Wow - long overdue....

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!

A little pre-holiday Giveaway!

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!!

July Feature - Spool Design

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!

Christmas in July!

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!

More sale items!

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!

and ArtFire too...sure, why not?

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? ;^)

May Goals

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?