I got my business cards in today!!
But now I am too darn tired to post you a picture!
So Sorry. Maybe tomorrow.
20 February 2009
16 February 2009
For Real....
I ordered business cards today...for real! :)
<--- Here it is! (Thanks Justin!!)
I'm excited. 500 of these little cuties are coming home to me in a short few days! 7-10!!
:)
13 February 2009
The Itch!
I am so close to opening things up!! Within a week to two weeks, surely! :)
I just so badly want to throw some stuff up there on my site....but I know that I'm not ready yet. Almost.
Yesterday I bought shipping packaging for my items and now they look all cute and professional. SO exciting. I also came up with ideas for like 20 more things and my living room has the proof...all neatly contained into one corner. So crazy.
Oh, and I never really ordered my business cards (!!!). I thought that I did, but I don't have them, the website has no record of me and my card was not charged...so I think that I didn't do it right, lol. SO, I went back to the drawing board and made a new banner (which I am still deciding if I like it) and I made a new business card that I haven't ordered yet (still deciding if I like the design).
I'm getting closer. And my heart is SO happy.
I just so badly want to throw some stuff up there on my site....but I know that I'm not ready yet. Almost.
Yesterday I bought shipping packaging for my items and now they look all cute and professional. SO exciting. I also came up with ideas for like 20 more things and my living room has the proof...all neatly contained into one corner. So crazy.
Oh, and I never really ordered my business cards (!!!). I thought that I did, but I don't have them, the website has no record of me and my card was not charged...so I think that I didn't do it right, lol. SO, I went back to the drawing board and made a new banner (which I am still deciding if I like it) and I made a new business card that I haven't ordered yet (still deciding if I like the design).
I'm getting closer. And my heart is SO happy.
04 February 2009
Today....
Today, I'm a little tired. It feels like I have been reading "how-tos" for just about forever. If I have to read one more article about policy, shipping, legal, and branding, etc, I think I just might puke.
Balance is a good thing to have in your life and I think I need a break.
I need to feel like my house is a house again, not just an art studio with stuff and ideas thrown everywhere. My house is chaos and I feel the same way...just unsettled working here. I love my ideas, I love having things out, but sometimes I just need a break.
So, I think I'm going to take a deep breath and do that!
Today I might lay on my bed and read, or clean the kitchen or empty the dishwasher, or just pick up all the artsy crap on my living room floor. You know, so I feel like I have a living room again.
And why, oh why and better yet, HOW does my kitchen floor collect crumbs so easily??
It truly amazes me.
Rest is good and is from the Lord.
Amen.
Balance is a good thing to have in your life and I think I need a break.
I need to feel like my house is a house again, not just an art studio with stuff and ideas thrown everywhere. My house is chaos and I feel the same way...just unsettled working here. I love my ideas, I love having things out, but sometimes I just need a break.
So, I think I'm going to take a deep breath and do that!
Today I might lay on my bed and read, or clean the kitchen or empty the dishwasher, or just pick up all the artsy crap on my living room floor. You know, so I feel like I have a living room again.
And why, oh why and better yet, HOW does my kitchen floor collect crumbs so easily??
It truly amazes me.
Rest is good and is from the Lord.
Amen.
02 February 2009
It's beginning!
Today at work, one of my friends brought a tote bag that I made her to work. Everyone loved it and they were all asking me to make them one! It made me SO excited!! I was able to tell them all about ADF Designs, show them my web page and basically build it up to all of them!!
I told them to wait a few weeks until I have my store up and then they can buy a custom bag from me! :) It's so exciting to see the Lord begin to move in all of this. I just know He's going to do amazing things from this all. I just can't wait to see where this will lead!!
Be blessed!!
I told them to wait a few weeks until I have my store up and then they can buy a custom bag from me! :) It's so exciting to see the Lord begin to move in all of this. I just know He's going to do amazing things from this all. I just can't wait to see where this will lead!!
Be blessed!!
31 January 2009
I got something done!
I just ordered business cards!
I am excited for them. I have been thinking for about two weeks now about the store name, logo, business card design, website/Etsy banner, Avatar, etc. I was having the hardest time, so I just buckled down and did it!
Last night I spent about 7 hours sitting, designing, redesigning and sighing. I made in total about 12 ideas for logo and design, picked one, and then made another approx 5 design variations of the one I did pick! I am now happy (for now) with the blog banner, blog set-up, Etsy site banner, Etsy avatar AND my business cards.
So now all that's left to do right now is wait for those beautiful cards to come in!
Oh, and you know....post something to sell on my shop!
I am excited for them. I have been thinking for about two weeks now about the store name, logo, business card design, website/Etsy banner, Avatar, etc. I was having the hardest time, so I just buckled down and did it!
Last night I spent about 7 hours sitting, designing, redesigning and sighing. I made in total about 12 ideas for logo and design, picked one, and then made another approx 5 design variations of the one I did pick! I am now happy (for now) with the blog banner, blog set-up, Etsy site banner, Etsy avatar AND my business cards.
So now all that's left to do right now is wait for those beautiful cards to come in!
Oh, and you know....post something to sell on my shop!
The Beginning
So whoever said that starting a small business was hard was not kidding!
But let me take you from the beginning.
ahem.
In western Pennsylvania, there was a small dark haired child born to a red-headed mama and an Italian daddy. This child blossomed, grew, drove her parents crazy, and generally would attack most any project as if she could not fail. While she was growing she watched her mama craft art and grew to love it as much as her beautiful mama.
Eventually this child grew to a teenager, then to an woman with a love and passion for all things art. However, this child was no stranger to reality and decided to purse a career in pediatric nursing so she could buy food. Oftentimes she would sketch and doodle an idea in her sketchbook and pray for a chance to rekindle her love for the art once again.
Although this woman loved her life, knew she was loved by Jesus and cherished by many, she began to feel rather boxed in, like she was stuck. Then about 6 months ago, Jesus in his ultimate wisdom and kindness reached down and whispered into her ear, "What if....?"
"What if you actually made what you drew, created what you love and had faith in me to step out where you've always dreamed of going?"
The woman could not believe her ears, but she could believe the Lord, so she started to make what she saw in her head, create the before unimagined and generally just had a bunch of fun messing around with scraps of everything. The motto? "I can do that!"
Then, a mere 4 weeks ago, she felt the whisper, "It's time." So, with a slightly quivering lip and a joy filled heart, she stepped out into the unknown and started her Etsy shop.
As you all know, that woman is me and I feel incredibly lucky to be where I am at in my life. I owe all I am, do and create to the Lord. He is the ultimate artist, the lover of my soul, my best friend, and the One who knows how to do everything. Amazing. He is the one that I trust and the one whom I lay it down to every night. I give up control to Him and let Him work. I am never disappointed.
BUT, that is not to say that it has been easy. RATHER, this has been hard! My Etsy shop is still in the newborn stages, but so far I've already had trouble with pictures being deleted, finding out my store name gets buried in a Google search, having to retake and reedit photos, designing a logo, researching, buying business cards, and trying to learn all the economics, numbers and spreadsheet necessary to run a business from your home. Amazing how much stuff you have to know!
Yet, however hard it is, I wouldn't trade this for the world. I am having so much fun and am learning to just lay it all at His feet and trust Him. I can do nothing good apart from Him and He is trustworthy and faithful. The best kind of business partner.
So, I invite you to share in my journey here! Sign up to follow this blog, add me to your Google reader and you will be able journey with me as I set up and open a shop. You will also get to see the items I create before they are posted to Etsy and before long, I will be posting all kinds of design and craft tips and instructions. So, there is something in it for you! :)
Thank you all for your support and I am excited to see where this takes me!
Feel free to contact me with any questions!
Be blessed!
But let me take you from the beginning.
ahem.
In western Pennsylvania, there was a small dark haired child born to a red-headed mama and an Italian daddy. This child blossomed, grew, drove her parents crazy, and generally would attack most any project as if she could not fail. While she was growing she watched her mama craft art and grew to love it as much as her beautiful mama.
Eventually this child grew to a teenager, then to an woman with a love and passion for all things art. However, this child was no stranger to reality and decided to purse a career in pediatric nursing so she could buy food. Oftentimes she would sketch and doodle an idea in her sketchbook and pray for a chance to rekindle her love for the art once again.
Although this woman loved her life, knew she was loved by Jesus and cherished by many, she began to feel rather boxed in, like she was stuck. Then about 6 months ago, Jesus in his ultimate wisdom and kindness reached down and whispered into her ear, "What if....?"
"What if you actually made what you drew, created what you love and had faith in me to step out where you've always dreamed of going?"
The woman could not believe her ears, but she could believe the Lord, so she started to make what she saw in her head, create the before unimagined and generally just had a bunch of fun messing around with scraps of everything. The motto? "I can do that!"
Then, a mere 4 weeks ago, she felt the whisper, "It's time." So, with a slightly quivering lip and a joy filled heart, she stepped out into the unknown and started her Etsy shop.
As you all know, that woman is me and I feel incredibly lucky to be where I am at in my life. I owe all I am, do and create to the Lord. He is the ultimate artist, the lover of my soul, my best friend, and the One who knows how to do everything. Amazing. He is the one that I trust and the one whom I lay it down to every night. I give up control to Him and let Him work. I am never disappointed.
BUT, that is not to say that it has been easy. RATHER, this has been hard! My Etsy shop is still in the newborn stages, but so far I've already had trouble with pictures being deleted, finding out my store name gets buried in a Google search, having to retake and reedit photos, designing a logo, researching, buying business cards, and trying to learn all the economics, numbers and spreadsheet necessary to run a business from your home. Amazing how much stuff you have to know!
Yet, however hard it is, I wouldn't trade this for the world. I am having so much fun and am learning to just lay it all at His feet and trust Him. I can do nothing good apart from Him and He is trustworthy and faithful. The best kind of business partner.
So, I invite you to share in my journey here! Sign up to follow this blog, add me to your Google reader and you will be able journey with me as I set up and open a shop. You will also get to see the items I create before they are posted to Etsy and before long, I will be posting all kinds of design and craft tips and instructions. So, there is something in it for you! :)
Thank you all for your support and I am excited to see where this takes me!
Feel free to contact me with any questions!
Be blessed!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
