Thank you to all who participated in my 1-year anniversary!
Sadly, things have been busy the past few days, and, as I was out all Thursday afternoon, I completely forgot about choosing the giveaway winners!
But, better late than never!
Congratulations to:
1). stitchedupmama said...Thanks for your lovely offer, Gabrielle!
The aviator hat is my favourite.
and...
2).
Jessica said... - and I now follow your blog! :)
Congratulations, Ladies! I'll be sending you both emails/messages today!
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Thursday, April 19, 2012
313 Photography Project - Week 13
Week of Monday, March 26th
Monday: Steeple Building at the Capital
Tuesday: Pickled Herring
Monday: Steeple Building at the Capital
Church steeple at the Capital
Tuesday: Pickled Herring
The pickled herring at Daddy's birthday dinner!
Thursday: Beaded Bracelet
Photographing a new bracelet for the Shoppe
Friday: Baby Dress
I found the perfect cherry button in my stash to match a little sundress I made for a new baby at church. It was so perfect it looked like it had been made for the fabric!
Saturday: Applique Heart Onesie
Another sewing project I made for a new baby girl at church. This was the first girl after three boys, and she has a very doting Mommy and big sister, so I wanted to make it very girly!
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
1-Year Anniversary PDF Crochet Pattern Giveaway!
One year ago, I opened Tiny Tiptoes Boutique on Etsy. Now, a year and 120 sales later, I can't believe how fast the time has gone!
For all you crocheters, I'm having a giveaway! Just a small one, as this anniversary crept up on me and I didn't have much time to prepare, but a giveaway nonetheless!
I'm offering your choice of any 2 PDF crochet patterns currently available in the shop! And better yet, there will be 2 lucky winners! :)
For all you crocheters, I'm having a giveaway! Just a small one, as this anniversary crept up on me and I didn't have much time to prepare, but a giveaway nonetheless!
I'm offering your choice of any 2 PDF crochet patterns currently available in the shop! And better yet, there will be 2 lucky winners! :)
You could choose the ladybug headband pattern...
or the adorable fuzzy brown owl hat pattern...
or even the Very Hungry Caterpillar Cocoon and Hat set pattern!
Ways to Enter:
1 (Mandatory Entry): Visit Tiny Tiptoes Boutique and leave a comment here telling me what your favorite item(s) in the shop is/are!
Additional Entries
2: Follow this blog (Legend of a Seamstress) and leave a comment letting me know! If you already follow, just leave a comment letting me know that you are already following. 1 entry
3. Add Tiny Tiptoes Boutique to your Etsy favorites/circle. 1 comment/entry for each item you do.
4. Share this giveaway on FB, Twitter, or Google+ (or your favorite social networking site!) 1 comment/entry for each item you do.
Please leave your email or Etsy username in at least one comment, so I can contact you if you win. If I cannot contact the winner(s) within 48 hours, I will pick a new winner.
I'll choose the winners with random.org and share the results!
This giveaway is open worldwide, so even if you don't live in the US, please feel free to enter and share the giveaway with friends!
This giveaway will run for a week and end early on Thursday morning, 4/26. I'll announce the winners that afternoon.
I'm looking forward to hearing from you!
This giveaway will run for a week and end early on Thursday morning, 4/26. I'll announce the winners that afternoon.
I'm looking forward to hearing from you!
Tiny Tiptoes Boutique's 1-Year Anniversary!
Today, Tiny Tiptoes Boutique on Etsy has been open 1 year! I've had 120 sales in there to date. The time has gone by so fast, and it's hard to believe that a year ago, I had just decided on the name and opened my second Etsy account.
Why did I open a second shop? I started my first Etsy shop in July 2010, named it Chelly's Shoppe so I could sell a wide variety of things, and began selling a number of vintage sewing patterns I had been given and couldn't use. At this point, I had no clear direction for where I wanted to take my shop, or even if I wanted to continue after I 'got rid' of a current lot of 'inventory' I had acquired. I got my first sale a couple days later and was hooked! I began to add more vintage items and supplies and decided that was the direction I wanted to take my shop in.
And then, for some strange reason, I picked up crocheting again. Someone had taught me many years ago, but it never took off. I began making baby hats and listed a few. When I sold my first two soon thereafter, and realized there was a market for them, I also realized it wasn't going to fit with the cohesive plan I had in mind for Chelly's Shoppe and began considering a second shop.
Why Tiny Tiptoes Boutique for a name? For a month, I brainstormed names with two criteria in mind:
1). I didn't want the name to limit it exclusively to photography props, boutique clothing, baby headbands, or you name it! I had an idea that I wanted to sell all of those in the same shop, that they would go well together, and I didn't want to limit anything in that category by my shop name.
2). I wanted the name to reflect that I sold children's and baby items without a potential customer looking at my shop name having to guess what I sold.
I considered many shop names, but either they were too long, too cliche, already taken, or just didn't stand out enough. Inspiration came as I fingered through our volume of classic Beatrix Potter stories, looking at the pictures. I reached the end of The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes and studied the picture at the end of Timmy and his wife Goody with their little brood of baby squirrels. That's what they were! Tiny Baby Tiptoes! And from there, Tiny Tiptoes Boutique came easily.
Where do I see Tiny Tiptoes Boutique in the future? I am amazed and thankful for the way the Lord has blessed my business. Between the two shops, I've been so busy filling orders since New Year's that I haven't had time to roll out half the new designs I had hoped to by this time of year. I really can't complain, though, can I? :) For now, I have a vision of turning Tiny Tiptoes Boutique into a higher-end baby and children's boutique selling mainly three kinds of items:
Why did I open a second shop? I started my first Etsy shop in July 2010, named it Chelly's Shoppe so I could sell a wide variety of things, and began selling a number of vintage sewing patterns I had been given and couldn't use. At this point, I had no clear direction for where I wanted to take my shop, or even if I wanted to continue after I 'got rid' of a current lot of 'inventory' I had acquired. I got my first sale a couple days later and was hooked! I began to add more vintage items and supplies and decided that was the direction I wanted to take my shop in.
And then, for some strange reason, I picked up crocheting again. Someone had taught me many years ago, but it never took off. I began making baby hats and listed a few. When I sold my first two soon thereafter, and realized there was a market for them, I also realized it wasn't going to fit with the cohesive plan I had in mind for Chelly's Shoppe and began considering a second shop.
Why Tiny Tiptoes Boutique for a name? For a month, I brainstormed names with two criteria in mind:
1). I didn't want the name to limit it exclusively to photography props, boutique clothing, baby headbands, or you name it! I had an idea that I wanted to sell all of those in the same shop, that they would go well together, and I didn't want to limit anything in that category by my shop name.
2). I wanted the name to reflect that I sold children's and baby items without a potential customer looking at my shop name having to guess what I sold.
I considered many shop names, but either they were too long, too cliche, already taken, or just didn't stand out enough. Inspiration came as I fingered through our volume of classic Beatrix Potter stories, looking at the pictures. I reached the end of The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes and studied the picture at the end of Timmy and his wife Goody with their little brood of baby squirrels. That's what they were! Tiny Baby Tiptoes! And from there, Tiny Tiptoes Boutique came easily.
Where do I see Tiny Tiptoes Boutique in the future? I am amazed and thankful for the way the Lord has blessed my business. Between the two shops, I've been so busy filling orders since New Year's that I haven't had time to roll out half the new designs I had hoped to by this time of year. I really can't complain, though, can I? :) For now, I have a vision of turning Tiny Tiptoes Boutique into a higher-end baby and children's boutique selling mainly three kinds of items:
- Higher-end newborn photo props
- OOAK children's boutique-style clothing and accessories
- PDF crochet, knitting, sewing, and other related craft patterns
And for those of you who may own Etsy shops, other small businesses, or may be aspiring to some day, I want to share five tips that have helped me in learning to successfully run a small business. If you find these helpful, or want to share any clarifications, I would love to hear from you!
- Let's start with the basics - It's a lot of work. In fact, it's more work than I ever anticipated it would be when I started out. Sometimes, it becomes easy for me to become obsessive about it and let it take over my life, but that doesn't work in the long run. I'm working on a schedule and trying to set out specific blocks of time for working on my business, and other specific blocks of time for everything else. It helps me to keep it from taking me over, and allows time for lots of other things in my day!
- Don't undercharge yourself. I started out doing that, and it doesn't help you at all in the long run. In fact, some advice I was given is that raising your prices will make shoppers on Etsy more ready to buy as they will be more likely to view the higher priced item as a higher quality item. Yes, I have lost some potential sales because someone found a cheaper item, but I'm not going to compromise on my prices just to get the sale. And besides, you'd be surprised at what people will pay for quality handmade items!
- Offer exceptional customer service. I know this is mentioned often, to the point of becoming trite, but I can't praise giving fast, courteous, and professional service highly enough. I try to answer messages as quickly as possible, and in more than one case, it has gotten me the sale. Even when I have had to turn down requests to accept a lower price, I try to do so promptly and courteously, and again, in more than one case, the person ended up buying the item anyways!
- This is one helpful little keyword trick I've used on Etsy which has helped my Title keywords immensely. Let's start with the sock monkey hat. I started out titling it as 'Sock Monkey Hat Newborn Photo Prop'. It was getting views, but I still wasn't happy with how it was doing. Go to the little search bar on top, make sure it is set to Handmade, and start typing in 'Crochet Sock Monkey Hat'. Notice how it will come up with a little box of suggested keywords? The closer to the top a keyword in that list is, the better and more-searched-for it is. 'Crochet Sock Monkey Hat' is pretty close to the top. With that it mind, I changed my title to 'Crochet Sock Monkey Hat Newborn Photo Prop'. Did you try that? And did you find my hat on the first or second page? Try that for your next listing!
- Don't be afraid to ask for help or opinions! The Etsy forums are a great place to start if you have questions about how something works, or anything Etsy or small business related. And there are Etsy teams specifically for shop and listing critiques. I've received much helpful criticism and advice from there. Oh...and don't forget little brothers...they often have the best ideas for new designs! :)
Also available as a pdf crochet pattern
I'm hosting a small PDF crochet pattern giveaway here on my blog too to celebrate! If you enjoy crocheting, or if you know someone who does, I'd love for you to enter!
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
A Giveaway from Chelly's Shoppe - and other random news!
I'm hosting a giveaway from my Etsy Shop, Chelly's Shoppe, on the Bramblewood Fashion Blog this week! I'm offering this beaded dragonfly pendant, and I'm even shipping this international, so if you're not in the US, you can still enter! Do be sure to stop by Ashley's blog to check out this giveaway, and let her know I sent you!
Chelly's Shoppe and Tiny Tiptoes Boutique have been featured in some wonderful Etsy treasures lately as well! Check out these collections if you have a chance!
Vintage Diamond Necktie
Pink Stuffed Hippo in Pastel Spring
Very Hungry Caterpillar Pattern in Photographer's Dream
Twin Ice Cream and Cupcake Hats in With a Cherry on Top
And now, for the surprise!
Tomorrow, April 18th, is...Tiny Tiptoes Boutique's 1-year anniversary! I'll be celebrating with a long post and a week-long PDF pattern giveaway, so stay tuned!
Chelly's Shoppe and Tiny Tiptoes Boutique have been featured in some wonderful Etsy treasures lately as well! Check out these collections if you have a chance!
Vintage Diamond Necktie
Pink Stuffed Hippo in Pastel Spring
Very Hungry Caterpillar Pattern in Photographer's Dream
Twin Ice Cream and Cupcake Hats in With a Cherry on Top
And now, for the surprise!
Tomorrow, April 18th, is...Tiny Tiptoes Boutique's 1-year anniversary! I'll be celebrating with a long post and a week-long PDF pattern giveaway, so stay tuned!
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