Sweet Sweet Promotion tools!

Hello all!
I have a fantastic little way that I promote my ETSY shop and I want to share it! I make cute little "fashion pins" and give them out. There quick to make and everyone loves them! I have a bucket of them out at my boyfriends restaurant and there usually gone within a week! I also give my family little promotion packs (filled with these pins) and they distribute these pins in other states and city's where they live....thank goodness for family!!



What you will need:
1. Black foam board
2. color print outs with your business name on it
3. 3/4" pins
4. glue stick (or rubber cement or spray adhesive)
5. paint brush and ModPodge
6. bottle of supper glue
7. exacto knife & ruler


The first thing I did was design a little graphic I liked about 1"x1" and filled a sheet of paper with it (I used Photoshop). Then I used the glue stick and glued the paper onto the foam board. Using the ruler I cut out all of the tiny squares. After all the squares are cut out I glued the pins onto the back with super glue.



Finally I brush on the ModPodge in a thick coat and let it dry thoroughly. I have tried using spray fix or clear coat but it always smells too bad. These are a great promotion tool and people love um!! If you make more then one image people will tend to want to collect them all.




I hope you found this to be helpful and a cheep and fun way to promote yourself! I have lots more fun ideas so stay tuned!!
Christine

www.ChristineCecelia.com

A New Direction!

What A Beautiful Summer!

Hello everyone!

I'm back! I have been very busy these last few months rearranging my life. So far things are going great. I am 2 semesters away from receiving my state licence in education and have filled my summer days with all kinds of art! I have been teaching art classes. From interior design, fashion design, fourth grade art, and claymation! Teaching is so rewarding and I'm not sure why I have fought that little voice that has always been telling me to go in that direction. Maybe all the other voices were a bit louder!

Now that I am back I have a ton of great things to share! Promotion ideas (what I was going to share before I was laid off) and other fun craft ideas and storys! Life is definitely interesting! I love the surprises along the way, It sure keeps things interesting!!!

Thank you to my wonderful family for being there for me! I love you all so much! :)

<3>

A bump in the road!

Yep. I got bit by the Layoff bug. Bla!

Thats all I really have to say about that! I have got to add that I have the greatest family in the world! They have all been super supportive, and here for me. It really hit me about a week later- I felt so bad and couldnt find a job anywhere!!! But my family continued to be supportive. I also know that Im not in a terrible position, I truly feel for others who have situations far worse than mine.

The most thing that I remind myself is that this life is about adventure, we all have crazy twists and turns in the paths that we follow. I am lucky, each time my life has taken a turn, it has been for the better. I have liked the new adventure far more than the adventure I had been on previous!

So now that I have crawled out of my funk- BACK TO BLOGGING AND CRAFTING! I got a fun little serving job while I go back to school and get my teaching certificate. My new adventure!!! And to my wonderful family (that includes you Dan) Thank you. I love you all very much! Now I need to get back to blogging because Aunt Kathi said so...and you dont want to upset Aunti!! ;)

To everyone elce going through this right now....just look forward to your next adventure!! You will get through it and know that you are not alone! :D

NEXT HANDY LITTLE CRAFTING TIP........ a great little way to promote your business! I make little fashion pins and magnets that I pass out. I will show you how I make them. They are a big hit and there cheep to make too!!! :D

A New Year... A New Opportunity To Get Organized!

How to create your own Spool And Ribbon Organizer!

HOW TO-
I dont know about everyone else but I have a ton of "art material" just laying around my studio. Toby, my cat loves to make off with a spool of thread or ribbon as a stand in for a mousey- not cool! So I decided to get organized this year! The first thing was to put my thread up so I could see them all, they wouldnt unravel in a box, and most important, the cat wouldnt "hunt" them down anymore! They sell shelves relitivly similar to the one above but the advantage to making your own it you can add anything you want to suite your needs. For example, I have a lot of small cubby space but if I didnt I may add some cubbys to the side of my unit.

In my case I used scrap MDF board that I pulled out of the trash bin at my job. You could use any thing from cardboard to foam board to oak! BE CREATIVE!



<--- This is a techinal drawing of the shelf I created with mesurements(I draw this kind of stuff at my day job) You dont have to use these dimentions- make the shelf work for YOUR needs! *The dowel rods I used were 3/4" where the ones in the drawing look more like 1/2".

After the pieces were cut (compliments to Darrell Taylor- wood shop manager for cutting my pieces! I wouldnt brave the saw) I glued them together with Elmers wood glue. If you want somthing fancier- nail or screw them together.

I then cut 2 3/4" dowel rods into 2" pieces and supper glued them 2" appart. **If you want somthing thats is super sturdy try drilling holes and gluing the pegs into the holes. Lastly, I fasened 2 D-rings to the back of my shelf so I could hang it up and out of my way.

You may paint your or stian it- I havent gotten that far yet!

Here are some other links that have premade organizers for some ideas.....
(Fun ribbon storing ideas!)
http://www.madcropper.com/ribbon-storage-101-by-candice-palmer/

(peg boards and ribbons)
http://hedgehog-ink.blogspot.com/2008/10/my-ribbon-storage-solutions.html

(Ribbons and a shoe box)
http://www.realsimple.com/realsimple/package/0,21861,1558003-1018240,00.html#

(metal coat hangers)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eclipse_etc/480571951

(creative storage ideas)
http://thedomesticdiva.wordpress.com/2007/08/29/sewing-room-organization-challenge-part-iv-laces-trims-and-ribbons/

(ribbon shelves)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24692130@N07/3148810252/in/photostream/

(typical thread rack- with a "twist")
http://www.romwoodworking.com/shopping/thread_organizers/

***Please feel free to add and good ideas and links to this post!!
Happy organizing!
:D

January/ February Giveaway!

Happy new year to you all!

Im feeling quite lucky this evening- my day job just laid off twenty people today- yikes! Thankfully I was not on that list!

So things are looking good for this new year- and I hope they continue to roll in twards the positive. I have thought of a direction for this blog- go me! I plan on posting craft tips and tricks that I find helpful. My first project that I am currently working on is a shelf for bobbins and ribbons. It is my own design, simple to build and Im very pleased with it! So stay tuned for the excitement!!!

Now for the Giveaway!!!

I will be giving away a set of my coasters!

The Mad Hatter Coasters!

Its January and we all make resoloutions, and if we dont, we should! So to enter this giveaway you need to Post your top new years resolution AND favoriate item from my ETSY shop in the comments section below.

A winner will then be draw randomly on SUNDAY FEBRUARY 22nd. Please dont forget to include a way for me to reach you! Good luck! and I will contact the winner

after Februrary 22nd.

-Christine

"The Christmas rush is through...."

Well, almost. The whole gift giving and frantic family visits are over with for this season. It was a good one this year (if you dont count the 3 day flu that found me). I did however miss my sis who is out in Cali for grad school (go her!). I am SO happy I did get to see evryone I did, I love my family SO much! Now just a few days to the anual ball drop and over hype of the new year- does anyone ever have that perfect new years eve party? I feel like Ive been seachring for it every year only to be disapointed. My best new years memories are spent as a kid with my family, not dressing up and finding the right party but getting sick on sparkling grape juice, chip dip and watching the MTV countdown after a crazy night at the bowling alley. I miss those times and look forward to having a family to rekindle that tradition.

So back to the full time job. I feel like I have been spoiled with days off over the last few weeks; and when I do go there is not much work to do. I do however love my job now that I switched positions. I work at a computer doing auto cad around NORMAL people, I wont explain that one.

Now for the dreaded January and Febuary. Welcome! Just please be gentle. For the new year I have lots of hopes and wishes for everyone- mainly happiness, we all need something to be happy for.
:)