Feature Friday #5- LJL Designs

Hi everyone!  These weeks just fly by!  This week I'm featuring Laurie Louis from LJLDESIGNSSTATIONARY on Etsy.  She creates digitally designed cards that can be customized.  Her specialties are Wedding Save-The-Date cards and Bridal Shower and Party Invitations.

 How long have you been doing your craft? 

I have been doing my craft for 5 years.

How and why did you start designing?

I enjoy designing on my MAC and have done things for friends for years. It helps me relax after a busy day at work. It lets the creative side of me come out.

What inspires you to create?
When I see things in stores or in magazines, my first thought is - I would change that just a little - my next thought is - I can't wait to go home and work on it. I love trying out new ideas and putting together different items to create cards for people.

How would you describe your style?
Clean and contemporary with classically inspired themes. I like to take a traditional concept and modernize it.

Why did you decide to delve into the wedding business? 
A friend of mine was getting married and couldn't find what she wanted at a decent price. She liked my creativity and asked if I could design an invitation for her. I had so much fun creating the invitations that I decided I would work a line for my website. From there, my wedding business continued to grow. The longer I worked on the invitations, the more ideas I had. A year later my ideas continue to grow and hopefully so will my wedding business.

Do you have any new items you plan on adding to your shop?
I just completed a Pool Blue Set of Invitations, Save-The-Date Card, Rehearsal Dinner Invitation and Thank You note. Along with matching Wine Boxes that can be used for gifts for wedding party. Currently, I am working on a set of Invitations and Thank You notes to go with my beach Save-The-Date cards. I also am working on some fun Summer Save-The-Date invitations, Bridal Shower Invitations and Thank You notes.

Which items are your favorite to make and why?
Save-The-Date cards are my favorite to create. You can be fun and creative with them. Wedding invitations tend to be more traditional.

Do you have a facebook, twitter, or blog?
I have a facebook page: www.facebook.com/home.php#!/LJLDESIGNS
My Twitter page is: @LJLDESIGNS
I do not have a blog yet but my goal for the summer is to create a blog.

Do you sell anywhere besides Etsy?
I also sell off my website - LJLDesigns.com

Be sure to check out her shop on Etsy at  http://www.etsy.com/shop/LJLDESIGNSSTATIONERY

Feature Friday #4- Enchanted Bouquets

Welcome to another Feature Friday!  This week I'm talking to the wonderful Amber with Enchanted Bouquets.  She does wonders with paper.  Her shop can be found at http://www.enchantedbouquets.etsy.com

Who are you and what do you do?
I'm Amber Pitts. Beach dweller, loving wife, owner of classic cars and mother to a spoiled cat. I run 2 vintage clothing shops, thevintagevortex, Islanddollvintage and a paper flower wedding bouquet shop, enchantedbouquets, all on Etsy.

How long have you been doing your craft?
I've been making paper flowers since the summer of 2010.

                                                                                       
 
How and why did you start designing?

I started paper crafting as a hobby. I was a workaholic with my vintage shops and was starting to get burn-out. I looked toward papercrafting as something fun and relaxing that I could do to balance part of my life and I fell in love with it. Especially making flowers.

What inspires you to create?
My biggest inspiration to create is creativity itself. I'm always thinking of different designs, color combinations and themes that I can make come to life through my bouquets. My brides are also a huge inspiration to me. They always have such amazing ideas and I get so excited to see the finished result of their visions.

How would you describe your style?
My working style is a mish-mash just like my personal style. I like a little bit of everything. I find great inspiration in the past, though and I love bringing that glamour and romance into my designs. This is why you will find a lot of vintage materials brought into my bouquets.

Why did you decide to delve into the wedding business?
When I got married I settled for a beautiful white rose bouquet. Although it was what I thought that I wanted at the time, looking back it was just so not me. Even that day as I looked at it, I wished that there was something else, other than fresh flowers, that I could carry down the aisle; something that would represent my quirky, creative nature. This is the very reason I went into the wedding business. So that brides like me could walk down the aisle with a creative expression of themselves in their hands.

Do you have any new items you plan on adding to your shop?
I'm always working on new things. About every month and a half I have new designs making their appearance in my shop as inspirations for my brides. I just finished a pink and black burlesque theme bouquet which I'll be listing this Saturday.



Which items are your favorite to make and why?
My favorite items to make are those for my brides. I get so excited to see their visions realized!

                                                          Do you have a facebook, twitter, or blog?

Here is the link to my facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Enchanted-Bouquets-Paper-Wedding-Flowers/124733704263249

Here is the link to my twitter: twitter.com/PaperBouquets

Do you sell anywhere besides Etsy?
At this time my designs are only available on Etsy. My direct link is www.enchantedbouquets.com.









Amber does amazing work!  I encourage you to check out her Etsy shop and "like" her on facebook!  

Blog winner announced!

The winner is #41, Chrystal!  I will be contacting you shortly with information to receive your prize! 

Thanks so much to everyone who followed, commented, and tweeted!  I hope to hold another giveaway soon.  ♥

My first giveaway!

Well, guess what?  I just hit 50 sales in my shop, so I thought, what the heck?  Let's start this giveaway!

You can win this flower in your choice of color
 

or this flower set (also in your choice of color)

It's so easy to win!

Rules:

1. Contest ends February 21.  The winner will be chosen by randomizer.org and announced that night.

3. Seven maximum entries per person (one for each criteria).

4. Use separate comments for each entry.


How to Enter:
All entries must be made as a comment on this blog post.  Please make sure to write a separate comment for each entry.

1. Follow this blog (on the right sidebar of this page) and comment that you now follow or already follow it.

2. Post a link of your favorite item from my Etsy shop to a comment.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/yesterera

3. 'Like' my Facebook fanpage and comment that you are now a fan or were already a fan.
http://www.facebook.com/yesterera

4. Post a link of your favorite item from my Etsy shop to YOUR facebook, twitter, and/or blog...and comment that you have done so. (post a comment for each one that you do and leave a link to your blog/facebook/twitter)

5. Retweet the following message and comment that you have done so.  RT @YesterEra blog giveaway has begun!  Enter for your chance to win a cute hair clip http://yesterera.blogspot.com


WOW that's a lot of ways to enter!  The more you enter, the more likely you are to win!

Good luck! ♥

Feature Friday #3- Julie Hanan Design

 Hi guys, it's time for another great Feature Friday.  This time, I'm featuring Julie Hanan with Julie Hanan Design.  She owns a custom invitation + graphic design studio and specializes in unique and fresh designs for special events,  as well as providing smart solutions for businesses. You can see her work at Julie Hanan Design on Etsy.

How long have you been doing your craft? 

I started my business in March, 2010; however, I have been doing graphic design work for the last 15 years. I previously worked as an interior designer, and received my BFA in Industrial Design from the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign.

How would you describe your style?

My style is extremely contemporary and modern, and I try to create unique, cutting edge designs.

What inspires you to create?

I love to travel in my spare time, and I am really influenced by all the different cultures and color schemes.

Why did you decide to delve into the wedding business?

I created my first wedding invitation for a few friends who were getting married. Soon my name spread to a lot of local friends and since I had always wanted to own my own business, I decided I wanted to start my own design business.

Have you ever had a frustrating experience working with a client?

Yes, I have had a few frustrating experiences with some clients thus far. Even though some clients have been more difficult, each experience has been valuable to me as it's allowed me to grow as a professional.

Do you have any new items you plan on adding to your shop?

I currently have about 10-15 new items that I plan to add to my shop in the next few weeks. Currently, my newest items are pictured on my website, www.juliehanan.com, or on my facebook fan page.

Which items are your favorite to make and why?

I really enjoy designing custom invitations as well as custom business cards. I feel that having a unique business card is really important for businesses to stand out from the crowd.

Do you have a facebook, twitter, or blog?

I have a facebook and a twitter. I am currently in the process of creating a blog, however it is not complete yet.
WEBSITE: www.juliehanan.com
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/JulieHananDesign
TWITTER: twitter.com/#!/jhanandesign
BLOG: juliehanandesign.blogspot.com/

Do you sell anywhere besides Etsy?

I do sell outside of Etsy mostly. Many people contact me from my website or Facebook. I also plan to attend some bridal shows and sell in some local stores in the future.

Make sure you visit her shop, http://www.juliehanandesign.etsy.com, and go over and "like" her on Facebook!

Made to order vs. ready to ship

This is something that worried me for days when I started my online store.  Should I have clothes in several different sizes, ready to ship?  Or should I only make a sample and offer the rest as made to order?
In the end, it came down to a matter of cost.  I simply couldn't afford to keep making clothes in different sizes, not knowing when or if they would sell.  Not to mention it would take up so much time, I wouldn't be able to offer as many designs.

Some designers believe that everything should be ready to ship.  The argument is that buyers don't want to wait, they want immediate gratification. There are other good things about making clothes ready to ship, such as being able to take them to craft shows or stores, and not having to worry as much about tailoring to specific measurements.

I see the benefits to both sides, and in the future I would love to be able to offer a design in several sizes, but as for right now, I'm just not convinced it would be worthwhile.

When should you offer ready to ship designs?  
-If the product is something that has been selling well, or recently featured somewhere high profile, go ahead and make multiples.
-If you plan to sell at craft shows, trunk shows, or in stores, you'd better have multiple sizes and variations available.
-If you have the time and resources, it's probably best to have items already made.

When should you offer made to order items?
-If your product is highly customizable
-If your product is labor or cost intensive
-If you're unsure how well your products will sell. 

I still sometimes worry that my clothes aren't selling as well as my other items because I don't have them ready to ship, or whether other variables come into play as well (such as the fear people have of buying clothes online-- more on this at a later date.)

Feel free to chime in with your thoughts on the matter.  

Feature Friday #2- Nic's Button Buds

Wow, I can't believe it's Friday again already!  Where does the week go?  I'm bringing another talented artist, Nicole Answer, to Feature Friday.  Nicole works as a customer service rep for Alcoa Fastening Systems during the day, but her hobby job is making button bouquets for weddings.  In addition to that, she also makes hair accessories and other odds and ends from buttons. Check out her shop on Etsy, NicAnswer

 

  How long have you been doing your craft?

Actually not that long, a little less than a year.  I started it when I decided to attempt making my own bouquets for my wedding.

 

Your button bouquets are really unique.  What gave you the idea to use buttons?

Well. I am getting married myself in May this year (2011) and was trying to work out what I would do in the way of flowers.  I am getting married in the small town of Marysville and there is only really a florist in Alexandra (who works out the side of a video shop and I don’t think does weddings flowers).  Anyway, we thought about buying wholesale flowers, but while working out what I might do I stumbled across alternative bouquets.  I fell in love with the buttons right away.

It suited our DIY wedding as it was something I could try to make myself and keep within our budget.  It actually proved to be more expensive than I thought BUT I was so pleased with the results.  I enjoyed making them so much I thought it would make a great hobby.

 

What inspires you to create?

I come from a crafty family.  My sister and I spent lots of time with Gran growing up and were always helping her make various arts and crafts.  My mum is a sewer and an absolutely magnificent quilter.  I have scrapbooked for a long time too and this just seemed to fit in with my need to create.  I love my day job and can't imagine giving it up, but I have always felt a need to express my artistic side through various means. I can't pinpoint a specific thing that inspires me, but I do know I really enjoy it.

 

Why did you decide to delve into the wedding business?

I think when I finished my own bouquets and was approached by someone to see if I could make something for them.  I LOVED working with them and hearing the excitement leading up to their wedding.  I actually get heaps of enjoyment hearing about different brides' wedding plans, seeing their inspiration photos, etc. It's nice to be a small part of such a special day in someone’s life.

Do you have any new items you plan on adding to your shop? 

At this stage I am quite busy with custom orders.  At some point I would like to make up some ready to ship pieces.  I may also sell off some excess buttons.  In reality though, I think it will be just more versions of button bouquets.

Which items are your favorite to make and why?

Well I enjoy the bouquets the most of course, but if I need to be really specific it would be making the bride's bouquet.  I always spend a little extra time on these than other pieces of work.  I love looking for that special button to set it off, etc.  

 

Do you have a facebook, twitter, or blog?  

I have a twitter – @nicsbuttonbuds (to be honest I don’t use this much)

My facebook can be found under nicsbuttonbuds and I communicate a lot through here.  I often have pictures of works in progress as well for people to view.

 

Do you sell anywhere besides Etsy?

I do advertise on ebay at times, and of course I have brides contact me directly through facebook or my website, www.mybuttonbouquet.com

Aren't they stunning?  Be sure to check Nicole out at http://nicanswer.etsy.com