Thanks for helping me celebrate!

Congratulations to my blog giveaway winners:
M. Nootz - Calendar
Mindy Teini - Recycled Notebook
Cyndia at Black Siren Studio - Ever Occasion Notecards

Please contact me via email (designsdontpanic@gmail.com) with your address, and I will ship out your prizes within 3 days. Thanks so much for helping me celebrate!!

First Year Anniversary

Happy Anniversary to me, and Don't Panic Design!  

One year ago today, late on Halloween night, I opened my Etsy shop of printable invitations and personalized note cards, at the urging of my sister.  A year ago November 1st, (tomorrow) I made my first sale.  Even though I didn't make another sale until sometime in January, that first sale was like a fire, urging me on.  It has been an amazing year, full of failures and successes, lessons, and celebrations.  And that's what I like most about this job: helping others with their special celebrations!  

In honor of celebration, let's celebrate with a giveaway!

To celebrate the last year, and start off on a good foot this year, I am giving away three items that haven't hit my shop yet.  A set of 20 Just a Note note cards with envelopes, a small daily calendar, and a recycled envelope notebook with the winner's monogram on it.  In order to enter, all you have to do is leave a comment on this blog.  Tell me your favorite memory of the last year.  The contest will run from Wednesday October 31st to November Sunday November 4th. Spread the word, and let's all celebrate together our achievements and happy moments from the last 365 days. 

Thank you to my sister for getting me started here, thank you to etsy for such a wonderful platform, and thank you to all my friends, customers, and supporters.  It's because of you this year has been so awesome for me.  Really, I can't thank you enough!  See you all next (Etsy) year!

Amy

Top fold note cards with envelopes.  Never be left without a card, for any occasion.

Two versions - you choose.  This is a top bound weekly calendar notepad, personalized with your name on the front cover.  There is a Mon- Fri version and Sunday-Saturday version.  26 double sided pages, and a few pages for notes, numbers, emergency info, or whatever you might need.  A simple way to keep track of your days. 

Each one is different!  These will be a limited item.  2" circles cut from recycled paper and envelopes make for a fun and funky note pad; perfect to keep if your purse for notes, lists, or to give the kids to draw on when they need something to do.  Personalized with your monogram.

Featured Etsian: Dream Art

This week's featured Etsian is DreamArt, owned by Dmytro and Julia from Ukraine.  Their unique art is simultaneously elegant and powerful.  Take the time to look through their shop and click through each picture of their listings; they do a great job of presenting each piece in different ways, so you can not only appreciate the delicate nature of the art form, but see the many ways that each piece can be displayed.  I loved reading about their process and, even more so, looking through their art and thinking about how, and how much time, has gone into each handcrafted piece.  

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Check out this listing here.

Our names are Dmytro and Iuliia and we live in Ukraine. Our story begins from the childhood, when being children we visited creative classes such as painting, drawing and paper craft. Growing up and studying at university we didn't pay proper attention to creativity, but it always lived in our hearts.
Once, we created a greeting card with hand-cut elements for our friend's birthday. It was the first realized step how much creativity occupies an important place in our lives. After that, we took interest in paper cutting art and started creating paper cut silhouettes.




What is your craft?
We are creating hand-cut paper art silhouettes from a single sheet of paper and all of pieces are interconnected. All our works are made with love and soul.

Take a closer look here.

How long have you been doing this craft?
We took interest in this craft about a year ago, after that we decided to create our DreamPapercut shop on Etsy and share our art with other people.

Why did you open a hand made store?
We love creativity and handmade things, because looking at them you can feel the inner world of the person who made them. So this encouraged us to share our handmade works with other people.

How did you come up with your business name?
When we thought of the name of our shop, we wanted it to be simple and memorable, but the same way describes what we are making, so we named it DreamPapercut. The first part was named “Dream”, because we were dreaming to do what we like. The second part of the name “Papercut” means what we like to do.

What other things do you do in your life?

Click here to see this listing.

We are fond of different kinds of sport, like traveling and try ourselves in painting.

What inspires you?
All our works are made with love and soul and are inspired by nature, life and people who like our works. To get inspiration we go for a walk to the parks, forests to enjoy the nature. Also, we like meet with our friends and spend time talking and having tea. It helps us to relax and get new energy to create original works.


Where do you sell your products?
We sell our papercuts on different on-line handmade marketplaces.

What makes your products special?
Paper cutting is very amazing process, when at the beginning you just see a piece of paper and after spending several hours/days to cut, paper becomes a beautiful art work. Silhouettes for us are not just a sheet of paper. We put in our works a piece of love, care, kindness, happiness and truly believe that people can feel the same emotions looking at our paper cuts.

What is your favorite product from your shop?
All paper cuts in our shop are unique, intricate and the most favorite for us.

Click here to see this heart up close.

Where do you see your store in the next year?
The main our goal is to make more and more people happier through our works and pass a little part of our love and soul. Our plan for future is growth. We want to create more beautiful and intricate paper cuts and get more customers and followers of our art.



What recommendations do you have for beginner sellers?
You should listen to your customers and use their advice and requests but do not lose your own way.

Do you sell on any other websites?
You can find us on:
www.etsy.com/shop/DreamPapercut
www.zibbet.com/DreamPapercut
shoply.com/shop/dreampapercut/
www.craftisart.com/DreamPapercut
en.dawanda.com/shop/DreamPapercut

Do you use Facebook and Twitter to promote? If so can buyers follow you?
We have our shop facebook page, follow us here:
www.facebook.com/DreamPapercut

Do you have anything you'd like to tell readers?
Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the butterfly, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.

Cherished Jewels

This week's Featured Etsian is Jessica from Cherished Jewels.  A young entrepreneur, Jessica has a beautiful store filled with absolutely adorable products, made obvious by the wonderful photography. She makes and sells hair and knit accessories.  Her budding talent is sure to make her successful in any form she wishes. 

I would like to add that Jessica has a 10% for Charity section in her store.   She also offers a military discount.  Find out more about this by messaging her directly from her etsy shop home page.  

Read on here to learn a little more about her, to see some of her work, and at the end, she has shared a coupon code you can use in her shop.  Thanks Jessica!

Tell me a little bit about yourself.
My name is Jessica and I am 19 years old. I love crafting in any way, shape, and form!! (I get it from my very talented grandmothers). I started knitting when I was a sophomore in high school and have enjoyed expanding my creativity over the years. I mostly make hair clips and knit baby items, but am just learning to learn crochet, which is very exciting!

What is your craft?
I knit, am learning to crochet, and make hair clips.

How long have you been doing this craft?
I really started getting into it when I was a senior in high school.
Why did you open a hand made store?
Honestly, I started making so many things that I needed to start getting rid of it! And because I enjoy making stuff, I figured that if I could sell my handmade items, then I could use the money to buy more supplies to make more!! (It’s a never ending cycle with me!) I started selling my handmade goods in my mother’s consignment store, then decided to start an Etsy shop to have access to more people around the country.

How did you come up with your business name?
I really wanted to include my middle name in my shop name. That way it would be somewhat personal, but not be obvious to everyone that it was me! So I came up with Cherished Jewels, Jewel being my middle name : ) Cherished Jewels meaning……. You should cherish all those precious jewels in your life.

What other things do you do in your life?
I enjoy hanging out with my family and friends. I volunteer at my church in the children’s department and love working with the kids. Other than that, I pretty much work the rest of the time!

What inspires you?
My little sister would have to be a huge inspiration for me. Whenever she needs a matching hair accessory for an outfit, I’ll go and make her one. I love experimenting with different colors and styles and she is usually the first to try them out for me! 

Where do you sell your products?
I sell my handmade goods on Etsy and in my mother’s consignment store.

What makes your products special?
They are handmade and unique. I haven’t seen very many other people selling the same types of hair clips that I do and each one I make is a little different.

What is your favorite product from your shop?
Definitely my hair clips because I can do so many different things with them! I can make them in any color I desire and can use yarn, ribbon, and even tulle. Plus, I LOVE shopping for different types of ribbon to make them with and there are so many cute accent pieces that I can accent them with. The possibilities are endless with my flower hair clips!

Where do you see your store in the next year?
I hope to put my items in a few more stores around my county and make my Etsy shop bigger.

 

What recommendations do you have for beginner sellers?
Don’t ever give up! The beginning is the worst part, the part where you are dying to have a sale and when you don’t sell, you worry about why you aren’t. Stop worrying and just start making more items to sell! Eventually someone will buy something and spread the word about your service and products and more and more people will begin finding your shop. Get involved in the Etsy community and start facebook and twitter pages to further engage your customers!

Do you sell on any other websites?
Nope : )

Do you use Facebook and Twitter to promote? If so can buyers follow you?
I have not started either of the accounts yet.

Do you have anything you'd like to tell readers?
I will be offering a 10% off coupon to anyone who reads this article! It is valid on any of my merchandise and even custom made items! Use coupon code: THANKYOU10

Featured Etsian of the Week: Mountain Seasons by Erin Mason

This week's featured Etsian is Erin from Mountain Seasons.  A fellow Montanan, and a friend, Erin has a variety of beautiful, up-cycled jewelry.  Check out her shop; with a beautiful banner depicting MT's mountains and fantastic photography, you feel you are looking at her  wonderful creations in person.  I want to reach out and touch the jewelry made with feathers.  Read on to learn a little bit about Erin and her process.  

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Well, I have always been a very independent strong woman...even as a child. My life has already had many struggles but I have always found the strength to rise above them and even find the good in them. One thing I always stick to is never having regrets. Sure sometimes I wish I had taken a different path but I never dwell on it.

What is your craft?

Mainly up-cycled and handmade jewelry.

How long have you been doing this craft?

Off and on since I was a child. My very first jewelry making experience was as a six year old; during pottery lessons I made a bead! I still have it too.

Why did you open a hand made store?

I always wanted to. I would make jewelry for people's birthdays, Mother's Day, Christmas, and had dreams of offering it to the world. What finally got me to just go for it was getting laid off of work. I was a lover of ebay and etsy already but about a month after being laid off I decided "You know what, I love this. I'm gonna try my hand at an online store!" By "this" I don't mean being laid off!

How did you come up with your business name?

I grew up with the mountains nearby until my parents uprooted me and my siblings to the plains of North Dakota! I always missed the beautiful Rocky Mountains and finally had the chance to move back to them. When I was brainstorming about shop names I decided on what I love. Which is the beautiful mountains in all of their seasons!

What other things do you do in your life?

Well work related... I work on a guest ranch. I really like to enjoy the outdoors as much as I can. Hiking and riding horse (when I can). I volunteer at the animal shelter sometimes, and the thrift store (the money gets donated to the community). I spend a lot of my time enjoying life with my fiance!

What inspires you?

Where do I start! I never let go of my childhood imagination, there is inspiration everywhere! My family, my fiance, nature, the stars. Sometimes it's a song, other times a nursery rhyme. Even the frustration of everyday tasks.

Where do you sell your products?

I started at the civic center in Livingston, Montana where I acquired an adoring fan! She even tracked me down after buying two items from me wanting more. From there I started an Etsy store and put my store on a facebook page. I plan on selling at the local farmers market as well.

What makes your products special?

I think that my jewelry might be special to everyone in different ways but for me personally I make things I would want. In fact every time I finish a product I secretly wish it wouldn't sell so I can keep it! I love up-cycling too, and I have often come across up-cycled things that I do not think are very good or fall apart after the first use. I want to up-cycle and for it to be  beautiful and hardy.

What is your favorite product from your shop?

Now that's a hard question! Let me think...I really can't choose. If I must choose though... it 

would be my up-cycled button bracelets. I adore them. Absolutley adore.

Where do you see your store in the next year?

Its hard to say. I would like my fiance to join me and make his leather items and burned wood products. I would like to see a larger work space with a bigger window.

What recommendations do you have for beginner sellers?

Research. Try new things. Experiment. Go for it! Epoxy is awesome. If you have an etsy shop create a facebook page for it. Be as sincere and honest as you possibly can but don't let others take advantage of you.

Do you sell on any other websites?

Not at the moment.

Do you use Facebook and Twitter to promote? If so can buyers follow you?

Oh yeah. I use facebook and yes buyers can follow!

Visit my facebook page by clicking here.

Do you have anything you'd like to tell readers?

Have faith. Everytime I felt discouraged or wondered if I should even be doing this something or someone would make it all better! I cherish every compliment. Compliments encourage me to try harder, do better, and excel.

Featured Etsian of the Week: Kadydid Designs

Check out this weeks' featured Etsian, kadydiddesigns.  Run by sisters Alyssa and Ashley, this delightful, Phoenix based, shop has handmade items for all things baby.  Wonderful, colorful, and heavy duty burp cloths, gorgeous car seat covers (and a brilliant design if I do say so myself), as well as some fun items like the pacifier clips and the tutus.  Read on to learn a little more about the people behind their shop and explore their awesome products.

Tell me a little bit about yourself. 

After 10+ years working as an Early Childhood Education Administrator, I am lucky enough to now be a stay at home mom.  My husband and I have two little boys who are 4 and 2, and we have another baby due this fall. 

What is your craft? 

Click here to see the tutus.

My sister and I do all things baby!  Infant car seat covers, burp cloths, pacifier clips, bibs and tutus.  I do all of the sewing; my sister does most of the tutus.

How long have you been doing this craft?

Click here for burp cloths

Well, our Etsy shop has been open for just over 2 years.  However, it’s only been since June of last year that we really ever did anything with it.  It just kind of blossomed over night!

Why did you open a hand made store?
After having my youngest, I just wanted something that I could do with my hands.  He was an extremely messy baby, so I started just making burp cloths that could handle his mess. Plus, I had people stopping me everywhere I went asking where I got my car seat cover.  Pretty soon, I decided I should just start trying to sell them!

How did you come up with your business name?
I’m not really sure, honestly!  But my sister and I were brainstorming names separately and both came up with the same name.  We decided that Kadydid Designs must be the right one!

What other things do you do in your life?
Oh.  There’s time for other things in life?  Between my kids, my husband and my shop, there’s not a whole lot of extra time to be found!  But, we like to travel, go camping and explore.  I love reading, but find myself sleeping within the first couple of minutes. 

Where do you sell your products?
Just on Etsy and the occasional request we get from Facebook.

Click her to see this car seat cover, and more.

What is your favorite product from your shop?
Probably the car seat covers.  It was the first time I actually designed and made my own pattern for my own creation.

Where do you see your store in the next year?
Well, hopefully doing even better than it is now!  I’ve been looking at possibly hiring somebody to help me keep up with the sewing, and we’ve got a couple of stores looking to carry our products.  It will be fun to see where we end up!

What recommendations do you have for beginner sellers?
Don’t give up!!  It takes time and dedication, but if you love your product, you can make it work.  Network with as many other Etsy sellers as you can; and then just really work to get your name out there.

Click to see the pacifier clips.

 Do you use Facebook and Twitter to promote? If so can buyers follow you?
Of course!  www.facebook.com/kadydiddesigns or https://twitter.com/#!/KadydidDesigns
We also have our blog: www.kadydiddesigns.blogspot.com

Featured Etsian of the Week: TDesign

This week's featured etsian is Tania from TDesign.  Her simple and classic designs are fun to look at, and easy to imagine wearing to work, on a casual night out, or all dressed up for a night of the town.  She was kind enough to share a little bit about herself with us this week.  Click on her shop name anywhere you see it to get to her etsy shop, and there are also links to her website and social media at the bottom.  If you like what you see, leave a comment here to share!

Tell me a little bit about yourself.
Ever since I was little I have always loved creating, whether that be drawing, painting, attempting to sew a pair of shorts (which went terribly wrong) or writing songs in the garden. I love making new things and always have. Creating has forever been part of my life and essentially led me to start TDESIGN in late December last year.

What is your craft?
My collections are a mix and combination of graphic, ceramic and jewellery design. All of my pieces are handmade with love in my small Sydney studio.

How long have you been doing this craft?
I have been studying graphic and ceramic design for the past two years however I only just began experimenting with jewellery design and screen printing a couple of months before starting TDESIGN.

Why did you open a hand made store?
It was an obvious progression for me, I began designing and making pieces for my own enjoyment and for little personal gifts. I then began going to markets with my best friend. Eventually I designed and made my website (www.tdesignstore.com) and started to set up my online stores. It’s fantastic to be able to share my designs with people all over the world!

What other things do you do in your life?
I am currently still a design student and also work as a graphic designer. I live in a lovely Sydney suburb full of tempting deli’s and cafes with my lovely boyfriend and gorgeous cat. When I’m not busy (which isn’t very often) I love to walk through the botanical gardens or dance carelessly in my living room.

Black Pebble Necklace

What inspires you?
I have so many different inspirations that it’s hard to pinpoint one thing. Both of my parents run their own businesses which means that I’ve grown up in a house where everyone works hard and nothing really seems impossible! My mum is a fashion designer and my father collects pieces from around the world so we are defiantly an eclectic family! I’ve grown up around African masks, Chinese statues, mannequins and lots and lots of swatches of fabric so I’ve always loved colour! I also love organic shapes and forms and draw a lot of inspiration from the sea, stones, and pebbles. I love to celebrate the beautiful imperfections that come with making things by hand; it makes them more ‘organic’, unique and individual.

Where do you sell your products?
I sell my designs online and am also lucky enough to have them stocked at five amazing stores throughout Australia. To see where you can find my designs please visit my website: www.tdesignstore.com/shop.html

What makes your products special?
My collections are really an extension of me and what I love. You can look forward to designs made with love and care. My designs are simple, understated and easy to wear. There is a good mix of classic and elegant shapes as well as more contemporary forms mixed with bright colours, like the arrowhead necklaces. Tdesign is really made up of multiple collections and with that I hope to be able to speak to a wider audience somehow linked by a desire to find and an appreciation of the unique, special and personal. I think that it’s so special to be able to buy something that has been hand touched and made with love by someone. When you buy something handmade you are not simply buying another necklace, you are buying a piece of the maker, their time, love, passion and hard work that they have directly put into your new product. In a way you buy part of that person’s story.

Sky Riverwood

What is your favorite product from your shop?

I really wear all of my designs so my favorites seem to change day by day depending on what I feel like wearing. At the moment I think my favorite would have to be my new Sky Riverwood necklace.  I love that it’s a bit different and it looks great with so many outfits! And I never seem to leave the house without my pea pod studs!

Pea Pod Studs

Where do you see your store in the next year?
I would love to see TDESIGN grow and have a strong following. It would also be amazing to have my designs in numerous niche retail stores throughout Australia and around the world, I know that’s a lot for one year but I always like to dream big! I am just looking forward to finishing my design degree by at the end of next year, it will mean that I will have a lot more time and energy to really work on my label and help it grow. I am already so lucky and thrilled to have such wonderful stores find and approach me so I would love to have the time to bring TDESIGN to some other stores who may have not found me yet.

What recommendations do you have for beginner sellers?
Believe in yourself and don’t ever give up. Nothing is easy and you probably wont get it right on your first go, I know that I have learned so much from this whole experience and continue to do so, but it is so rewarding. I think that as long as you trust in yourself, your product and are determined to succeed, you can really achieve anything. Like with anything worthwhile, it takes time and there’ll be some hurdles along the way : ) All you need to do is never stop trying!


Do you sell on any other websites?
Yes I do.
The best place to start is my website : www.tdesignstore.com

Then you can also find my designs online at:
downthatlittlelane.com.au/sellers/tdesign/products

www.youngrepublic.com.au/index.php?dispatch=products.search&company_id=4...

www.bluecaravan.net/tdesign/

Do you use Facebook and Twitter to promote? If so can buyers follow you?
Yes, it’s always lovely to have new followers!
If you would like to keep up to date with TDESIGN news, products, exclusive specials and giveaways just follow me here:
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/tdesignstore
TWITTER: twitter.com/#!/tdesignstore
BLOG: www.tdesignblog.blogspot.com.au
PINTEREST: pinterest.com/tdesignstore/

Bubble Sunshine Necklace

Do you have anything you'd like to tell readers?
I’m so thrilled to be able to share my story with you and I hope that you find something in my store that you adore. And a huge thank you to everyone who has believed and supported me so far, I would never be where I am today without all of you. I can’t wait to see the Tdesign family grow.

Xx Tania