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Thursday, January 19, 2012

I love money.

O0ps did I just say that out loud?

I think I did. Oh well. Enough of feeling guilty + a bit self-conscious about it. After all, I quit my day job to become a full time artist + I should be oh so proud that I get to do what I love AND bring peanut butter + jelly sandwiches to the table.

Gosh, why is that so hard for my heart to compute without feeling icky inside? Part of me blames all those years at an all-girls Catholic School. Another part of me accuses the starving artist syndrome trend. Neither are really at fault, but it takes some of the load off my shoulders.

But anyhoo, I didn’t come here to whine about my love/guilt relationship with money, pinky promise. As a matter of fact, I actually stopped by to chat about how I’ve managed to build a 5-figure business in spite of this internal struggle; a tension I couldn’t help to noticed many of my fellow creatives + handmade crusaders experience too.

So how do I cope? How do I transcend beyond the messy parts into forward momentum? How to a befriend money without contesting my most treasured forms of currency – friendship + love + trust?

(read more…)

Get your website ready for the New Year!

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Performing periodic maintenance on your website is an important part of owning an online business. The New Year is a perfect time to clear out the cobwebs and get that website ready for all of the awesome that the year will bring! I always tell my clients to think of your website as your store front. If you owned a brick and mortar shop, would you change and update the displays often or would it sit there with the same tired look all year? My guess is that it would be cleaned every night and that you would have fresh displays with every season. So why not do the same thing with your website? Ok, before I get ahead of myself, the following is a list that I would recommend with explanations to help you along.

Check your domain
You want to make sure that the contact information is up to date on your domain. You also want to have it registered for as long as possible so if it expires at any time this year go ahead and renew it. Instead of opting for the standard year, go ahead and renew it for 3 years or more! Search engines love to see a domain that has been around for awhile and intends on staying so the longer you renew, the better.

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Printables & Ponderings: 365 Intentions for 2012

Friday, January 6, 2012

res·o·lu·tion

a resolve or determination: to make a firm resolution to do something.

in·ten·tion

the thing that you plan to do or achieve : an aim or purpose.

Resolutions are slippery things. We write them down firmly, our path ahead clear and well plotted, but life has a funny way of messing with our best laid plans. At the start of a new year we are filled with grand ideas and hopes for the coming days. With renewed energy we make lists and fill in agendas-nothing is more comforting then marking up a new calendar with future goals and bench marks! But something happens between the start of the year and the end of it.

Time slips away in things to do, places to go, bills to pay. There are sudden deaths or illnesses, unexpected changes or upheavals, moves, transitions, hirings, firings…the list of all the things we can’t really account for or control at the start of the year. Instead of making resolutions in January I prefer to focus on my intentions for the coming months. The areas I know I need support or growth in and what I want to attract or cultivate in my life.

(read more…)

Take Note, Make a Holiday Me-Mo Book

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

The hectic holidays are here again, but they’ll be gone just as quickly as they arrived. Along with the memories of this magical time of year unless you take time to take note.

Which is why I created this set of *FREE* printable, Holiday Me-Mo cards! (MEmories + MOments/MOmentos = Me-Mo cards!) Measuring 4″ x 6″ (hey, isn’t that the same size as all the holiday photos you’re actually going to print this year rather than just upload and forget about on your computer?!), these cards plus your photos create a simple and meaningful holiday keepsake. And because of their small size, they’ll be fast and easy to complete throughout the season!

The cards print in black and white to allow for coloring and decorating by you and your family. Pick up some card stock at the office supply or craft store and design a book for yourself. Better yet, make one together as a family, or print a set for each child and let them create a book that reflects what they each find so magical about this time of year (besides that visit from Santa at the end of the month!)

For ideas on how to bound and display your Me-Mo cards as a Holiday Me-Mo Book, head over to Three By Sea.

Click here to download your Me-Mo book cards

Merry Christmas everyone!!

Cultivating a Tradition of Giving + A Gift for You

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

allisa jacobs, stephanie fizer coleman, ginger cookie recipe printable

The month leading up to my son’s first Christmas was a total frenzy.I was on the search for tradition.

It was like, hurry up, make it meaningful! I had visions of wintry walks, carefully chosen stories, handmade gifts, and lovingly prepared meals. The very first holiday season for our little family not only had to be super special but it would undoubtedly lay the foundation for every single Christmas of his life (talk about pressure!). And since, in my childhood, my family wasn’t huge on tradition, I thought that I must make it different for my child. I wanted him to one day say, “Every year my family…” And so I created quite a bit of mania searching for these elusive traditions. At midnight on Christmas Eve I was still stitching away on his handmade ornament–feeling the weight of something he’ll keep forever. It was exhausting. Surely I was missing something. And eventually it became obvious. I should’ve focused on giving. That’s what my family had grown up doing after all; even with the little we had, my mom always taught us to give. One year, while in high school, my little brother and I baked an insane amount of cookies, bundled ourselves up, and drove downtown. We handed them out to every homeless and hungry person we saw. And we did it nearly every year after. It just wasn’t something I thought to call a “tradition.” It lacked the polish for that I thought. But traditions don’t have to be doing the same exact ultra-special thing every single year. Tradition can mean cultivating a spirit, a feeling, a wish.

Together, with Stephanie Fizer, we’ve decided to share the spirit of giving. She’s created woodland holiday printable with gift tags and a recipe card for my favorite Sparkle Ginger Cookie recipe.I hope you will make them, enjoy them, and most of all, give them.

Embrace the magic by sending your child a letter from Santa

Monday, December 5, 2011

Is Santa really there or not?

That’s a big question for a little munchkin. And if you’re the one trying to fill those enormous black boots this season then it’s fair to guess you’d probably appreciate a visit from more than one elf, for more than one day to complete more than one task.

Even though you may not realize it, whatever you do to make the holidays special for your children, nieces and nephews, cousins, neighbors and friend’s children creates lasting memories. Sounds cliche, I know, but it’s true. Sometimes it’s hard to remember that tid-bit when you’re trying to pull bunnies out of hats.

And that’s what brings me here today.

When my children were young, my mom (what an angel) would take the time to send them a letter from Santa. It was nothing more than a form letter that she used to fill in a few blanks. She sent the same letter for years and it was the highlight (yes, highlight) of the season for them. It was the highlight for me, too, because it was something that I didn’t need to add to my ridiculously long list of things to do.

You with me?

So here it is for your easy-peasy-fill-in-the-blank use. When you click for joy below the Google document will magically open for you. You can edit the document in Google or download a version to your computer, personalize, print and then mail to all the little (and maybe a few big) people in your life. There are four areas you need to fill in: child’s name, town, wish list and friends. That’s it. Wishing you a season that’s full of magic.

Give thanks with a free printable thank you gift

Saturday, November 19, 2011

If you find yourself staring at your calendar with bated breath, know this: you are not alone. There are only so many hours in the day, so many days in the week, so many weeks left before you’re expected to sprinkle joy dust all around your world. Sounds fun. And it should be. So what gives?

Life gives.

We’re surrounded by finely crafted messages of how to give, what to give and who to give to, when in reality we really just need to focus on what’s important this holiday season: giving thanks.

It almost sounds too good to be true, too simple to grasp, too easy to do. And it is. If you deconstruct your long list of gift giving can you possibly just give your customers a little package of gratitude? Yes, you can.

Nothing says thank you like a thank you note, or for this matter, a box full of them. It’s the gift that keeps on giving. Me to you. You to your customers. Your customers to whoever they choose.

You can download the complete thank you note and card pictured above right here. This compressed folder includes the following files:

A ready-to-print PDF file of the A6 thank you card and note, 2-up, on separate pages, with trim marks (if you only want the pdf file, please click here)
An Illustrator file containing the original artwork, so you can change the colors and elements to suit your taste
An InDesign file used to compile the templates, along with the Photoshop links for the artwork

You can send just the card or you can print an additional 5-10 blank notes and include them in your package along with envelopes so your customer can give thanks throughout the year.

If you need to buy paper, envelopes and clear sleeves for packaging, here are a few, great suppliers to get you started:

Now just take a deep breath and get gigging…time is ticking!

Holiday Love for your customers

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Since this month is all about preparing your business for the holidays, I thought it would be nice to take a moment and show your customers how much you have appreciated their business through the year. After all, if it weren’t for them you wouldn’t be able to live your dream. :) Some people will use a simple thank you email or newsletter but I challenge you to go a little further and offer a one of a kind customer gifts this holiday season! Here are some great ideas that may help to spark some creativity…

1. Use your printer to make a custom thank you bag and fill it with little treats. (Idea from the Daily digi)
2. Give a little coffee treat with a handmade cozy. (Idea from house on a hill road)
3. Create one of a kind sticky note holders…cute and functional. (Idea from Creative Kismet)
4. Fabric bookmarks are a quick and fun gift that will go a long way. (Idea from How About Orange)
5. Give your customers their own set of Thank You cards. (Idea from 74 Lime Lane – free printable available)
6. Spruce up the gift card a little by making handmade card cozies. (Idea from make it and love it)

In my own business, I give my clients a little freebie and thank you card after their project is finished but I challenged myself this year to come up with a holiday gift for everyone as well. Since all of my clients own businesses I wanted to come up with something that was practical and useful for them. I ended up designing thank you cards that will be packaged up in sets all ready for use. I don’t have any photos yet as they are currently being printed. :( But I will be sharing them as soon as they are finished on my blog.

Just in case you run out of time or are stumped in the creativity department, I thought I could lend a hand. ;) I designed a cute little card holder and envelope that you can print, cut, assemble and send to all of your customers! I even left a little blank space so you can add a custom message if you like. You can opt for the traditional gift card but that can get a little expensive, especially if you have a lot of customers to send to. Instead, try filling it with stickers or a special coupon that they can use on their next purchase. There are lots of things that you can use it for!

You can download the PDF by clicking on the photo above or the direct link here. Hope this post will encourage you to show some love to your customers this holiday season!

Happy Halloween Handmakers!

Monday, October 31, 2011

I hope you are you are having a horribly wonderful Halloween full of handmade adventures and of course, treats! We’ve had a very busy day and night here in Halifax-lots of parties and knock-knocking on our neighbours doors. I can never pass up an opportunity to get all dressed up so Halloween is always one of my favourite nights of the year. This time I was inspired to dress the familia as calaveras (or sugar) skulls because I am missing a much loved Vancouver event, the Parade of Lost Souls, and it reminds me of home. Here we are all dolled up and ready to party + the pumpkin that started it all:

Boo!

No one in our corner of the globe knew what we were (although we got lots of compliments!) but we sure had fun. Sorry for the not great pictures…there is never as much time as I think there is.

Wherever, however or whatever you are celebrating tonight have a blast and be sure to tell me all about it in the comments! I want to know what you all dressed up as and please share your links in the comments if you have written about any of your Halloween handmade.

I shared this last year, but thought I would revisit it-a colouring page for all your little ghosties and ghoulies. Just click the picture below to download your printable:

How to Make Your Business Shine with Twitter

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Editor’s note: I invited Erin to visit us and share this guest post about her collaborative e-book on Twitter that I got a chance to contribute to. I met Erin on Twitter and was captivated by her engaging friendliness and intelligence. Since then I have loved watching and supporting her as she grows her business. I hope you enjoy this chance to connect with her too and make your business shine with Twitter!

A special guest post by Erin Giles of www.erinmgiles.com

I remember telling my husband I would NEVER join Twitter.

A Creativity Comeback

With 2011 bringing back my desire to build my business, I soon realized I needed to join. Within months I was loving Twitter, my business was growing because of it and I was meeting so many new friends!

And what a perfect way to celebrate businesses growth and my new found friends, than to create a collaboration with my Twitter friends on How to Make Your Business Shine with Twitter.

Let’s take a peek inside, shall we?

Danielle Spurge on How to be Earnest (Or Whatever Your Name Happens to Be), “It’s easier and more meaningful to connect with an actual human than with a milk carton, or something that acts like one. So, don’t just chat about business related things.”

Mayi Carles on Why I Don’t Use Twitter to Promote My Blog, “I don’t use Twitter to promote my blog or any of my businesses. I feel that would be like throwing glitter in people’s faces + expecting a birthday invitation. NOT.”

Lindsay Wilkins on Creating Hype About Your Product, ” We would never see a new Apple product appear out of nowhere in stores without anyone hearing about it first.”

Yours truly, Jessika Hepburn on Build Your Community by Partying: How to Join and Throw a Twitter Party, ” If you stay true to what you know, or bring people on board to share what they know, you will be able to offer a resource that will draw people in over and over again.”

Katrina Zepp on The Space-Twitter Time Continuum: How to Manage Your Tweeting Time, “When I first joined, I was completely click-happy. A photo of your adorable puppy? Click! New recipe featuring a creative reuse of cardboard? Of course I want to see that! I allowed myself to be nudged and coaxed in different directions, and that’s okay.”

A Creative Challenge

This e-book is a victory for me against a fight with confidence and creativity. For months I wanted to be asked to collaborate on a project, I have to confess. I started doubting what I had to offer to the creative community until one day it hit me. I have endless ideas inside of me, I just have to exercise confidence and commitment to pull it off. Even emailing the collaborators was a nail-biter, but I am so glad I clicked send.

Who Will This E-Book Benefit?

Any business owner that has been considering using Twitter or has opened an account only to leave it sit with zero followers for a year. This e-book wasn’t intended to show beginners the basics of Twitter, such as uploading a photo or writing you bio. But once you know the basics, download our free e-book and watch your business grow!

Happy Tweeting,

About Erin: I’m Erin Giles, and I am a Creative Business Coach + Elegant Girl Artist + Happy Wife and Mama. I have planned rockin’ fashion shows, managed a hot boutique and a non-profit program. I am shining my brightest when helping female entrepreneurs maintain passion and peace while empowering them to create a business that shines. Connect with me over on my site and say hello on Twitter and Facebook!