Beads and Rings...Oh My!

I have searched high and low for great wooden beads and wooden rings for my teething/nursing necklaces and teething rings.  I thought it would be an easy task to find a great vendor for these, but I was so wrong.

First of all there are not too many people that sell them or sell them at reasonable prices.  There are some fabulous looking ones at great prices, but when you get them you find out why they are at great prices as they lack quality and I questioned what they were made of.  Of course the picture looked fabulous or I would not have ordered them, but what I got was not what was in the photo...until now.


I ordered from American Woodcrafters Supply Co http://www.americanwoodcrafterssupply.com/ with no high hopes, but I was pleasantly surprised when I got my order.  The order was delivered in a couple of days and the products are amazing.  I finally found real wood products...yay! Other sites have more flawed than perfect products in your bulk order, but all of the products in my bulk order are perfect and usable in my items. This saves me money since I do not have flawed products that are useless.  I was also very happy with the wood itself as it is very detailed, beautiful, and chemical free.  Many sites claim they have unfinished wooden items, but from the smell of it you can tell it is not free of chemicals. I am so in love with American Woodcrafters Supply Co so if you are looking for beautiful, affordable, unfinished , and excellent quality wood beads and rings they are the place to go.

Oh the people you meet on Etsy...

Having a great "profile"section pays off as it lets people get to know a little about you and your shop.  I love reading seller's profiles as some are so inspiring and heart warming. There are some amazing people on Etsy, but here are some that are outstanding in my book.

Sumi- DesignsBySumi


https://www.etsy.com/shop/DesignsBySumi
Shortly after I opened my store I got a message from Sumi.  Opening my store was a hard decision as I quit my high paying healthcare job as I was working a ton of hours and had no time for my daughter.  I was feeling guilty and wondering if I made the right decision, and then I got a message from Sumi.  She told me she also went through a similar experience and it was the right decision.  It was so good hearing from someone else that made the leap to be with their family more and was successful.  Her shop has jewelry that is colorful, beautiful, unique, and fun.

Heidi- TheMysticalOasisGlow
https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheMysticalOasisGlow?ref=pr_shop_more
Heidi has been so instrumental in helping me learn how to successfully promote my shop on social media.  She is such an amazing person to talk to as she is always supportive and positive.  She is always willing to help you with any question and is so warm and friendly.  Her shop has jewelry that is beautiful, feminine, motivating, and mystical. She started the "Fire it Up" team and it has been so wonderful promoting my shop and items with her knowledge to lead us.

 Brandi- EyeCandyQuilts
https://www.etsy.com/shop/EyeCandyQuilts?ref=pr_shop_more
Brandi has inspired me to make a new item in my shop.  She asked me if I was able to make a teething ring with wooden beads, and since then they are my favorite item to make.  She is so cheerful and motivating to talk to.  She is also very knowledgeable about social media and has been a huge help with me learning and utilizing it effectively to increase my sales.  Plus, she is one of the leaders on the "Fire it Up" team where she is always willing to help you out if you need it.  Her shop has unique handmade women's accessories, wallets, lanyards, phone wallets, checkbook covers, fabrics, purses, bags and quilts.  They are colorful, great for busy moms on the go, and super cute! 


 If you are looking for a positive, supportive, caring, inspiring, and talented team to help promote your shop and items to increase sales, check out "Fire it up" https://www.etsy.com/teams/21046/fire-it-up.

Having a Bad Day?

One thing I have learned about fashion, beauty, and looks from horses is no matter how bad of a day you are having, it could be worse:)  Here are some horse lessons that have made me giggle...

1. At least I can never have as bad of a hair day as a Fjord.

2.  I thought I looked ridiculous in hats.

3.  I cannot feel bad about my eyelashes not being dark or long enough...that is what mascara is for:)

4.  Short.  You do not know what short is unless you are a mini horse.

5.   At least I do not have to walk around with a fly mask on.  Wow, I would get made fun of so bad with one of those on!

 

 

6.  I thought I looked bad blabbing to my friends.  

7. I thought I had the prettiest blue eyes:(

8.I know I have a big nose, but no one has referred to my nose as large as a horses:)

How it all came to this...

Leaving my job to start a new path was the hardest thing I have done. I was so scared of the unknown but I knew I had to make a change as I could no longer have my daughter in daycare for 12 hours a day and I was so burnt out and beat up from my healthcare career.  I decided in July 2013 to make the leap and I quit.  I loved Etsy as I purchased most of my daughter's room decor and supplies on it.  I never thought I would one day become a seller.  I LOVE it and I cannot think of doing anything else in the world.  Working for myself has been a challenge and the most rewarding job I have had.  Some people might think this is an easy job, but it takes a lot of time to start and manage your own business.  I had to work on creating a brand that would attract others and now I work daily on marketing, designing, and creating.  It takes a lot of time and use of my brain but it is so worth it.  The best part is now all my effort and dedication benefits ME and not some company that could care less about me.  I also love that I get to be a mom finally as before I was just there.  I love that I smile and laugh daily. 



One of my friends who has her own business told me she had that epiphany moment when she was eating lunch at a local restaurant to get a break from her stressful job and there was a sign on the wall that said "what would you do if you knew you could not fail?"  I thought of that so many times when I was making the decision that would change my life.  And the sign is right as I cannot fail as I will not let myself.

So if you are thinking about leaving your job to start your own business, just know that there are others out there that did it and it was all alright.  It is one scary decision, but you will never know unless you do it.  So do it!!!!

Sibling Hats

My sister just had her second son and I wanted to make something special for photos so I made matching hats for the boys.  They love baseball so I incorporated that into the hats.  It made my heart smile when I got to see them in the hats for the first time today.  Matching hats are a great way to include older siblings when a new little one arrives.  They also make adorable props for family photos.  This is one gift that is truly unique and special as you can order ones that are unique to the family and children.  There are endless possibilities!  Order your custom matching hats today from BellaHenryBoutique.etsy.com.

Sharing the Love

Deciding to open my Etsy store was not easy as it was totally out of my comfort zone.  But making the leap of faith to go for it now seems silly to me since I cannot picture my life without having my store.  One of the hardest tasks though has been trying to make a brand for my store. I created my logo one day on my tablet but that was the easy part.  It is an ongoing task but here are some companies and stores that have helped so much that I thought I would share the love to help out others who might be dealing with the same problem. 

Labels

One of the first purchases I made to help with my store was on Etsy.  Finding a great Etsy seller who makes affordable and adorable labels was a great asset. Mommiemadeit.etsy.com was the store.  You are able to design your labels with your own logo and the shipping was 



 
Business Cards
Being a seller on Etsy has some great benefits.  I found Moo.com when I was checking out offers for Etsy sellers and I fell in love at first site.  They have amazing business cards, mini cards, stickers, shipping labels, and more.  What makes them different from all the other printing sites is you can literally make every card with a different design for free and on exceptional paper stock.  They offer great prices for outstanding quality.  They also have accessories for making it easy to carry around your cards to hand out when on the go. Use this link (http://www.moo.com/share/brpyq9 ) to get a discount on your purchase and see for yourself how awesome Moo.com is. 



Thank You Cards and Stickers
Who does not love stickers?  I wanted to create an exceptional packaging process so when you open your package you fall in love with your purchase so I got some cute thank you cards and stickers from Vistaprint.com to help create that amazing experience.  I used my logo and picked super adorable colors to make the cards and stickers stand out.  The only problem I have is that my 3 year old daughter wants the stickers as they are so cute.  
 


I loved making my brand and still love thinking of ideas to make purchasing things from my store memorable and special.  Got other cool ideas?  Please share the love.

A Few of my Favorite Things...

Falling in Love

I am always falling in love with the things I make.  Below are a few of my favorite things I have made.  I hope you find a favorite thing or two when you are at my store. If not, let me know about your favorite thing and I'll make it for you:)
 
  

Fingerless Gloves

I am so in love with these!  I LOVE my pair and wear them when I am in the office, crocheting, or running errands when my hands are cold.  They are great for moms as you can actually operate buckles and buttons since you can feel your fingers and do not have to take your gloves on and off a million times to do things when out and about. They are also wonderful for anyone who has thumb and wrist arthritis.  I am a certified hand therapist and I wish I came up with these when I was practicing as my patients would have loved these since they keep your joints nice and toasty thus decreasing and preventing pain.  I also have coordinating scarves to keep your neck warm too.  When I wear my fingerless gloves and matching scarf I get so many compliments which makes me smile since I made them. Want fingerless gloves in a specific color(s) or want a matching set in a specific color(s)?  Message me and I will make you them:)

Baby Hats

Who does not love these little cute hats?  I have so much fun (and get baby fever) making these. They are great to give as a gift at a baby shower since no one else will have the same gift as you.  They also make fabulous photo props for those adorable newborn and baby photos.  My nephew loves Mickey Mouse so I made him a Mickey Mouse hat that matched the hat and diaper cover I made for his soon to be little brother.  I can not wait to see the photo of them in it...it will be so stinking adorable! A matching set is a great gift to give as it includes the big sister/brother into the baby gift.   They are more stylish than the boring run of the mill winter hats out there to keep your little one warm on cold days when out and about or at home.  Matching sets for siblings are a fun prop for yearly family photos. Send me a message if you want one in a larger size or in sets for siblings. Know what you want but do not see it at my store?  Got you covered as you can message me and I will make it for you:)


Neckwarmers

It has been SUPER cold here in MN but I have been nice and toasty wearing my neckwarmer.  I love how it easily buttons around my neck without having excess bulk under my coat or ruining my hair (when I have time to do it as I am a mom to a busy girl). As a mom I love that I do not have to worry about getting choked by my little one grabbing my scarf like I used to.  I also wear mine in the house and office when I am chilly since it stays nice and snug on me so it does not get in the way of what I am doing.  I gave these as gifts recently and one person told me she will never wear a regular scarf again as she has finally found the perfect scarf that keeps her so warm when she is outdoors. Oh no...you do not see the color(s) you would like?  No problem as just message me and I will make one right up for you:)