Monday, November 6, 2017
San Jose Made Craft Market On Saturday 11/11/2017
The online shop is temporarily closed due to some technical issues. I'm planning on re-opening it sometime after the craft market once the inventory is updated and I've added new products.
After seeing what kind of displays worked and what items got the most interest, I'll be changing some of the displays and may not bring all the different types of items I brought like last time.
It seemed most people that came by day weren't all that interested in greeting cards, inspirational card decks, or live plants so I might not bring them at all. However, there are some new items made just for this market that will probably be a better fit and I'll still bring the enamel pins, stickers, jewelry, and pillows like last time.
Here is a sneak peek of one of the new products:
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Current Favorite Indie Comics
If you're looking for new comics to read, look no further. Here are two of my current favorites and the genres range from romance, mystery, fantasy, and science fiction.
This is a cute story and based on that description, it's really not what you think it might be about! A physical copy of this is on my wishlist.
In his ancient hymns, Homer tells us of the unyielding Lord of the Dead who kidnapped the innocent daughter of Demeter. He tells us quite a bit, in fact, for someone who wasn’t there.
Persephone is no tragic victim, but a kind young woman held in place by her overbearing mother. A failed scheme by Apollo leads her to a chance encounter with the humorless Hades, who is struck by love’s arrow. Now he must wrestle with his aching heart before he loses control entirely.
...Not that the infatuated Persephone has any complaints regarding Hades' plight.
As desire blooms between the secluded goddess of the harvest and the ruler of the underworld, the world changes both above and below.
This comic was originally only available on Allison's Patreon but then she launched a Kickstarter to get it published as a single volume via Hiveworks.
I was a backer and got the ebook version! I love mythology and this version explores a less depressing and more feminist & sensual take on the story. 18+
A physical copy of this is also on my wishlist.
I was a backer and got the ebook version! I love mythology and this version explores a less depressing and more feminist & sensual take on the story. 18+
A physical copy of this is also on my wishlist.
Saturday, October 14, 2017
5 Font Pairings - Script and Sans Serif
I love pretty fonts and collecting them is just another hobby of mine. Here are 5 of my favorite font pairings of script fonts and sans serif fonts. These combinations are great to use on blogs and in printed material such as cards.
Most of the script fonts are premium. Joining Creative Market is a great way to get some premium fonts or other design elements for free during their Free Goods of the Week.
Which one is your favorite?
Most of the script fonts are premium. Joining Creative Market is a great way to get some premium fonts or other design elements for free during their Free Goods of the Week.
Which one is your favorite?
Friday, October 13, 2017
Etsy Finds of The Day - 10/13/2017
Here are some lovely handmade creations made of various fibers. I love how the colors and different textures make these one of a kind pieces.
Handspun of hand-dyed merino wool yarn in bright pink, aqua, and turquoises.
Hand dyed merino, silk noil, silk lap, faux cashmere, angelina, sari silk, and firestar. In the colors green, yellow, turquoise, amethyst, and purple.
Made of bamboo, chiffon silk ribbon, tencel, and sari silk.
Hand dyed merino wool, silk, hand dyed BFL X Finn lamb locks and neon matte angelina.
Made out of wool/acrylic blend art yarn.
Which one is your favorite?
Thursday, October 12, 2017
Etsy Tips: Make an Order Status page
I think an important part of setting your customers expectations is to keep them up to date on their order, especially when the item is custom or made to order and has a long production time such as 2 weeks or more.
I know how it can be difficult for small business owners to send updates besides a simple "processing" one when they're constantly busy working on orders or other aspects of their business. You don't really want your customers guessing when when when throughout the process but I also understand you can't be online constantly to give updates when you need to be finishing your orders.
When I was making amigurumi for my Adorably Kawaii shop years ago, I wasn't able to keep up with the demand and have a stock of the items on hand so I created made to order listings. I would get multiple orders a week and each plush would take at least 6 hours to make so it would take me several days to finish them and then get them shipped out.
I had already set up my production time in my listings to about 3 to 4 weeks to accommodate all the orders I would receive. Even so, I would still get inquiries on their order after about a week they ordered. Why haven't you finished my order? Why are you taking so long? Why haven't you shipped out my order yet? Where is my order?
Many of them simply didn't understand how something so small could take so much time to make but it was also due to the fact they didn't read my production time or check the ship by date. And I was so busy working on their orders that I had no time to send individuals emails to everyone often enough.
I would get told to stop taking so many orders at once if I couldn't keep up but I was afraid by deactivating my listings that my shop and those listings would lose their spot in search (which took me so, so long to build!) or I would lose a sale from someone that was willing to wait for those 3 to 4 weeks.
I figured out the best way to keep everyone informed was by mentioning about how long each item takes to make at the top of the listings (even if most don't even read it, unfortunately!) AND by creating a private Order Status page on my blog. After they purchased, they would get sent the link to the page once I added their order to it. I would quickly update the page before I went to bed about every day or two.
I listed the customer's name & order date on the page. I usually didn't take on rush orders so I would work on them in the order I received them. This way they knew where they were in the queue and would get a better idea of when I'd start their order or make progress on it.
As for the order status, I kept it simple and to the point. I would write by their name: payment received (when I got their order), in production (with a %), and the shipped-on date (after I already sent out an shipping notification on Etsy).
By keeping dates next to each one, new customers could also see how long it could take for their order to finish from the moment they ordered to production to shipment. I also kept the finished orders listed on that page for weeks solely for that reason.
I think having an order page is a great way to keep your customers from guessing and it can lower the number of order inquiries you get so you can finish your orders without delays. It may not work so well for some shops but I remember getting good reviews that mentioned how useful the Order Status page was for them so it's definitely worth a try!
Monday, October 9, 2017
Sale from 10/9 to 10/16!
I've been busy preparing new items so here is a big sale to make room for them!! Everything in the Zinnia Moon shop is marked down. Little discounts and big discounts, you gotta go check them out!
This sale will end on Monday October 16. Afterwards, I'll be preparing for my next SJMade Craft Market at Whole Foods!!
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