Avlor's Imprints

May the merry bells keep ringing and bringing Happy Holidays to you!

noreply@blogger.com (Avlor) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 02:26:00 +0000

I hope you all have safe and wonderful holidays this year! Merry Christmas to you all!

(P.S. Yes that's my tree.)

Copyright Amy Vander Vorste 2009.

Quick Link: Etsy Tagging for Increased Views

noreply@blogger.com (Avlor) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:00:00 +0000

I keep finding tips and links that are too good to wait until I get back from hiatus!

Simply Inviting Cards shared a most awesome tip on her blog: Watch the Etsy from page for keywords! (She goes into more detail in her post "Overheard in the V-Labs: Stealthy Tagging".)

Copyright Amy Vander Vorste 2009.

Quickie Link: Custom Tab on Facebook Fan Page

noreply@blogger.com (Avlor) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:26:00 +0000

Had to share quick!

I saw a custom tab for a shop badge on Punky Jane's Fan Page and wondered how she did it! (PJ I was in serious awe!)

But after poking around I found a way to do it and thought I'd share the link... Adding custom tabs to your facebook fan page. Enjoy!

(Back to slaving away on my new page for Ojami!)

Copyright Amy Vander Vorste 2009.

Winter Sabbatical and Call for Guest Posts

noreply@blogger.com (Avlor) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:19:00 +0000

Thought I'd let y'all know that I'm taking a short sabbatical from my blog so I can focus on the changes I'm making for my business. I'll be back at least by January to announce the changes. (Most likely I won't be able to resist sharing a bit here and there before I'm officially back... /wink)

If you'd like to make a guest post (tutorial or business tips) related email me.

Thanks everyone for a fabulous year!

Copyright Amy Vander Vorste 2009.

Day of the Ninja!

noreply@blogger.com (Avlor) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 06:01:00 +0000

Finally ninja clan brothers and sisters, our most honorable day has arrived this year! (We know Day of the Ninja is only after Talk like a Pirate Day because the best is saved for last!)

If by chance you are a lowly pirate trying to read up on ninja tactics, just give up and leave now before you get taunted mercilessly. We know you can't hide.

Why are Ninjas better than Pirates?

Ninjas used many types of weapons - swords, guns (depending on the time period), explosives, shuriken, naginata (spears), magic, potions, and whatever else happened to by lying around. Pirates used swords, guns at times, and we may count cannons just to make them feel better.

Only ninjas can stand any weather type. Pirates hang around where it's warm.

Ninjas are highly trained. Pirates are shanghaied.

Pirates have to be loud and announce themselves with an "ARRH!" or a pirate flag to be noticed. Ninjas are silent, deadly and feared. You'll never know we were there - but that's the idea, isn't it?

(Any pirates still able to stand the heat here? I thought not! Now to the Ninja secrets...)

So Why December 5th for Day of the Ninja?

It has been rumored that our day was chosen because it was the day the movie "The Last Saumurai" came out and it had ninjas in it. This rumor was obviously started by pirates - because they aren't tricky enough to figure out the real reason...

Day of the Ninja was chosen to be this day because we are truly conniving and secretive. The way to the path of knowledge must not be a straight one. It must be mystical, and steeped in tradition...

Take December (the 12th month) and the 5th day of the month
Add the 1 and 2 from the twelve together for 3.
3 x 5 (the day of the month) = 15
Subtract the smaller from the larger of the numbers in 15. 5-1=4
4 is pronounced as shi (shee) in Japanese. Shi is also the homophone (sounds the same) for the word death.

What are Ninjas known for? Got it? Good.

Note that the Japanese have serious superstitions about the number four because of it's nearness to the word death. Gifts are not given in fours. Being born on the 4th day is not auspicious. Kanji with 4 strokes are generally not considered lucky ones. And fourth floors and rooms that would be numbered four are skipped in hospitals and hotels.

What's in a name?

A quick lesson in kanji (the Japanese symbols). The Japanese writing system and many other cultural aspects were imported from China in the 7th century. This is one of the reasons there are often multiple pronunciations for the same kanji symbol. There's often a Chinese derived pronunciation and a Japanese originated one. On to the story behind the the word ninja.

The kanji for ninja is...

Break it down into the two symbols.

Pronounced "Nin" (from the Chinese derived pronunciation) or "Shinobi" (from the Japanese originated pronunciation). It means to conceal, spy, and sneak.

Is pronounced "Sha" (or when put with other symbols it may be "ja") or "mono" (the Japanese originated pronunciation). It means person.

So you get Ninja and "Shinobi no mono" both meaning a sneaky, spylike or concealed person.

Where to learn more about Ninjas:

Ninja: The True Story of Japan's Secret Warrior Cult by Stephen Turnbull (Note: this is not a book for children due to some of the content.)

Blue Fingers: A Ninjas Tale by Cheryl Aylward Whitesel (According to Amazon - appropriate for children. I'll be checking it out for my son.)

Ninja on Wikipedia.

Ask a Ninja Show (again sorry not for children, but darned funny). Ask a Ninja discusses Talk Like a Pirate Day. And just for Day of the Ninja " Go to http://fans.askaninja.com for a special live video chat with the Ninja at 4pm EST."

Day of the Ninja official site. (Yes - we'll pester them to put together an update to the site. But it's hosted by the honorable Ninja Burger. So I will pay homage.)

And my hubby ninja found this fabulous Ninja Tour of Japan! Who could ask for more than to visit the most revered areas that birthed our ninja fascination?

Some Ninja Goodies You Can Own:

Ninja Burger Card Game - I own, have played and highly recommend this most honorable and wacky card game.

Ninja Pins and Magnets - I bought some of these for my hubby ninja and they live at his office. (Only seen by my hubby of course! But he takes comfort in their company as he slaves away at his undercover job.)

More of My Favorite Ninja Goodies on Etsy - Who doesn't need tabi socks, shuriken earrings, and more ninjas?

My Ninja Goodies:

Ninja Otedama (Juggling and Jacks) Set - made from upcycled t-shirt material.

Meditating Ninja 4x6 Cards and Envelopes Printable Stationery - great to share with your ninja friends!

Now go forth and celebrate Day of the Ninja!

-----

I hope you've enjoyed joining me for a happy bit of ninja otaku silliness and some good fun at our pirate friends' expense. ;)

** Otaku = overly fanatic fan

Link Round Up: Blogs, Facebook and The Smashing Book

noreply@blogger.com (Avlor) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:02:00 +0000

Thought I'd share a few links (and a picture of my favorite trail in town) before I get back to the grind. (The good kind of "grind" - with orders!)

Today Smashing Magazine released their book - which I had to order right away since I've been tinkering more with web design and I love their down to earth tutorials. "The Smashing Book is a printed book about best practices in modern Web design." On Twitter they had quite a few questions on the book and here's one of the most important FAQs: "@tmertz no, the book (mostly) contains exclusive articles that weren't published on Smashing Magazine. It's worth buying the book :) " It looks great and I'll let you know as soon as I get it!

Artists in Business had an excellent article on Enhancing the Value of Your Facebook Fan Page.

How to Setup a Test Blog (and Why You May Want One) is a good down to earth short tutorial. I've seen several blogs in transition of late. Along with Blogger Buster, I lean toward having a sandbox/test blog too. Transitions to new designs have been much easier and less "painful" to my readers if I got the design to work on the test blog first.

And of course, for those of us who sell on Etsy if you haven't see the new "My Etsy" Facebook app - check it out! Noadi's Handmade Business Blog was where I found out about it - "Quick Tip #15 - Nifty New Etsy Tool"

(//Whispering//...Day of the Ninja is ALMOST here!)

Copyright Amy Vander Vorste 2009.

Quicke Tip: Facebook Apps On Your Page vs Your Profile

noreply@blogger.com (Avlor) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

How do you get the app on your Facebook page instead of your profile?

I see this question over and over in comments on Facebook app tutorials.

If you are directed to the app page (you'll see something similar to the image on the left), click on the "Add to my Page" button and it will give you the list of your pages to choose from.

Don't click on the tempting big blue button. This will have it add the app to your profile.

---

Now sometimes you click on a link to install an app and end up starting out at an app screen that looks like the one below, instead of getting to go to the app's main page on Facebook.

If this happens, just click the link to the app on this page. In this case, I'd click "Application Builder (Create Your Own App)" and you should go back to the app page. Then you can easy add the app to your page like we described at the top of the tutorial.

Copyright Amy Vander Vorste 2009.

I'm Thankful For...

noreply@blogger.com (Avlor) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Happy Thanksgiving! It's been a crazy but incredible year here for my family and business! There is so much for which to be thankful. Here's just a portion of my list. (I could seriously fill many pages...)

My family, friends, and their support
Our health
Being able to stay at home and have a small handmade business
The fabulous customers that make my business possible
My wonderful readers here

What are you thankful for?

Copyright Amy Vander Vorste 2009.

Quick Tip: Keep a Copy of Common Communications!

noreply@blogger.com (Avlor) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Are you often asked the same question regarding an item in your shop? Are you typing the same response over and over to your customers?

I'm a big fan for a OneNote (and Evernote as a free alternative) as information keepers for my business. Recently I started keeping a copy of written communication that I send quite often - thank yous for orders, reminders for payment, notifications for delivery confirmation numbers, signature lines, etc. It's really sped up my communications.

Here's an example of one of the payment reminder notes I keep in OneNote:

Hi ____!

Thank you very much for committing to purchase the _____!

I will ship your order and send you the USPS delivery confirmation number as soon as I receive payment through Paypal. If you are new to Etsy and need help with checkout here is a great FAQ: http://www.etsy.com/faq_buying.php#buying_with_paypal

Have a great day!

Amy

I'll just copy, paste and edit it as needed. One minute maximum spent on a communication I frequently have to send out.

What can you keep a copy of that will save you time in the long run?

Copyright Amy Vander Vorste 2009.
Image Typists, Originally uploaded by George Eastman House, from Flickr Commons

Day of the Ninja is sneaking closer...

noreply@blogger.com (Avlor) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Shhh! Top secret!

Day of the Ninja is only 2 weeks away now (12/5). I know you faithful shinobi and ninja-philes have the scared day marked on your calendars already and have a stealthy celebration in mind. But just to make sure there aren't any who forget our infiltration into the world of international holidays!

On our most honorable of days, I'll share a bit of ninja lore and why I think 12/5 was really picked to be Day of the Ninja! (None of this shameful well it's the day "Last Samurai" came out and there's ninjas in there!)

Copyright Amy Vander Vorste 2009.

Link Round Up: Handmade Business Links

noreply@blogger.com (Avlor) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Time for another round up! There's been so many great articles lately I'm having to really pare it down to just my faves. So tough!

Wrapping Gifts using Furoshiki - Furoshiki, Japanese wrapping cloths, are one of the coolest traditional items and they are green, reusable, and beautiful! I always have one in my purse so I have a bag at the store. But my favorite use for them is wrapping gifts. Crafting a Green World did a lovely overview with links to wrapping directions and a video. My friend EcoKaren sells furoshiki in her shop - if you'd like to try one.

HandMade News had 2 superb articles. The first is Waging the War on Crafting Clutter. As we craft we collect up so many supplies and have left overs and oh my it adds up fast! Gaylin Walli helps by providing realistic solutions.

The other is actually a series called "Are You Ready to Wholesale?" by Ebony Love. I adore Ebony's articles because she's always bringing up just what I need to be reading about to go to the next step in my business. The series is 3 parts. Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 are all excellent!

And finally, 5 Steps To An Effective Landing Page at The Mogul Mom has me looking at my blog and my new site Ojamiya, and my Etsy shops very carefully. Seriously good tips here for getting results from your front pages on websites!

Copyright Amy Vander Vorste 2009.

Thank You for the Features!

noreply@blogger.com (Avlor) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:00:00 +0000

Quickie update to say thanks to several wonderful sites for featuring my Ojami shop. Please consider checking out their fabulous sites!

Soutie Girl made a lovely collection of items from South Dakota and included my Cherry Blossoms Geisha Otedama Set.

My Shopping Connection's Handmade Holiday Gift Guide featured my Bento Lunch Bag Gift Set - Plum Flourish on Sky Blue

The Etsy Twitter Team's Handmade Holiday Gifts Under $50 guide featured 2 of my obento bags. (And the trunk show was a blast!)

THANK YOU!!!!

Copyright Amy Vander Vorste 2009.

And the Winner of the Starbuck's Gift Card is....

noreply@blogger.com (Avlor) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:41:00 +0000

And now for the conclusion of the Starbuck's Gift Card Give Away! Here's the list of entries and ideas:

DG - "I handwrite letters to people I know who live alone. Sometimes it's nice to know that someone out there is thinking of you and considers you a friend! :)"
DG (+1 for tweet)
Chrissy - "one nice thing I do is plant flowers for elderly neighbors. it's fun for everyone!"
chris - "I volunteer at the homeless shelter and bring all the kids living there gifts and play with them for a few hours."
chris (+1 for tweet)
JC - "I'd be volunteering and donating food to the community."
JC (+1 for tweet)
Dawn - "I love to cook, so during the holiday season I make lots of goodies for my friends and neighbors. Everyone loves homemade goodies!"
Dawn (found your tweet in your twitter stream +1 for tweet))
kimberly - "I'm co hosting and editor of a podcast www.musingmommies.com. I hope that's bringing some cheer to others."
Renee' Simmons - "Just stopping & saying hello, and listening helps!"
Renee' Simmons (+1 for tweet)

I headed over to random.org to pick my number for me and...

So congrats to JC - I'll be contacting you shortly! Thank you all for entering! I hope that the original post and the fabulous ideas everyone provided brought you encouragement and that you'll share the encouragement! I loved seeing such great ideas!

Have a great day!

Copyright Amy Vander Vorste 2009.

Friday the 13th again?

noreply@blogger.com (Avlor) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:04:00 +0000

Good Friday the 13th to y'all! Today is the last of 3 Friday the 13ths this year.

Did you know fear of the number 13 probably comes out of Norse myth? When Loki crashed a dinner party & killed Baldur. Loki was the 13th one there.

I don't know about you, but I rather like 13. Especially if it's a baker's dozen of something yummy!

Just had to share! Ok off to get a bit done today now, really...

Enjoy!

Copyright Amy Vander Vorste 2009.

Slowing down on posts ...

noreply@blogger.com (Avlor) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:24:00 +0000

I will be slowing my posting schedule to 1 scheduled post per week. I have several events (b-day parties, wedding to photograph, company coming, etc.) to deal with before December. Just thought I'd give a heads up that posts will continue but at a slower pace for a while.

I hope things are going well for you all too! ;)

Copyright Amy Vander Vorste 2009.

Quickie Tips: Reposts of Older Blogger Articles and Show your Links in Google Connect

noreply@blogger.com (Avlor) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Rescheduling Posts

The other day I wanted to pull a post from my archives and I tried to just update the post date on my article. It didn't work. My old post was just post at the top of my blog and not scheduled. After some tinkering I figured out how to do this.

1. Edit your post
- remember to add a note that you're pulling this post from your archives and put in the old/previous date of the post
- make a note of any updates are making to post

2. Save your post as a draft. (This will pull the post from being able to be viewed and it won't just be posted at the top of your blog.)

3. Now schedule a time for your updated post to appear.

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Make it easy for people to find you and your blog!

Add your blog, your shops, and links to anything else that you want in your Google profile and it will show up in the Google friend connect if people click on your avatar.

To do this, go to your Google account page.
Click on profile and go to the Links section. You'll be able to add your blog, etsy shops, twitter address, flicker page, and what ever else you want. It will take a little bit for it to update and filter to the Google friend connect. It updated for me by the next day.
Go back to one of the blogs you follow with Google friend connect and click your avatar to see your links.

People can now find your blog by clicking on your avatar.

Copyright Amy Vander Vorste 2009.

Ojami featured in Etsy Gift Guide and DZFantasy's Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Avlor) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:16:00 +0000

Ojami's wool bag is in the Etsy Environmentally Friendly Gifts Guide! Woot! I'm making more wool bags this week. They are a blast to make.

Here's a bit more about the bags, "Reusable wool bag - so it's eco-friendly and washer and dryer friendly. (I recommend buying 2 bags at a time, so you can have one to use and while one is in the wash.)"

Donna (DZFantasy) was gracious enough to feature my Ojami shop and my Yuki - white snowflakes on deep red necklace on her blog's Christmas Gift Buying Guide. Thank you Donna!

Have a great weekend!

Copyright Amy Vander Vorste 2009.

Updating Twitter, Facebook and Facebook Fan Pages from Hootsuite or Tweet Deck

noreply@blogger.com (Avlor) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

(I'm starting to go back through my archives and repost some of the older popular posts when things get on the busy side for me. Enjoy! Reposted from 4/27/09.)

I prefer Twitter over Facebook any day. But so many people I know are on Facebook, I finally gave in and set up a personal account and business/fan page (Avlor's Imprints).

Now, I want to update any or all of them in one place at the same time! Demanding aren't I? But wouldn't it be great if you could?

Well, I figured out how this morning. (And yes, I'm feeling a bit sassy about it. But I'll share ok?)

How to Update Twitter, Facebook and Facebook Fan Pages ALL from Hoot Suite or Tweet Deck.

(11/5/09 updated with Hootsuite information, since I've been using it instead of Tweetdeck now. The only downside is HootSuite doesn't have a Facebook link like Tweetdeck does. So I don't update my personal Facebook page using tweets anymore. It has so many other features that this small loss is overlooked.)

It's a two pronged approach.

1. Pick your twitter client. Here's two great ones:

HootSuite. Set it up for your Twitter accounts - you'll be walked through setting up your Hootsuite account with your twitter accounts.
Tweet Deck. Set it up for your Twitter and Facebook accounts. (The Facebook part of the Tweet Deck will only update your personal page, not fan pages or business pages.) GissiSim has a bit of a help section for Tweet Deck if you need it.

2. Setup "Selective Twitter Status" on Facebook.

Setting up Selective Twitter Status wasn't as straight forward as I would have liked. So here's how to do it.

Get the Selective Twitter Status app for Facebook. (You can use the link or search for the app on facebook in the search box).
Go to the your pages section of the app. (looks like this) and enter your Twitter use name in the username box. (Leave the Your Profile tab options blank.)
Click on the Grant Permission link.
Click on Allow Status Updates link.
Now there will be a bar with your Facebook name on it. Click it and choose your page name and allow the app the permissions it needs.

Now you can Tweet and update your Facebook page, or fan or business page from Hootsuite or Tweet Deck!

Use your twitter client to update twitter.
Use Tweet Deck's facebook function to update your personal page.
Use #fb at the end of your tweet if you want it to go on your Facebook fan or business page.

You are now a power user! Mu ha ha ha! (Or if you are like me - just someone who likes to think they are. -- Wink --) Enjoy!

When the muse strikes - pull over!

noreply@blogger.com (Avlor) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:44:00 +0000

[Woman holding lyre.]
Originally uploaded by New York Public Library

Am I the only one whose muse seems to strike when it is impossible to grab a pen and paper?

Today I was pondering upcycled felt squares made from sweaters that I saw in FeltWerker's Shop. I love this idea! Not only becuase it's recycling, but also because I'm a serious sucker for almost anything wool. (I can't tell you how many times I've drooled over the wool felt in the craft store.)

But what could I do with the wool that I have? (Lots of coating weight wool and old wool coats from my SCA/medieval re-enactment days.) So I pondered as I drove home. I almost had to pull over, because I was hit with a great idea for one of my current shop! Make my current lunch totes with fulled wool coating.

I may sell the left over bits. But it may be too close to copying her idea for my comfort. I'll ponder it - since it's a different material. Opinions on this?

I'm off to sew and I'll post about it later

Copyright Amy Vander Vorste 2009.

Bringing a little cheer

noreply@blogger.com (Avlor) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

The holiday shopping season is upon us! We've all been pushing to get ready and I've seen many sellers needing a little bit of encouragement. With all the hustle and bustle it's easy to miss out on the joy and get a little down.

I want to bring you a little cheer and comfort today!

Here are a few helpful reminders to keep your spirits up in the craziness!

You can only do what you can do. Don't beat yourself up if you're not getting everything you'd like to done. Focus on what you have done! (It you keep a computerized list of to-dos. Move done items to a "done" list so you can look back and see you really did get some things done!)
Schedule a break for yourself.
Smile. It will relieve tension for you and for the people around you.
Don't give in to negative thinking! If you notice yourself thinking negatively, push to a positive thought.
Don't give up - just step away from the problem for a little bit until you can deal with it again.
Celebrate your accomplishments! Did you get new items in your shop for the holidays? Great! What do you get to do to pat yourself on the back?

To add a little more warmth to the encouragement I'm sharing today - I have a $5 Starbuck's gift card to give away. The giveaway will close 11/14 at noon. Then I'll use random.org to pick a number from the entries list. Then I'll mail it off to the winner. :)

To enter you'll need to do the following:
- Tell me in a comment what you're doing to bring or share cheer to others. (Make sure I have a way to contact you - etsy convo, email, your blog, something please!)
- Follow this blog or subscribe via email

For an additional entry (1 per person please) - tweet about this article and post the link to the tweet in the comment.

Enjoy!

Copyright Amy Vander Vorste 2009.

Link Roundup: Better Business Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Avlor) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

My tip of the day...
Subscribe to Etsy's Virtual Labs Calendar in Google Calendar
I'm a big fan of Google Calendar to help organize myself, my business and my family. Adding calendars from other important sources is extremely helpful to me. I subscribe to my church's volunteer schedule calendar, my hubby's drumming schedule, the Etsy Labs calendar, my camera club's calendar, and my Toggle calendar. They aren't all Google calendars. But those that aren't a Google calendar are in ical format.)

To subscribe to the Virtual Labs Calendar:

Go to the Etsy Community Page
Click on the +Google Calendar (see bottom right of the calendar.)
Then you will be taken to Google calendar and asked if you want to add this calendar. Click Yes.
Now you'll see it in your other calendars list on the lower left side.

If you don't want all the activities cluttering your calendar. Copy the labs you want to attend to your own calendar and click the "Virtual Labs" calendar in the other calendars list to hide the clutter. (Just remember to view the Virtual Labs calendar everyonce in a while (by clicking on it again) to make sure you aren't missing anything new.

To copy an entry from the Virtual Labs calendar (or any other calendar), click on the event. Then under the more "More Actions" choose the calendar to which it should copy the event.

Obviously this can be used for more than just the Etsy Virtual Labs calendar. But it's my favorite example.

Bookkeeping Links:
Why do you need to do your bookkeeping? on Sellers Assisting Sellers. This is the first post in a series on bookkeeping.

The Esty Success - Seller Deals email from 10/23 Mentioned the free online bookkeeping program Outright. (I haven't tried it - as I have a good method in place with YNAB. But Outright looks like a great place to start your bookkeeping if you haven't yet.)

Storage:
This PVC pipe storage system is just too cool. (I'll be asking my hubby to make me one for my b-day.) This could be used as craft storage or as a display at a craft fair. (Update - You may also want to consider other materials besides PVC. There may be health risks associated with PVC and related plastics. But something like bamboo or aluminum should be safer.)

Shop Policies:
Noadi over at The Handmade Business Blog has a great list of shop policy questions to help fill out your policies info page.

Enjoy!

Copyright Amy Vander Vorste 2009.

Whiling away your time - 12 things to do for your business!

noreply@blogger.com (Avlor) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

11 in a row Originally uploaded by George Eastman House

"We're standing in line. We're standing in line. Can't you see we're standing in line?" John Paul 's voice from the Pirate Comedy Show rings in my ears from my Renaissance fair visits. How many times a day to we find ourselves waiting, wishing we could be doing something more productive?

Very few handmade sellers have large blocks of time in which to run our businesses. I'm a huge fan for using the small amount of time I have to my advantage. (I wait for 15 to 20 minutes every day for my son to get out of school and I can not sit still that long!)

Carry a notebook, a cell phone (to text or use your voice mail), an iPhone or Blackberry, or netbook with you all the time so you can accomplish a few things while you're standing in line, waiting for your kid to get out of school, at the doctor's office, etc.

Here's some things you can do:

Write some tweets in your notebook or send them on your iPhone or cellphone.
Plan some blog post ideas. (This post came to me while waiting to pick up my son from school.)
Work on small handmade projects. Drawing, knitting, spinning on a spindle, sewing by hand - these can all be done in a small space while sitting and waiting. You can take pictures of them and list them later.
Prep work for current projects: turning fabric tubes, putting in elastic in a waistband, hand sewing a stuffed animal closed, or putting ribbon in a bag.
Plan future products enter store's direction.
Make a list of places to contact for exposure and promotion. Start writing your contact e-mail or letter.
If you have Internet access checked Etsy or Artfire forums and make a quick reply to topics of interest. If you don't have access to the Internet, print out a topic or two and write down your reply.
Sort and organize your business receipts.
List supplies you need to stock up on.
Plan your next day.
Read a book or listen to a podcast related to your business or craft. (I used to listen to my Japanese lessons on the way back from walking my son to school.)
Write a thank you to your best customers.

Online Tools for Handmade Sellers: Dropbox for File Sync and Backup

noreply@blogger.com (Avlor) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Do you use multiple computers in your handmade business? What do you do to synchronize files between them? Do you backup your important files?

I use my PC and my netbook (while I'm waiting for kids to get out of school and while on trips). Dropbox has been a saving grace for me in helping me keep up to date copies of the files I need. Many of my blog posts are written in my truck while I wait for my eldest to get out of school, and Dropbox is there for when I get back home to a wifi connection. It syncs the files on both computers and I'm ready to schedule a blog post after I give my kids a snack.

If you don't need to sync your files, Dropbox is still very handy as a simple to use backup tool. Just drag your files into your Dropbox folder and they'll be backed up for you. Nothing to schedule or run. I love that previous copies are stored for you. If you accidentally mess up a file - you can retrieve an older copy of it in the online interface or by right clicking on the file on your computer and going to the Dropbox menu. The online interface is clean and intuitive, so no worries about how to get your files back.

You can also share files with other poeple. I share our budget files with my hubby and the photos I take for my church with our sports ministry pastor via Dropbox. The sharing feature could be really handy if you have downloadable products or if you need to collaborate on a document with a colleague.

For those of you who are iPhone users - there's a free Dropbox iPhone app to help you sync files in that capacity too!

Uses
Things I put on Dropbox for my business:

my notes (OneNote)
blog posts
my downloadable files
spreadsheets (business plans, cost calculations, monthly etsy sales reports, etc)
files with directions for my Otedama game sets
receipts

Dropbox for personal use:

files to share with hubby
pictures to share with family
portable app files (I run Portable Apps on my little netbook to save space on it's little hard drive)
pictures for our church's sports ministry
OneNote notebooks (cookbook, mealplans, gift lists, etc)
my photography portfolio
files to install on my netbook
our family budget
files to read later (I have PDF creator installed and can make a webpage into a PDF to read later off-line)
music, downloadable books and photos to take on trips

That's just the tip of the iceberg for ways to use this application!

How to use Dropbox
Download and install the software. It will setup the file synchronization and make a folder for your files. You'll have a shortcut on your desktop to the folder so you can easily find it.

Just drag your files into the folder and dropbox syncs them to their servers online. If you have more than one computer to sync with, then the other computers will have their files synced. There's a handy little addition to the icon of the files in your Dropbox folder that lets you know when your files are synced. See the screen capture over on the left? The little blue circle with the arrows on the "Copy of Otedama 4x6 directions.docx" shows the file is being synced to the Dropbox servers. The little green circles with the checkmarks on the other file icons shows those files are on the Dropbox servers. Slick, isn't it?

Here's a look at the online interface.

Just click on a file or folder and you get a little dropdown menu.

Earn extra space for referrals
You know me (aka penny pincher), I pay for very few services online. So I won't steer you wrong here. Dropbox gives you 2GB of free space with paid plan upgrades. You earn 250MB of extra space for each referral (up to 3GB) to dropbox. If you're interested in trying Dropbox - here's my referral link. (I'm always good with more free space!)

What will you use Dropbox for?

Copyright Amy Vander Vorste 2009.

A big shot of happiness on a dreary day...

noreply@blogger.com (Avlor) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:37:00 +0000

Today I saw @etsy tweeting "Thinking about randomly buying a few people's favorite Etsy item for them today. What's at the top of your wishlist? Reply and add #myetsy". I thought, "What the heck, I'll try and give my favorite upcycled mittens from formydarling some exposure - right?"

Well, they actually picked my fave mitts to buy and send to me. Kyaa!! Thank you @Etsy!

Aren't they cute? Don't the white pups look like playful foxes? (Foxes are my favorite animal.) Formydarling has more spiffy mitts in other colors if you feel you need a pair too...

Quickie Tips: Thinking in Multiples and Most Popular Items

noreply@blogger.com (Avlor) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Our quickie tips for this week are "back to basics". But I figure it never hurts to review the basics. There's always room for improvement!

Thinking in Multiples

As we're heading into the holiday shopping season, we handmade sellers are doing our best to fill our shops! Don't just make one item at a time and then list it. Instead, do things in multiples. I'll cut several Otedama sets one day, sew them over the next day or so. Then photograph them all and have a buffer of items I can list over the next several days.

The idea of multiples can be applied to just about anything: shipping, packaging and branding, making labels, etc.

Tracking Your Most Popular Items

Craftcult is without a doubt one of the most popular tools for Etsy sellers. The Item Hearts and Views Page is one we all visit often. The Views column is great for knowing which items are the all-time most popular.

But how do you know which items were the most popular each week or each month? Our most popular items for a week may not be the same as our all-time most popular items.

This is where the New Views column comes in handy. Each Friday I go to the Item Hearts and Views Page and look in the New Views column to find my three most viewed items. I copy the item information for those items into my Google spreadsheet. Then I go back to the Item Hearts and Views Page and click the Reset Views button. Now we're ready to start the cycle again.

The items that keep being most popular weekly items are the ones I renew in my shop.

So, what are you doing to be ready for the holiday season?

Copyright Amy Vander Vorste 2009.