How it began and in need of Marketing Ideas

Gosh, it’s a real struggle to get people to visit my new Etsy Shop or my Ebay Listings.

Everynight I cross-stitch, I have been stitching since my teens and I always have one on my lap, every evening.  My niece was creating Tie Dyes and asked me to create her an Ebay shop, which really never came to be, but my boyfriend suggested that I should try selling my Cross-stitch work.  Unfortunately, this was really not feasible because the projects I do (see tab above with my larger works) take a long time, as long as a year!  So we started brainstorming…. 

How about combining the Tie Dye with the Cross-stitch and just do smaller projects that would be less time consuming!  So I started doing this, originally thinking I would sell at a local store that has a flea market parking lot every weekend.  This didn’t work out either, people were looking for yard sale items, not crafts.  So… at the time I originally was working for a guy entering items on Ebay, which introduced me to the Ebay world.  He did real well (but of course he was selling household items that everyone needs), maybe I could try out Ebay.  I set up my listings on Ebay and then Facebook friends suggested Etsy.  So, now I”ve got my shops all set up ~ but not much traffic.

HELP ME WITH MARKETING IDEAS PLEASE!

Etsy and Ebay Revamp

As mentioned below my new thing is my Tie Dye Cross-stitch Art.   I now have an Etsy shop and I’m also selling my work on Ebay too.  I’ve sold a few so far, but none from Etsy so I decided to get some advice from other Etsy members and I posted a question about possible marketing techniques.   Instead of Marketing techniques I got back some great constructive criticism on my Shops appearance.  I hadn’t spent much time on it and actually didn’t really realize that there was so much you could do with Etsy…. I thought it was like Ebay, just post your work and hope away!  The criticism didn’t hurt my feelings though, because most people loved my work!!  (EXCELLENT ~ Woo hoo!)  It was just my Shop was truly lacking.  I’ve added profile info, a banner and changed the lousy quality photo’s that I had originally posted.   I just can’t believe the difference in these photos now ~ 8 megapixel vs a 3 megapixel camera makes all the difference and strange, but I really had no idea….  It’s crazy!  The colors just shoot out at you

So here is what I need from you… my very few readers out there.    I have revamped it all and I need feedback from you all ~ especially the folks who recently visited and saw the “Before” 

Let me know what you think of the “after” on my Etsy site.   Thanks and Love n stuff!

 

Friday Fill-in

Taking a break from creating to play a little Friday Fill-in again after so long ~ you can join in too HERE

1. How in the world did I end up doing five years of state taxes that were never done…. Not only that but there are two states for each year ~ the good part being, we are getting a refund from each state!

2. Be yourself in front of me.

3. Life’s so indecisive and unpredicable.

4. Today I’m having a Tax Form picnic lunch.

5. That was where we created the Tie Dye Cross-stitch Art.

6.  His home I think of  as “our place”.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to movies and stitching (wish I were able to go to Sams first game), tomorrow my plans include more of the same and Sunday, I want to watch Big Brother again!

Etsy and Ebay

Just one example of what you will see....

I have not blogged in forever and wow, I do miss the blog circles I was in!   I would like to get back into it and plan to someday soon, but until then I’m trying to show everyone what I’ve been busy creating!    My Etsy site is here:    My Shop  and I’m also selling on EBAY too.  (If your on ebay then you can search the words Tie Dye Cross-stitch to see my stuff)

These are real nice framed Handmade Tie Dye Cross-stitch pieces and I’m trying to spread the word because once they get noticed I really think people will buy them.  Please help me spread the word if you are reading this!  Love to all!

PS  I will be posting photo’s of my cross stitch creations in my next post ~ so stay close by.  I also do custom work, so if you want a last name, a special slogan, favorite colors worked into the tie dye background etc. then comment me and we can talk!

Friday Fill-in

1.  Music to me has always  been about the lyrics, but now that I’m in love with a Bass player… this has changed my view drastically. 

2.  The peace and quiet, a cup of coffee and the internet  is what I like first thing in the morning.

3.  The first thing I said this morning was Have a Super Duper day my man!  Can’t wait to c u next week.  I love u (to Ron via text message)  Morning Beautiful, Love ya (was his response)

4.  Fast food of some sort; it’s whats for dinner tonight.

5.  It’s all been lessons and totally worth it!

6.  Stitching is what I feel like doing right now.

7. As for this weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to playing Bingo and winning! Tomorrow my plans include work and then relaxation and Sunday I want to make good money at work, which usually is a crap shoot on Sunday day shift.

U can play Friday Fill in HERE

Hodge Podge

As originally posted March 29, 2006 (moved from old blog)

What to write about?

Today I’m at a loss so I will just ramble-on for awhile.  Hence – Hodge Podge! Boy is it excellent out today!  Today is the first day that I totally feel like Spring is really here. Spring and Fall are my favorite seasons because they signify change, from one extreme to the next, both having a special feeling that is indescribable. They have their own smells, which trigger memories that I can’t quite put my finger on, but I know they are there and how they feel. What is your favorite season and why?

BINGO. I recently, on a whim and out of the blue, decided to go to a Bingo game. I played alot when I lived in Virginia. I totally love it – it’s an adrenaline rush and gambling runs in our family, big time. Friday night I went and I waited for “O63” for about 10 minutes. I would have won 500.00! Instead, about 12 numbers later, someone else won. Good for that person – but I wished it had been me. I did win 75.00 that night so I guess I can’t expect to win them all. I won two games. One for 50.00 and another I split 50.00 with another winner. BINGO.

My daughter is twelve and she is about to drive me up the wall… Teen attitude…. hmmm. Are all Twelve year olds all that and a bag of chips? Mothering a teen is harder than even raising this puppy!

Puppy update: Pooping problems…. Puppy has the runs. Not only is it making a terrific mess in my house but it is a sign of a sick puppy. I called the vet and they said I could try human medicine, like Imodium AD, which I did – which didn’t change a thing. I originally had an appointment for her first set of shots next Wednesday, but I’m afraid I will have to move that date up because the pooping issue doesn’t seem to be getting any better. How happy am I that I bought that Carpet Cleaner? “It” cleans up quite well.

Weekends Whiz

The weekends sure do whiz by…. 

Work and play merge into a quick memorable weekend again!

No one can complain about that!!!

I have had four quite successful nights at my restaurant.  I am waitressing now at a pretty nice little upscale restaurant and I really am quite happy.  It’s about two miles from my home and it’s a very fun little place to work.  Money is good, when I actually have customers, and no one can complain about that!!!

Tomorrow Ron comes in, after being away for 3 weeks.  He made supervisor and tomorrow is the big discussion over his new compensation ~ it will be MORE, and no one can complain about that!!!

Ron will arrive by 6 pm.  Six hour drive, starting at noon ~ then he will be “holding me” again.  I am so in love, it’s ridiculous.  And… he too!  No one can complain about that!!!

Samantha has recently gotten her first car (she is not home very much anymore… surprise surprise) and I no longer have to tote her around or pick up her friends and vice versa.  I don’t think I can complain about that!!!

Tuesday we got the brakes done in both our vehicles.  Ron paid for mine and I paid for his  (because his was cheaper), and no one can complain about that!!!

Our driveway looks like a used car lot….  I’m complaining!!!!

Charleston SC

A great spur of the moment trip this week…

Ron recently started a new job down in Charleston, SC, building a facility for Boeing.  I mentioned to Sam last week that it’s on the beach….  and (maybe ~ and we all know what maybe means in a teens vocab) we could take a weekend trip soon to visit him and the beach.

Samantha suggests midweek (typical her) that we should go ahead and go this weekend.  Because I had Thursday and Friday off, this turned into a weekday spur of the moment trip that was much enjoyed!!

No expenses needed, with the exception of gas, and a nice highway ride for Sam’s new car… we headed out at eleven pm Tuesday night.  The drive was a breeze with no traffic and a portable DVD to watch old Friends episodes.  Arrival 5:30 a.m., perfect timing to kiss Ron goodbye for work and kiss me goodnight.

Wednesday we slept til noon and just hung at the motel til the guys got back from the jobsite.  Free beer, hot dogs, hamburgers etc. topped off Wednesday night as Sam and I  planned Thursday as our beach day.

Thursday began at 5 am (thanks to Ron leaving for work at this time…) and cooking macaroni salad for an upcoming cookout that evening.  Sam slept til eleven and we were off to the beach.  It was so great!  Good time spent alone with my daughter, which is quite rare anymore, and water warmer than a bathtub.

Thursday night began with a bang.  Ron’s boss put chicken on the grill and walked back to his room to make a drink…. (that wasn’t a great decision)  Chrissie arrives with the macaroni salad only to observe too men hosing down the grill (and the chicken) with two fire extinguishers!  Don’t exactally know how but apparently flames were shooting to the ceiling of the gazebo!  I’m sure it wasn’t cleaned properly from the night before and needless to say Ron’s boss was a might bit pissed off!  Moral of that story would be to stay close to a grill you don’t know personally!  All in all though, what we had left to eat was the bomb!  Especially since it was my macaroni salad!

Friday again began at 5 am (Thanks honey….).  Sam slept while I hung in the room playing and catching up on the internet and our 6 hour return home at noon brought us back safe and sound by 6 pm!

Its been a long time

And, I'm back!

Well, It’s been about a year since I’ve posted on my blog.  Mostly because I have no internet access at home (and still don’t) but I am going to try to blog again.  I’ve just recently gotten addicted to Facebook which has gotten me online again, so I might as well… 

I am madly in love with Ron Penn.  We have been together since August 1, 2009 and live together now.  My whole life has changed, and for the better, I must add!  

Anyway, if there is anyone left out there…. stay tuned for future posts.

Love from CHRISSEA