Sarah & Abraham goes Hollywood

I received an order yesterday for 300 personalized thank you notes from a woman who's expecting her second baby soon and is planning on sending out 200 birth announcements. I mentioned it to my husband, Mike, marveling at how someone could know that many people and receive that many gifts. We received lots of gifts we didn't expect when our children were born, but 300??

Later in the evening, as I worked on the order, Mike suggested I Google them. It turns out the husband is a screenwriter & producer who has worked with lots of A-list celebrities! So as I printed and cut the note cards I kept wondering whose hands they'll end up in... very exciting!

Sarah & Abraham signature gift wrap

I've been having to make so many decisions lately as I get everything ready for the photographer who will be taking the product photographs for my new website. On the one hand it's been a little overwhelming having to make so many decisions at once about the website layout, what products I'm going to offer, what options, etc. But it's also good to have a deadline. For example, when I started Sarah & Abraham I couldn't decide on gift wrap, so I ended up never offering it.

But now that I'd like to have a nice professional photograph of the Sarah & Abraham "Signature Gift Wrap" for my website, I finally made a decision. I'll be using these pretty blue stationery boxes (and matching wrapping paper for 8x10 prints) and gorgeous 1.5" chocolate brown satin ribbon. I think this is perfect for just about any gift giving occasion, and I'm so glad to have this decision behind me!

shop update

I've had several items lingering on my to-do list for the past few weeks, and I'm so happy to say that I've finally caught up on a couple of them. I've really needed to take some new product photographs, so while the kids spent the day at my mom's house yesterday I created over 50 new sample note cards, invitations, birth announcements, and return address labels (it's amazing what I can accomplish when the house is quiet!) Then today I photographed them and updated about half of my Etsy listings with new pictures.
Not all of the pictures turned out as well as I would have liked, but these are a few of my favorites.
I also updated my Etsy shop so that I have separate listings for several different types of invitations, and I created sets with invitations, thank you notes, and return address labels - I love when people order those things together!

kiss and make up

Whew! The buyer who left the negative feedback has accepted my offer to send replacement note cards and used the "kiss and make up" feature on Etsy to change her feedback. I can't even tell you how happy it makes me to have my "100% positive feedback" back! Thanks so much for all of the kind comments and emails - I really appreciate it!

the downside

I've been trying {really hard!} to keep this blog positive, encouraging, uplifting. I've written a lot about all of the creative and talented women I've met online, the growing success I've had selling on Etsy since November, and how wonderful it's been to find work that's a creative outlet and truly fulfilling.

But to be honest, I've also had several bad experiences that have left me so disappointed, and today I just need to vent.

I've had spam posted on my blog with a link to a hard-core porn video (hence the word verification and comment approval). I've had people blatantly copy my designs (and my item descriptions along with them!) I've had some ridiculously bad experiences with USPS employees (too many to count!)

Then a couple of weeks ago someone posted Neutral feedback in my Etsy shop with a comment saying that she hadn't received her order yet. I had shipped it the same day the order came in and sent an email with the tracking number, which she acknowledged. I never heard anything else until I read the Neutral feedback. I checked the tracking number and saw that it had been delivered two days after the order was placed. But instead of contacting the USPS or contacting me, she just left Neutral feedback with a negative comment saying that it had never arrived.

Now why would someone do this? Why wouldn't she contact me asking where the order was? I would have gladly tried to track it down and/or sent a replacement at no charge. It made no sense to me and was very frustrating. My initial reaction was, I can't wait to get my own storefront website up and running so that I'm not subjected to comments like this that I can't remove from my shop.

And then today someone left Negative feedback, again without contacting me first to let me know they were disappointed with the product. Not to mention that her comment was that the product didn't seem professional... "Etsy: your place to buy and sell all things HANDMADE". Arghhhh!

Anytime someone tells me something was damaged in shipping or wasn't quite what they expected I ship a replacement at no cost that same day. I would have gladly refunded the purchase or sent a new product if given the opportunity. I'm not in this to make a quick buck or to try to deceive anyone. I'm trying to provide beautiful unique products that will bring people joy, and sell them at an affordable price. And this is the thanks I get?

Again, my initial reaction was, that's it, I'm shutting down my Etsy shop, and I'm done selling until my new storefront website is up. But maybe I just need to develop thicker skin and just keep moving ahead. I just can't help but wonder WHY someone would leave negative feedback instead of contacting me to express their concern. I can see leaving negative feedback if a seller won't work with you to resolve a problem, but I was never even given a chance.

Okay, I need to go work on something else and get my mind off this for a while... I hope to return with a more upbeat post next time!

Happy Birthday, Jack!

My son's birthday is today, and my color printer sure came in handy... he'll be having a very Sarah & Abraham birthday party!
Stickers on cellophane party favor bags (containing frosted dinosaur-shaped cookies)
Stickers on goody bags (filled with all kinds of dinosaur goodies)
Pin-the-fish-in-the-baryonyx's-mouth game (my son's idea - I was so happy I didn't have to draw the baryonyx!)This may be going a little overboard with the stickers, but I figured there's no harm in helping the kids keep their juice boxes straight!And of course I'll be sending out Sarah & Abraham thank you notes!

new postcards - boy holding a balloon

I'm so excited about these new postcards that arrived in the mail yesterday - I just love how they turned out! I think they'll be really cute to add to a birthday gift or for sending thank you notes after a birthday party. Now I need to make a girl version... which silhouette do you like better?

{beautiful} scripture based gifts

Have you seen these new personalized prints from Life Verse Design on Etsy? I absolutely love them!You may have noticed that I've discontinued my prayer & scripture prints (I was only selling about 1 of those for every 25 or more non-religious items). I can still print them upon request, but I'll also be referring people to Life Verse where you can purchase these prints framed or unframed.

a little break from paper goods...

How sweet is this hand embroidered dress by Tiny Sprouts? I can't remember how I first came across this site, but I took another look at it yesterday, wanting to order something personalized for my daughter and a gift for a friend. Everything's so cute I had the hardest time deciding what to buy!

Tracey offers the most beautiful fabrics, thread colors, and shapes like poppies and hearts. My 3-year-old daughter, who loves to tell everyone she meets, "My name is Emma. E-M-M-A", is going to be beyond thrilled with her new outfit!

I've also been meaning for a while now to write about Elizabeth of Bellasophia on Etsy. She sews beautiful couture dresses and matching accessories for little girls as well as these gorgeous bunnies, baby blankets, and burp cloths.

A few weeks ago I ordered three of these bunnies (one for Emma and two for gifts) and a hand embroidered shirt with a little bird, and I was absolutely amazed by the quality and attention to detail!

Sarah & Abraham Giveaway!

***UPDATE: I used a random number generator to select the winner... Princesses in Disguise. Congratulations K, S, and A!

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 two sets of postcards with coordinating envelopes. This is what they look like (8 of each design):

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 Sunday, April 26, 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 I'll ship them free of charge to anywhere in the US.

And if you don't win and you want to buy some of these cute postcards, please visit my Etsy shop.

teacher gift sets

Saturday night I realized that I hadn't bought gifts yet for Jack's Sunday school teachers, and the next day was the closing program for the year. So I printed some personalized note cards for them, and then after Sunday school it occurred to me that I'm probably not the only one trying to figure out what to buy for teacher gifts this time of year!

So this morning I created a couple of inexpensive Teacher Gift Sets ($7.50 for 8 cards with a name or initial) and posted them in my shop.

In other Sarah & Abraham news... I've updated the listings for my postcard sets so they no longer include stickers, and I reduced the price to $7.50 for a set of 8.

Also, I've finally posted all of the rest of the 5x7 and 8x8 prayer & scripture prints that I have in stock in the SALE section of my shop (25% off since they're already printed & can't be personalized).

And I'm happy to report that I'm finally caught up on all of those orders that came in on Thursday while I was out having fun with the kids! I hate to get behind, and it feels so good to be caught up again!

more great ideas from customers

I've been getting a lot of requests lately for variations to my Hello Spring and Hello Bird prints, so at first I created something called Hello Butterflies with these two girls, but then I decided to just add a listing for another type of personalized print where you can choose any silhouette(s) and add names if you'd like. I've sold a couple of these already, and I really like how they've been turning out!
I also had a request today for a little boy holding a balloon, which I was happy to create... I have a feeling this little guy will become a popular silhouette for birthday party invitations and favor tags (now I just need to update all of my listings to show him as an option). I know I probably sound like a broken record, but I just love all the great ideas I get from Etsy shoppers!

note card + sticker sets

For a while now I've been wanting to add some note card and sticker sets to my Etsy shop, and today I finally had some time to get them photographed and posted.
I just love when people order matching stickers for their envelopes, and whenever friends order note cards I usually try to throw in some matching stickers.My pictures didn't turn out great, so I may have to retake some of them on a sunnier day, but for now I'm just glad to have them in my shop and to finally be able to cross something off my to-do list!

If you're ever in Toronto...

...check out Honeybunch Homestore for Kids where some of my products are now stocked!

I mentioned very briefly in an earlier post that I'd worked with Nicole from Honeybunch to design some fill-in invitations for her online store as well as the brick and mortar store that she recently opened in Toronto. It was so exciting for me because I just love the collection of products she's assembled and what she stands for.

Even though I knew it was coming, it was still a huge treat for me today to see this when I went to her website:

And it makes me so happy to think of my products on display in her lovely new shop with these other delightful party supplies:

new invitation design

Last week a customer requested invitations and thank you notes with a design similar to the Penelope bird from Pottery Barn Kids. She asked if I could print the invitation on green or purple paper, but since I only print on white paper, I came up with this:
I just love how they turned out, so today I created a new listing for invitations with a solid background:
Yet another cute product inspired by a custom request - I love selling on Etsy!

scripture-based artwork

A couple of months after I started selling on Etsy and meeting new people online who live all over the world, I received an email from a woman who lives just a couple of towns over. She'd been selling artwork at church fairs and was thinking about starting to sell online. She had a few questions for me, and after getting to know each other a little bit through emails we decided to get together for a play date with our kids who are almost the exact same ages.

We had a really fun afternoon together, and now that she has her Etsy shop up, Life Verse Design, I'm so excited to share it. This is just one example of her beautiful artwork:And she also sells framed prints:
She has a lot of prints in her shop already, so if you're looking for any sort of scripture-based artwork maybe for wedding gifts, graduations, or Mother’s Day, definitely check it out!

superhero note cards - update

My superhero note cards were featured on cuteable today, and they've been selling pretty well. Another customer requested her sons' names added to the bottom left corner, and those were really cute, too. I'm so glad these cards are doing well; I plan to order some red envelopes for them soon.

Happy (belated) Easter!

Happy Easter a day late! I'm using the above picture from Sheye's blog because I never seem to take any good pictures on Easter. But we had a really nice day yesterday - Jack and Emma are at such fun ages for early morning egg hunts and discovering their Easter baskets!

We also spent a lot of time this weekend playing Yahtzee and Scattergories - it was so fun to take a break from Chutes & Ladders, Candy Land, and Hi Ho Cherry-O! Jack's been really into board games lately and keeps insisting that we teach him how to play big kid games. This started a few weeks ago at my mom's house with checkers, chess, and Parcheesi, and then on Friday he discovered the stash of games in our basement that I had forgotten all about for the past 5 years. It was so much fun to get those games out and be able to play them with the kids.

Easter card

This morning Jack wanted to send an Easter card to a couple of people (he's been really interested in sending & receiving mail lately), so I made up this card and printed out a couple for him and Emma to color pictures in and send to relatives. I really like how it turned out! I think I need to give some more thought to using multiple colors like this.

zenhabits

I read about a blog called zenhabits on Sarah Jane's Blog recently and took a quick look at it but didn't spend much time there. Then a few mornings ago I had a little more time to look around, and I think it may be my new favorite blog!

The author, Leo Babauta, writes about so many of the things that have been on my mind lately, and does it so well! He writes about "achieving goals, productivity, being organized, motivation, eliminating debt, saving, getting a flat stomach, eating healthy, simplifying, living frugal, parenting, happiness, and successfully implementing good habits".

I started out reading about The Magical Power of Focus (he says focus is the most important determination of whether you’ll achieve a goal or stick to creating a new habit). Then I kept clicking on links to his other articles, and figured I'd share a few of my favorites in case any of these topics sound interesting to you:

5 Inspirations for Being in the Moment: one of the best ways to find happiness and prevent stress is living in the moment

A Guide to Escaping Materialism and Finding Happiness: while we are being pushed towards materialism, it’s for monetary gain by corporations, not for our own happiness

A Guide to Cultivating Compassion in Your Life, With 7 Practices: compassion is one of the few things that will bring immediate and long-term happiness to our lives

Slow Down … to Enjoy Life: slow down to enjoy life more, savor life’s simple pleasures, and reject on some level the materialistic culture we are all caught up in

So if you have a few minutes to check it out, I highly recommend it. Enjoy!

what do you think?

A customer had some really clever design ideas yesterday for invitations, thank you notes, return address labels, and party favor stickers for her son's upcoming birthday party. I just love how they turned out (especially with my lovely new "pool" envelopes)!
This is one of my favorite color combinations, too (like on the Mahar Drygoods website). When I was packaging everything up I wanted to add a little "thank you" item in the package, so I made this 8x10 print: I thought about listing it in my Etsy shop, but now I'm having second thoughts. Is it cute on it's own as a print, or better just as an invitation design? Or maybe it would be a cute personalized fold over note card?

superhero note cards

This morning a customer asked me if I had any Spiderman images for party favor tags. I thought about my son, Jack's superhero cape with a big "J" on the back, and replied that I don't have any, but how about a superhero shield with her son's first initial?

She loved the idea and wanted flat note cards as well. I loved how they turned out and created a new listing for Personalized Superhero Note Cards.

So far they haven't had many views, but I think that even if they don't appeal to a large audience, there will be at least few people who love them as much as I do.

ahhhh... an organized workspace!

I was a very organized person before I had children, and I had a really clean house. But those things have taken a backseat to raising children and have especially fallen by the wayside since I started my business.

For example, this table behind my desk was getting to be a complete disaster, covered with seven different kinds of paper and labels that I've been using in the past few weeks. It was driving me nuts, but it never even occured to me to do something about it until I was at an office supply store yesterday, and I saw these wall files... oh my gosh, what have I been thinking?!
My husband put them up last night, and I can't even tell you how delighted I am. Wall files may seem like the most simple, mundane thing, but I feel like the old me is fighting her way through this fog I've been in for the past 4 1/2 years and coming back a tiny little bit at a time!

on the road

Caroline of Little Cupcakes Company had an idea a couple of weeks ago to display Sarah & Abraham products alongside her children's clothing line at a home show she attended. Not only did she pass along a couple of orders, but she also shared this great picture with me:
It's so interesting to see a nice little display of my products like this set up by someone else!

greeting cards

Of course I have several other things that I should be working on, but a customer emailed me this morning asking about a gender-neutral silhouette for a baby shower invitation, and that got me thinking about the little doll carriage that one of my silhouette girls is pushing and wouldn't that be cute on a greeting card...
What do you think? I really like how these turned out, but isn't this one just screaming out for a pretty chartreuse envelope?

Silhouette Blue

I can’t remember when I first came across fellow Chicago-area Etsy seller Megan Nutley of Silhouette Blue, but I love her designs (surprise, surprise), and when I contacted her with a couple of questions this evening she couldn’t have been nicer or more helpful! Here are a few examples of her greeting cards:
I love the envelopes she uses – these pictures make me think I should use more colorful envelopes to coordinate with my note cards. She also creates gorgeous wedding invitations. But what I'm most inspired by is her beautiful website, which she created herself!