Archive for December, 2010
I can’t believe its finally here! The eBook I’ve been talking about for the last few days, and secretly working on for the last few weeks, is now available for download absolutely free! Its my gift to you to say thanks for being so awesome this year, and helping papernstitch get where it is today!
It is called the The Happy Holidays Guide to DIY: 8 Easy Holiday Tutorials. And as the name suggests, it is packed with eight festive, step-by-step holiday projects – including many brand new, never before seen diys (gift ideas, packaging and wrapping ideas, and holiday decor), plus two bonus gift ideas for a total of ten tutorials in all!
Here’s a few examples of the projects shared in the book…
If you love diy (and the holidays) as much as I do, you will love this eBook! The projects have been designed with simplicity and speed in mind. So even the most inexperienced crafter can follow along and recreate these projects on their own, in just a few hours. The book itself makes a great gift for diyers as well.
For your free copy of The Happy Holidays Guide to DIY, just enter your best email address below and I’ll send it to you asap.
Get your typing fingers ready because you’re going to want to enter our new giveaway from August Wren, which kicks off today. All you have to do is comment below for your chance to win (there are other ways to enter as well- see the end of this post for all the details).
Alright, so let’s get to it. What exactly are we giving away? Good question! We’re giving away a total of four prints to two lucky winners (two prints to each winner) from illustrator and artist Jennifer Lewis of August Wren. Prizes worth a total of $80 retail!
This time there are four ways to play and you can enter up to three times. Here are the ways to play. Each entry should be a separate comment…
1. Visit the August Wren shop. Browse Jennifer’s prints and report back here (in the comments section) with the title or titles of your absolute favorite(s).
2. Subscribe to the papernstitch blog by clicking here and then leave a message in the comments that says “subscribed”. **I’ll know if you really did or did not subscribe, so let’s play fair.
3. Twitter, facebook, or blog about this giveaway and leave a link in the comments. *You can use the handy buttons below this post to link via facebook and twitter.
4. Answer this question in the comments: What role has art played in your life thus far?
**Giveaway will end on December 22nd at 11:59 pm eastern time.**
When it comes to photography, I often find myself drawn to interesting compositions that keep “the story” open-ended. And I think these photos from photography shop, Telling Stories, do a good job of just that. It leaves me wondering what lies just outside of the frame. What do you think?
Visit Telling Stories on etsy for more.
So, yesterday I mentioned that I have a secret project I’ve been working on. Well, I turned it in to a little contest and asked you all to guess what I have been working on based on a single photo. We had more than 20 guesses and believe it or not, five people actually guessed correctly. Congrats Mayi, Linda, Mai, Catherine Michelle E and Lauren (of Clever Betty)! You all guessed correctly. Email me at brittni(at)papernstitch.com with your mailing address, and I’ll send you your prize via snail mail.
So what’s the secret project? Well, you all know how much I love diy projects and tutorials. So, it makes sense that my secret project is a holiday tutorials e-book that will be available very, very soon. It’s packed with lots of festive diy projects and tutorials, including many brand new, never before seen diy’s (including the one pictured above).
Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention the best part: the e-book is absolutely free! Its my gift to you to say thanks for being so awesome this year, and helping papernstitch get where it is today!
More details to come so stay tuned. Are you excited? I know I am.
A guest post by artist and maker Mayi Carles.
Believe it or not, successful online shops don’t happen overnight. I know, I know, we would all like to think otherwise, that a Fairy God Mother can suddenly appear + fix all our problems + transform our shop’s into a hit. That would be pretty sweet, but since that probably ain’t happening anytime soon (or in our lifetime), let me share with you a pretty awesome plan B that will seriously impact your shop’s success fast!
Now, come closer. Just a little closer please. I’m about to reveal my top 5 tips to running a successful shop, right here on papernstitch. Call it my secret weapons if you will. These tactics have really worked for me + I’m confident they can work for you too. Plus, I just love success stories, especially from hard working + passionate creative folks like yourselves.
I don’t want to keep you waiting so let’s get right to it, shall we? Drum roll please!
My top business success secrets disclosed:
1. Listen to the little voice inside your heart. Yep, I typed that correctly. I didn’t mean head, but heart. Be aware about your feelings + ask yourselves the hard existential questions “Am I happy, really happy doing what I’m doing?”, “Am I doing what I was destined to do?. The rush of the everyday tends to dilute our emotions. Tip: Don’t be an android + don’t be afraid to feel + listen to your heart. I promise it will take you far when you embrace it.
2. Be a real person. Doing business online can sometimes feel a little cold, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Allow your customers to “see you”. Put a picture of you in your profile + write a heartfelt about page + tell your story. Allow your customers to easily identify with you, the person, not the shop, but actually I real skin + bones + heart pumping human being. Tip: The more your customers can identify with you, the more likely they will buy from you.
3. Brand + brand + brand. It must be the communications major in me or all that marketing jargon I learned in college, but the point is I’m a strong believer in the power of branding. Everything you do must support your brand + big idea + story: your logo + business cards + blog + boutique + craft booths + tags + note cards + packaging + bags + anything + everything that your potential customers see must be branded. Your clients should be able to see + feel + smell + hear your brand from a mile away. Tip: branding is very very powerful. Use it! It will be your biggest ally!
4. Take yourself seriously. Get yourself an office space + buy the best supplies you can + hire a professional to help you do what you can’t + seek help + open an online shop. Don’t wait for your big break. Don’t wait for anyone to approve of your less than common career path. Don’t wait until Oprah invites you on her show to take yourself seriously. Give it all you’ve got! Turn off the “I’ll do that when I’m rich” mentality. Tip: take yourself seriously + have the gut to make the important decisions your business needs to grow.
5. Surround yourself with love + support. I’m not good at asking people for help. Luckily, I’ve been extremely fortunate to have a loving family + boyfriend + friends around me to take care of me even when I didn’t even know I needed to be taken care of. I really couldn’t have gone this far without having loving people around me. Tip: Surround yourself with loving + positive + inspiring people. They will be your fortress when you are weak + your cheerleaders when your triumph.
These are just simple things you can do for your business that can really REALLY make a difference + no bibbidi bobbidi booo magic is actually involved.
Now I need your help. Please leave your favorite business tip in the comment section below. I’m sure if everyone leaves one biz success trick we can all grow + benefit so much from our shared experiences. Your participation + supports means so much!
xo,
Mayi Carles
—
Thanks so much Mayi for sharing your business tips with us again this week. Read Mayi’s other posts in this series here: Tips for Selling Online and Wow Them with your Packaging
More about Mayi: Mayi Carles is a Panamanian multi-passionate artist + avid eco-friendly designer + the heart behind heartmade blog + fun indie coach. To connect with Mayi, follow her tweets at @mayicarles.
—
Image via Laney Butler Photography
Remember that post I wrote months ago about a new column I was working on called why we create? Well, guess what? After 55 replies to that post and two months time (to the day), its finally ready! This is the very first post for the Why We Create column and its a video and mini interview with letterpress designer Kathryn of Blackbird Letterpress.
The purpose of this new column is share inspiration with fellow makers and artists. It will be comprised of videos, podcasts, and post interviews. So, let’s get right down to it. Watch the video amazing video above that shows Kathryn’s process in her studio. Then read Kathyrn’s mini interview with me below…
Why do you create?
Kathryn: I am one of those people that has always created. In fact, early on I learned I could hardly watch TV unless I had something in my lap to stitch, draw, or cut (irritating my mom and then husband to no end- especially when little pieces of string or paper are everywhere). My Mom says I would disappear when I was little and when she’d look for me I’d be found at my table with a pencil in hand. But I don’t think this makes me special, I just can’t help it. It gets me through the day and especially during rough times.
What drew you to letterpress initially, and what continues to keep you interested in it?
Kathryn: I went to graduate school for printmaking and there was a letterpress in the shop. So I learned there & taught a few classes in it, and was hooked. What keeps me interested is the long history, the technical aspects, and the fact that my hand is involved in each piece. And I really love repetition; to see hundreds of small prints is very satisfying.
Thanks so much Kathryn for taking us into your world a little bit. Please visit Kathryn’s letterpress shop to see how she turns her inspirations into amazing paper goods. *And if you like this video and interview, please share the love by clicking the retweet and facebook buttons below.
–
Video: Blackbird Letterpress from pudd sharp on Vimeo.
One of my favorite presents to give during the holiday is a journal or sketchbook. There are tons of options out there, which makes it simple to find something unique and thoughtful. And for all you nay-sayers, I can prove they’ll work for anyone on your list with a little roundup from one of my favorite handmade book and journal shops run by the talented E Bond of RoughDraftBooks.
Nature lovers will love these trees of america journals that look more like works of art than a place for jotting down your thoughts. What amazing covers.
Know someone who loves wine? Grab a bottle of their favorite and one of these wine journals and you have yourself the perfect gift. This is a great hostess gift during the holiday party season as well.
And if you have a buddy whose just graduated college or even high school, pick up one of these yearbook journals and you’re good to go!
If all else fails, you can always customize one of these alphabet journals with the first letter of the recipients first or last name. Pretty cool, huh?
Promo Info: Free Shipping on US orders from RoughDraftBook now through December 10th.
Visit RoughDraftBooks on etsy for more journals and notebooks.
