImprovingMe...

2009-04-05T10:03:00.003-04:00

Please check out her blog for this month's giveaway She's super nice, and helps promote other shops by setting up these cool promos!

2nd month wrap

2009-04-03T09:09:00.003-04:00

Today marks madbird's second month anniversary. Wow it went by fast! I've been working super hard. I am constantly either making more items, or promoting my shop. I try out new ideas a lot, and also think about what items I'm going to discontinue (yes, already). I don't have the time to keep up with as many different items as I currently stock. So, starting this month, I will be phasing out place mats, pot holders and coasters. Definite keepers are hook/needle organizers, bags/pouches and business card holders. Maybes are wallets and aprons. I do get a fair amount of custom apron requests, so I may try to keep those. The wallets are up in the air. I've sold a few in the shop, and one off site, so maybe I'll keep them for now.

My package made it to the shop in Maine, so it's currently being inventoried and will be available in their shop soon. I only sent them a total of 17 items, but they were happy with what I sent. I was asked to participate in a county fair this summer in RI, but I'm going to skip all markets/fairs for this year. I am spending a ton of time just stocking my shop on etsy, there's no way I have time to stock 100 things for a fair. I am starting to put stuff away though (create extra inventory) so that if I want to take a week off in the summer, I'll still have new things to list. If I'm able to build up my inventory, maybe I'll be ready for a fair next summer.

My sales in February were 5. In March, they jumped up to 46. I have 3 for April so far....I'm wondering what April's total will be, but I'm thinking I had a really fabulous March. If April comes close, I'll be happy. Well....that's not entirely true. I'm constantly bumping up my goal.

At this point, I think it's appropriate to thank a few people. Thanks to:
my sisters, for their support and for being two of my first customers
my parents, for their support as well, and for shamelessly promoting my shop to anyone who will listen - my mother will tell anyone she talks to, and my father hands out my business cards to anyone with an open hand. Familial support is not overrated, it's necessary IMO.
my mother-in-law, who has committed herself one day a week to drive down to our house and occupy the boys so that I may get work done uninterrupted. This was totally her idea, and totally appreciated by me.
And to Rob of course. My shipping manager, well, he's my entire shipping dept and my director of photography. He is my harshest critic, but I have to give him credit for that as he pushes me to constantly improve, streamline, work harder, and perfect my methods. If it survives his critique, I feel confident that it's pretty much perfect. I have tossed many a product because they have failed inspection (by tossing, I mean I either keep for my own use, or give them away). Along with being my harshest and most ruthless critic, he's also my biggest fan. Without his absolute support, madbird would be sadbird, and would likely not be doing near as well.

Thank you everyone! You are all so appreciated :^)

Check out this soap giveaway...

2009-03-30T09:29:00.002-04:00

click this link to get to another great seller's blog - and info about her free give away!

Nearing the end of month 2

2009-03-30T08:08:00.006-04:00

I'm about 5 days away from the shop's 2nd month anniversary. I think I had 12 sales within the first month, and I'm up to 49 now. I'm really excited about the progress. I've started to learn what works, and what doesn't. I'm going to eliminate certain products for a while...mostly those for the home like pot holders, place mats and coasters. My biggest and most profitable seller are my knitting organizers. I sell the most of those. I sell a lot of crochet organizers too. I'm unsure how well the wallets are going to do, but the eyeglass case sales have picked up a bit, and I've introduced a NEW product - business/credit card wallets. They can be used as a small wallet you tuck into your jeans pocket before heading out. They can store credit/debit cards, license, and a few bills of cash. I keep my business cards in mine, but whatever works. Here are a couple:

I'm hoping I can hit the 50 mark before I get to April 3rd, which officially marks the end of month two!

I'm sending off a large package to Maine today for consignment. I hope my products do well there. I decided not to do the fair in Boston this year, as I'm already insanely busy with keeping up with inventory on etsy and custom orders. I'm planning on it for next year though. All right, time to get to work.

yawn

2009-03-22T23:45:00.004-04:00

I'm really very super tired. Does that make sense? I have done SO much work the past few days. I sold about 8 things this weekend, so I'm really psyched. I've been working on adding more to my shop, streamlining a bit, still not done with the stuff I'm sending to Maine, etc. I've been meaning to type up some sort of schedule, but I haven't yet. When I get behind my sewing machine, I totally lose track of time and that's not good for me, or the rest of the house. Rob has been doing all the laundry and housework *yikes*, but thank you. He's my official shipping dept. He packs all my stuff and ships it out. Thank god for that, because I have no time for it. Somewhere on this road, I ditched my Virgoan organization skills, and became a little crazy. Which is good for me once and a while, but I'm realizing that I wasn't made to endure this kind of chaos for long periods. The time to structure and organize has come.

Here is a new product of mine - it's a wallet. I'm going to be making more of these very soon, and ridding of some items in my shop to make room. I like this wallet - it's SO cool, I made one for myself too.

I officially became a business today - I filed with the IRS and have an EIN and everything. Cool, huh? What's not cool is that I have to pay taxes at the end of the year, and monthly to the state. BOO. I have to start charging sales tax to MA residents. Thankfully, my father is working part time as a tax-filer-guy, so he knows how to do this stuff all legit-like.

I'm going to a friend's house tomorrow for a few hours, which will be nice...breaks are good. Ok, time for bed. :^)

20 mark - yippee!

2009-03-16T10:49:00.003-04:00

I hit my 20 sale mark late last night! What a great thing to wake up to on a Monday morning. So...in 6wks I sold 20 things...that's a little over 3 sales a week. I'm VERY satisfied with that.

Today I will be working on more crochet organizers. I made a bunch of eyeglass cases last night - some are going to Maine, some for my shop on etsy. I still have a custom order in my queue - awaiting the materials to get started. I also was asked yesterday to make a bunch of aprons for a Montessori classroom. That's pretty awesome. Still working out those details with the teacher...

That's all for now!

New, but improved?

2009-03-15T12:38:00.002-04:00

I brought my Bernina into a local sew & vac to get an estimate for a full service. After learning it will set me back 120 big ones, I was told I was going to lose it for up to two weeks! Ack! The thought made me a bit panicked, as my shop is doing really well AND I have a couple custom orders in my queue as well as the shop in Maine I'm working on. SO. I dusted off my old Singer (in between the Singer and the Bernina I had a White. I broke the plug housing thing that is attached, so it no longer worked. I - stupid silly me and drunk on love for my spankin new Bernina, threw out the White which could have been fixed without a doubt.).

I hate Singer sewing machines. No offense to those who use and love them, but I hate them, and I get the feeling it's mutual. I've had three. I broke all of them. This one that was sitting in my basement since we moved here, was still somewhat operable, so I figured I'd bring her in and get an estimate for a full overhaul. 130 big ones. I NEED a machine to be working at all times. I can't send my Bernina down with naught but my hands to sew with in the interim. So...I look the shop owner in the eye and say "give it to me straight....is it worth fixing?" She looked at me and said "let me show you a couple I have over here...."

Well, the first was a Viking - which I have the utmost respect for in terms of sewing machines. But, with a price tag of 900 bucks, I said "uh. no." My Bernina was 700 and that was on sale. This one was USED and still 900. You can imagine it was a mammoth machine, and could very likely sew through tires. But, I didn't need another expensive machine. She did offer me 100 for my Singer, though. But...still. She walked me over to a Janome. I do like Janomes. But, this is also a very expensive model...another 700 dollar machine. She offered it to me for 399, because it's a "close out" whatever the hell that means. I left her my Singer, and told her I had to discuss with Rob.

Anyway, long story short, he told me to go bring home "Jerome" because he didn't like throwing 120 at a piece of shit sewing machine that cost me 200 about 10 years ago. So....I bought it. She would only give me 40 for the Singer at that point though...being a "close out" and all....but I left there without a machine I hate, with a brand spankin new 700 dollar machine under my arm, a really nice tote for it (compliments of the nice shop owner who assured me over and over that I could beat this machine up and it would still sew), 20 bucks worth of thread, a new walking foot and lots of new bobbins.

I used it this morning for one of my custom orders, and it's fabulous so far. I feel confident that I can live without "baby" for a couple weeks if "jerome" continues to perform this way. I don't know if it's a "better" machine than my Bernina, but I'd venture "comparable". The Bernina weighs a ton and is the toughest machine I've ever used. I love it. This one is more fancy schmancy...so I'm really psyched to have them both. Best of both worlds I guess!

Birthday

2009-03-10T08:22:00.003-04:00

Today is Domenic's fourth birthday! Four years ago today, that little shit sent me into premature labor for the 2nd time during that pregnancy...at which point there was no stopping his arrival. Born 3 and a half weeks early at a plump 7 pounds, 9 ounces - he's grown into a very tall and lean little man. He's our only blonde-ish child whose eyes are the exact shade of green as his daddy's. Due to those stellar features, Rob started calling him his "golden boy" early on and it stuck. So....Happy Birthday Golden Boy! **kiss**

Yay!

2009-03-08T14:33:00.002-04:00

Yes

2009-03-08T14:03:00.003-04:00

Ok, I already said yes to the shop. I'm going to get started on some work to ship up to Maine where I hope it does well. This is very exciting. I've got lots to do...and a birthday party coming up! My golden boy is turning four on Tuesday!

Holy Moly

2009-03-08T13:11:00.002-04:00

Went out to breakfast this a.m., got back and had a few convo's waiting for me....one was from a marketing director in Boston. He runs an open market right in downtown from spring - fall on weekends and wanted to know if I was interested in participating because he thought I'd do well there with my inventory. It's a huge event full of all sorts of artists. That sparked my interest immediately and I was really excited. It's juried, so you have to either be approved, or be invited. That counts as in invite, right?

Another convo was from a couple ladies in the beautiful state of Maine who have a boutique. Apparently, they saw my etsy shop (they are etsians also) and thought my products would fit in well in their boutique. Well, damn, am I going to have to hire help?

Rob just asked me last night (as I was sewing and he was watching) "so....is this what you're going to be doing from now on? Constantly? Because, you're constantly sewing" Hm. Well, I don't know. But, maybe.

I'm excited, but very hesitant. I'm afraid to bite off more than I can chew. A true Virgo, I like to tackle lots of things at once and I almost never turn down a challenge (yeah, 4 kids in 7 years), so I just may say yes to both. I'm doing the wise thing however, and just taking some time to think it over for now...

Monthly wrap up

2009-03-07T19:19:00.002-05:00

I officially opened up the shop on Feb 3rd. So, it's been about a month and I've made 12 sales. I'm very happy with that number, even though a few sales were in fact to family. I was hoping for a sale a week. I'm not sure if this will keep up, however, as I've been conversing with lots of etsy sellers and got a very mixed review. Some sellers are doing great, some stores aren't getting any sales at all. Going by that, I feel like I'm doing something right, and I'm just going to keep working. I do need to structure my time better though. Especially now with spring approaching, we'll be outside a lot. Thankfully, I can blog, list, tweak, research, order and chat online while outside.

This month's menu will feature more mini bags, as the last mermaid one lasted a whopping 20 minutes once I listed it, and maybe some totes. I need to get my hands on some new patterns (fabric). I just don't have a whole lot of time to shop. Where's my personal shopper when I need her?

New in the shop

2009-03-07T15:55:00.004-05:00

Ok, so I didn't make it out to get new supplies, but I stumbled upon a cool brown zipper I've been hanging onto and it struck up an idea....a.... pouch? Hey, sure why not? So, I grabbed my most beloved fabric and made one. It's currently for sale....check it.

Saturday morning

2009-03-07T10:21:00.002-05:00

I've got some fresh ideas this morning. Unfortunately, I have to get out and get more supplies...something I loath doing. I like to have supplies at my fingertips, ready to go. Instead I have to figure out how/when to get out in between a basketball game, baseball try-outs, and t-ball registrations. Ugh.

See my featured shop :^)

2009-03-06T22:11:00.001-05:00

I'm featured on this blog ! Sweet!

Friday!

2009-03-06T08:23:00.001-05:00

I have another knitting needle organizer that needs to be listed, but I've got to get to my parents' house today. I'm working on Roman shades for their porch and I dedicate about a day a week to that until it's done. Unfortunately, the little guy doesn't let me get much done while there, so this could take a few more days.....pth I want to be done with it. Anyway, will be getting another listing up probably tomorrow.

Get new stuff listed......check.

2009-03-05T13:47:00.002-05:00

Ok, I've got two new listings up in my etsy shop....one is for some really cute Easter coasters. Six for 15 bucks, pretty good deal. The other is for some Easter cloth napkins....six for 12 bucks. These are double sided, with mitered corners. Very nice ;^) Give them a few views and see for yourself.

Day 1

2009-03-05T08:36:00.002-05:00

This is day one of my new blog....I'm typing this post whilst sitting on the couch with my one-and-almost-a-half year old is resting his head on my lap. He's watching tv, I'm working on my blog. Lately he's been like an extra appendage. I usually have to wait for his nap to get anything done, but for now, he's content to let me type away...so long as he's in direct contact.

I'll be listing a few new things today. I like to try to list new things almost daily. I just seem to get more action that way. We'll see how it goes.

madbird

Wow - long overdue....

New products for the New Year!

FREE shipping upgrade!

Yes, please!

For simple men

Some awesome etsy finds!

And the winner is.....

A little pre-holiday Giveaway!

An early gift for me

I just bought...

My dream necklace

Support Handmade - what's your favorite?

NEW Offerings!

A new find

WEEKEND DEALS!

the Paisley Frog

a lock for love

Because it's almost Halloween!

New! Octopi, Birds and Tattoo

Relisted and On Sale!

Freshen up!

a small break...

Organize this!

More totes!

Taxes? Who, me?

Yahoo!

A sneak peak...

New Project Bags...

A new project...

My Soopsee featured in the Storque!

My SALE ends Friday!

Do you double up?

Do you have a medicine cabinet in your yard?

Give away winner!

CIJ - How is it going?

What did you expect?

Twosies!

FP!

Christmas in July on Etsy!

Win my Giveaway!

July Feature - Spool Design

Another cool giveaway!

Christmas in July!

A new style...

Monday - June 22

More sale items!

A fabulous giveaway!

and ArtFire too...sure, why not?

Guess what?! madbird is no longer ONLY on etsy!

An octopuslet

How do YOU know when to say when?

A new product!

Monthly wrap up - May

Read my new article on handmadenews.org!

And.....the winner is......

The end is near!

A really cool giveaway from onarollcozies...

Hey, time! Where did you go?

Monthly feature - On a Roll....ipod cozies, cup cozies and accessories

Post and follow = win!

Oh, how I love Craftcult

JUICY

I participated in a Giveaway....

Introducing.....the SUPER organizer

May Goals

Review April 3 - May 3

Cool Tools in Google Analytics

SALE at madbird

Past 100 and still April

Sunday, nearing the 100 mark

Again!!!!!

April Goals

If you think you can sew

Thinking of Linus

Another giveaway from EverImprovingMe...

2nd month wrap

Check out this soap giveaway...

Nearing the end of month 2

*yawn*

yawn