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Sunday, January 31, 2010
Stampin it Up!: Company Stamps

















I just got my company stamps and let me tell you, I have been stamping the hell out of anything I can get my hands on!...I even stamped the bag that held my white chocolate cherry cookies from the bakery. I knew I was out of control when my friend looked at it and gave me "that" look :D.
Company stamps are a good ( and inexpensive) way to brand your items and there is certain ink that allows you to stamp on clear cello and vellum bags cleanly, with out smudging. Its also good if you "forget" or "run out" of company labels, no need to break out the printer late at night, just stamp and be done.
I LOVE MY STAMP!, lol
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Monday, January 25, 2010
Chocolate Transfer Cupcake Favors
























When I came across the recipe for
Chocolate Transfer Sheet Cupcakes from Sweet and Saucy, I thought they were cute as well as they also looked so yummy. What a great party favor to get or give...you eat the dessert then take home the cup.

Transfer sheets, or "transfers" (the patterns that are decorating the top of the chocolate disc in the picture) are sturdy but flexible plastic sheets coated with a mixture of cocoa butter and FDA approved food coloring and etched with repetitive designs, such as golden swirls. They come in a wide variety of designs and colors. Some transfer sheets have a single color, like gold.

The following are some resource links for this
item, but of course you may know some in your local area.

{TRANSFER SHEETS}:
Amazon Transfer Sheets
Fancy Flours
Country Kitchen Sweetheart
Sugar and Craft


{CUPS}:
Target ( the local $1 bin in the housewares section)
Dollar Stores
Family Dollar




photo courtesy of Sweet and Saucy
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Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Download Day: The Chandeliers


















Though I personally prefer a more elaborate chandelier , far be it from me to stop anyone else's creative flow.
The freebie today are 4 chandeliers by Rachel Rifat .Just click on the link below to download the pdf file.


DOWNLOAD LINK HERE


photo and design courtesy of Rachel Rifat
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Friday, January 15, 2010
ETSY BUSINESS TOOLS YOU NEVER HEARD OF :PART 2!

We got such a great response to our first popular post Etsy Business Tools :PART 1 , that we have added some other tools as a follow up that we think may be useful to all of you sellers.


Favors Me: is a beta site that is similar to Soopsee where you can essentially "make your own one page website". I must admit that the Favors Me site is very slick and chic, with modern fonts to choose from as well as easy to use, its the basic point and drop method. They have a gallery of users work to inspire you and show you what can be done as well as demo video to see what you can do with the site. It is also free to use as well, just sign up with your email address ( invitation code=" etsy"). Some of the negatives is that it only works with certain sites,Flikr, Facebook, Tumblr, Vimeo and Twitter (they seem to be adding more , but no date as of now). The Flikr, Facebook and Twitter service is great, but if you have a blog other than Tumblr, which alot of people do (Wordpress, Blogspot to name the bigger ones) then you will not be able to incorporate them like the others. There is no "domain hosting" here, so if you have a domain name you can of course direct it to this site as your "Front Page" but the Favors Me URL will be up top. Just note that this is a new tool, so you will have to promote just like you would with any other website.

Banner Fans-is a web based banner maker . When I first came across this I was a little skeptical, but since everyone knows how against Microsoft Paint I am (especially to make a banner) I must say this is a decent alternative. This site makes it easy for people who want a DIY banner and it literally is the point and click method.They have selections for "common banner sizes" or you can even custom your size if you need a banner for an odd place. Some of the best features are that the font selection is large, you can upload your own pictures as well as they let you add several effects from shadows, gradients and different borders . In addition, they also let you change colors for all elements easily as well. You can even move the elements around with your mouse in the "preview" section while you edit.
One of the best features is that you can save it in one or all of the three formats suitable for web viewing (jpeg, gif, png) and lastly you can get codes for about 13 different social and web outlets once your banner is the way you want. That means not only Myspace, Twitter, Facebook, but also some other formats you may never have thought of. We suggest you sign up (for free) to save the different banners that you use.


Flikr2Twitter: is a service by Flikr that lets you tweet your Flikr photos with one click.It may essentially eliminate your need for the Twitpic Service provided by Twitter. Once you install the add on button and link your accounts, a little "FT" icon will be displayed on all your pics in your flikr account (next to the tools like "all sizes" and "add to favorites"). This will let you add automatically to your Twitter account just by clicking on the button. You can even use from your mobile. There are setting on it, so look them over and make any changes before you start to use.

Qwitter: is a little stalker tool that lets you know if someone is a "Twitter Quitter". It is rather funny, but after you put in your username and email, it will let you know who has stopped following you, when and why. The craziest thing is that it tells you the actual post that they "quit you".

Craft Count: Every wonder about those who are the best sellers in your category? Or in any category? This site ranks the top etsy sellers (1-50) by several groups , from overall to shop category, country and several others. Now some of them have been sellers for several years, which can factor into the large amount of sales, but this is a good tool to see top sellers.

Craft Gawker: is a gallery where anyone can showcase their art, crafting and photography skills. It's a place for you to discover new artists and handmade goods that you may never have known about. They also have a sister site called "Food Gawker", which is essentially the same concept , but with food. Even though it is free to submit to site, as everyone knows, not everyone gets picked. There are some that submit over 10 times and are not accepted and there are some that are accepted the first time they enter. Though there are several requirements to submit photos (one is you must be registered, its free) I have found that the main one that can decide acceptance is your photos. Make sure the lighting/exposure of your photograph is good or else don't bother submitting as you will be rejected. It can sometimes be frustrating if you are constantly being declined, but they do send you and email as to why, so before you submit, take a look at the "About" page for other requirements.

Pictaculous: is a color generator for your pics. If you have ever wondered what colors match your pictures, then just upload the pic and it will give you suggested color palettes that match your photo, they even give you the color codes. This tool is good if you are looking to make some backgrounds, frames or other color blocking designs to make your pictures pop.



And of course the first part of our post Etsy Business Tools :PART 1
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Monday, January 11, 2010
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
FREEBIE DAY: Printable Banner























Banners make a very big impact at any function, from your craft show to your own special event.
This pretty banner project is brought to you courtesy of Martha Stewart. These are 3" circles that can be cut out by hand ( which takes longer) or you can obtain a 3" punch, like the Uchida paper punch. You can also resize ( if you are crafty) for smaller or larger punches. You then punch holes and thread with ribbon the word of your choice.

NOTE: THIS CAN ALSO BE USED FOR YOUR CRAFT SHOW SHOP BANNER.

Download Link



photo and template courtesy of Martha Stewart Weddings
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Monday, January 4, 2010