Monday, April 23, 2012

Oh good grief!.......

OH GOOD GRIEF!!! I haven't posted on here since last Monday!! Goodness, I'm falling behind a bit on my blogging! I had been pretty busy this past week trying to get things ready for the craft show that I was in on Sunday. Even though I worked on getting stuff ready all week, it still seemed as if the majority of the work came down to Saturday all day and into a good chunk of the night! Why is that?!? You work so hard at not having a million things to do last minute yet you're still running around like a chicken with your head cut off come the day before! I didn't go to bed until sometime after 3 in the morning and had to be up by a little after 6 so that didn't leave much time for sleeping!! Holy crap was I ever tired after we got back yesterday and apparently I was still catching up today!
Anyway, the craft show... ugh where to start... the traffic as far as customers goes was quite a bit better than the first show that we went to, it seemed like there was normally a pretty steady flow most of the time but it still resulted in absolutely NO sales!! People walk by look at the stuff, pick it up, say how cute it is or that it's such a good idea and put it down and walk away or worse yet ask questions say they will be back and disappear never to be seen again. Now I know that sounds whiney of me, like I'm complaining but it is really quite frustrating when you stay up late into the night (my own fault I know) the night before get up at the butt crack of dawn and sit on your kaboose all day and have noooooo sales. Another learning experience you say... I suppose yes, a good way to at least get your company's name around... yes quite a few people did come by and take a card, BUT frustrating, tiring, and it makes a person begin to wonder if what they're selling is even marketable. While sitting with my mom at the show all day, we have come to the conclusion that my products certainly appeal to a very specific crowd and just don't go over that well with your average craft show going group! 60 something year old ladies don't need baby shower items or children's party invitations. Which has led me to 2 thoughts. First there is a baby fair at a highschool in June that I am now going to be attending, hopefully that will be the PERFECT target market for me and sales will go better! *cross our fingers* Secondly, Mama Made Gifts is expanding the product line. I am going to start to make things that include adult event invitations, wedding items, adult party invitation, bachelorette party items, things like that, maybe it will add to my market and gain me some more sales. The little kid and baby items will ALWAYS be first to me and will continue to be what I have the most of being that my little princess is the whole inspiration behind my shop and doing this, but if I add some other items hopefully it will gain new viewers and SHOPPERS!!
 This is me at the craft show looking all busy! LOL For those of you that have seen a picture of me before I had a bit longer than shoulder length hair so... notice the new "do" :) I decided it was time for a change of looks!! I am hopefully getting it highlighted sometime soon too this mama deserves to look good!
Well, craft show is over *PHEW* next up is my daughter's birthday and then on to our summer wedding reception! Hubby and I got married last fall but wanted our reception in the summer so here it is sneaking up on us!! So now I will get to work on some new items, promoting myself on etsy (which I am still trying to get used to, I don't like the whole self plugging thing) Keep checking back for new items, and be sure to check the etsy shop!
www.etsy.com/shops/mamamadegifts

 

Monday, April 16, 2012

Productive Day and it's a Monday... WHAT!?!

That's right!! Today is Monday *ugh* yet I actually had a very productive day!! My little peanut and I had to drive up to a staples store to get some more sticker paper for my 2nd order that I have gotten! Mama Made Gifts had its 2nd sale this weekend and she ordered two items! You can only imagine how excited I was! Now lets just hope that the sales continue!! After getting the sticker paper it was off to Wal-mart to buy some other needed items, we nearly froze to death in this awesome April weather we are having here (not!) I am not okay with the cloudy, blustery, cool weather that we're having! Anyway that's enough complaining... I got the order done and it will be on it's way to the customer first thing tomorrow morning! I hope she likes them!
Now I need to concentrate on the upcoming craft show this weekend, some how it has once again crept up on me and I don't have half of what I need to have done finished yet. Oh well, it will all fall in to place, I just hope not to be scrambling the night before like I was for the first craft show we went to!
Mama Made Gifts has a great promotion going on right now that everyone should know about, it's Thank-You Thursdays!! On Thank-You Thursdays, if you order something you will get a $5.00 gift certificate in your order shipment to use on a future order or to give as a gift! 
Well this post is going to be short because I am feeling slightly lazy now that we have all of our running around for the day done, and I have acquired a headache that will NOT go away for whatever reason! UGH 
Hope you all had a wonderful weekend, and that the start to the week is going well for you! I will post again soon!!

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Unmotivated lazy day!!

Blah, I don't know if it's just that kind of day for everyone that I have talked to or what, it's not that I'm having a bad day, in fact I am having a really great day! It's just that I feel so totally and completely unmotivated it's not even funny! I have tons of laundry to do and I swear it seems like there is literally a ton of it, ugh isn't that a never ending feat! Dishes that need to be taken out of the dishwasher and reloaded, and other cleaning that needs to be done but I just have no urge to do any of it! I know that makes me sound like a lazy putz but I just don't. Maybe it has something to do with the weather here the fact that it was so nice and warm and now we've snapped back into cool weather just drains me. Lol now I'm just making excuses! 

Like I said, I don't mean I'm having a bad day though, I'm actually having a really good day other than trying to get past this little bit of a cold that I've had... this morning I came out and after feeding our little peanut I hopped on my computer to find my FIRST sale on Etsy! So exciting!! I think I scared the crap out of hubby I was so excited! So I made that custom order and will head to the post office tomorrow to mail it! :) 

I also had a wonderful trip to Target with my little princess it's always fun to go shopping with her, she gets such a kick out of it even if she doesn't get anything exciting! Mommy daughter bonding time is the best!

Now unfortunately I'm lacking on creative juices!! I was going to try to sit down and make some new items to list on Etsy and when I did I just can't think! I think that goes back to me feeling so unmotivated today!

Well, I think I'm off to try to come up with some new products to add to my etsy shop! Wish me luck, and check in again soon!!

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Website Overhaul!

Hey everyone! I hope you all are having a good start to the week, heck we're already to Wednesday! Hopefully the rest of the week will continue to cruise by. Being a stay at home mom, it's not like I have any grueling 9-5 job that I just dread going to during the week (thank goodness I love my job <3) but I still get anxious for the weekend! Plus I have a pretty fun Saturday night to look forward to! 

Anyway... We survived Easter, haha maybe survived isn't the way to put it, it's not like we had a bunch of family things to go to or anything, we had a very relaxing holiday at home I'm just glad I didn't burn the first ham I've cooked and that everything turned out pretty good! Plus our little princess absolutely loved looking for little treasures around the living room even though she doesn't understand the whole Easter bunny thing yet.

As some of you may have noticed (I hope you all have noticed it was a pretty major change) the website has had somewhat of an overhaul! I changed the background to something a bit more fitting and crafty, overall I just think it looks better than it did before, also I added more pages to my site so be sure to check them out! The product showcase page is still a work in progress so bare with me while I get that finished!

I just took new pictures of my pink giraffe baby shower party set, I think it looks much better now!




 Well, I think that's all for tonight! Check back in soon!!

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter Everyone!!

I hope that everyone has a wonderful day spending time with family, having fun and celebrating!

As I sit here waiting for the ham to get out of the oven I thought that I would jump on quickly and make a post! Cross your fingers, this is the first year of us staying home for Easter just my hubs daughter and myself and I have never cooked a big ham before so HOPEFULLY it turns out okay and tastes good! It's starting to smell good anyway!

The Easter bunny made it's first trip to our house this morning and though our little one is really too young to understand the whole concept of the Easter bunny she thought it was great fun crawling around the living room looking for treats!

Today my baby's 1st Easter print has been featured in a great BNS on Etsy. Lindsay also known as cakeordeath5 to fellow Etsians, always has such great boards and lovely items in the treasury! If you get a chance or are just plain curious you should check it out!
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/ODAwNjQ3N3wyNjk5ODg2NDM1/open-cakes-fun-bns-328-sales-total-this 

Also I have created a new set of birthday party invitations! The western themed cow invitations! These are a little more universal being that they don't have a specific age on them though I can personalize them with your child's name and age if you like or just one or the other!
Just like my other birthday invitations this is a set of 10 and includes the envelops for $9.00 plus shipping and tax

Don't forget please check out my shop at www.etsy.com/shops/mamamadegifts

I hope you all have a lovely Easter and a great day!!
~ Kari 
 

Friday, April 6, 2012

Happy Friday and Happy Easter Weekend to all!!

Happy Friday!

We have once again made it to the WEEKEND! You wouldn't think that would be such a huge deal for a stay at home mom, but for me the weekend means I get to relax with my little one and husband! Not to mention he got stuck working Saturday last weekend so it felt like we didn't have much of a weekend at all... anyway this weekend is of course as you all know Easter weekend!! Can't wait for the Easter bunny to visit our little one and to have ham and scalloped potatoes and green bean casserole! YUM! 

Yesterday, a fellow Etsian and friend made at my first craft show recommended that my Etsy shop be part of a promotion showcase. A huge thank-you to Christa at Makin' it mama, though no sales have been a result of this yet it got my shop tons of views and lots of love! I am remaining positive and hopeful that I will start to get sales sometime soon it would certainly make me feel better and know that what I'm doing is going to pay off. As my mom pointed out it is hard to look at something you make and think hmm does someone else like it because if I made it, that obviously means I like it, doesn't mean that others will love it for sure. That's why I am trying to come up with new products and always thinking of other things to make. As I said in my last post, I have created monthly onsie stickers for new babies. A friend suggested them to me and I think they are a great idea! I have sets for girls and boys and for the first 2 years of baby's life. Each set is $12.00 plus shipping and tax. I also made a set of mommy to be belly bump stickers that are week to week, a great way to create a photo memory of your ever growing bump! They are $8.00 for a set

The little bit of time that I spent on the computer today was spent revamping my Etsy shop, this is a constant on going project but I retook pictures of my thank-you cards and spruced them up and updated my shop. Now I'm down to just a few product images that I need to fix still. My shop is on the list in the Handmade Circle team to get some constructive opinions. Hopefully that will help give me an idea as to why everyone looks but nobody has bought yet!

Well it is getting late and tomorrow will be an earlier day and possibly a bit of a crafty shopping trip so I better be off. I will update you again soon! For now here are some update pictures for you to look at!
Please come look at my Etsy shop at www.etsy.com/shops/mamamadegifts or visit my facebook page at www.facebook.com/mamamadegifts

2nd year month-month photo prop onsie stickers




NEW members of the creature choice group! A boy blue giraffe and a girl pink lion!


Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Completely OVER DUE Post and Update!

Hey guys!  I know this post is COMPLETELY over due considering I said that I was going to make a post to the site this last Thursday and just never got around to it! Lots of new things at Mama Made Gifts, including a new product that one of my closest friends encouraged me to make! Our little one has come down with a cold so most of my time today and probably over the next few days will be spent cuddling and playing trying to make little bit feel better! Then of course this weekend is Easter weekend so you probably won't hear a lot from me this weekend but I'm here now to tell you about the new stuff! First of all, the product that a friend encouraged me to make...
Photo Prop Onsie Stickers!

 Like I said one of my closest friends (also has a new little one) sent me a text yesterday saying that she had gone online and spent quite a bit of money for a sheet of 12 round stickers to stick on a onsie according to baby's month so you could take a picture. She said that she though I should try selling them so this is what we ended up with! These come in sets of 12, obviously 1 sticker for each month of your baby's first year. They are printed on matte sticker paper so that you can stick them to any onsie for the pictures and afterwards pull it off without permanently altering the clothing! I have sets for the first and second year for both boys and girls. The stickers are approximately 4 inches perfect for the front of a onsie. A GREAT and CUTE way to create memorable month to month photos of your little one.
They can even be personalized so for example if you wanted that to happen the sticker would look the same except for on the top it would say your child's name
I.E. "Dixie's"
$12.00 per set plus shipping and tax

Well it looks like mommy duties call and I have to do some cuddling so I will have to do another update tomorrow with more new stuff!

Happy Wednesday to all!!