Customer Service Is Key

Pretty Bow Bracelets by MichellesCharmWorld

Hello Shop owners and shoppers! Tis the season for Christmas shopping and it has definately begun. It's time to start thinking about our business practices and how we are treating our customers.

Emotions. Keep in mind that while what you write may sound fine in our heads often times can seem rude or patronizing in an email. Internet selling is so difficult because we really don't know the feelings and emotions behind words. I have recently heard back from sellers from different sites that customizing an item to my likes was NOT WORTH THEIR TIME. Yes, said just like that. Maybe they did not intend it to seem so harsh, but it really did stun me for a second. Another message said that the answer to my question was in their profile section and had I taken the time to look there, I would have found it. Very Very odd practices in business.

Questions. Please take the time to answer all your messages, even if they are not something you want to deal with at the moment. I have 4 conversations to sellers out there at the moment and not one of them has replied. I have definately removed items from my favorites and will not be buying from them at this time if ever. Sometimes it's just a quick question about an item, that could be answered in no time. It's too bad really, because you don't know what you could be missing out on by neglecting a response.

Trades. We don't all trade and we may not trade all the time. Heck, I limit my trades to one a month, so that I don't lose out too much on any money. When someone messages you a trade request, get back to them. Even if it's just to say no. I'm so bad about these because I feel so guilty saying no, but I know I have to respond. Guess what? 8 times out of 10, those people have still bought the items they wanted to trade for!! Yay!

Customer Contact. When you sell something to someone, don't forget to thank them for their order! I have been getting really bad at this lately because I get so busy and keep putting it off, then I forget who I messaged and whom I didn't! I am trying to get back on track!!

Feedback. Try and leave feedback in a timely manner. It's pretty hard to get them all in order, but maybe schedule a time or day to catch up on them. I'm sticking with wednesdays! It seems to be the day when i've calmed down from the hectic weekend. As a Buyer please remember to contact sellers FIRST if you have a problem with the item before leaving negative or neutral feedback. It's so easy to fix most problems and many of us are so willing to work with you!

Bows and Pearls Earrings by MichellesCharmWorld

Finding Your Inner Glamour Girl

Black Patent Fram Purse by COACH $328

Do you ever notice how a perfect fitting pant can make you feel slimmer? (mine is the 7th Avenue wide leg pant from New York and Company) A great pair of shoes can make you feel sexy? (Working on a new pair of Marc Fishers in Black) A new bag can bring on feeling of exhiliration you may as well have just won the lottery! (This is one of the tope 3 on my Christmas wishlist)I'm an accessories whore and I don't use that word lightly! I totally mean it. I covet them like crazy and buy them when I fancy them. I am usually not commited to one brand and like to give them all a test run. I stick my feet into 10.00 pumps from Payless and have even been known to own a way too expensive pair of Purple Ostrich stiletto boots by Nine West. One of my most loved bags is a 10.00 clearance find from Target and I also have a Coach and Dooney Collection that really needs to be slimmed down! I don't quite care about the price so much as how it makes me feel. This weekend I found love in a coat and shoes. I already own the coat and am working my way to the shoes! This black coat from Nine West was to die for the minute I slipped into it. It was warm, glorious and I swear angels were singing as I zipped it up. My entourage agreed that it was truly Fabulous (alright it was really just my father, husband and kids) and right then I knew the coat had to be mine. I walked down Michigan Avenue that night with my head held high and my bag swinging trustily by my side (small Coach wristlet). Even though my feet were killing me (Last years $9.00 black stiletto boots from Payless) and I was pushing the worlds crankiest kid in a stroller, I felt great. Yes, accessories can truly transform a person into somebody that they always knew they were deep down inside. Glamourous, here I come!

When Life Gets In the Way...

Mantle Clock Necklace by MichellesCharmWorld 13.00

Where did the weekend go? It's what time already? What DAY is it? Do you find yourself asking these questions often? Sometimes I just want to run and scream and jump out the nearest window. (Hmm..seeing as how i'm on the 1st floor, nothing much will happen, but I would be very cold!) With 3 kids, sometimes life just gets in the way of your good intentions. These past 2 weeks have been crazy, I have not been able to keep up with MichellesCharmWorld like I should be and my new line for my Lollishops store is painfully lacking. We've spent the last 2 weekends in Downtown Chicago for entire days and while fun, I constantly had this nagging sensation that I had to get back to work. It's my busiest time with custom orders, wholesale orders and non-internet orders and yet there I am playing with boats in the water at the Childrens Museum and wondering just how the heart works at the Museum of Science and Industry. I don't feel guilty, since my children and family always come first, but I do feel a bit lost. I schedule my day as it is during the week and even stick to my 3 unhealthy hours of sleep a night, so work as much as I can when the house is silent. The only thing I can do is throw myself head first into mondays! For today, the dishes will wait and the errands will be run by my husband. This morning I will move a small table of work into the playroom and while the kids watch a movie I can get some work done. Not a great solution for every day, but it helps with mondays. Hopefully I will get some new supplies in today and that can help get my creative juices flowing right where they should be! I better run now, i've been invited to a dance party in the next room!

Boombox Adjustable Ring by MichellesCHarmWorld 8.00

Fridays Funky Finds

Fabulous Corset Top by MissAlphabet

As you can tell from my creations, i'm anything but normal! I'm a tattooed formorly pierced mom of the 3! I like fun, fantastic and as Sharpay would say I just want FABULOUS! My everyday life is pretty much the same. I like stuff with a bit of edge or frill or cuteness to it. I want to start out my funky find with a shirt I got on Etsy recently. I loved the pink ribbon corset look of this! It was so pretty and eye catching that I had to have it! I had it in my favorites forever and I know it's not exactly wintery, but it arrived and I threw it on it's warm and soft and soo wonderful. I threw on my armwarmers, rain hat and was good for the day! I think I tore it out of it's package so fast that the envelope is still on the floor somewhere! Run over to MissAlphabets Shop she has the most fantastic pieces ever! I've got my eye on this next:

Summer Strawberry Sundress by MissAlphabet 68.00

Sometimes I love to spend an afternoon browsing Etsy using keywords just to see what I can find to buy next! My favorites are not crazy and full like some and not empty like others, I use them just for items I intend to buy or my husband will buy for me. I like to keep it down to the basics of what I really want and usually try to clean it out of sold items and such every other day. (Just reminded myself to do that!) Go ahead and take a peek at my favorites!These are some amazing treasures I found on my last hunt! I always laugh when I use keywords and my own items pop up! I know I am tagging correctly for someone shopping like me!!From Left to Right:

Coffee Corset by Jenngee 9.00 (I need to buy one of these soon! Perfect for putting in your purse and maing something as simple as your daily Starbucks look fabulous!

Washing Disher Neckly by MichellesCharmWorld 20.00 (This was my ode to making something as not fun as dishes a bit livlier! You know, more fantastic!)

Vintage CareBears Lunch Box from RunOntheSun 11.50 (Lunchboxes have become super fun in my life lately! I use them as purses and little diaper bags, funky, different and eye catching!)

Safety Third Grenade Shirt by SafetyThird 20.00 (This shirt has cool written all over it! For me as a mom, I love that it says safety third! We are always telling our kids to becareful!)

Check out to Etsy and check out all the goodies that they have to offer! Or run out and get all of the items here! It's always fun to have someone else do the hardwork and all you have to do it pay! Hmm..now if we would only get someone else to pay too, then life would truly be....FABULOUS!

The Last of fridays funky finds leaves you with a whole lotta looking you can do for the weekend!

From Left to Right:

Acrylic Star Charms from PinkyNoodles 2.25 (Perfect for the kitschy crafter!!)

Have a Seat Shoulder Bag by BlackBags 54.00 (I love everything about this bag; roomy for kid stuff, easy to clean, unisex look so husband can carry it too as a diaper bag!)

Love to Sew Charm Bracelet by MichellesCharmWorld 12.00 (Perfect gift for the sewing machine goddess!!)

Pink Lace Button Up Leg Warmers by Starlingslaw 25.00 (Totally perfect with ballet flats and a velvet black mini! Argg.. I think I need these!!)

Can Supplies Create Happiness?

I get into these ruts sometimes. Where nothing I do is ever good enough or I just don't feel like creating anything new for MichellesCharmWorld. Sometimes I just want to walk away from the love of my life! (Crafting, not my husband! heehee!!!) . Then a package of colorful goodies will come and all of a sudden i'm seeing fabulous things in my head, too many of them to keep track of, so I have to start RIGHT AWAY! The absolute worst is when we are on our way out the door and I open my package in the car! Argg...I can't write in my little notebook enough and I just want to go home and play!

Plastic is so colorful and vibrant it seems to bring me out of my winter blues in the drab and dreary grey that is the cold months in Illinois. It's so fun and cool to look and create with that it seems to perk me up when it's 100 degrees outside and all I want to do is jump in the pool and stay there forever. Plastic is truly my heaven, so yes I do think supplies creates happiness!

Yesterday was a good supply day, I got a swap package in the mail from Brazil and the goodies were amazing, as only another countries treasures can be! I then got some great little mini purses on sale AND 50% off the sale price, so it looks like I have found the packaging for myswag bag giveaways for the first 10 customers I have at lollishops!! I will be giving away one EXACT Lollishops giveaway bag next week some time, so keep checking on the blog!! I can't wait to start creating with the goodies!

If you ever get in a rut, or feel like sales are too slow to go on, go ahead and get yourself something new, ANYTHING! Even something on sale at a craft store and turn it into something FABULOUS! Or, you can come over to the crafters dark side, the world of PLASTIC! It always cheers you up!

Love To Shop Charm Bracelet by MichellesCharmWorld 15.00

Will I Own The hour?

Dessert Table Necklace by MichellesCharmWorld 25.00

I came across a new website yesterday, just as I was browsing the net and my favorite haunts during naptime. It's called OwnTheHour. It's like a big showcase or treasury sort of thing. The advertising is 1.00 for the hour. Here is where it gets dicey. People think 1.00 an hour is too expensive and others think it's worth a try. Me? I bought the slot! What's a dollar? I didn't buy the whole day, just one little hour during my busiest shopping time on Etsy. They are advertising on Facebook and other social networking sites. You can find more info in their ABOUT section. I could either sit and join the nay sayers and complain about that dollar or go ahead and make a tiny little investment and see what happens. All it takes is one person to want to buy your items. How many of us spend more than that on a project that goes horribly wrong and just has to be tossed out? So is the jury still out for you? Or will you go ahead and check it out? Let me know your results! You can check mine out at 12pm lunchtime!!

I will twitter about, Facebook my status and send out a bulletin on Myspace too! For today, my Iced Passion Fruit Tea won't be a Venti and guess what? I'm alright with that!

Image captured by Glamasaurus!!http://blog.glamasaurus.com/

Crafting with Kids.

Sometimes when I sit outside watching the kids play on the swings or just riding around in their barbie Jeeps and Crazy go Karts, I ask myself how on earth do I ever get anything else done? It's so hard to tear myself away and get to work. I'm afraid to miss any little significant moment. We work on a craft of the day in my studio, where I can then put them to work while I do a few of my smaller pieces or work on 1 big piece and this helps keep them organized and us all together. I try to mix the crafts up so they are not always doing the same thing and even get them to the craft store and pick out supplies. They end up with some wild things!! Then it's my job to decide what the craft will be! So far our favorites are anything to do with paint or pastels! They are already loving working with scissors and it helped teach them that the craft table WITH mommy there is the only time for scissors. The baby even gets involved. I give him a crayon or a color wonder marker and pull up his high chair. It's a nice time to spend with the creative minds of little ones. We've done Princess day where everyone makes wands or crowns and such (yes even my little boy) and we've done knights to the rescue, where we make shields and swords (and yes even my little girl). A creative way to spend time together.

I have found a great dislike for perler beads! hahah! They are a blast to work with and my kids looove wearing their new brooches, necklaces, bracelets or giving away their magnets and such. But mommy can't stand picking up those teenie tiny little beads! They are impossible! I've gotten to just vacuuming them up! It's the easy way to do it! haha! Colored glue has also helped little ones ALOT when they can realize they have already put on 2lbs of glue on that little lollipop head :).

Todays project? Turkey hands that we will send out as Happy Thanksgiving cards! yay what fun! the best part of all this? I still get work done!

Craft Time Creations by MichellesCharmWorld

My Love On Etsy...

A wonderful assortment of fingerless gloves form Le Armoire

So i've been looking for something awesome to top off my winter wardrobe, a new scarf, hat, bag, brooch, something that I knew would be my statement piece this season. Then I found it! Fingerless Gloves! Yup! That was it!! They look great and are still totally functional! I hate the restrictions gloves put on me, no matter how thin, so I figured this was the route I was going to take. My main winter bag is black and pretty simple and since my coat is a bright, bold red and I was planning on getting a pink coat this year, I decided to go with simple black glove. I did a search for fingerless glove on Etsy and was terrified when too much junk popped up, so I decided to narrow it to arm warmers, since I wanted something longer and then I would be able to get away with wearing short sleeve shirts and still keep warm without the jacket. Well I came across the most FABULOUS shop! I fell in Love with everything at Le Armoire and Nadiah is totally sweet and awesome too!! I wanted like 4 pairs from there and finally decided on a plain black pair. I had a look in mind and knew I could totally achieve it with the plain pair. They arrived in NO time at all, I swear I think they magically flew here and when I opened them, it was on of the warmest days in IL, but I put them on and wouldn't take them off! I was in love!! They fit like they were made for me and they really did keep me warm!

I'm no hoping to get that pink coat to complete my look and I will be all set for when the first storm hits! Yay! For now head over to Le Armoire and let Nadiah know I say hi!

The Weekend In Photos

Friday my dad came into town to hang out with us! How cool he took the day off! Yay! So I was totally busy all day and was not able to check out who won the bete-opening spots of Lollishops. Sadly, I did not win :( That's alright though! I'm thankful to all of you that were able to help me out and get your friends to help!

A fun day at the Museum of Science and Industry with Nana and Grandpa made for some cheezy photos after a long morning getting our family portrait taken! The last thing anyone wanted to do was more smiling!

Sunday took my little one and I to see HSM3 finally and I couldn't get over how much she loved it! Me? I cried like a baby again! haha! She was up in front of her little seat and dancing and laughing. We really had a blast getting to spend some time together! Mommy and Me moments are so great when you can get them away from the others. It's pretty vital to each of the kids, so we try hard to spend special time with each of them! The boys went to an indoor playpark and had a blast too!! My little peanut had to bring a bag of popcorn back to her brother and when we got in the car with the boys, her brother had brought her some ice cream! How great that they think of each other even when they are having fun.

Now it's time to get to work!

Your Weekend Shopping Guide!

From Left to Right-->

1.Pink Sewing Machine Necklace by MichellesCharmWorld (Free Ship on FIRST purchase w/ code: FREESHIPSCC)

2.Birdie Pouch by RebeccaBags

3.Tinkerbell Hair Clip by PunkyNMunky (Free Gift w/ Purchase CODE:FREEGIFTSC in message to seller at checkout)

4.PolkaDot Bag by CrossBonesCollateral (10% off order w/code : snarkyteamI will refund you the money after you have paid)

5.Strawberry Whipped Cream Ring by MichellesCharmWorld

6. Teal and Black Purse by RebeccaBags

7.Karate Girl Hair Clip by PunkyNMumky

8.Aligator Hair Pins by CrossBonesCouture (10% off order w/code: SnarkyTeamI will refund money after payment)

9.Butterfly Skull clips by CrossBonesCollateral

10. Variety of Ribbon Clippies by PunkyNMunky

11. Cupcake Pouch by RebeccaBags

12.Pancakes n Butter ring by MichellesCHarmWorld

Yay! It's friday! Now it's time to shop! At least that's usually how it works out around here. I figured I would kick off the weekend with a simple little photographed gift guide.

This is the Snarky Chicago Crafters Street Team, a street team for people in Northern IL that can't quite make all the Chicago meets. We're pretty small right now as you can see! haha!

Please have a look at our shops and if you use a discount code (if there is one for that shop), just purchase like normal and then wait for a revised invoice or pay and then get your discount refunded. You write the discount code in the NOTES TO SELLER! Feel free to pass this discount on to any of your friends and make sure they let us know in the NOTES TO SELLER how they found us!

If you are interested in joining our team, PLEASE click on SNARKY CHICAGO CRAFTERS STREET TEAM and the link will take you to our group page!

And The Winner Is...

Tea Party Necklace by MichellesCharmWorld 30.00
I was recently invited to a fancy tea party and was even required to wear a dress! I was told my prince would be escorting me and cake would be served. I open my door to find my 2 year old little guy waiting for me. He told me to close my eyes and when we arrived in the 'tea room' (playroom) I opened them and found an old sheet from the dress up trunk, being used as a table cloth (sometimes a cape, toga, picnic blanket, baby blanket) on a garage sale table (sometimes clubhouse, desk, boat, magic trick table). The top was covered with tea kettles, cups, and food. It was such a fun time playing with these kids, that I didn't want to stop! So I decided to draw names for my blog giveaway and have my little ones help me out!

All the names were written out on paper (Pink of course!), my Princess mixed them up in her little bowl with a spoon singing and chanting some weird song that she made up (maybe it was a good luck chant?) and then my Prince picked out 1 name. We opened it up and the 2 kiddies held it down since it kept folding itself back in! CONGRATS TO ALLY!!!! I will be emailing you shortly!! I wanted to hurry up and post this so you didn't feel I had forgotten, but for now i'm off to go and finish some of my tea and cookies which I have just been informed have gotten cold!

Thanks to all the commented and I will have another giveaway next month!

PLEASE HELP ME! Today is the last day for you to help me win a spot in the pre opening of Lollishops! Please click on the word Lollishop or even the photo below to look at their blog!

BOGO Sale!

New season, new look! It's time for me to clear out my clearance section! I have a few items that just need to find new homes otherwise I will want to keep them all and my jewelry boxes are overflowing! (yes I said boxes!!). I figure a big sale is the way to go instead of having a sale section that I really don't like at all. I like my sections to have punch and pop!
All of these goodies can be found in my shop MichellesCharmWorld in the sale section! Right now you buy one you get a second choice for 50% off!!! Just wait for a revised invoice after purchase!
Rules for sale:
Both choices must be from the sale section.
Cheaper item gets the 50% off.
Must be paid for within 3 days.

*WHOLESALERS if you are interested in the entire lot, I have an incredible discount for you!*Alright now get shopping!

It's the last day to help me win a spot for the pre-opening of lollishops! You don't even have to buy anything! Just click on the photo and check out the blog! I need lots of clicks please! Thanks so much!!

My First Blog Giveaway!

Packaging of Swag Bags

In honor of my new shop opening up on Lollishops soon and my 1100th sale on my Etsy Shop, I want to have a little giveaway! You have the opportunity to win one of the gift bags I will be giving out to my first customers on Lollishops when the time comes! There is an assortment of sweet treats in here sure to curb your dessert cravings! Just leave a comment here on my blog post and I will draw a name on Thursday morning! Good luck to everyone!!You get all you see in the photo! Hair pins, a sweet tooth brooch, cell charm and lolly earrings!There is also a coupon included for more discounts!!

Be Sure to help me win a spot in the pre opening phase of lollishops by clicking this link to their blog!

Lollishops Coming Soon

Help Me Win! Lollishops is offering a chance to open up shop early to those that get the most hits to the lollishops blog! Just click on the photo or any of the Lollishops Blog links! Forward this blog on to your friends and help me win! If you help me out here, I will put your name in twice for the blog giveaway gift i'm starting tomorrow! Just make a comment and click on the photo!

I am developing a new line of sweet treats for my lollishops store that is coming so soon! Stay up to date on lollishops happening through their blog!
Opening November 28th!

Studio Organization

My Work Table, Click on photo to go to Flickr where you can read all the notes

Hi all! With the holiday production in full swing we really need to be ready for anything at the drop of a hat. So today is a lesson in organization! I always share photos of my storage table (old photo) in my studio and figured it was time to share more.

My storage table where plastic magic begins!

First let's talk storage table. All of those bins and drawers are labeled with the cost of each charm or bead x2 in there so that I know what to charge as I am making a piece. These are the AT COST prices. It also helps for when I have a party of people over to make things and they can see what their prices will total up to be as they create. (I want to own a funky bead and charm store one day!). Every basket on the table is a custom order in the works and it has a index card of the price quoted, pieces involved and other notes. I have a lot of trays and whozits and whatits around and those are for new charms and beads as they arrive in the mail waiting to be sorted further.

My work table should always be clear and ready to work. I need a clear environment in order to create. It must be inviting to get me to sit awhile. A big old mess makes me stay away. If you click on the photo of my owrk table above it will take you to my flickr account so you can see the notes. Everything has a place, right down to a tiny little pink container to hold my weddig rings when I work. My most commonly used pieces I keep on my work table so that I don't have to keep getting up and down constantly going to the storage table.

Spool holder now ring holder

Little odds and ends like Vintage jars and antique bottles and bowls can make practical holders pretty and inviting! I make chunky jewelry and some pieces like rings can't just go in a box and be safe all the time. So I bought this thread holder to hold all my rings. It also makes them super easy to find when they sell. This sits on my storage table for easy access. I am right now using a card table as my shipping center, but I am hoping to buy one of these soon:

The Microwave Cart from Target

Everything will then have it's own place and not just sit in a rubbermaid bin. When I have to get stuff out of bins and it's not visible it makes shipping a chore, I want it to be fun and inviting. And also when I have clients over I want it to look nice. The shelves will have wicker or clear baskets with no lids. Just clean lines. The top one will pens and markers, scotch tape, ribbons, business card box, customs forms and my stamp. The bottom basket will hold shipping envelopes, tissue paper, boxes and a roll of bubble wrap. The side hooks will hold scissors, tape gun and other on hand goodies. I'm hoping to have it all done and ready by the time my other shop on Lollishops opens up!

Has this inspired you to get organized?

Lovin The Lolli World

Be A Lolli! Make Sure You Tell Them MichellesCharmWorld Sent You!

So I've fallen in love with a new marketplace and it has not even opened yet! It's Lollishops and it's girly, lacey and frou frou friendly! When I saw friendly, I mean it! I've never felt more welcome amongst people i've never even known!! I'm all about the PINK and this place is perfect for me! Right now I have to be happy getting my fix from the lollishop blog ! Check it out, there are featured sellers there and you will get just a tiny bity little taste of what's to come on lollishops! Be sure to check out all you can and the blog is the perfect place to start! It's a juried site, which means you have to be accepted to sell there and I was thrilled when I got my little Welcome aboard the good ship Lollishop letter!! If you think you may not be accepted, give it a try anyways! I didn't want to keep wondering what if what if, so I went ahead and applied! And YAY ME! so now i'm getting ready for the new place with a new line exclusively found only at Lollishops. Due to Launch on November 28th, I will be sure to post all the latest about my shop here!

For now check out the blog, check out the homepage, join us in the forums and check out my page and drop me a line! If you decide to apply mention my name MichellesCharmWorld let Sadie know I sent you!

Checkout this weekends featured seller too! She's a true inspiration!

http://lollishops.blogspot.com/

This Weekend In Photos...

A Front Yard Cemetary Screams Halloween

My Trio of Ghouls Ready To Trick or Treat

Loads of Goodies From a Day of Antique Shopping

At The House Of Mouse- Tips for Vacationing

Mousie Goodies by MichellesCharmWorld 5.00-30.00

When I go on vacation, I'm the type of gal that likes to dress up her basic outfits with pieces that go with the vacation type of theme! It's like clothing with a purpse or something! Our next trip is to Disney World! And incase you didn't get it from my being a Disney Bride....well i'm in LOVE with Disney World! hahaha! We go every year and sometimes even twice a year!! Shh...we keep our second trip very top secret because we hear too many complaints from family members about our obsession!! The next trip is in January right now and we can't wait! I've also discovered this awesome new fan site: MickeyFanatic. Alot of good info to be found there!!

I'm a bit obsessive when I go on vacation and have even been known to bring my ENTIRE shop inventory with me to ship out while gone! I did this last on our trip to Mexico, since we were gone a long time! To Disney, since it's just a week or 2 I usually just bring my computer to stay up to date and my drill, pliers and findings so that I can make goodies while on vacation and have them ready to list when I get back!!

Another awesome thing about Disney is that we love our home away from home resort The Pop Century! We always request and are willing to wait for 1st floor near the Classic Hall in the 70s section. We always always decorate our door and window and in the window is a little window ledge that I use to put goodies found on our vacation, but I also put some of my pieces in the window on stuffed animals or statues that we bought :) On our door, I have a little magnetic cup of business cards! I have always, every single year made at least 1 sale back when I got home from my cards down there! One has become one of my best customers AND...since I was always wearing my stuff I have even sold some pieces right off my neck or around my wrist! Amazing what promoting yourself can do!

So even on vacation, remember you can still do a little something to get the word out!

Two Shops Continued.

Goodies and Treasures from MichellesCharmWorld & TheFunkyBeadNButton

Part 1 is down below if you want to start there :)

Looking at the listings all together in 1 shop just kept telling me, though they were the same parts, they didn't look right selling together.

I knew right away the name I wanted for my supply shop, since my destash usually wasn't the normal silver charm and pretty bead. My stuff at MichellesCharmWorld is known as Funky and Chunky, so I wanted to carry some of that over to the other shop so they would have consistency even though they were 2 different shops. TheFunkyBeadNButton was born! It was amazing how quickly it all came together and within my first few days I had been selling like crazy! I couldn't believe how easy it was. Then...I started to get busier in my other shop and the destash buckets kept filling up. TheFunkyBeadnButton was getting neglected and I just didn't have the time to keep up with checking 2 email accounts, and listing in another shop.

The 2 emails is my biggest problem, I already have too many windows open when I work, I didn't need another one. I wish I wish Etsy would let us put 2 shops under 1 email account, that would work so much better than this.

So it started again. I was putting destash in MichellesCharmWorld and it was getting cluttered and messy. It was time to add on the Destash shop into my daily schedule and try and work with it. I now check in in the morning and renew, relist or list anything I have to bring up. I answer all my convos three times a day in that shop and still ship daily. It's rough keeping up with, but I recently hit 100 sales and haven't looked back. Keeping it fresh and updated seems to be the key. People don't want to buy from stale looking shops :)

Get out there, open those shops, dust the shelves and get a schedule going. It's not easy, but it's a necessary evil~ Also keep in mind another shop brings exposure to your current main shop!!

Do I Need 2 Shops? The Big Question!

Chunkalicious Plastic Chain by TheFunkyBeadnButton 5.00

I always hear, in the forums, do I need 2 shops? I hear it from everyone, including myself! I was a fan of the 2 shop process for a long time, but just didn't have the time to run 2 shops and my kids and my real life orders and custom orders.So I started adding my destash items into MichellesCharmWorld. The first thing I noticed? It became a cluttered mess and began to look like a giant yard sale! I make and sell button bracelets and necklaces at most of my craft shows, it's pretty much what i'm known for in the area.

Summer Surprises Button Bracelet by MichellesCharmWorld 40.00

So alot of my destash was buttons that I didn't use. I used bold, big and bright buttons, so I was destashing neutrals and golds and color pallettes that just didn't look right in my shop at all. I found I was renewing stuff just to move my destash off the front page. Sales started to slug a bit and I was wondering if it was because of my destash being on my front page or something of that sort. THEN I was starting the long process of getting ready for a big move and had to start destashing some of my very own goodies! So I knew there was a lot more to go. It was time for another shop.



To be continued...