Garbage Day...

Trash Day print by TheQuietCanadian 27.00

So today is garbage day here in good ole Cherry Valley, IL. Today we hurry to pull out all the trash to the curb and make sure we didn't leave anything in the fridge past it's expiration date. Today our garage can gets emptied and we start over again! So let's have a garbage day in our studios! Sometimes we rush to buy stuff becuase it's on sale or we bought too much of something that was not much of a success. Sometimes we just have too much of everything! Before we know it, we have so much that we are buying doubles because we didn't even know we had any!

Our shops don't need so much inventory, so let's do something about it!

Today I challenge you to sort through all those bins and baskets in your studios and get together a destash pile. I usually just toss stuff in a big 12x12 box and sort it as the month ends, but it's been awhile lately. Today I plan on filling a box, photographing it and just listing the entire thing. I don't have time for small lots and just want to get rid of it all! Then I will reorganize and relabel by drawers, some of the labels seem to be peeling off! Now hurry and get that done before the trash men arrive!

Promoting Yourself....

Dessert Buffet Bracelet by MichellesCharmWorld 25.00

Morning everyone! It's time to make sure you are promoting yourself to the heavens! are you getting that word out everywhere? I always make sure I have a kit with me every single time I leave the house! It's a mini promo kit.

My Promo Kit

I am putting this photo on Flickr too, so that I can point out things in the notes. I keep it pretty compact and switch out the jewelry samples often. I have a code book/idea book so that I can keep track of the codes I give out to people that ask for my business codes. The tacks are for putting up my business cards wherever I go. It's a great way to promo on the go. I was at Potbelly subs last week and I noticed that my cards were gone, so I put up some more that I had and then added others that I had on me. I also noticed that another Etsy sellers cards were gone too (she lives in Rockford too), so I convoed her when I got home and let her know. I basically put them up wherever possible.

I was part of this business card and flier swap on Etsy once where we all swapped a certain amount of business cards and or fliers, post cards what not and then each person had to go out and paper their city with the fliers they got. Photos were required so that everyone could be sure it was done. I am planning on starting something like this again in hopes of spreading the word out of other awesome artists! So go on, get out there!

Word for the Year...

I was browsing the Lollishops Guild (a private forums for vendors) and I came across a thread by Jill of Bailiwick Designs. It was all about choosing a word to set the tone for the year. I thought this was a great idea and went and thought about it. I chose the word Patience. I am a very impatient person, think 3 year old pouting and demanding. The sad thing is, is that it always works. I was an incredibly spoiled child and only grew up to be a spoiled adult hahha! I would be lying if I said my father didn't still spoil me. I was also lucky enough to marry a man that spoils me a bit too much too. I feel sorry for the man our daughter marries! hahaha! So I have decided to really try and work this out. I found some charms with the word PATIENCE on them and I made them into a Purse charm and a cell charm. When I move to my new studio, I am hoping to put the word on the wall. I not only want to learn patience in business (my lack of views and sales on Lollishops is a big one for me). I also have 3 children and trying to juggle this business and being the perfect stay at home mom is difficult sometimes. I need to be patient and realize that having it all is not always important. So what is your word?

Here is the direct line from the thread:

Every year I choose a word to use as an inspiration
and encouragement to myself. I'll even print it out and put it up all around my studio (and the bathroom
mirror too!) to remind me. Last year my word was
"focus"; this year it's
"grow". For one thing, I want my business to grow.

Take a Moment...

HI everyone! Just wanted to encourage you all to take a browse in my shop! I will be giving away a free bow necklace if you purchase today or tomorrow (Friday). Just use the code: Bow110 in the Notes To Seller. Now stay warm out there!

If you purchase from my Lollishops shop, just go ahead and pay through paypal and I will send you the bow necklace AND a free pair of earrings! I'm trying to build up my customer base over there! It's pretty slow, so stop on in please!

Time To Shop!

Shop Etsy for my Funky and Chunky Line

Come on everyone! Enter the world of online shopping!! Join me in either of my shops today and get a FREE Bow Necklace with your purchase. Use the code 104Bow in the Notes To Seller after you check out! Free necklace will only be given to those that pay with Paypal today.

Shop Lollishops for my Wearable Sweets Line!

Quick Saturday Tip!

First Page of MichellesCharmWorld on Etsy

I'm off shopping on Etsy and Lollishops today, and I am noticing some things (other than the face that I need to stop shopping). Close-up photos are an AWESOME way to show detail, but you then need a descriptive title. PLEASE tell me that it's a necklace, earrings, bracelet or what-not. I don't want to guess and most likely won't click if I can't tell what it is. Remember in photos bracelets can also be mistaken for necklaces. I always put what it is in the subject title. When doing a search, people will look at the page as shown above there. They will not always click on something that catches their eye if they have to guess. Descriptions are the last thing I do when shopping. First I look to see if it's eye catching, then I read the title, then I look at the price and then I click to enter the shop.

MichellesCharmWorld on Lollishops

I always shop using the Search Bar, it's the easiest way for me to be specific and see the most of what I am looking for. I love to bake, so i'm looking for a baking necklace maybe. I pull of a page of listings and begin to browse:

On this page, I first look at the photos (yay, check out my 2 items at the bottom! haha!). 3 catch my eye right off the bat, so I focus on those. (the other 2 were too dark and well then there are my 2). They all say Necklace and 2 even give the length. My click will go the the Cupcake Baking Necklace, since it is in essance what I was really looking for. So, are your titles detailed enough, without being crazy-Ebay titles? I automatically surpass anything that has more that 7 words in it. Too wordy is not a good thing :) Have a great weekend!

The Wonderful World of Flickr

My Flickr Page!

Today, we are jumping into the photographic world of Flickr. This is an AWESOME social networking site! If you love lots of photos when you read a blog, this one is for you! It's all about uploading photos and typing in brief descriptions. When you sign up, be sure to have a great profile, where you mention where you can be found. I list my Etsy Shop, my Lollishops shop and my Blog! Check out my profile here. I like fun profiles, that give a little hint to the personality. I will NOT click on profiles that JUST have FEMALE/MALE and their Shop link on them. That tells me, they are just there to sell things and not really there for the community aspect of it all. A Big no-no in my book AND in Flickrs are photos that are items for sale in your shop WITH descriptions that say FOR SALE ON MY ETSY SHOP check profile for link. That is NOT allowed and can get you shut down.

Some of my contacts that have recently updated

Ready to start adding friends? Use that search bar at the top right hand side of the page and type in some of your interests! This is a great way to find people that like the same stuff as you do and also you can find more people that like it, by checking out their contacts list too! When I add someone, I am sure to comment on their photos straight away or as soon as they add me too! Always comment on photos of those that add you too! Common courtesy! Post your link in any online forums your frequen, that's a great way to get people adding you too! Another great way is to check out the GROUPS! Click on the top tab that says GROUPS. Type in the FIND GROUPS bar, what you are looking for! Check for things you collect, your favorite color, where you sell, you name it it's there! You will be overwhelmed by the groups, but they are just so fun to be a part of! PLEASE make sure you read all the rules to the groups before posting and putting up your photos. PLEASE don't spam groups with dozens of your photos, just because they don't have upload limits, this is tacky :(

Ready to Start Uploading Photos? Click on the YOU tab at the top of the page and a drop down menu will appear, click on Upload photos and videos. There you go! It will then put you at a page to type in your descoptions and tags. DO NOT DO NOT use for sale lingo, see profile or anything like that. Remember, that if people really want to know this information, they will check out your profile themselves or message you their question. (I have made loads of sales this way!) DO not make your album ALL ABOUT what you sell. This is not a showcase gallery, it's a social site and they want you to be social, they want to see what else you do! supplies shots, family shots, studio shots, that sort of thing!Photograph the weather, your dinner, your starbucks! Anything you can think of! If your photos are ALL about what you sell, you can and will be shut down. If you use for sale, profile jargon, you can and will be shut down. How do I know? 3 of my friends were shut down (1 of them had a PRO account) with no warning at all, and me? Well I got a very stern warning. What made me get a warning and them just get deleted? No clue, talk on the Etsy forums seem to be it's just whatever admin is on duty that day. There seem to be no rhyme or reason. So be safe, before you get shut down! This is a fun site when used correctly! After my warning, I asked what was and was not allowed and those were the items that I was told! I keep many photos of my children private to only friends and or family members. It's safer that way and yet my album is still personal and not just a gallery!

Check in daily on Flickr, sometimes it's hard with the 100 other things to do, but try and work it into your schedule. I always click the CONTACTS button at the top of the page to see who has recently updated and then I choose 10 interesting photos a day to comment on. I usually end up commenting on more, but at minimum 10. I check in on my groups every now and then and many have come through in a pinch for me! I once needed to know a place that I took a picture of in another country and within an hour someone knew where I was standing! hahaha!When used properly, Flickr can get you sales and get you a lot of friends! Be My friend and I will be yours!

Sweet Treats from my Lollishops Shop!

Are You Doing All You Can?

MAJOR BOGO SALE at MichellesCharmWorld on These Items!

Morning everyone! I truly hope you all had a great weekend and are ready to make this week, the best ever! Let's get our selling hats on and get going! Todays post is all about putting yourself out there. It's time to ask yourself are your TRULY doing all you can? Are you making yourself known to the public? We are going to explore some ideas I have already mentioned in past posts and then come to a conclusion.

The No Holds Barred Critique. We can all stand to learn something from people we don't know. We need to realize that we are not selling to our fullest potential if there are improvements that can be made on our shops. Online people have a tendency to be more honest than people looking at you face to face. I started a thread today, asking people to check out my shop and tell me honestly what they think.

WEAR IT OUT! Are you selling yourself to the max in public? Wear your pieces!! This can work for lots of people, not just jewelry sellers. Have your prints or artwork made into fun buttons so that you can pin them to your bags or if you are selling clothing, do you wear it yourself? Do your children wear your pieces? Do you keep a mini-photo book of your pieces so that people can look at a 'portfolio' of your stuff if they are interested? NOT KIDDING! I made little collages of my pieces in my photo editing program and printed them out on high quality photo paper and keep them in a little album in my purse. By now you must realize with all the junk I carry, I have an enormous purse! hahaha!! I can do a whole blog post on this one alone! haha!! The point is to use yourself as your best advertisement and DO NOT be afraid to hand over that business card when someone compliments your work! I'm working on a new idea for my business cards, but I will get back to you on that, once I work out the kinks!

Social Networking, This is a biggie! Are you out there? Do people know about your shop? Have you created your business page on Facebook? Do you twitter every now and then about a great sale or cool item you listed? REad more in depth on social networking on my post about it here. This is HUGE depending on your niche market, but nowadays so many people are on the net, that you really will have no problem finding them in these places! Heck, husbands grandmother is 90 and she's all over the net! So put yourself out there and meet some great new people!! I will be doing an in depth promoting thread on EACH social networking site that I do coming up soon! One day of Facebook, One day of Twitter, that sort of thing! Are you signing your posts on Message Boards with your shop link (if it's allowed)? How about your blog link, since that should have your Mini on it? If neither of these are allowed, put an eye catching photo of something that will lure that type of person into your shop!

Photos. Have you made sure they are not too shadowy or too white? I have this issue with the too-white photos I am noticing. They are just blending in with the backrounds! Time to go with a pale pink maybe! Remember, they don't have to look perfect or even close to perfect, they just have to be a bit noticeable! This one of mine is AWFUL, it's really blending in too much! I made it last night in the dark and you can totally tell! haha! Definately going to fix that up today!

Blog? Are you blogging?! It's so simple to ust throw photos up and chat about them! Tell me what you did last weekend, show me what you made today! Get chatty! I talk alot and have like three friends, none of which live by me! So here is where I get it all out in any way possible! Where do you dream about vacationing? What would you do with 5000.00? What would you DO FOR 1 million dollars? just get thinking about anything and then get typing!

If you have been getting the word out, in your photos you can tell what the product is, you are promoting to the heavens, you have improved on what others have asked you to improve on and you still are not getting the sales you truly believe your product is worth, then it's time to call it a day and close up shop and give up. Go on, throw it all away and close the door. What are you still doing here? Go on now!! HAHAHHAH! NOOOOOOOO! Not at ALL!!!! It's time to just roll up your sleeves and get busy! (As if you haven't been already!). It's time to set yourself apart from the bunch and SPREAD OUT!

Do you make paintings? Time to turn those paintings into ACEOs, Buttons, Magnets, Cards, Postcards, prints! Start thinking outside of what you have and bring in customers that can't afford those oh so gorgeous pieces!! I fell in love with a lighthouse painting on Etsy and let me tell you if I had had the 300.00 in my paypal account I probably would have bought it, but I didn't and I wanted it in any form! If they had offered a notecard set, a print, something else, it would have been mine!

Do you make Jewelry? Clothing? Bags? It's time to come up with a SIGNATURE piece. Something unique, something that when pulled up in the search function looks NOTHING like the others. My signature piece on Etsy is my Lego Bracelet. It's my best seller still to this day on and off Etsy and when I first started on Etsy was the first of it's kind. Now people are getting close, but still nowhere near the same. You can look at all the Lego Bracelets here. I'm still trying to come up with something fantastic as my signature look on Lollishops. If there is something you do really well, make it specacular add little bits and baubles to make them really shine. If you make bags of any sort, add a zipper pull or purse charm! They are super easy to make and you can make a simple one for barely anything at all! Need help? See about ordering them in bulk from a jewelry person on the same selling site you are on! Want to learn how to make them? Ask me, I can try and tell you how! Set yourself apart from the others somehow!


Now, you have done all that and still nothing? It's time to sit down with yourself and really ask. Does my stuff belong here? There are some places that are a true niche market and if you can't find your niche, you will have a problem getting to them. I am asking myself this over and over again on Lollishops. That is a true niche market selling venue and I just don't think I have the second Frou in Frou-Frou! hahaha! I see it as a market for delicate and frilly pieces and mine are bulky and of course chunky! haha! That's why I need to think really hard about my signature piece for there. I don't want to give up at all, I just want to find a way to fit in WITHOUT compromising my style! I hope I have helped even one person today!! I'm off to do some shop critiques on Etsy!


SHOP NEWS! The Last Page of my shop is on CLEARANCE MODE! I want to clear out for the New Year! I have marked things down up to 50%! Check it out because it's ALSO BOGO TIME! Buy one from that page and get a second item FREE from that page! All the items shown in the first photo of this post are the ones on SALE!

My Big Sale!

This post is going to be really short, since I don't normally post on the weekends!

I mentioned I would let you all know how my featured artists spot went on the Lollishops blog!

I went from having no sales to having 3! But to be fair, I sold my gingerbread house in person to a lady that was over for a lesson. I still showed her the site, packaged it up my business card to check out everything and gave her a coupon for 5.00 off her next lollishops purchase from me!

Tip of the day:

Change up your featured items. This will give a fresh new look to your shop, to people that have already been in there before. Bring stuff from the way back to the front!

Challenge of the day:

Create a new piece to showcase today. List it, Twitter about it, Post a bulletin about it in Myspace, Facebook it in your Doing Now bar and write a note about it in Facebook. Blog about it and finally head to the Etsy forums and start a thread in promos about it, or head over to the Lollishops PUBLIC forums and do the same. YES, the thread will get buried pretty fast, but comment on other peoples items that they post and try and keep it bumped up with those comments. Tomorrow, head over here and tell me how it went! Get maximum exposure today!

MichellesCharmWorld items on Etsy

I usually try not to get too personal here, as I try hard to help others succeed in their business ventures. I have however felt attacked publicly on some forums and feel the need to defend myself. I wish people would understand that criticism is not meant to be taken to heart when it's about a shop, NOT a person. It's meant to be taken, thought about and improved if need be. It's meant as a way to help you grow. Many people DO understand this and yet there are some that think I should have my selling license (if there was such a thing!) revoked, kicked to the curb, tarred and feathered. Life isn't always going to be sunshine and gummy bears and I have come to terms with that. A little critiscism is not meant to hurt someone nor is it meant to be mean. One would think that experienced sellers would have input on things, but I guess now. It's amazing how someplace so friendly can be as mean as other places they claim are mean. Yet, it's okay for them to be mean as long as they are supportive while being mean. Hmmm..double standard? Oh well, I just everyone to know that I am online to make money. I have fun doing it, but ultimately that's why I am here. This year my earnings took us to Disney World for a week, Frankenmuth for a week, Door County for a week and Mexico for a month. This year, we plan on heading to mexico for 5 weeks, Disney world 1 week and upgrading our home. I work hard and I only want the places I sell on to be successful, why would I want them to fail? The more people buy, the more money we all make! People buy when a site is easy to navigate! Etsy and Lollishops, Dawanda, Big Cartel, 1000Markets are all home to a little corner of MichellesCharmWorld, but I don't have time to market them all. I focus on my main breadwinner which is Etsy and the next site that I felt had the most potential to really make it Lollishops. I do want all my selling venues to succeed! Good stuff comes with success! Lower fees? More fame! More money! You name it! I'm not being a Debbie Downer when I pass along information that has been given to me from my buyers, i'm just stating information. Since it's not wanted, I will keep it to myself for now and go to all the forums when I feel so high on sunshine that i'm going to burst if I can't share it with the world! So now....OFF to your challenge!

Are You Getting Repeat Business? AND I'm a Featured Artist!

Bacon Necklace by MichellesCharmWorld 13.00

Don't you just loooove when your customers gush about your goodies and then COME BACK for more?? How about when they send their friends back? Be sure you are getting your customers back in the door with a few little tips from moi!

1. Business cards. USE THEM! You would be surprised at the amount of packages I get with no business cards! I buy a lot (shop-a-holic) and that means I am getting 3 or 4 packages a day in the mail, I can't remember where everything is coming from!


2. Turn your business card around, see that blank spot on the back? It's begging to be used! write a discount on it, free shipping, free earrings, 5 dollars off! Something!! Remember to keep track of your discounts! Remember my post on this?


3. Send an extra card AND discount and write: FOR A FRIEND! And let them know that if a friend (different address and username) THEY also get something free!


4. Labels or Stickers. Put them on all of your packaged goodies, baggies, tissue paper, whatever you use! Make sure they see your shop name enough to remember it!

5. Shop stamp! Stamp your packages with something that has your logo on it. I've gotten 1 order (only 1, but heck it's 1 more that I wouldn't have!) from a post office employee! She knew I came in every day and knew there had to be something good in the envelopes and she said she loved my pieces I wore to the post office, so she wrote down the shop from the stamp, shopped and bought! STAMP the inside of your boxes too! I've had one sale from someone that bought something that had bought something from me and re-used the box! (Confusing I know).

6. Have a newsletter that people can sign up for and be sure to not spam them, have it come out once a month! Put pics of some of your hot items, a discount coupon and your shop news! Some highlights and what you are working on next. Offer EXCLUSIVE pieces to these people!


7. In one of your reply emails updating on their shipping let them know about your newsletter and offer a sign up sheet for them to sign up and get exclusive customer discounts!


8. EXCELLENT customer service. Acknowledge their order,let them know when you plan on shipping it out and try and leave feedback in a timely manner. Remember my post on this?


Wafer Cookie Earrings by MichellesCharmWorld on Lollishops 6.00

Don't forget to check out the Lollishops Blog this weekend! I'm the featured seller! I will let you know tomorrow in a teeny tiny post if I finally got any sales in my Candy Colored Lollishop Paradise. Remember, I have one heck of a rockin' goodie bag for anyone that purchases from my Lollishop today! Remember ALL my prices on Lollishops have shipping included in them, NO extra charges here!!

Your Niche?

Room Service Cart Necklace by MCW 25.00

Have you found your niche in this wonderful crafting world? You know, who you are marketing to? Who your products are geared towards? Once you figure this out, you will have an EXCELLENT idea on where to begin advertising your products. Me? I know from experience that any kind of craft show with the word Country in it or spelled Kraft is just not for me, no matter how cheap the booth fee is. Remember selecting a craft show goes far beyond the rental fee. I know that an elementary school show is not a good idea for me, since so many people outside of my niche market have assumed my items are for children. After doing a survey at shows (visually) to see who was buying my stuff and their age range, I started sending out a survey at the bottom of my e-newsletter to find out the statistics of my average buyer. I found out what the age range was and then did my own research to find out where they typically hung out, shopped for, what trends they followed etc. This helped me 100% in finding out where to put my fliers and such out.

Talk To Me Phone Necklace by MCW 12.00

Hidden tip? Don't count out the retirement homes. Give them a call and see what they have goign on! They will allow you to set up a booth if you call and ask. Sometimes they already have craft shows set up and sometimes you can set a small up. I know a Party Lite Lady, Avon Lady and a handful of crafters that usually do the home party ciruit with me, so I can depend on them in a crunch! This group of people ALWAYS buys for their friends and family. I usually put a sign up of customer photos on an easel and any latest reviews on my items so that they get an idea of who buys my stuff.

Vintage Button Bracelet by MCW 40.00

Branch it out! I have several different lines that I work in, I even do Bridal Jewelry! (I know I know surprising right??) I only do this stuff in real life and sometimes if my shop is slow and my real life orders are slow, I enter into craft shows that showcase my other lines (Bridal and Buttons) or I slim down to fit into the categories offered in a craft show. (Just teddy bear and bow earrings for the Teddy Bear Convention). My main focus is MichellesCharmWorld Funky and Chunky Creations, so I always market that, and that's what is my true passion! Just know who you are selling to and you can do it so much better! Try different marketplaces too! There are soo many out there it's not just Ebay and Etsy anymore! I'm a new member of Lollishops

it's a new selling venue targeted towards the super girly! I really liked that idea and figured I would give it a try. Remember we only learn from that which we try! My review on this place comes up at the beginning of the new year!


Let me reccomend to you: CRAFT INC a book about Turning Your Creative Hobby Into a Business. I went through it with one of those highlighter post it pens! I keep it with me usually at all times in my diaper bag! It's a good reference book and great book to read more than once.

Open For Business

So I have finally got some items up in the new shop and i'm ready to roll! I'm going to limit myself in listings right now, because the site is new and a bit buggy still. I am totally willing to give it a chance since it's so fun to be a part of the lollishop community! I am reserving my review of this new selling venue until I have given it about a month. I will let you know how it goes! Don't forget first 5 people to purchase from me over on Lollishops and spend over 15.00 get a free swag bag! But for TODAY DECEMBER 3rd ONLY every purchase gets a swag bag! Yay! Shipping is included in the listings already, so no mystery shopping here!



A GREAT BIG THANK YOU to Ruth of chickedee-chickedee on blogspot for the AWESOME feature she did on me this week! She was such a sweetie and her questions were so fun! Check out her super cute shop of Buttons too!!

Sneak Peek at My New Line

A Treasure Trove of Wearable Sweets from MichellesCharmWorld on Lollishops

So it's almost time for the grand opening of Lollishops! The site opens up on Friday the 28th, i'm on vacation and my shop will not open up for business until December 1st. I'm giving you a little sneak peek at some of the goodies that you will find in my shop when it does open!

The first 5 customers to spend over 15.00 in my NEW Lollishop store will get the cutest little purse full of goodies! These swag bags are limited to 5 because there is over 25.00 in merchandise here!! A perfect stocking stuffer!! You get one of my bow necklaces, a rhinestone heart cell charm, Lollipop Ring, lollipop bracelet, pink pearl earrings, pair of bow barrettes and a discount card off your next purchase!

Shop MichellesCharmWorld on Etsy or Lollishops a virtual dollhouse of treasures and sweets for your body!

Laundry Day Necklace by MichellesCharmWorld on Etsy 20.00

My Etsy Shop is all about the funky and chunky with pieces that are sure to make people turn twice. Pieces for the truly bold and daring! This accessories are all about conversation pieces! Large and colorful!

Sweet and Pretty Bow Necklace by MichellesCharmWorld on Lollishops and Etsy 8.00

My Lollishops Shop is all about the dainty feminine girl that likes a little bit of quirky to her everyday pieces. I still use a lot of bright colors, but this line is more towards the sweet and pretty! Bows, candies and dolly goodness are what you will find in this candy shop of wearable sweets!