sarah + abraham

I've moved!

2011-04-08T17:24:00.009-05:00

After 3 1/2 years here at Blogger, I'm finally taking the leap and moving to a WordPress blog that's part of my website! Please join me at the new blog.

$5 off personalized aluminum sports water bottles, 3 days only!

2011-04-04T08:47:00.005-05:00

UPDATE: This sale has been extended through Friday, 4/8/11.

I've noticed an increase in water bottle orders recently, and as I was filling my son's water bottle for soccer practice it occurred to me that spring & summer sports are probably the reason for it. I can't tell you the number of times that my son has left his water bottle at practice or a game - it's so frustrating! At least now that he has a water bottle personalized with his name it's more likely to be returned to him.

I've also had a few customers mention that they need their water bottles in time for Easter (which is no problem!) I think that's a great idea! I'm always on the lookout for non-candy items to add to my kids' Easter baskets, and I think these would be a big hit for kids ages 4 - 8.

So I figured this would be a good time to offer $5 off water bottles. For the next three days (through Wednesday, 4/6/11), I've marked them down from $24 to $19.

Circle of Moms Top 25 Party Plannin' Moms

2011-03-28T20:07:00.004-05:00

I'm so honored to be a nominee in the Circle of Moms Top 25 Party Plannin' Moms. If you have a minute to check it out, I'd really appreciate your vote!

Project Nursery Giveaway {Personalized Children's Pillow}

2011-03-25T13:13:00.003-05:00

Be sure to visit Project Nursery sometime in the next week to enter for a chance to win a custom olliegraphic pillow! The contest ends April 1st, 2011 at 11:59 PST.

Buy Any Pillow, Get an Art Print FREE!

2011-03-16T11:55:00.004-05:00

For the next week (through 3/22/11), get a FREE 8"x10" or 11"x14" art print (retail value $20 - $30) with the purchase of any pillow!
There are three ways you can take advantage of this offer:

Let me know the details for your art print in the "Comments" section when you check out.
Send me an email with the details for the art print that you'd like after placing your order.
Add the print to your order, and I'll refund that portion of your order.

Camden's Cookies and Milk Birthday Party

2011-03-14T07:22:00.005-05:00

My friend, Heather, recently contacted me to see if I could add a little sister to my olliegraphic chef invitations and the bunting from my ballerina invitations. I love how they turned out, and it was so much fun to see pictures from the party on Heather's blog this morning.
As you can see, Heather has completely outdone herself once again!
For even more pictures and all the details, check out the full post at Heather's blog.
Photos by Mel Larson.

New! Silhouette Pillows

2011-03-09T10:02:00.003-06:00

I added silhouette pillows to my website and Etsy shop this morning.

I'm starting out by offering 9 different animals (bird, turtle, penguin, cat, dog, kangaroo, giraffe, bunny, or butterflies) and 6 kids (4 girls and 2 boys).

I haven't been able to get any great pictures of them yet, which is so frustrating because they're really beautiful in person - these pictures don't do them justice at all.

I'd love to hear what you think of them!

Growing your Business through Collaboration with other Small Business Owners

2011-03-04T08:01:00.003-06:00

Have you been following oh my! handmade goodness? If not, you really should check it out! I love the direction that the new editor, Jessika, has been taking it. Here's a link to my most recent post about the ways I've grown sarah + abraham through several collaborations with other small business owners.

custom birthday party invitations: magic party and fireman party

2011-03-03T08:00:00.001-06:00

Meg at olliegraphic recently designed these cute custom invitations for a magic-themed birthday party and a fire station birthday party. I love how they both turned out! You can view more examples of Meg's custom work here.

If you'd like to commission Meg to create a custom illustration for you, you can then have it printed on any of the products that I offer through the custom section on my website. Please feel free to contact Meg or contact me with any questions!

more personalized pillow photos

2011-02-26T08:00:00.001-06:00

Yesterday afternoon I took some pictures of my friend's son, Owen, with a personalized pillow. When we were done he started to hand the pillow back to me, and I told him that he could keep it. He was so excited, his reaction really made my day! People have told me "my daughter is going to love this" or "my daughter loves her pillow", but seeing that reaction in person was such a treat.

When I decided to offer personalized throw pillows I was mostly thinking of them as a decor item that would delight moms more than kids, so it's been great to get positive feedback from kids, too!

giveaway alert

2011-02-25T11:32:00.003-06:00

How cute are these photographs by Carrie Davis of C. Davis Photography?! I love seeing Charlotte's face right next to the pillow... she's such a cutie!

Also, I wanted to let you know about a giveaway going on over at The Savvy Moms Guide. Be sure to leave a comment there before Wednesday for a chance to win a free personalized pillow!

custom handmade throw pillows for kids

2011-02-18T17:08:00.000-06:00

I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am to finally unveil my newest product line - personalized throw pillows for children! Perfect for adding the finishing touch to a nursery or a child's bedroom. They've been in the works for 3 months. A friend of mine, Jen, inspired by my olliegraphic collection, came up with this super cute all-fabric, completely handmade interpretation of Meg's drawings, and then went all out perfecting the final product.

To make them, Jen starts out with high-quality upholstery fabrics (we're offering 7 colors to begin with); sews on a face cut from muslin (light, medium or dark); then sews on a hairstyle cut from felt; hand-embroiders the eyes, nose, and mouth; hand-embroiders the name (in print or cursive); and finishes the pillow cover with a neatly sewn flap (so the insert is removable). Needless to say, each pillow is truly a labor of love!

Jen made samples for several different photographers, so I'll be adding more product photos soon to my website and Etsy shop, but I couldn't wait another day to share these pillows! I'd love to hear what you think of them.

invites for a Build-A-Bear Workshop birthday party

2011-01-25T17:01:00.007-06:00

Meg at olliegraphic recently designed these super cute custom invitations for a sibling birthday party... I think they're perfect for a Build-A-Bear Workshop birthday party!

Meg also created custom invites for Campbell & Charlie's reptile-themed birthday party last year (featured here on Oh My! Handmade Goodness).

These are two of my favorite custom invitations. You can view more examples of Meg's custom work here. Isn't she talented?!

If you'd like to commission Meg to create a custom illustration for you, you can then have it printed on any of the products that I offer through the custom section on my website. Please feel free to contact Meg or contact me with any questions!

Oh My! Handmade Goodness Holiday Giveaway

2010-12-06T13:21:00.002-06:00

Have you heard about the huge holiday giveaway going on over at Oh My! Handmade Goodness? Over 30 handmade businesses (including sarah + abraham) have teamed up to offer an amazing holiday giveaway. From today through December24th you can enter for a chance to win one of two gift baskets with a total value of over $900!

How to add Handmade/Etsy items to your Amazon Wish List

2010-11-23T10:26:00.006-06:00

Perhaps you've already heard of this, but I was so excited when I found out about the Am azon Universal Wish List button this morning, I just had to share!

I was adding some items from Amazon.com to my kids' wish list this morning - which I use partly for relatives who ask what they'd like for Christmas and partly for myself to bookmark ideas whenever I come across them. And I saw some information about how to add items from any website to your Amazon Wish List. It even showed an Etsy page as an example.

My mind started racing at the thought of being able to add handmade items and items from small websites to one wish list and hopefully encourage shopping for handmade gifts.
If you have an Amazon wish list, all you do is go to this page to add a "Add to Wish List" button to your toolbar. Then whenever you're browsing Etsy or another website and you're on the page of an item that you want to add to your wish list, you just click on the Add to Wish List button. A window pops up that allows you to add comments - perfect for when you're adding items to your wish list that have options for personalization!

ordering deadlines for Christmas delivery

2010-11-19T11:07:00.007-06:00

The ordering deadline for Christmas delivery in the U.S. for personalized plates and bowls and PSA Essentials custom stamps is November 30th.

The ordering deadline for everything else in my shop is December 16th for delivery in the U.S.

Early Bird Sale :: 3 days only!

2010-11-03T07:00:00.000-05:00

For the early birds who like to get a head start on holiday shopping, I'm offering a 15% discount on my Silhouette Holiday Collection, Olliegraphic Holiday Collection, and Teacher Gifts for the next three days.

Also, I'd like to encourage you to order your Personalized Plates & Bowls extra early to ensure delivery in time for Christmas, so I'm offering 15% off those as well through Friday, 11/5/10.

No coupon code is needed. Any items purchased from these collections will be automatically discounted in your shopping cart.

New! Olliegraphic Holiday Collection

2010-10-27T08:49:00.003-05:00

I'm so excited to unveil the 2010 olliegraphic holiday collection today!

It features customizable moms, dads, kids, and pets in a wintry setting on folded holiday greeting cards and large gift labels.

I'm offering five hairstyles and four facial hair options for dads, nine hairstyles for moms, and lots of cats and dogs in all different sizes and colors. But if those options aren't exactly right for your family, the artist behind the olliegraphic collection, Meg, is happy to create completely custom illustrations for you, which she'll then send to me to print on your holiday items.

Please note: the ordering deadline for custom illustrations is December 1st.

All of the folded cards include a message printed on the inside of the cards.

I've listed products with up to four children, but if you have more than four children, please feel free to order cards or labels with four children and add the details for the additional children in the "Additional Instructions" field.

I'm also offering a pregnant mom - so cute!

Yum Food & Fun for Kids

2010-10-24T08:49:00.003-05:00

I received an order yesterday for a couple of personalized plates, and the customer mentioned in the comments section that she saw the plates featured in a magazine, Yum Food & Fun for Kids. I remembered that I had been contacted by the magazine a couple of months ago, but I hadn't heard anything since then. Unfortunately, the magazine isn't available online, so I headed over to Barnes & Noble to take a look, and sure enough, there were my plates on page 34!

I was bummed that they didn't give Carrie Davis credit for the photograph of her daughter, Charlotte, but it's always fun to see my products in print!

a creative use for bookplates

2010-10-20T16:05:00.002-05:00

Last year I received an order from event planner Brittany Egbert of One Charming Party for silhouette invitations and a coordinating set of bookplates, each with different text.

I don't know how I missed these gorgeous photos when Brittany published them in a post about the pink themed first birthday party that she planned, but when I came across them recently I figured it would be better late than never to share them. What a clever idea!

another photography trade

2010-10-19T12:48:00.003-05:00

Here are some more fun pictures from a trade I recently did with photographer Emma Burcusel of Westland, Michigan. Isn't this little guy such a cutie?! And I love the dump truck birthday cake!

Chicago Renegade Craft Fair

2010-09-13T13:55:00.011-05:00

{above photos are from the Renegade Craft Fair website}

I had a great time attending the Chicago Renegade Craft Fair yesterday! It was super crowded and parking was a major challenge, but it was so much fun to see so many talented artists and amazing handmade items together in one place - kind of like stepping into a huge Etsy treasury.

I gathered a bunch of business cards from my favorite booths so I could bookmark their Etsy shops for future shopping, and I figured I'd share a few of my favorites here as well...

White Nest :: I love these hand-embroidered pillows and wall hangings by Chicago designer, Meg Stevens. By the time I got to Meg's booth the ones that I had been hoping to buy had already been sold, so I'll be ordering online instead.

Zooguu :: We've all seen lots of handmade plush toys on Etsy, but I think these really stand out above all the rest. They're so well made, and even cuter in person, especially the little yellow chick.

Ryan Kapp :: I love this series of four screen prints called 4 Seasons in Chicago. It reminds me of going for walks along the lakefront - one of my favorite things to do when I lived in Chicago.

hip huts :: When my kids were younger they would have really loved one of these little huts (in fact, they probably still would!). There were tons of great fabrics to choose from, and I was really surprised at how affordable they were. I'm definitely keeping these in mind for future birthday gifts for nieces and nephews.

Soda :: This booth was full of cute ceramic cups and ornaments.

June craft :: I love Kayanna's sweet and simple gocco prints. I bought two of them, including the one above. I can't wait to frame them!

personalized cupcake toppers for kids birthday parties and baby showers

2010-08-18T15:18:00.006-05:00

I just added another new item to my website... cupcake topper kits! I'm so happy with how they turned out!
I really struggled for a while to figure out the best way to make these - I had a complete mental block! Luckily my friend Stacy at Ink Spot Workshop was kind enough to answer all my questions and help me figure out the best way to assemble them.
This was definitely my kids' favorite photo shoot! They really enjoyed "helping" (licking spoons, spatulas, bowls, etc.). And they were especially happy when I had all the pictures I needed and they could finally eat the cupcakes and deliver the extras to neighbors!The toppers are easy but time consuming to assemble, so to keep the price down I decided to offer them as a kit. When placing your order you can pick which design(s), color(s) and text you'd like. The kit includes 2" card stock circles (with a solid or scalloped border), 1.5" circle stickers printed with the design(s) you choose, and 4.25" white lollipop sticks.

new! personalized lined stationery for kids

2010-08-06T14:46:00.004-05:00

My kids (Emma, 5, and Jack, 7) have been really missing two of their best friends who moved away this summer. Yesterday morning they were eager to write letters to them. They started out using blank paper, but we quickly realized that lined paper would be much easier for them to write on, not to mention easier for their friends to read.

I printed some cute olliegraphic stationery for Emma with light pink lines to write on. When Jack saw it he wanted some, too, but he asked if I could put a soccer ball or football on it instead with blue lines. I loved how they both turned out!

I've thought about offering lined stationery for kids off and on, but it wasn't until I saw Jack & Emma using it that I realized what a good idea it really is. Even though they could type an email to their friends, and they would probably prefer to use the computer than to practice their handwriting, I know how much they love getting mail, and I'm sure their friends will enjoy receiving old fashioned letters as well.

So this afternoon I added a few lined stationery sets to my website. What do you think?

how to apply edible icing decals on cupcakes or cookies

2010-07-20T17:55:00.007-05:00

UPDATE: I'm no longer offering icing decals. I'm now offering cupcake toppers instead.

Bake and cool cupcakes and/or 3" circle cookies (sugar cookies or shortbread cookies work great!) Remove your icing decals from the package they arrived in.
If your cupcakes have a rounded top, cut the top off so you have a flat surface.

Apply a generous amount of frosting and smooth it to a flat surface. Any type of soft frosting works well (ex. buttercream, royal icing, or store-bought whipped frosting).
Cookies don't require as much frosting - you can apply a thin, smooth layer.
With clean, dry hands, gently peel the icing decal from the backing sheet.Place the decal on top of the frosting.
Gently pat it down, smoothing the decal from the center outwards.
Ta da!
If you'd like, you can also add sprinkles or frosting decorations around the edges to finish.

edible icing decals

2010-07-16T14:21:00.004-05:00

I've been intrigued by edible icing decals ever since I came across Erin McGinley's shop, Hello Frosting, in April. Erin sent me some custom icing decals for my son's birthday party so I could try them out, and I loved them! I used them on the cupcakes at his party and on sugar cookies for party favors.
A couple of weeks ago I ordered all of the supplies and equipment so I could begin offering them, and today I was finally able to add them to my website.
Yesterday I made some cupcakes for my first round of photos, and I'm planning on making some shortbread cookies soon for some party favor photos.

more new products coming soon...

2010-07-07T11:09:00.002-05:00

Here's a little sneak peek at what I've been up to lately - lots of shopping to get ready for an upcoming photo shoot. I'm so excited to share my newest products with you, hopefully within the next week or so.

personalized plates and bowls - more photos

2010-07-01T13:49:00.003-05:00

Last week I ordered some sample plates and bowls. When they arrived yesterday I was really excited to try out my new camera lens. I'm still having a hard time with lighting, but I'm pretty happy with how these two photos turned out.

new! personalized melamine plates and bowls

2010-06-21T17:53:00.004-05:00

I'd been thinking about offering personalized melamine plates and bowls for a little while, but had forgotten about the idea until I posted last month asking for new product ideas, and Jaime at Raising Kane suggested plates.

I went ahead and ordered a couple of samples for photographer, Carrie Davis, even though I still wasn't completely sure about the idea. When she sent me these gorgeous photographs today I was super excited to add them to my website!

More designs will be coming soon, and I'll be contacting Jaime so I can send her a free plate for her little boy, Kane. If you have any other ideas for products you'd like to see, please leave a comment to let me know!

more new product photos

2010-06-10T16:51:00.002-05:00

I recently added some more new product photos to my website including the ones above from Carrie Davis, an Atlanta-based portrait photographer and the one below from Deanna Ryan, also a portrait photographer. Product photography can be so tricky - I'm really impressed with what they came up with!
Also, I recently found out that my water bottle supplier is closing her business, and I was thinking about not offering water bottles anymore rather than starting over with a new supplier. But these photos are just too cute not to use!

new product photos - 8x10 prints

2010-05-25T16:36:00.005-05:00

I'm so excited about these photos that I received today from Jill Higgins, one of the professional photographers who I recently traded with. I've added them to my homepage, and I created a Photo Credits page on my website to provide links to all of the talented photographers who have contributed to the sarah + abraham website.

There are a few more photographers who I've sent products to... I can't wait to see what they come up with!

any new products you'd like to see?

2010-05-24T07:08:00.003-05:00

Last week I announced that I've decided to sell Oh My! Handmade Goodness. Not just because of the number of hours that I was spending on it every week, but it was also consuming way too much of my mental energy. I’ve been so focused on OMHG for the past several months that I haven’t been bringing any of my creativity or mental energy to sarah + abraham.

In Nicole Morell's recent post about working with a sale rep, the rep who she interviewed mentioned that retailers expect a new product at least once a year and seasonally is better. I thought about all the new products and designs that I added last year (canvas prints, water bottles, fabric clutches and calling card cases, custom stamps, and the olliegraphic line). I realized that I haven't added anything new since valentines in January.

I had a great response to my recent call for photographers (I've done several trades and can't wait to share their photos!) So I thought I'd put this question out there, too: What new products would you like to see offered by sarah + abraham? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! And if you're the first one to suggest a new product idea that I begin offering, I'll send you one free as a thank you gift.

Nickelodeon Parents' Picks Awards 2010

2010-05-17T15:28:00.003-05:00

sarah + abraham is up for nomination in the category of Best Personalized Gift in the Nickelodeon Parents' Picks Awards... I sure would appreciate your vote! You'll need to sign up for a free account to be able to vote, but it only takes a minute - I promise! (And you can always unsubscribe in the future.)

calling all photographers

2010-05-10T08:32:00.003-05:00

How cool are these customer photos?! I love hearing stories about how my customers are using the items they order or who they're giving them to, and seeing pictures like this really makes my day.

I've been thinking that I need some new banner images for my homepage, and now I'm thinking that including people in the photos like these or a child writing a thank you note on sarah + abraham stationery would be so much better than basic product photos.

If you're a professional photographer and you'd be interested in doing a trade for your services... please let me know!

show us your sarah + abraham!

2010-05-04T17:12:00.003-05:00

Hello! I'm back! I apologize that it's been so long. First of all I want to say a big thank you to anyone who has continued to check in to see if I'd ever come back - thank you for your patience and continued interest in sarah + abraham!

Oh My! Handmade Goodness has been much more time consuming than I expected - usually about 5-10 hours per week - but also extremely rewarding. I get really excited about every single post, and every time I get one ready to publish, I eagerly anticipate being able to share it and see what feedback we'll get.

I'm continually amazed at the quality of content that all of the contributors have been providing and the generous items that have been offered for giveaways. I'm really happy to see that the number of comments we're receiving and our number of Facebook fans have been steadily increasing... I feel like my vision of a community is really coming together.

But with all that being said, I also miss this blog and the community that we were building here. My plan is to start posting here at least once a week - hopefully more.

I've had several new projects on my mind. The first one that I want to share is something I'm going to call "show us your sarah + abraham". Every once in a while a customer will email me a photo of a sarah + abraham product "in action". I've shared several of them here - for example, invitations that Heather Mattos has embellished or party favor stickers on a bunch of goodies. I've also added some to the product pages on my website, like the framed 8x10 prints below.

But I've never asked for this type of photo or put them all together in one place. So I'm thinking about creating a Flickr account and/or a photo gallery on my website where I can put these photos together in one place. And that's where you come in... if you have any photos (or if you can take any photos) of any sarah + abraham products "in action"... please send them my way!

Above photo courtesy of Sarah Swartzentruber at Jack and Izzy.

Above three photos courtesy of Holly Mathis at Holly Mathis Interiors.

Oh My! Handmade Goodness

2010-02-13T20:05:00.003-06:00

I couldn't wait until Monday (the official launch date)... Oh My! Handmade Goodness is live!

Facebook fan page & Twitter

2010-02-13T11:35:00.006-06:00

There are two days until the official launch date for my new blog, Oh My! Handmade Goodness. I created a Facebook fan page for it, and then while I was at it, I finally created a Facebook fan page for sarah + abraham, too. I've also been on Twitter for a little while now, but not very active so far.

So all of this got me thinking... between the new blog, both Facebook fan pages, and both Twitter accounts, I'm not sure how much I'll be posting here. I'm not sure how often I'll be updating the new accounts, either, but I'd like to make it worthwhile to become a Facebook fan by at least offering some occasional promotions and giveaways available exclusively to Facebook fans. Hope to see you there!

new blog coming in 5 days!

2010-02-10T20:45:00.005-06:00

I mentioned at the end of December that I won a Wordpress blog package from Susie at Zee Studios. I've become pretty consumed by the project in recent weeks, but I just realized that I haven't said much about it here since December. If all goes well, it should be going live in just five days!

I'm so excited about how it's all coming together and all of the great content that I already have lined up for the first few weeks. I've asked 17 women to contribute content, either as monthly columnists or guest contributors, and so far I've been blown away by everything that they've submitted and the work that Susie has done. Stay tuned for a link on Monday... I think that anyone who's been a regular follower of this blog is really going to love what we're going to do at Oh My! Handmade Goodness.

relentless self-improvement

2010-02-01T17:17:00.006-06:00

I love the line from Austin Powers International Man of Mystery that starts out, "My father was a relentlessly self-improving boulangerie owner from Belgium..." When my husband and I heard it for the first time, we both laughed out loud and commented to each other on what a great phrase that was, "relentlessly self-improving".

At the time we hadn't had children yet and spent a lot of time browsing in bookstores and buying all kinds of how-to and self-improvement books... health & nutrition, fitness, home improvement, career advice, and on and on.

I was always trying to figure out what I should be doing, and I was all over the place... open a bakery? learn how to build websites? become an architect? a lawyer? a psychologist? a nutritionist?

A few months after starting sarah + abraham I realized that I was finally doing exactly what I should be doing. Now all of that relentless self-improvement is focused on sarah + abraham (well, most of it!)

Last week I realized that I've been spending more and more time emailing proofs to customers, and it sure would be nice for that process to be more automated. Also, a lot of times when I send emails with attachments they go straight to spam folders. So I emailed Arianne at Aeolidia asking if she could help me out.

She created the perfect form for me where I can upload the image, enter the order # and customer name, and an email is automatically sent to the customer with a link for them to view their proof.
When they click on the link, this is the screen that it takes them to:
Then I receive an email with their approval or comments. I love it! Little improvements like these make such a difference when it's something that you're doing over and over again, day after day.

Batman-themed birthday party

2010-01-14T10:36:00.004-06:00

When Heather asked me to create some invitations for a Batman-themed birthday party, I knew it would be another one of her amazing parties, but she has truly outdone herself once again! (Starting with the bat wings she added to the invites!)
A menu consisting of Penguin's Party Dip, Catwoman Claws, Mr. Freeze's Fruit, Robin's Raw Veggies, Poison Ivy Pasta, Two-Faced Pizza and Joker Juice.
Party favors were personalized bat capes (glittered and ruffled up for the batgirls).
She filled little Batman buckets (by Haus of Girls) with goodies for game prizes.
There was a "batmobile" at the party, and the games included Pin the Tail on the Bat, The Joker's Hidden Treasure Hunt, and Mr. Freeze Dance. Seriously?! Who knew that a Batman-themed birthday party could be so completely creative, crafty and cute?

Valentine's Day items at sarah + abraham

2010-01-09T16:16:00.007-06:00

I've never offered any Valentine's Day items in the past. My kids love the cheap licensed character Valentine's Day cards at the grocery store. Last year they picked out Transformers & Disney Princesses, and almost all their friends passed those out, too.

But I started thinking this year that maybe Meg's olliegraphic illustrations would be cute on valentines. I asked her what she thought, and she sent me a super cute cupcake, a valentine with a heart on it, and some speech bubbles to use on cards and stickers. As soon as I started creating some samples using those accessories, I fell in love with the designs! I doubt my 6.5-year-old son will go for them, but my soon-to-be-5-year-old daughter absolutely loves them!

I've been working like crazy to get everything printed, photographed, and listed on my website before it gets any closer to Valentine's Day. I'm so happy with how everything turned out! Meg's also offering some really cute printable valentines in her Etsy shop.

2009 year-end review

2010-01-04T07:08:00.017-06:00

2009 was a really good year for sarah + abraham! Here's a look back at the highlights...
In January my bird note cards were featured in a Real Simple online article, 5 Bridesmaid gifts under $50, and then my calling cards were featured in the May issue of Real Simple. I ended up with over $4,000 in sales from just those two features!
In March I launched a new collection that I was super excited about, but it turned out to not be as popular as I thought it would be. I ended up retiring several of the items pretty quickly, and only a few of the designs have turned out to be consistently good sellers. I learned a great lesson from that experience that I need to stick with the elements that my customers love most about my products and not stray too far from that when adding new products.
In April I updated the look of my website and improved the navigation features, which significantly cut down on the number of questions I receive about options.
In May I started offering canvas prints. They haven't been as well received as I had hoped, but sales are picking up, and I think they're a nice complement to the rest of my products.
In June I began offering water bottles, which have been a big hit! Dacia at Lima Bean Kids has been amazingly helpful, first sharing the vendor who printed water bottles for her, and then when that vendor didn't work out for either of us, sharing the new one she found, who has been absolutely wonderful to work with.
In July I began offering fabric clutches and calling card cases. They haven't sold as well as I had hoped, but again, I feel like they compliment my other products nicely and make a nice gift set with note cards or calling cards.

The biggest event of the year for me was hiring a part-time employee in August. I placed an ad on monster.com hoping for nothing more than someone willing to print/fold/cut/package orders. I was completely overwhelmed by the response I got. I received 380 resumes in 10 days, interviewed six candidates, and wanted to hire all six of them! I couldn't believe how talented they were, each with a slightly different background (photography, illustration, marketing, etc.) but still willing to start out filling orders.

Jen, who has a marketing background, has been a perfect fit! I love handing off the tasks that I don't want to do, but more than that, it's been great to bounce ideas off her and brainstorm together. She has had some really good ideas and helps me stay focused. For the first time ever I have a strategic plan, and we're being proactive about marketing and PR.
In September I made some more changes to the design and navigation features of my website. I love having more product photographs on the homepage and being able to view products by either design collection or product category.

I also started sending out a monthly newsletter, which has been really well received. In 2008 only 15% of my sales came from repeat customers, but during the second half of 2009, 30% of my sales came from repeat customers!
In October I began offering custom stamps from PSA Essentials. I haven't sold a whole lot of them, and they don't have a very big profit margin, but it's nice to be able to offer them, and it's super easy to fill those orders.

I also offered 15% off Christmas items in October in the hopes of spreading out my Christmas sales a little. My sales from November 1 – December 19 (13% of the year) accounted for 28% of my total sales (compared to 31% last year), so I think it helped a little, but not much. I estimate that about 80 customers ordered earlier than they otherwise would have.
In November I launched my new olliegraphic collection, which has done really well. In just the first two months olliegraphic items accounted for 22% of my sales, and Meg has been great to work with. She's such a talented illustrator, and her style fits so nicely with the rest of my products. I also think that using the same color scheme for both my silhouette line and the olliegraphic line really helped to tie everything together visually on my website.

The holiday season was a completely different experience this year with Jen here helping me. In my 2008 year-end review I mentioned that on my busiest day I had 21 sales and that I had 15 days with 13 or more sales. I was completely overwhelmed and exhausted.

This year on my busiest day I had 46 sales and 35 days with 15 or more sales. But it was totally under control, and no big deal at all! It never really got to be too much. There was a day when I had my two biggest sales ever back-to-back, but Jen took a bunch of work home, and came back with it all completed the next day. During our busiest week we worked 82 hours combined, so I definitely couldn't have done it all on my own!

Which brings us to the beginning of 2010. As I mentioned in my last post, I'm planning on launching a new blog in February. I've really thrown myself into the project with a lot of help from Jen and my husband, Mike. We've made a lot of progress that I wouldn't have made on my own, and I'm really excited about the direction the project is heading! (more on that in a future post...)

Project 320

2009-12-14T08:50:00.005-06:00

Have you heard of Project 320? If not, you really must check it out this week. A group of six amazing women have teamed up to raise $5,000 in one week, enough to fund a well through charitywater.org. They received 300 donated items which they grouped into 15 prize bundles (one will include a $50 sarah + abraham gift certificate).

Each day this week there will be 3 prize bundles available on the Project 320 blog. Each $10 donation to their campaign = 1 entry. All of the details can be found here.

sarah + abraham on etsy front page

2009-12-10T07:51:00.004-06:00

I woke up to such a nice treat this morning - my holiday family flat cards were on the Etsy front page last night. I would have missed it if it weren't for my friend, Julie, sending me this screen capture. Thank you, Julie! And thank you to Wise Idea Studios for featuring me in her treasury!

free gift with purchase from sarah + abraham

2009-11-30T08:00:00.006-06:00

I wasn't planning on offering any promotions in December, but it's been such a great year, and I really wanted to figure out a way to say thank you to my customers and blog readers. Here's what I came up with...

Through December 18th, I'll be including a free gift with any purchase over $10. Customers will be able to choose from several styles of note cards (a few of which are pictured above). Each set includes four personalized note cards or eight postcards with envelopes (retail value $10 - $15).

This is an exclusive offer for my newletter subscribers and blog readers and will not be available through my website. You'll need to use this link to view the free gifts and add one to your shopping cart.

Happy shopping!

completely custom illustrations from Meg at olliegraphic

2009-11-17T17:00:00.006-06:00

The olliegraphic collection has been really well received, and I've been having so much fun printing the orders!

I mentioned in a previous post how all of the olliegraphic items are customizable (eye color, hair color, hair style, etc.), but I forgot to mention that Meg also creates completely custom illustrations for only about $20 - 50, which you can then purchase as a PDF to print yourself or have printed on any of the products that I offer on my website.

Above are just a few of my favorites that she has created for customers recently.

olliegraphic collection at sarah + abraham

2009-11-01T07:55:00.001-06:00

I'm so excited to announce a new collection that I'm launching today called olliegraphic. I came across the artist, Meg, on Etsy a few months ago and fell in love with her whimsical illustrations.

All of her designs are completely customizable - you pick the skin tone, hair style, hair color, eye color, and eye shape. I noticed that she was only selling printable stationery (PDFs) and she lives close by, so I contacted her to see if she'd be interested in a collaboration.
We've spent the past two months working out all of the details, printing and photographing samples, and getting the listings ready (over 60 items!). Today's a really exciting day for me to finally have everything live on my website.

15% off holiday items during October

2009-10-06T20:13:00.002-05:00

In my year-end recap last year I mentioned that my sales from November 1 - December 19 (13% of the year) accounted for 31% of my total sales for the year. In an effort to spread out my holiday sales a little this year, I'm hoping to entice customers to order their holiday items and teacher gifts early by offering 15% off of those items during October. I'll report back at the end of December to let you know how successful this strategy was!

PSA Essentials Self-Inking Stamps :: now available at sarah + abraham!

2009-10-01T21:04:00.005-05:00

I just finished adding these self-inking stamps from PSA Essentials to my website & I'm so excited about them! I've been thinking about offering them for a little while, and then a few days ago I went into a local stationery store to try one out in person and see how the stamps looked on my envelopes:
This picture really doesn't do the stamps justice, the impression is absolutely gorgeous (even in black ink!), and the stamps are so much fun to use!

cowboy-themed baby shower

2009-09-29T10:58:00.006-05:00

A few weeks ago I posted about the super cute invitations that one of my favorite customers, Heather, made by sewing fabric buggies onto some plain invites I printed for her. Today she posted pictures from the shower, including these sarah + abraham party favor stickers.

If you're planning on throwing a baby shower any time soon, even if it's not cowboy-themed, be sure to check out Heather's post - it's truly inspiring!

summer knobloch photography

2009-09-22T08:50:00.006-05:00

I've been a big fan of photographer Summer Knobloch ever since I came across her website and blog last year. She had me right away when I read this on her website:

"fun. fresh. emotional. real.

These are the words my clients use to describe my style. No studio lights, no fake furniture or backdrops. I want to capture who your child really is... missing front tooth, messy hair, or ice cream covered mouth... your child will only be this age once. Capture them. Not just their outside appearance, or a forced smile. Capture their spirit. I'll do that for you. It's what I do. It's what I love."

I knew this was exactly who I wanted to take portraits of my family! And last week I finally had the great pleasure of not only meeting Summer but also having a really fun, relaxed photo session. My children never cooperate for pictures, but they absolutely adored Summer and are still talking about how much fun it was. Summer posted a sneak peek of our family portraits on her blog, and I couldn't believe how well they turned out!

Summer also took some pictures of just me so I could finally have a professional photograph to add to the "about" page on my website. Having my picture taken by myself is not at all comfortable for me, but again, Summer was great, and I'm so glad to finally have a picture on that page!

personalized Christmas stationery, stickers, etc.

2009-09-18T20:26:00.004-05:00

For the past couple of weeks I've been busy working with Shoshanna from Aeolidia on a website redesign and posting Christmas items, and I'm thrilled to report that I'm finally done with both! The new website design went live tonight, and I now have all of my Christmas items on both my website and Etsy.

I know, it's only September and seems a little early to be thinking about Christmas, but I've gotten several emails from customers already asking when my Christmas items will be available, and there was so much to do, I didn't want to put it off.

I'm thrilled with the new website design (a LOT more pictures on the homepage and a better visual representation of what sarah + abraham offers), and I love how colorful my Christmas product pictures are when you see them all together.

nurseries featuring sarah + abraham personalized art prints

2009-09-16T07:25:00.001-05:00

Another one of my super talented and creative customers, Holly of Holly Mathis Interiors, recently shared some pictures of two gorgeous nurseries that she decorated, one for a client (above), and one for her new baby boy (below).
Even if these nurseries didn't include sarah + abraham prints they would still be fun to look at, but seeing those above the cribs is such a treat for me!

baby shower invites with fabric buggies

2009-09-02T08:00:00.002-05:00

Last week Heather (who I've previously mentioned for her Hawaiian Luau, Horton Hears a Who party and bug-themed party) asked me to print some baby shower invitations with enough blank space for her to sew on fabric buggies... I LOVE how they turned out! Seeing these totally makes me want to start offering stationery items with fabric details, but I already have too much on my plate and really need to stay focused. But maybe it's something to think about for next year.

Cora's Playground in the news

2009-08-31T08:27:00.008-05:00

For those of you who participated in the Cora Paige Benefit Sale in February, check out this news clip to see the progress of Cora's Playground and a nice interview with Jess & Joel.

Sarah & Abraham workspace

2009-08-25T15:29:00.006-05:00

I'm so excited that Jennifer will be starting tomorrow! Here are some new pictures of my workspace that I took today. This room used to be a playroom, and then I converted it to an office about two years ago when I moved my computer out of the cloffice.

The idea was that 1/3 of the room would be workspace for me, 1/3 for my husband, and 1/3 for the kids. The kids' craft area didn't last long at all, and my husband's desk was quickly relegated to a small space in a corner of the room.

Now I've taken over the room completely, and my poor husband has been banished to the cloffice. Well, I moved everything from his desk and shelves into the cloffice, but he won't actually be working in there, so it's not really as bad as it sounds.

vacation

2009-07-24T21:15:00.005-05:00

I decided to completely unplug while on vacation this year, and even include a day before and a few days after our actual trip to just relax and spend time with my family. We're leaving on Sunday morning for a 4-day family vacation, but I decided to "close shop" for 8 days altogether.

As I was posting my vacation notice on my website, putting my Etsy shop in "vacation mode", and setting up an auto-responder for my email, I felt like Mark Harmon in the opening scene of Summer School trying to get away from my computer before any more orders came in (my husband didn't get the reference, but I know someone will!)

A couple of weeks ago as we were planning this vacation I wasn't sure how many days I'd take off or if I'd be able to completely unplug, but as it's gotten closer I've started to really look forward to taking a break from work and hopefully coming back refreshed and energized and ready to make some decisions about the next steps for my business.

For now I actually have other things on my mind for once... bike rides, swimming, ice cream shops, boating, board games, a stack of magazines, a couple of books, and a glass of wine on the balcony after the kids are in bed.

{new!} In-Touch Clutch (tm)

2009-07-18T17:17:00.004-05:00

How cute are these??? They're called the In-Touch Clutch (tm), and I just added them to my website in three different fabrics.
The idea is you fill it up with cards, stamps, and a pen, toss it in your purse before you head out the door, and then pull it out to catch up on your correspondence whenever you find yourself waiting (on the train, before an appointment, during your child's soccer practice...)I also think they'd make a super cute gift with some personalized stationery. I really hope these sell as well as I think they will. They're handmade by a woman named Jennifer who has an Etsy shop where she also sells wristlets and iPhone / iPod pouches... so clever!

{new!} fabric calling card cases

2009-07-15T18:58:00.005-05:00

I'm so excited about these new handmade calling card cases I added to my shop today! I think they'll be a really nice addition for a set of calling cards purchased as a gift. Also, I've been wanting to add some non-personalized items to my shop, and I think these are the perfect item to start with.
Once again I'm amazed at what a difference an interesting background makes instead of just a plain white background. My tabletop lights are great for capturing details and accurately representing the fabric colors, but I love taking product photographs outdoors whenever possible.

new product photographs - personalized canvas prints

2009-07-08T17:27:00.004-05:00

Amber's canvas print (from last week's giveaway) was ready to pick up from the printer today, so I took a quick picture (above) before shipping it to her, along with the one I ordered for my daughter (below).
I'd like to buy some much bigger lights for taking this type of product photograph, so I was pleasantly surprised with how well these turned out - much better than I expected using just the table-top lights from my light tent kit.

personalized sports water bottles

2009-06-30T18:25:00.008-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I came across some super cute personalized water bottles (pictured above) in my friend, Dacia's, Etsy shop, Lima Bean Kids... exactly what I needed for my son, Jack. Last fall I bought him a kids Sigg water bottle that he lost later that day at soccer practice. I bought him another one which he left in the car, full of water, in the winter. When the water froze, the bottle cracked. Next I bought him a cheap plastic one at Target that kept leaking. So lately I've just been putting waterproof name labels on regular water bottles from the grocery store for him to take to baseball practice.

I was just about to buy one from Lima Bean Kids when I started thinking, I wonder if my silhouettes would work on these? Dacia was kind enough to tell me where she buys them from and encouraged me to give it a try, so I ordered one, I love how it turned out!
The above images are the front and back of the one I ordered for Jack. The quality of the water bottle is excellent, and the printed images look great! So today I spent some time deciding which designs and colors to offer, and then posted them in my Etsy shop and on my website. These are a few of the options I came up with:
I have no idea how well these will sell, but I'd really like to offer more non-stationery products, so I'm very curious to see how they do!

product photography

2009-05-21T17:00:00.005-05:00

I added a few new products to my website today (including the folded owl note cards pictured above), and since I had time this afternoon I took some actual photographs rather than only posting digital images.

I've been buying lots of new props over the past several weeks, and "update product photographs" has been on my to-do list for a couple of months now, but it stresses me out every time I think about it so I always find something else to do.

Also, I've been hoping for an overcast day so I could take some pictures outside, but we've had lots of sunshine recently with really harsh shadows. So I took these pictures indoors using my little tabletop fluorescent lights, and I'm pleasantly surprised with how they turned out.

Vintage Floral Pattern Folded Cards:
Owl Flat Cards:
Vintage Floral Pattern Calling Cards:
Owl Calling Cards:
Of course it's such a time consuming process, the thought of updating the rest of my product photographs is overwhelming, but I think my plan will be to just keep doing a few each day as I have time.

Sarah & Abraham canvas art

2009-05-15T09:51:00.010-05:00

I've been asked a few times if I'd consider printing canvas wall art, but I never gave it much thought until Stacy from Name Your Design encouraged me to look into it and gave me lots of super helpful advice. I've also been encouraging my sister, Kim, to start an Etsy shop, and she was really excited about the idea of personalized canvas art. So I've been working on creating some 16" x 16" designs, figuring out the pricing, and purchasing all of the packaging materials, and this morning I posted a bunch of canvas art prints on my website.

Here are a few examples:Kim will be helping me with picking up the canvases from the printer and shipping them, and she'll also be offering her own designs soon. I'm hoping that between our two shops these will sell really well so that we're able to buy our own printer at some point and be able to provide better pricing on these to wholesale accounts, but I don't want to get too ahead of myself... I guess time will tell!

I'd love to hear your thoughts... any feedback at all would be greatly appreciated!

Name Your Design featured on Project Nursery

2009-04-29T12:37:00.002-05:00

One of the best things to come from having this blog has been meeting two new friends (Stacy & Julie) who both live within just a few miles of me and both have young children who my kids love to play with. Whenever I get together with them I'm absolutely amazed (and delighted!) at how much we have in common and how fun it is to talk with them.

I mention this because I was just at Stacy's house last week drooling over her decor (most of which she created herself), and then on Monday her son, Parker's, bedroom (above) was featured on Project Nursery. Here's a link to the full interview for all the details.

Hawaiian-themed invitations

2009-04-22T19:20:00.004-05:00

A couple of months ago one of my favorite customers, Heather, (who I've previously mentioned here and here) asked me to create some Hawaiian-themed invitations for a surprise birthday party. I've been so excited to see the party pictures, and she just posted them yesterday. Here are a few of my favorites...

more thoughts on balance...

2009-04-17T19:17:00.013-05:00

I hope I don't sound like a broken record, but I thought of something this evening that I'd like to share...

As Sarah & Abraham has grown and I've found myself enjoying this work more and more, I've really been letting things slide around the house. I always keep the dishes and laundry caught up, but we've been eating takeout and frozen pizza way more than I'd like to, and my lax attitude about vacuuming, dusting, etc. has become a bit ridiculous.

So for the past week or so I've shifted my focus back to this concept of balance once again. I've been making time for the things that matter and not allowing other things to get in the way.

For example, for the past couple of weeks my daily orders have been about three times my usual average, but I've been making a conscious effort to step away from the computer and make plans with friends and do fun things with my kids. My husband has been working 4-days a week so I can have one full day a week of uninterrupted work, but for the past three weeks I've ended up ditching work on those days to do something fun with him and the kids. I'm also trying to cook at least a little bit more.

Which brings me to this evening... I was in the kitchen making lasagna, watching my kids play in the backyard, and I felt so content. I had several orders that I could have been working on, emails I could have been replying to, and some new product ideas I was really excited to work on, but instead of feeling resentful about my role as wife/mother/homemaker taking up my time, I felt like I was doing exactly what I wanted to be doing.

Then this Brian Andreas story popped into my head, and it felt like one of Oprah's Aha! Moments:

Weight Training

This is a giant block of whatever is most difficult for you to carry & trust me on this, you'll carry it more times than you can count until you decide that's exactly what you want to do most & then it won't weigh a thing anymore.

Which also reminded me of this excellent post about balance on Stacy's Inkspot Workshop blog. If you haven't read it already, I highly recommend it!

Real Simple magazine

2009-04-09T07:51:00.004-05:00

Sarah & Abraham calling cards are featured on page 64 in the May issue of Real Simple magazine!

I've been wanting to share this news since December when they contacted me about featuring my calling cards in an upcoming issue, but I figured I should wait until it was actually in print. I haven't seen it yet, but Sally at Polka Dot Market was kind enough to scan the page and email it to me (thank you!!!)

Real Simple is one of my favorite magazines, so it's a huge honor!

Sarah & Abraham Evites

2009-04-07T13:52:00.004-05:00

I'm so excited to finally be able to share one of the side projects I've been working on for the past couple of months... Sarah & Abraham Evites! I'm a big fan of Evite, so when they asked me if I'd like to design some invitations for them, I jumped at the opportunity! I'm always a little nervous about graphic design work like this (how picky will they be? how many revisions will I end up doing?), but these were really fun to work on, and they gave me a lot of creative freedom.

{hooray for} new designs!

2009-03-22T12:57:00.014-05:00

I'm so excited to finally be able to unveil my newest products! Here are just a few of the 40+ new items I've been working on:

Invitations:
8x10 prints:
Birth Announcements:
Calling Cards:
And of course I created plenty of flat and folded note cards in all of these designs as well.

The fun part was creating the new products... the hard part was creating all of the digital images for my website and uploading everything. (The thought of photographing all of these new items overwhelmed me too greatly, so I decided that would have to wait!)

My whole "work-family balance" has gone out the window recently as I've been working like a madwoman to get everything posted on my website. I still need to create notepads, postcards, stickers and a few other items using these new designs; I'll start working on those this week.

Of course I'll still offer all of my original silhouette products, but I just love these new designs and am planning to have my website redesigned like my new blog banner. I hope to be able to post sometime later this week when that's been completed.

variety packs

2009-03-13T09:02:00.002-05:00

I can't believe I didn't do this sooner! Whenever I give someone a gift of Sarah & Abraham stationery I always put together an assortment of styles and colors. After having this on my to-do list for several months, I finally made this option available on my website... a girl variety pack, a boy variety pack, and a grown-up variety pack.

For the kid ones, you pick the style (flat and/or folded), the silhouette(s), and the color(s). For the grown-up ones you can mix and match flat cards with a name, a couple's names, an initial, or a monogram, and select whichever colors you like.

Horton Hears a Who party pics

2009-03-11T10:28:00.003-05:00

Wow! Heather posted some pictures on her blog from her daughter's Horton party that I mentioned a few days ago.
The menu included fresh strawberries, elephant-shaped quesadillas (!), 'clover' cake, and Who punch.
I've got to learn how to make these gorgeous paper flower balls for my daughter's next birthday party (luckily I've got 10 months to figure it out!)

UPDATE: Here's a link to directions for making the paper flower balls... thank you Heather!

ooh la la!

2009-03-06T09:42:00.000-06:00

Another one of my super creative customers recently asked me to create some invitations and party favor stickers for her 2-year-old granddaughter's pink-poodle-themed birthday party. I'm so thrilled she shared some pictures with me from the party! The stuffed animal above was a party favor along with these take home cookies...
and these dog bone cookies from the "Where's your bone?" game they played at the party.
Poodle ears for the guests to wear:
And a gorgeous cake:

so clever!

2009-03-01T21:12:00.005-06:00

How cute (and clever!) is this invitation to a Horton Hears a Who-themed birthday party?! One of my favorite customers, Heather (supermom-crafty-chic-and-party-planner-extraordinaire), asked me to create some invitations with an elephant trunk so she could add a green pipe cleaner and a pink pom pom. I absolutely love how they turned out, and it was so nice of her to send me a picture!

She has previously used my favor stickers for a bug-themed birthday party...
and a beautiful baby shower:
I just love seeing pictures of my products "in action"!

Cora's: the shop

2009-02-24T17:12:00.004-06:00

Jessica McClenahan (Cora's mom) is planning on opening an Etsy shop soon, with all proceeds going to Cora's Playground. I was so happy to be able to help out with the banner, avatar, tags and stickers, and I love how everything turned out! I think polka dots and multi-colored lettering will definitely be making an appearance on some of my new items!

Cora Paige Benefit Sale {Update #2}

2009-02-21T14:07:00.003-06:00

I just read a beautifully written Storque article on Etsy, which has apparently inspired over 40 additional Etsy sellers to join the Cora Paige Benefit Sale, bringing the total to 120 Etsy sellers participating! I decided to conclude my fundraising when I reached $500, but the event will continue until Cora's birthday, March 5th, at which time we'll all donate our proceeds online.

As of yesterday 32 sellers had reported their sales totals to the organizer, Heather, and the total amount that has been raised so far by those sellers is $5,600! I'll let you know what the grand total ends up being at the end of the event.

One of the comments posted on the Storque article was that "crafters are such nice people"... I couldn't agree more!

Cora Paige Benefit Sale {Update}

2009-02-16T22:41:00.005-06:00

This has been such an interesting day... last night I added some 8x10 prints and postcard sets from my Etsy shop to the Cora Paige Benefit Sale, and so far I've raised $290! It's been so rewarding seeing this project come together because I couldn't have donated that amount on my own, but donating the prints and postcards is no problem at all.

I'm so excited to see what the grand total ends up being from all of the Etsy sellers who are participating (there are currently over 300 items for sale!)

Cora Paige Benefit Sale

2009-02-15T19:35:00.004-06:00

The McClenahan family has been on my mind all week since I learned about Cora, their beautiful 11-month-old daughter, who was diagnosed with cancer just a few short weeks ago and passed away on Sunday, February 8th. They've been so generous to share their journey and their faith through their blog. And now the blogging/Etsy community is coming together to pay tribute to Cora's memory through a benefit sale to help support the building of the Cora Playground.

Please take a moment to browse through the items that are being donated by over fifty talented and generous Etsy sellers. (The fabric flower brooch above is one of the purchases I've already made from Sunnypond.)

Donations may also be made directly to the Cora Playground here.

funny

2009-02-04T08:09:00.003-06:00

We were in the car yesterday after I picked up Jack from kindergarten, and he was telling me about a box that another kid brought to school. I asked him how big it was, and he said, "it would probably hold about 30 or 50 note cards." What a nice boy to put it in terms I would understand!

design inspiration

2009-02-02T09:59:00.008-06:00

I worked an average of 14 hours per week in January (just filling orders and not doing anything else - no marketing, no new products), and it felt just right. I'd been planning to continue working this way until the Fall when Jack starts 1st grade and Emma goes to full-day preschool 3 days a week, but then I started looking around at blogs and websites and got an overwhelming urge to create new designs.

I'm not sure how long it'll take this time around from the initial concepts to product photographs that I can post on my website and share here, but in the meantime, here are a few of the designers that I've been inspired by recently...

Japanese artist, Shinzi Katoh:
ISAK home accessories by designer Sandra Isaksson in England:
Isa Form, a Swedish company run by designer and illustrator Isabelle Norman Sällström:

Real Simple

2009-01-07T18:17:00.004-06:00

I rarely ever think to check my Google Analytics, but I had a couple extra minutes this evening and took a peek. Imagine my surprise (and delight!) when I saw that I've been getting visitors from a mention on Real Simple! I'm a HUGE fan of Real Simple, and was absolutely thrilled to see this!

paper ball ornaments

2008-12-19T11:57:00.004-06:00

How cute is this ornament?! I can't get over that I actually made these! And it was pretty easy! Every once in a while I try to be crafty, but until now none of my projects have ever turned out the way I expect them to. A few days ago I came across directions for making paper ball ornaments on DesignSponge, and I just love how they turned out!
If you head over to Design Sponge for the directions, I just have few tips of my own to add...

I used 12" x 12" scrapbooking paper from Archivers, and I think something a little thinner would have worked better. But you'll definitely want paper that has a design on both the front and back.

While I was at Archivers I used their 3" and 4" circle punches to cut out the circles - much easier than cutting out each circle with scissors! And I really like both of those sizes.

I tried using mini glue dots, but because of the thickness of the paper, they didn't hold the paper together. So I bought 1/2" glue dots, and those worked perfectly.

Before stapling the circles together I folded a ribbon in half and placed it on top of the crease, stapling it along with the circles in the middle and at the top.

It's probably hard to tell from these pictures, but the above ornament is made with 3" circles, the rest are made with 4" circles.

This last one is my son's favorite, made with the dinosaur paper he picked out.

handmade goodness

2008-12-15T13:15:00.007-06:00

I've been meaning for a while now to post about some of the Christmas gifts I found on Etsy... I had so much fun shopping for handmade gifts this year!

I'm not sure if I'll be able to part with this cuckoo clock and a pink one just like it... probably the orange one will end up in my office and the pink one in my daughter's bedroom.

These felt cookies from nanaCompany for my daughter, Emma. She's going to love them!

I fell in love with this skirt and was so bummed out that it was too small for Emma, but it made a great birthday present for my friend's daughter who just turned two last week.

A superhero gift set personalized with the letter "R" for my nephew, Ryan. If he's anything like my son, I have a feeling this will get a lot of use!
A couple of Monster Kittys... I haven't decided yet who these will go to, but I'm sure I'll have no problem finding loving homes for them!

Emma's been doing a lot of this lately, hugging my legs, and generally being a lot cuddlier than she was as a baby... I'm loving every minute of it! I just had to get this print from L.J. Ink for myself, and one for my friend who this reminds me of as well.

A personalized long-sleeved onesie for my nephew, Shane. I love how clean and simple they are (surprise, surprise!), and it turns out this Etsy seller lives just down the road from me!

a tutorial: making notepads

2008-12-05T18:01:00.002-06:00

Over the past year I've gotten a lot of requests for personalized notepads, which I always thought I'd need to have done at a print shop, so I never offered them. But a few weeks ago I learned from the very kind and generous Kelli at The Hootie Coo Card Company that I could make them myself (easily!) so I began offering them on my website.

They've been selling pretty well, and today I thought I'd photograph the process and put together a little tutorial. So here's what I do...

First I cut an 8.5" x 11" chipboard sheet into fourths for the backs of the notepads (my notepads measure 4.25" x 5.5").
Then I print the design 4-per-page on 24-lb 8.5" x 11" paper and cut those into fourths.Next I stack 40 sheets of paper on top of each chipboard sheet and top each notepad with a blank page (so the top page doesn't get messed up).

I had considered buying a padding press like this one, but I decided to just use some heavy books or something similar to weigh the pads down until I see how well these sell.

Next I just brush on a couple of coats of padding compound, letting it dry completely in between coats.

Once the final coat is dry I gently peel apart the notepads and peel off the blank top sheet...

add a Sarah & Abraham sticker to the back...
and package them in a clear plastic sleeve... easy-peasy!

personalized gift labels

2008-11-07T17:17:00.005-06:00

My new 2" x 2" stickers arrived yesterday, and I was so excited to post some personalized gift labels in my shop that I spent pretty much the entire day printing sample stickers, gift wrapping whatever I could find around the house, taking pictures, editing them, and then creating the new listings (kids, kids sledding and family).
I'm really happy with how the photographs turned out. I keep learning new tricks in Photoshop that make me want to go back and re-take all of my other product photos, but I think that's going to have to wait a while.

gift sets

2008-11-06T16:12:00.004-06:00

One of my favorite artists, Sarah Jane, posted some absolutely gorgeous photographs of her new stationery sets on her blog this morning, and it reminded me of one my favorite suggestions offered as a Bloggy Giveaway entry last week... a new mom gift set.

So I scrambled to put a few sets together and photograph them while both of my kids were at school this morning (and before it started to rain!) It started raining just as I was taking everything back into the house, and I had about 2 minutes to spare before I had to pick up my son from school, but this afternoon I was able to post some new gift sets in my shop.
It's so time consuming to create, photograph, and post new items, but in a life filled with never ending dishes, laundry, vacuuming, errands, etc. I absolutely love the sense of accomplishment it gives me!

2009 desk calendar

2008-11-05T15:10:00.009-06:00

I'm so excited to finally have a calendar posted in my shop! I think this would be a cute gift for a teacher or daycare provider, and I'm especially happy that it's another non-customizable item... I have so few of those!

A BIG thank you goes to Stacy from Inkspot Worshop... not only was her desk calendar my original inspriation, but she also helped me tremendously by encouraging me to create one of my own and sharing where she bought her materials. Thank you, Stacy!!!

mommy calling cards

2008-11-01T14:56:00.005-05:00

I'm finally offering mommy calling cards! I've been asked for these occasionally over the past year, and I seem to be getting more and more requests for them lately, so I went ahead and created some. I'll probably add more styles over time, but for now I've posted some basic ones in my shop to see how they do.

calendars and mommy calling cards

2008-10-29T11:27:00.003-05:00

Once again I'm completely amazed by the generosity of strangers! I was hesitant to put any requirements on my latest giveaway besides just leaving a comment, but now I'm so glad I did. I'm absolutely thrilled with the response - there have been so many great suggestions that I never would have thought of on my own!

I'll definitely be doing 2009 calendars and mommy calling cards; I hope to have them in my shop by sometime next week. And then there are about 20 more ideas I'm excited to start working on! Thank you so much to everyone who has entered and taken the time to share their ideas with me!

$50 gift certificate giveaway!

2008-10-26T17:29:00.017-05:00

It’s time for another Bloggy Giveaway...

Prize: A $50 Sarah & Abraham gift certificate! Here are a few examples of Sarah & Abraham products:

:: personalized stationery, folded or flat
:: invitations
:: birth announcements:: personalized holiday cards and return address labels:: 8x10 Personalized Prints

Requirements: I'm in need of some fresh ideas and inspiration! I've received so many great suggestions from my blog readers in the past, so for this giveaway I'm asking you to post a comment with any sort of suggestion for a new product or a variation on any of my existing products. (If you're not already familiar with my current products, please visit my website before posting your comment!)

If you like an idea that's already been suggested in a comment before yours, feel free to mention that, but comments that are merely repeating a previous suggestion won't be considered as entries for this giveaway.

Be sure to include a way for me to contact you if you're the winner! You don’t have to have a blog to win, but be sure to leave your email address if you don’t have one.

Details: This contest ends Saturday, November 1st, 2008 at 12pm CST. I'll draw one winner at random from all valid entries and will notify the winner by blog or email that they've won. The gift certificate will be sent via email.

Thank you for your time and consideration... I'm really looking forward to reading your comments and creating some new items for my shop!

*** UPDATE: Thank you so much for all the great suggestions! I've already posted Mommy Calling Cards in my shop and will continue to add more new items in the coming weeks including calendars and gift tag stickers. I've also picked a winner at random... congratulations to Alaina!!!

I {heart} Daily Candy

2008-10-06T11:16:00.005-05:00

I was featured in the Chicago Kids edition of Daily Candy this morning! The article was posted/emailed about two hours ago, and I've gotten 8 orders and several inquiries already!

my little helper

2008-10-03T15:00:00.003-05:00

My 3-year-old daughter didn't want to leave my side this morning, so I started showing her what I was working on, and she was thrilled to help me fill some orders and re-stock supplies. She eventually got bored and went off to play, but for a little while at least it was really nice to have some company!

lima bean kids

2008-09-29T11:41:00.004-05:00

I just found out this morning that a customer of mine, who also happens to live just a few towns over, has an Etsy shop with super cute onesies and t-shirts. As soon as I saw them, my first thought was, I have to remember these for birthdays & Christmas gifts, and my next thought was, I have to tell someone about these!

new website

2008-09-19T14:52:00.007-05:00

I’m beyond thrilled to announce that my new Sarah & Abraham website is going live today!

I still plan to sell on Etsy, but my hope is that the ordering process will be a lot easier on my website, especially for ordering various quantities of stationery items or adding options like return address stickers or gift wrap. And I’m really excited to be able to offer gift certificates and a wish list feature!

For all of my blog readers I’m offering FREE SHIPPING on any order placed in the next month - just enter code B91908 at checkout (expires 10/20/08). And please feel free to pass this coupon code along to your friends!

I’ve also posted all of my new holiday items on the website - I'd love to hear your thoughts and/or suggestions for additional holiday items!

I {heart} organized workspace!

2008-09-18T14:03:00.004-05:00

I bought some new shelves and wall files for the workspace area in my office, and it feels like a whole new office! I used to keep all of these supplies in drawers and on the lower shelves of this storage unit, and it makes such a huge difference to have everything in sight and within reach. I can't believe it was only 10 months ago that I moved out of my 3' x 5' "cloffice"!

a day in the life of a WAHM

2008-09-09T19:50:00.005-05:00

A few people have asked me recently how I do it all, and my answer has mostly been, "not very well!" I've made a conscious effort lately to put my family before work, trying not to work in the evenings or much at all on the weekends, and it's been a real struggle to fit in the work that I'd like to get done each day.

I felt like I hardly had any time at all for work today, and I started thinking about everything I did today that women who work outside of the home don't do or have to cram into the evenings & weekends. As I wrote this list I started thinking... this also looks like a list of reasons why my husband doesn't want to work from home!

wake the kids up, make breakfast, help them get ready for school
walk my son to school
order waterproof name labels for the kids' umbrellas & water bottles and sew-in name tags for their coats, gloves, hats, etc.
drive my daughter to preschool
call a landscaping company about moving a lilac bush in our backyard
meet with the brick paver guy to get an estimate for extending our driveway
exchange emails & voice mail messages with the architect, engineer, and general contractor for the new detached garage we're building
walk to my son's school to pick him up, talk with his teacher while he plays with a couple of classmates
drive to my daughter's preschool to pick her up
make lunch
meet with the landscaper and show him the bushes in our yard that need to be moved
shampoo the area rug in the basement that got soaked with rain
change into gym clothes and pack my gym bag
reply to customer emails & fill a couple of orders
take the kids to the post office, library, and Target - shop for Fall clothes & shoes for the kids, look at Halloween costumes, and pick up some groceries while we're there
get so stressed out with their awful behavior at Target that I decide to skip the gym and come home for quiet time instead
clean the house, do dishes, fold laundry, and put away the deliveries that arrived yesterday (envelopes & shipping supplies) while keeping an eye on the kids playing in the backyard
work on my website a little bit and take a shower (finally!) while the kids watch a movie

I'm not complaining... I love my life, I love my family, I love my business, and I'm very fortunate that I get to stay at home with my kids AND do something challenging that I love. I guess I'm just stepping back for a minute, once again, to ponder this concept of "balance" and what shape it's currently taking.

Canadian Family magazine

2008-08-17T11:08:00.004-05:00

I just found out (from Susan at Kiddlebug, who was also kind enough to scan the above page for me) that Sarah & Abraham note cards were featured in the September 2008 issue of Canadian Family Magazine - what a lovely surprise to return home to! I don't think it'll ever get old seeing my products featured in a printed magazine like this!

vacation!

2008-08-08T08:02:00.001-05:00

I've decided to take a much needed week-long family vacation before school starts - my first vacation since opening my Etsy shop! I'll be posting my vacation dates in my shop announcement and setting up an out-of-office auto reply for my email, but as much as I'd love to completely unplug for a week, I have a feeling I'll end up checking email occasionally and probably doing some work for my new website when the kids are napping or in bed for the night.

Any orders placed between 8/9 - 8/17 will be shipped when I return on 8/18... see you then!

another giveaway!

2008-07-27T17:57:00.008-05:00

It’s that time again, the Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Carnival is here! The details of my giveaway are below. To check out a list of hundreds of other giveaways, head over to Bloggy Giveaways.

Prize: I'm giving away a set of 24 personalized note cards (flat or folded) with 24 return address labels. Here are a few examples:

Requirements: Simply leave a comment here including a way for me to contact you if you're the winner. You don’t have to have a blog to win, but be sure to leave your email address if you don’t have one.

Details: This contest ends Friday, August 1, 2008 at 12pm CST. I will draw one winner at random and will notify the winner by blog or email that they've won. The winner will need to let me know their address and how they'd like their set personalized, and I'll ship them free of charge to anywhere in the US.

To view more examples of these note card and sticker sets, please visit my Etsy shop.

UPDATE: Wow, I'm completely overwhelmed and so grateful for all the entries and the super nice comments! Thank you so much to everyone who entered, and congratulations to the winner... Meredith!

I feel so loved!

2008-07-17T15:30:00.004-05:00

When I first started selling on Etsy last October I was constantly checking to see who "hearted me". It was such a thrill to watch that number go up, and I spent a lot of time looking at the profiles and shops of the people who hearted me (something I had time for back then because I had so few sales!)

I just realized today that for the past few months I've forgotten all about hearts, so I took a peek this afternoon... and 2,001 people heart me!

So I sent a message to the 2,000th person who hearted me, letting her know that I'd like to send her a free gift. And then I realized that what I'd like to do for my 1,000th sale is just play it by ear. There will definitely be some sort of refund/free shipping/free gift or some combination of those things, but I'm just going to wait to see what the order is and figure it out then.

But I will take trammie81's suggestion and offer FREE SHIPPING (free in the US, discounted for international orders) to my blog readers between now and my 1,000th item sold (I'm currently 18 items away!) Just mention this offer when you place your order, and I'll send you a refund through PayPal for the shipping charges. And thank you again for the comments & emails - I really appreciate it!

UPDATE: I've reached 1,000 sales and the free shipping offer has ended. But please let me know how you found my shop, and I'll include a free gift with your order!

what should I give away?

2008-07-02T13:13:00.005-05:00

I noticed recently that my Etsy sales are approaching 1000, and I've been thinking that I should come up with some kind of fun prize for the person who purchases the 1000th item. I'm guessing it's about 2-3 weeks away, and I'll post again when it's getting closer. Any ideas?