All things Littleput

It's official! (I'm outta here....)

2008-03-08T13:23:00.000-08:00

I'm a moving! :) In the next few days I will have all my goodies & tips on my new littleput.typepad.com blog. I've also got a great 6 piece article coming out on "how Etsy really works" in the next few days. (So c'mon by!)

While I have some concerns about losing traffic and exposure from starting over I think typepad is a more creative fit and I am excited to see what it can do for me :)

So bookmark me, add me to your blog lines, ping, pong and technorati if you're interested. I look forward to seeing you there!

&hearts Ryan *girl* Aka Littleput.

http://littleput.typepad.com in case you missed it.

How to Make a Scrabble Tile Pendant with Me :)

2008-01-02T08:04:00.000-08:00

Click Me for Scrabble Tile Tutorial Information

or,

Visit my typepad blog for all sorts of cool-ness-ness.

Littleput.Typepad.com

Coming soon....

2007-09-05T08:38:00.000-07:00

I wanted to put a piece on my blog about a new product I am getting ready lo launch. I am so excited about this new jewelry I just couldn't wait to share :O). I am out of "prototype" phase and moving carefully into creating a varried and beautiful line of these newest items. I'm thrilled with them (they've been a long time coming) and hope to launch a full line sometime in the next 7 days. Those of you who'd like to be notified about these via e-mail please sign up for my mailing list in the side bar below. There will be some give aways and promos as well, I feel like celebrating! :O). I'll be posting the launch on the here on the blog too so check back if you're interested.

Happy Wednesday~

Studio Shot Tuesday!

2007-09-04T06:59:00.001-07:00

Ooooooooooo what a mess! This is normally my shipping table (which I need to do today) but I've been working on some new ideas and with creativity comes disaster.... Oh well. To see notes on this photo click here or share your own studio shots join our flickr group, click here. Happy Tuesday, off to work I go!

Back to School.....

2007-09-03T22:02:00.000-07:00

It is IMPOSSIBLE to be a top seller on Etsy and have a 6 year old shadow all day long. It has been wonderful to have a taste of full time mom again, the forts, the baked bread, the pictures and glitter coated art tables, the 1000000 books read back to front to back again. It has been a delight to just be a mom but my business is piling up around my ears :). Those sweet few hours a day where I can focus on my work, my imagination or just be a goof in the forums are so important to my adult self. I am looking forward to the bitter-sweet start of school, it will be nice to have that balance again.

Portland Saturday Market~

2007-09-02T08:45:00.000-07:00

I took some time yesterday to visit my old stomping grounds,
Portland Saturday Market. I could not have started my business without many hard and sweet hours as a vendor there. It is a mash of noise, art, laughter and music. The artisans are without a doubt some of the most talented, creative and kind people I've ever met. Its been wonderful to make the transition from struggling art market vendor to doing rather well on Etsy but it has been hard to leave the camaraderie of the PSM community. I miss everyone dearly. I don't get a lot of free time, especially kid free time so the few hours I spent by myself yesterday chatting with my old friends was just a bit of heaven. Of course, you cannot stop by the market without shopping just a smidge. My good friends Vince and Sabrina make the most incredible pottery.

I had to pick up these lovely tea bowls and a handful of their amazing leaf plates.

--------------------------
The Vendors of Saturday Market may be losing their home. They're not highly regarded by the city planning commission and may very well be bumped from their spot at the end of 2007. There isn't much I can do but encourage all of you living in or visitng Portland to stop by, get some amazing art and let the City Council know that the market is an icon, a community and treasure to Portland that should not be paved over by high priced development.

(I have to say to Cathy, thank you so much for your kind words yesterday, I was so flattered and touched by your support!)

Tips for selling your work wholesale.

2007-08-29T07:57:00.000-07:00

Photo Courtesy of awesome photo-grapher Randymir.
etsy.com (I bet he sells wholesale!)

Part a.
It is not uncommon for stores to seek out artists on Etsy. If I were a shop owner it would be the first place I'd look. If you do get a request for prices and such in your Etsy convo box here are a few simple things to keep in mind.

1. Your wholesale price does not have to be half of your shop price. It is *better* business if your Etsy-retail is equal to shop retail price but many store owners understand that we undersell ourselves online. My wholesale on my accordion books is $3.50 and my etsy retail is $4.60 and people do order them.

2. Always set a minimum first purchase, i.e., I have people buy 15 pendants for their first order or 12 accordion books, 6 journals.... (this has gone up as my work has become more valuable).

3. My prices are set both for wholesale and bulk discount, if you don't own a shop but want 30 of my pendants you are welcome to them. Who you sell to is up to you, a tax id or state license number is an important thing to get if you only want to work with retail.

4. If your shop wants a custom order tailor-made and you don't feel as though you can resell the line make them pay upfront in full, before you buy materials and start working. Never make anything that is not marketable to your audience without payment first.

5. You can run a wholesale "sale" through etsy by, 1. Creating a reserve listing for the buyer or 2. Allowing them to "buy" their items directly from your shop and sending an adjusted invoice. You will have to pay full etsy fees if you do the latter but often it is worth it to allow your shopper to "choose" their inventory.

6. Please never ever consign via the internet, never ship without full payment (shipping included) and don't undersell yourself. Make sure you get a decent minimum purchase, you don't want to spend hours putting something together and only make $5.00. Additionally if someone wants a sample, make them buy it and then credit their purchase towards a wholesale order. This is good business, shows you are professional *and keeps you from being ripped off.

Part b.
If you are ready to seek our retail or consignment shops there are a few things to keep in mind as well. Firstly I really encourage that you only consign with shops that look reputable and that are in your area. Make sure they pay a minimum of 50% to you (many do 60/40, 60 to the artist) and sign a contract with your inventory on it and method/date of payment. I dislike consignment, it is risky but it can be a great way to start out. If you can, use the consignment shops as advertising for your Etsy shop, put tags and business cards on everything!

Onto wholesale....
To catch the local market you can call and make appointments to meet the buyers or if you're bold and silly like me, just drop in. I have spent many days walking around with a basket of accordion books and popping into stores unannounced. I made sure they looked beautiful and curious and was able to sell many from the basket right on the spot. Some shops are really open to this while others were quite put out by my intrusion. I say go for it but don't be offended if people dislike your approach and if you want to be professional call ahead and schedule a time to be seen. Be sure to approach shops that sell like-minded items, you want it to be a good match and not a waste of time.

What to bring to a meeting with a buyer:
1. You can print out Poster of your work and bring in a collection of samples for them to order from. Know your time frame (how long it will take to fill) and set a date for delivery when the shop owner/manager is in (never leave your product with a clerk). You can also bring enough inventory for them to choose on the spot (depending on what you make). Do what ever you can to make your work presentable; jewelers box, baskets, velvet displays.... You want to show them what it will look like in their store, all lovingly displayed.

2. Have a price sheet. Some designers offer breakdown by quantity or product line. Have it typed out neatly and keep it simple, give them only the information they need and nothing more, confusion often kills the sale. If you can, put a few photos of you work with your prices, it gives buyers a visual if they want time to think it over.

3. You can offer a discount for outright purchase vs. net 30. Net 30 is a term stores use when buying, it means they pay you 30 days after they receive your product. This is very common and don't let it concern you (if you've picked a reputable shop). I usually give 10% off the order if they buy outright, this helps close the sale and puts money in my pocket immediately.

4. Be confident. Stores need you as much as you need them. Go in knowing what you want to sell, how much you want to sell it for and what you'll take as your bottom price. Don't haggle but do offer the retailers a few options. If you're willing to cater an order to their shop ask questions, finding out what they want is the best way to close a sale.

To attract wholesale inquiries on Etsy simply put "wholesale welcome" in your shop title, announcement or (as I've just seen suggested) in your tags. I have a photo catalogue on Flickr that brings focus to my line. I also have a standard reply that helps close the sale (well I did before I hired a distributor) and I am happy to send it to you via convos, just ask. (ps you can find your own distributor by going to gift shows and finding people selling multiple lines, if you need more information about this comment below and I'll write a new post later on).

Good luck everyone! Have fun with it and don't get discouraged, not all shops will buy from you but you may end up with a few stores that are a perfect match and re-order constantly.

Studio Shot Tuesday!

2007-08-28T10:53:00.001-07:00

Many Many Slide Top Tins.... (I'm grearing up for the holidays?) I made over 300 of these yesterday, phew, talk about being covered in paper. :O)

Join our Flikr group Here and share or view studio shots and current projects.

Happy Tuesday!

No More Bunny Photos!

2007-08-26T08:31:00.000-07:00

Except maybe a few :). I had to share this one as it apparently got tagged for flickrs Explore section (where they list interesting photos from the past 7 days). I can't seem to find it myself but that is soooo cool, 'cause I was just sitting here thinking it was so back lit that I really missed the moment. Apparently I didn't :).

Gone Completely Wrong~

2007-08-25T08:36:00.000-07:00

There is nothing in me that wants to wake up to the sad words from a very kind customer stating that I made her custom album in the wrong color, with the wrong number of pages. Nothing. Adding to the stress of the major flub on my part is the fact that her wedding is in 1 week, in Canada. I can and will make a new album, two if needed, and I can and will find a way to get it there in time so that my error has no impact on her wedding. Whatever it takes, I know that I can fix this and I will but still, how could it all go so completely wrong?

A shout out for PDX

2007-08-24T16:18:00.000-07:00

Some of my good friends here in Portland are participating in a Buy On Get One Free sale (bogo) in on Etsy this weekend. For a list of participating shops, there are some FANTASTIC artists here, please click below.

PDX BOGO SALE AUG 25th & 26th

I'm sure you'll find something amazing, go have a look-see (grin)!

For those of you who want info on my up and coming end of the summer sale please sign up for my mailing list (in the sidebar).

For now, go get yourself some summer bogos *and tell them I sent you if you do :)

Ryan *girl*

The Best Seat in the House~

2007-08-23T08:41:00.000-07:00

It is not very often that it is warm enough in or my son sleeps in long enough for me to enjoy a cup of coffee from my deck. But I am here now, writing this post. It is the best feeling to start my work day with sunshine, fresh air, a cup of coffee and a few moments to myself. This won't last, I think I hear people stirring already..... but when a day starts like this it seems impossible that many things will go wrong.

:O)

(I'll let you know if they do!)

Studio Shot Tuesday!

2007-08-21T09:53:00.000-07:00

My cutting Table.

This photo is for the new blog and flickr group here that links photos of artists studios and or current projects. As you can see I am knee deep in scrabble these days and need to do some cleaning. To see comments on this photo you can view it on my flikr account. To join the group click the link above and or post your studio photo in your blog and comment below. No rules to what you can post, just no cleaning :O)

(sorry for the mess!)

Mailing List!

2007-08-20T11:47:00.001-07:00

(I swear I am not in any of those photos!)

Thanks in part to Andy Mathis and Jean-Marie, DaisyCakes Soap I have a new mailing list sign up here on my blog. (On the side bar below the tips) (YAY) I hate mail spam and will never put people on it that aren't interested and NEVER give away or sell your email addresses ever! Additionally I will only be sending out one every few weeks, containing blog tutorial links, new product announcements and/or blog hosted sales information. You can subscribe at the little inbox below and easily take yourself off the list by following the email link.

I feel so business like and professional :)

20,000 pictures!

2007-08-19T08:37:00.000-07:00

Up until this very week I have shot photographs of each and every pendant listed in my shop individually. With more than 2500 pendants made and listed and an average of 8 photos per pendant that is 20,000 plus pictures in under a year. Yikes!

I have *just* started developing lines of streamline prints, ones that I can replicate fairly easily and can relist, without loading up the camera, lugging around the light table and waiting for the sunshine :O). I have a funny thing about putting my absolute best forward and honestly it has been very hard for me to accept that my customers will be okay with replicas of an $11 item (its not like I am Michael Angelo). Japanese papers are very intricate and many of them I will never be able to duplicate, however I am looking forward to adding about 20 styles that can always replenish my shop without all the time it takes to get the perfect photo. For those of you who only want 100% one of a kind, the replicas will have "Because each pendant is made by hand they may very slightly from the one pictured in this listing." in each listing (or something to that effect). Much of my stock will remain ever changing which also satisfies my need for creating the perfect Etsy store.

Something Cheerier :) Or not?

2007-08-17T12:16:00.000-07:00

This is my rabbit. He is the cutest thing that ever hopped in the whole wide world. He is so cute that all I want to do all day long is pick him up and cuddle him and squeeze him (gently). He hates this.
Really its all his fault for being so cutely irresistable, yet I am the one who suffers. I call him, "Rabbit, rabbit" and he runs and hides, I try to bribe him with celery and watermelon rhindes and he just flicks his feet at me, he is not a fan and will not be bought. Oh rabbit, I love you so, why do you taunt me with your adorable-ist-ness-ness? Won't you please come sniff my ankles?

Thank you!

2007-08-17T08:44:00.000-07:00

A HUGE thank you to all who helped me yesterday! You thread bumpers rule! :) In total we raised $640 which is just amazing. Many people live on less than $1 a day, $620 can rebuild a home, help build a school or provide clean water for 60 families.

You have all done such an amazing thing to help me with this. I am so grateful!

I made the donation to Unicef Peru, I really hope this helps many many people!

Ryan*

Peru.

2007-08-16T09:23:00.000-07:00

As many of you know my husband is from Peru. We lived there for 6 months in 2006. Many people there are so incredibly poor it is astounding. Yet they smile, laugh, play, and so many of them would gratefully open thier lives and share what they have with you. There really aren't words to describe the selfless hearts of the people of this country, just watching how they live fully with no more than food and shelter made me a better person in a thousand ways.

Last night a large earthquake struck the central coast line of Peru. I am here, in the US and every piece of me aches to fly down and pull children from the rubble. I cannot do a thing right now but share this information with you and hope you will join me in sending aid and prayers to this amazing country and its people. I will be donating 100% of my shop sales today and matching that ammount from my savings in an effort to help. If there is something in my shop you've had your eye on please help me by purchasing it today. If you'd rather donate directly I'll be posting links of relief organizations as I find them. You can read more about it here New York Times

Donate to unicef Here
Donate to Direct Relief Here
I am so sad.

The Spam Scam

2007-08-15T09:02:00.000-07:00

HELLO,

I love to come and see the JEWELRY in person Unfortunatelly i am not chanced,Cuz am presently out of the country for now. I am in UNITED KINDOM, i just see the jewelry at craigslist and i love to buy it.So i deside to buy it from here, then i can come and pick it up when i am back to the state befor someone els buy the jewelry.i came to see my mum in UK she was involed in auto accident and that affected her brain. I am an international model, open minded person,and i will be very happy if you can be honest with me on this. i will like to know the price of the jewelry and i will like to know the method of payment.
Best Regard Brandy

_________

It does help that she is an international model and that she is openminded. Wonder which state? Poor mom and her brain.

Studio Shot Tuesday!

2007-08-14T07:55:00.000-07:00

I think my favorite part of artist interviews are the photos of thier studios. I'm starting studio shot Tuesdays and inviting everyone with a camera and a blog or Flickr account to share Tuesday photos of your work space or what you are working on. You can join the Flikr group Here or add photos to your blog and comment on Etsy threads or on the weekly blog post. Have fun and NO cleaning! :D

How To Make a Single Signature Book

2007-08-12T11:41:00.000-07:00

This post has moved to my new typepad blog HERE.

Sorry for any trouble.

:)

You can find a slew of new tips and information so please do poke around if you stop by :)

&hearts
Littleput

I can't cook

2007-08-11T07:02:00.000-07:00

I recently posted a survey about why people read blogs and most common response was for the recipes. Well, I don't cook, not even a smigdity smidge. I've tried it and even thought it was fun but then I tasted what I was making and well, I am a lot better at peanut butter than pad thai. Yes, my wonderful son is growing up on organic frozen burritos, pasta, hard boiled eggs and sandwiches. I'd love to be a fabulous kitchen aficionado, not to mention one of those "dinner time" moms, but I'm not. I have accepted my fate as a pot boiled over and burnt rice kind of gal. And my son has grown quite fond of my microwave skills, poor kid. If I have you over for dinner I promise to order take out. :O)

Its Friday!!!!!

2007-08-10T13:11:00.001-07:00

So I am going to share my new listing idea with you. The Littleput Top 10 . In an effort to cull some of the overtime I am trying new ways to list pendants with out re-taking each photo. I get shoppers that buy chunks of pendants and until now I've had no way to offer a bulk discount. I love the idea of sending a collection of my favorite so the package is a cuteness surprise. Who knows if this will sell but it sure looks pretty in my shop!

Happy Friday all :O)

Balance

2007-08-08T11:22:00.000-07:00

There is a catch to running your own business and that is being consumed by it. I live, breathe and even dream Etsy. Finding a way to balance my life is my biggest challenge right now. My job never leaves my side, even when I am taking time away from my studio or my computer it is always sneaking thoughts into my head: Which orders need to be dealt with, did I sell any thing, did I not sell anything, what needs to be listed, shipped, cared for, made, re-ordered, replied to, photographed, repaired and so on. I am constantly on Etsy alert. This month I am forcing a slow down, I have to have more in my life then a few hours with my son and the rest given to the internet. I am doing well with my business and don't need to work all the time just to be on the top for the day :O). I am taking the first step by removing custom album listings for a while. I love to make them but the time involved in each one is time I need to give back to myself right now. I also need to balance business with creativity, something I miss out on a lot these days. I will be taking the time to make more of my own album and journal designs as this is my true love. I look forward to seeing if I can let go of my competitive side and relax my stride a bit, goodness knows I will need to be rested well for the holidays.

Ryan *girl*

My family is growing....

2007-08-05T21:09:00.000-07:00

Miles (kid) and I adopted a bunny foo foo today for Miles' 6th birthday. We went to get a dog after falling in love with some K9s we were sitting this week but there were no dogs that fit all our doggy needs and little cuddle butt here just needed to be mine, eh, Miles'. He comes home after he gets neutered and then you know this blog will be bunny nose 24/7 :()) Only thing, bunnies eat paper..... uh. Uh? I have some remodeling to do.

:)

Selling outside of the US to the US.

2007-08-05T10:45:00.000-07:00

A few quick tips to (hopefully) help international sellers everywhere increase thier market.

1. List expected delivery time to Eu, Au & Us in your shop announcement, plain & clear for all to see.

2.Put your exact location, city & country. Like you don't know where Spokane is, we don't know where Kildare is.

3. If you've taken classes, recieved a degree or are teaching something be sure to put that information out there as well (a simple recieved my masters at blah blah can give you credibiltiy to the people suspicious of buying overseas).

4. Be sure to offer reasonable shipping, try to keep it honest & give discounts where possible.

5. Promote in your own country or near by ones. Do what you can to make etsy global.

6. Tap into your national & religious holidays:
A. It teaches people about your culture & a lot of us US people are culture junkies.
B. It will increase your local sales
C. If people have traveled there won't they be surprised to find a memory of thier trip in your shop, they will buy & will be back.

I hope this helps!

Ryan *girl*

Todays Pendant Brought to you by....

2007-08-02T08:48:00.000-07:00

The color orange :) I just love them so..... & especially this vertigo print, its sooooo warm and orange-y. I've been having troube keeping up with my pendant section lately but I am working on it todaaaaaaaaay.

A smidge about branding....

2007-08-01T22:38:00.000-07:00

It doesn't take much to stand out and be original, especially if you have a good idea. My friend Lea Keohane & I are concocting ways to make her shop a hip happening Etsy spot. I've got a thing for funky packaging & extra cuteness (duh) and suggested she use boxes to make her very cool wares more even more vivacious. The addition of a "title" to her pendants (from "hand drawn art pendant" to things like "Her Heart is found") has really given them the spice they need.

Before

Hand Drawn Art Pendant

After

Be Still and Listen

Doesn't it make all the difference???

A blog filled day!

2007-07-31T14:30:00.000-07:00

Wow. Its not often that my work gets blogged about & never in 2 amazing blogs on the very same day. I'm all a-glow :O)

Please check out the most kind and flattering article on Roomsomewere.blogspot.com. Its really a flattering showcase of myself and many other Etsy artists. Great blog and an amazing collection of talent, what an honor!!!

Thank you!

Ooo Modish

2007-07-31T09:38:00.001-07:00

I like blogs, especially when they feature me :O) You can see the article Here Its short & sweet and has lots of links to my shop & that is just dandy! Thanks modish :)

Looks sweet doesn't it?

2007-07-29T17:49:00.000-07:00

Well, it wasn't!

Blech.

:O)

It is okay to promote yourself (taken from tips blog)

2007-07-28T12:56:00.000-07:00

The opportune placement of a Moo card, the number holder at Boudine Bakery. You never know who might sit in the booth next.

Self promotion is probably the hardest part of this job. No one wants to be pushy about their work and more so no one wants thier work to be rejected. I have gotten to the point in my career that I liken my small business to a big one, I have to. And in order to be part of the big business world I have no other choice then to tell the world that I exist. I promote often & without shame. I want people to know they have a choice, they can shop at some poorly managed bad for the environment hot and smelly retail store or they can log on to Etsy and buy something hand made and support people who are supporting themselves. This is how I get over that lump in my throat and break through my shyness. I mean, really, where would you rather shop, Etsy or Walmart?

Do these eyes look tired to you?

2007-07-27T07:07:00.000-07:00

Or eye rather? My cat picked a fight (maybe he was egged on) at 4:30 this morning & I have been up since. Its bad timing as I have many many things to do today & there is currently a fruit fly in my coffee :{. I'm pretty good at functioning tired, maybe I'll get all my work done now & go back to bed :O) Off I go!

Is this cheating?

2007-07-24T20:34:00.000-07:00

Etsy has a new poster making tool, Here You are supposed to make posters to submit for the Etsy poster contest. I will some day but for now I used the tool to make a poster of my work that I am printing up & sending into magazines & putting on grocery store bulletin boards.
It works really well & looks very proffessional, everyone cross your fingers that it will work for me & if you sell on Etsy you should go make your own! *cheaters love company :O).

Feeling Rather Blue......

2007-07-24T09:49:00.000-07:00

I am absolutley in LOVE with this butterfly print I bought this paper in San Francisco & cutting it into usable sheets made my fingers hurt. It does make the most beautiful album & I am so pleased (I got over the cutting pangs pretty quicky!)

No Bones About It

2007-07-22T09:14:00.001-07:00

Its been a good week. I got a lot done & even made a new line of Journals . The skeleton paper makes me laugh, its funny how I could love something that I would probably never buy for myself :) It does give my shop a new look & I kind of like it.

OoOoOoO

2007-07-17T20:35:00.001-07:00

I made a pretty treasury!

I love Etsy, way too much :O)!

The Spam Scam...

2007-07-17T09:43:00.000-07:00

Brought to you by Craigs List :O)

Hello,
I will like to purchase your eye-catching jewelry.I will also like to get a picture of the jewelry as well as the price.My name is Hanna krueger,I am 54 years and I have 4 lovely kids,I want to buy the jewelry for my eldest daughter so reply ASAP if the jewelry is still up for sale.
Best Regards
Hanna Krueger.

________________

Well since its for your Eldest Daughter okay, but you'd better not share with the younger ones!

HA!

Introducing!!!!!

2007-07-16T19:25:00.001-07:00

My new intern!!!!!!! Nicole from

Soloartworks.etsy.com

has just joined the littleput team! She'll be around once or twice a week helping me with wholesale orders, organization & if ever, drama :O) I am really glad shes agreed to help out, it will be great to have her here dealing with the mundane while I get to make cool new stuff for Etsy :). Check out her shop, I hope she'll stick around for a bit but her work is fantastic, she may be off and running before I can say boo!

Welcome Nicole!!!!!

oooo New :)

2007-07-15T19:56:00.000-07:00

Rings & Rings & Rings.

I am soooo excited to announce the launch of my new rings that the first 10 people who reply here will get free rings, just beacause!!!!!

Comment in the box & then send me a

convo

with your address & favorite color, be sure to wear them proudly!

Littleput has launched her new line!

New! York! :O)

2007-07-12T09:02:00.000-07:00

I get to teach a marketing class at the Etsy Labs and I am darn tooten excited! I've been a few times when I was younger but this will be the first trip with purpose. I can't wait to meet everyone, see the labs and say thank you to the creators of this awesome website that lets me make a living playing with paper :O)

The class info is Here Its going to be a 2 & 1/2 hour workshop and hopefully I'll be able to give some sound advice to people who attend. The following day there is a trunk show, I haven't a clue what to bring to that....

See people, I told you its been busy :)

SO FRICKEN EXCITED!!!!!

:O)

Hello Blog!

2007-07-11T07:53:00.001-07:00

Everything has been so busy & up in the air lately & I have missed you sweet blog :). My kind & wonderful family have offered to help pay for my son to attend an alternative education private school (waldorf style). He has a number of unusual disablities & is already an outsider in public school. When we heard we were accepted I cried. We've tried to apply him to 4 other schools & were rejected. It seems cruel that the children who need it the most get turned away because they do indeed, need it. But we did get in to this lovely school and I am soo glad and a bit more overwhelmed, the tuition is close to $8000 a year. My family has offered to pay half and I am so grateful for thier help. Now I just need to make up the rest & I can, I am just trying to figure out how :).

Orange

2007-07-05T00:39:00.000-07:00

Orange lights up my bedrom. Its morning, barely. My eyelids are heavy. The orange charge light on my computer has turned green, bright & ready green, more ready than I am. I blink a few times and open my laptop, I am still in bed. I hit refresh. New page, the number 4 glares red, 4 convos, 4 people need something. Grumble. It is too early to need, don't they know my eyes are barely open yet? I want to be cranky. I can't be cranky, 4 convos always feel better than none, unless 3 of them are about missing packages & the last one is someone asking how I make my pendants. The number of shop items hasn't changed, nothing sold while I was asleep but the convos mean something will, eventually. I click the fat orange Etsy rectangle, front page. Am I there? Are you? Is it pretty or funky or covered in toilets? My eyelids are still heavy, I blink again and get up to make coffee. My day started out orange and there is little doubt that it will end that way. :O)

The Spam Scam...

2007-07-02T07:37:00.000-07:00

Brought to you by Craigs List :O)

Hello,
my name is linda smith my best freind is doing a wedding next week and i want a lovely kit for her ,so she can look gorgious,i wont be able to come and take alook at the jewelries but am sure its cool i will have a shipper who will be coming there picking it up after my mode of payment is cool by you and after i have pay you off not forget that i will include the shipper money to the money i will be paying you,can you get back to me with the last offer.
The mode of paymnet you prefer?
Usualy i prefer paying you by paypall if its ok with you get back to me with the present condition of the goods,and the information needed to pay you up...bye. hope to read from you soonest..bye.

____________________
Ohh please please can you send your shipper to come get them, maybe they can help me get caught up on some of these orders...

Marshmellows anyone???

2007-06-24T22:01:00.000-07:00

*not my photo but I wish it were...

Tomorrow, bright & early Miles (scrub), Elsie (dog) & I are loading up into our funky borrowed Vanagon. For the first time in Littleput.etsy history I am taking a vacation, no computer, no packing slips & NO CONVOS :O) I can't be gone long (and I do have to make a few scrabble journals on the way) but even 36 hours without my lap top will be a wonderous thing. I will be posting all about it when I return, hopefully with some photos as cool as the one above.

Happy Monday! Hold down the fort for me wouldja?

Ooooooooooooooooooo

2007-06-17T22:37:00.000-07:00

Lovely Leah of Leahpellegrini.etsy.com has made me my new favorite thing, a huge mobile in orange, red & shades of blue. This photo is of Leah installing it in my back yard. Now I can watch it spin and twist from my studio window. (YAY) Her work is exquisite, fun, playful and just makes my whole dang day!
I will add more photos soon but for now I reccomend you get your own Mini Mobi <---this one is the same color as my large one (yum). She has an endless rainbow collection of glass available so if your red and blues aren't your palate you've got plenty of options. And, if you are just waiting for that highly exquisite piece of large & fabulous active art you can buy yourself a custom made big one as well! Leahs large glass mobils.

There is nothing like spinning colors of wonderful to make a dreary Portland day glow! Thanks Leah, I am in love with my mobil, you've made my new favorite thing and that is going to be a hard act to follow!

Is your Haim on Fire?

2007-06-13T13:09:00.000-07:00

Mine is.

If you've been having trouble with your Haim catching fire lately I reccomend a good blog read. Reading blogs that talk about haim fires can really take the edge off the burn. Once your haim fire has been extinguished is reccomended that you proceed to the forums to post about missing views and over priced listing fees. Any complaing really keeps the swelling down. This is a medical fact!

Good luck and may your tinders keep you warm.

Ms. Littleput Books

Bunny Rabbit!

2007-06-11T09:57:00.000-07:00

Front Page Bunny Treasury! This is from last weekend and it is just beautiful, what a great treasury and what an honor to be featured in it. A total Day Maker!

Spam of the Week!

2007-06-10T17:42:00.000-07:00

The scam spam!

As many of you know I post a lot of adds on Craigs list. These often generate unusual contacts from people wishing to buy my jewelries. And now for your reading pleasure I present the first scam spam of the week!

Hello.
I saw the advert of your Jeweries in craigslist placed for sell on the web page,Am glad to contact you about the sales of this Jeweries , and if there is any problem that may need to take care before the pick-up of the Jeweries; Also i will want you to get back to me with your last asking price, pics for closer look as well a The shipment would be a responsibility of mine as I have a shipping agent who will schedule pick up from you as soon as you confirm the receipt of payment. I shall be making the payment cashier check. Let me know if you are willing to sell the Jeweries to me and please let me have your full name, address and phone number so that I can make out payment in your name immediately.I look forward to a mutually satisfying business dealing with you. Have a great day and stay blessed.

Thanks
willys

A hard offer to turn down, dontcha think?

Kidding!

Portland Etsy ~Rain~ Market

2007-06-10T09:54:00.001-07:00

A brave few came to visit and revel in our Etsy glory, it was wet but it wasn't a total bust.

Miles (my son) stayed up late with me the night before. 5 year olds are great helpers!

We got an early start and even had time to make up promo packets before the deluge.

I shared a booth with my good friends (and awesome Etsians) Mary Prettythingsjewelry and Leah LeahPellegrini

Dont we look beautiful together!

Adrienne from Mmmfiber was kind enough to lend us her umbrella, which we huddled under most of the day, it was cozy?

Our Neighborhood which included Leakarts,

(little miss in the photo and another good friend)

Pearlygray

Cutegirlcreations

and a host of other amazing Etsians.
All in all it was very wet but fun to meet the faces behind the avatars and see the products in person.

Of course, by the time it was over we all looked a lot like this.....

Coming Soon To an Etsy Shop Near you :O)

2007-06-07T17:05:00.000-07:00

Its been a busy week, as I am preparing for the Etsy show featuring Porltand artists. (*Downtown PDX, Saturday 8-5 by the farmers market, come say Hi!) In between sewing albums and folding accordion books, I've been making fresh and fantastic pendants from my new papers. I've taken photos of 25 sets (most new) that I'll be listing in my Pendant Section over the next few days. I am really looking forward to meeting the other Portland Etsy vendors and spending some time selling in the sunshine. I'll be sure to post photos and tell you all about it!

Overstock???

2007-06-07T16:12:00.000-07:00

I was recently contacted by Andre at worldstock.com. They want to sell my pendants a quite a mark up and a great price to me. The money is good but if I sell to them I wont have time for my smaller retail shops. After a long loud debate in my head I have decided to turn them down. I love my job and large scale retail could drive the love right out of littleput books.
Anyhow, if any of you crafty peeps are up for some major retail, I've got a contact now so let me know. It *was* flattering, thats for sure :O)

Fresh!

2007-06-04T14:28:00.000-07:00

One of many new pendant styles to emerge from my fantasic trip to the bay area! Off to list one now :O)

Links to Portland Etsy Sellers.

2007-06-01T11:20:00.000-07:00

Kspell Flavorfull Jewelry and pretty bits

Ahhh, Home

2007-05-31T18:57:00.000-07:00

If you are trying to make it as an artist going away from home is just about the worst thing you can do to your business. Sure, travel is nice and the inspiration that comes from seeing new places is invaluable. However coming back and getting back to work is just about as easy as getting sleep with a newborn. Between spending half my day catching up on forum drama (ha) and the other half trying to figure out what project is the one I really need to be focusing on I feel completely lost, super tired and ready to head back to the bay area for more free sushi! (Thanks mom). I am easing my way back into the rhythm of littleput life and my overflowing flat files (paper drawers) are urging me to get creating. (I have made some gorgeous new album covers (yay). I figure 4 days of out of townness buys me at least 5 days of recovery :O) Tomorrow I hit the studio full swing!

Gone~

2007-05-25T23:16:00.000-07:00

I'm off to San Francisco. Its time to renew my paper stash, catch up with some family and watch CABLE! (oooo cable). San Francisco is the best place on the West Coast for washi papers and I hope to return with about 10lbs of new prints. In true littleput fashion I have 35 pendants and a few albums that I will be adding to my shop this weekend. Its all photographed and ready to go. Everything ships on Tuesday, as usual, so don't be shy, have at em. :O). I'll be posting some photos here of my finds and my favorite haunts so check back and have a fantastic Memorial Day Weekend!

Proud to present....

2007-05-24T12:14:00.001-07:00

My newest line of photo albums, summer bubbles. Each book is bound in littleput fashion with the open spine and silk book cloth. These are truely my most favorite album style yet. I will be adding them to my shop today/tomorrow as time allows. This new style is also available in custom colors and prints. I've had a lot of fun with these and I really look forward to expanding the line. To see more photos/prices you will find them in my Photo Album Section of my Etsy shop. Yay me :O)