Archive for December, 2011
Mondays can be a little rough here. Add to that the gray, rainy weather outside and I’m ready to call it a day by lunch. My remedy to cheer up and keep going? Keep it simple: a t-shirt, jeans, and a few pops of color. By way of Toronto glass designer Penny, I have found an eyeful today in her shop Penny Glass Girl. Any of the pieces in her shop would make a lovely addition to a basic outfit and help kick start the week. For me, this mustard + gray bracelet along with some candy colored bobbies just made the sun break through.
Something else that makes a Monday better? Mention “Papernstitch” at checkout + receive 15% off your purchase!
Add something colorful to your day from Penny Glass Girl today.
As a retailer, you should prepare months in advance for the Holiday season, but this doesn’t mean you can’t increase sales if you’re late to the game.
These 5 Quick and easy Action Steps will help you make more Holiday Sales this season:
1. “Hey, did I mention it’s the Holiday season?”
Do This: Sprinkle reminders you so happen to have a holiday sale and some holiday stock that would be perfect for gift-giving in your blog and social media posts.
2. Create a Holiday Sale for your online shop.
Do This: Get creative and make a fun holiday sale for your shoppers to enjoy, then promote it on your blog and social media sites.
3. Ask to Host Holiday Giveaways
Do This: Ask blogger friends if they’d be willing to host a Holiday giveaway for you, maybe you can do an exchange, too.
4. Make Gift Guides
Do This: Divide your shop into fun gift guides: for him, for her, for the kids, for tech-lovers, etc.
5. Make it seen: add buttons to your site
Do This: Add a prominent button on your blog or website to remind shoppers that you have holiday gifts available for sale.
Everyone’s looking for something handmade and special for friends right now, it’s up to you to remind them that you’ve got what they need. Just be natural and have fun. Don’t push too hard, you deserve to do some Holiday celebrating and R&R of your own!
(Just take notes on the experience now and get ahead on making Holiday merchandise with the new year!)
image credit Jolliest of Jollies letterpress print
Vanessa wrote this post. She is a full time copywriter and webmarketer with a passion for art, creativity, and thrift. She writes about thrifting, creating, and saving money every weekday on her blog, Thrift Core.
‘Tis that time again. Time to send a note to loved ones and drop a line to friends. Why not do it in style and pick up some holiday cards from Cards Direct. Like a holiday photo card to show how your family has grown over the year.Browse the collection at Cards Direct and help support our sponsors that make this blog possible.
This contributor post was written by Beth of Parsimonia.
I’ve been a collector of vintage spools for a couple years now, and while they look pretty all in a row in my workspace, sometimes I want to push their usefulness past just being eye candy. Then this past week I spotted a new DIY (pictured above) posted by Elsie over at A Beautiful Mess. This got me on a search for ways other creatives have turned these seemingly simple blocks of wood into something stunning (other than the standard side or coffee table made from the industrial-size spools), and I love the results that turned up! Hope my spools haven’t gotten too comfortable on that shelf…I’m going to be putting them to work this weekend! 
(above) DIY Thread Spool Wine Corks by A Beautiful Mess
Mini-spool Necklace by Wild Olive
Wooden Cable Spool Clock by Tiffany Ruda
Wooden Spool Jewelry Hooks by A Time for Everything
Mini-spool Magnets by The Twinery
Beth is the writer behind Parsimonia: Secondhand With Style, where she blogs about her first love (thrifting) and her second love (cooking), as well as DIY projects, sustainable style and other bits of inspiration. She lives in St. Louis with one husband, one fuzzy dog and lots of dreams, and recently launched an online vintage store.
I have a real weakness for paper goods and letterpress just tugs at my purse strings. Pair that with unique + simple product styling and I’m sold. Waltzing into Paperreka’s online store, where the photos are stunning and all the items have spicy names (like cumin and saffron!) I felt like I’d found my one stop shop for everything “paperific.” Covering a range of events from weddings + baby showers, party thank yous + hostess gifts, to custom collaborations with Reka, the designer, there is something for your occasion + taste. 
Now that December is here, its time to start scoping out the perfect 2012 calendar. For your pocket or your office space, Blue Tricycle, has some great contenders. Choose from the mini calendars that make great stocking stuffers (under $5!) + gift tags or a printable wall calendar that can grace your space at home or the cube. Choices, choices and the clock is ticking!
Visit Blue Tricycle on Etsy now to get ready for the new year.
When we look at finishes for our interior spaces, most thought goes to paint colors, perhaps wallpaper, maybe a wood finish. Stone is typically reserved for flooring and fireplaces. But a stone wall of any type can be a textural foil for all of our other furnishings. Of course, my preference is for stone walls that are part and parcel of the architecture, meaning that they begin outside and make small or large appearances in the interior spaces. You may luck out and find and older home with an actual stone wall. But remember that even the stone walls created in new homes today are standard framing with a stone veneer over the surface. An actual stone wall is cost-prohibitive to create, especially in larger areas. But you can use this gorgeous material even if you don’t have large stone walls as part of your architectural aesthetic. Just be sure that you spend a bit of time thinking about the termination points for your wall, or where the stone ends. Only end at a window if you can put the stone on the exterior surface as well. Your best bet may be between two perpendicular walls where the end condition disappears. If not, be sure to give some weight to the wall – a skinny 4″ stud wall covered in stone doesn’t look realistic, but one whose ends are thickened to 10-12″ looks right at home.
Stone finishes vary dramatically, from colors across the spectrum, to a wide array of sizes and textures. Thin pieces of dry-stacked stone come across very differently than large, perfectly-cut rectangular pieces. The first reads as a highly textured surface, while the latter can be a smooth background for other pieces. The amount of grout between pieces of stone can make a huge difference as well. Thin grout can make for a more homogeneous surface, while large grout breaks the stone up visually. Whether you add stone to a fireplace, interior dividing wall, or just at the end of a room, stone surfaces add a natural feel to the home environment.
(above) Irregular Stone Bed Wall
Stacked Fireplace + Random Shape Interior Partition
2-sided Fireplace + Skylit Bath Walls
Heavy Grouting with Modern Touches
Amy wrote this post. She is the designer and owner of FormFire Glassworks, where she creates modern lampwork glass beads and jewelry, and by day designs custom homes for a small firm in Southern California. You can follow her twitter @formfireglass.
