Etsy Coupon Codes!

ETSY finally has coupon codes!! I'm so excited. This will make sales and discounts so much easier. I decided to create a new blog to serve as a dedicated place for ETSIANS to promote their coupon codes.

www.etsycoupons.blogspot.com

If you're interested, send me a picture, your coupon code, your discount and the date it expires. I'll put it up on the blog for everyone to see!

Featured Artist - Thomas Saylor Designs!

I recently joined the ETSY Richmond Street Team (REST) and thought it would be fun to start featuring Richmond Artists on my blog. Today, I am pleased to present, Thomas Saylor of Thomas Saylor Designs. He has an amazing offering of home furnishings and other goodies. I hope you enjoy learning about Thomas Saylor Designs. Please check out his blog if you get a chance! I think it's my new favorite blog.

Tell us about yourself...

My name is Thomas, and I am the owner/designer of Thomas Saylor Designs. I make an assortment of home decor items and fashion accessories, including pillow covers, iPhone sleeves, coasters, car trash bags and place mats. I love custom orders, so if there is anything you need sewn/customized/monogrammed/embroidered I would love to hear from you!

Coasters Quilted Set $14.00

What inspires you the most?

To me, the most inspiring and motivating place in the world is the fabric store. I love taking items that you already have, and sprucing them up with a cover or sleeve made out of a fantastic shade or print. I believe that fabric touches are the key elements of decorating that are often overlooked, and a little splash of color goes a long way.

What other talents do you have?

Well, I consider myself to be a decent writer, and I like to joke about my misfortunes on my blog. Outside of the studio, though, I play the piano (although not very well, to tell you the truth) and I'm really, really good at ordering take-out.

Car Trash Bag Grey Trim $19.00

What promotional tools have been the most effective for you?

I'm a social media junkie, so I have all the online basics; website , Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, discount mailing list, etc. But for me, the most successful promotional tool has been word-of-mouth. I always encourage my customers to talk to their friends about my work, and I've seen a lot of referrals come my way because of it. Really, though, anytime you can put your name out their for free is a smart marketing tactic (unless, of course, you've made the evening news for streaking in your neighborhood park or something. In that situation, the best thing to do is hope your products can outweigh your, um, packaging.)

Pillows - Set of 2 - Orange and White Floral 16" $45.00

As a handmade seller, what lesson did you learn the hard way?

Almost everything I've ever learned has been learned the hard way, but I guess the most important lesson as a handmade seller has been to not underprice your work. Listen, no matter what you do, there is going to be somewhere out there that is doing it cheaper. But if your work is good, and you believe in your product, eventually your customers will, too. And it doesn't matter how many sales you make if you aren't making enough profit to run successful. Save yourself some headaches and keep your prices fair, both to yourself and your clientele.

What's your best selling item?

Pillow covers are my very favorite thing to make, and that shows in my pillow cover sales. I feel like pillows are the easiest thing to change about a room, but they make such a dramatic difference. Decorating on a budget? Start with with the pillows.

18" Removable Throw Pillow Cover The Bleeker $7.00

I hope you've enjoyed discovering Thomas Saylor Designs! Connect with Thomas at all the links below.
Website
Etsy
DISCOUNTS! Email Mailing List
Facebook
Twitter
Personal Blog

Private Practice and Hypnosis APP

Wow, I haven't blogged in a month! Time is really getting away from me lately. It seems like every weekend I have a million things to do. This weekend is totally free! I plan to lie around and do nothing all weekend. I may watch the complete season of Jersey Shore OnDemand! lol. Nothing like reality t.v. to make a lazy weekend great.

Since my last post, I've started a private practice! It's really exciting to have my own practice. I'm gaining more and more clients everyday. My goal is to slowly move away from working for my current employer to working completely for myself! I hope they don't read this, lol!

In addition to my private practice, I have been working with a company to develop a hypnosis app for the Iphone! The app should be live and available for sale in Itunes within the next week. The app itself is free with a complimentary sleep soundly hypnosis session. I'm very excited about the exposure the app will allow and also the amount of people my hypnosis will be able to help. 

My friend was kind enough to design the app graphics for me! Pretty great huh?

Affirmation Sessions. New Self Help Line of Positive Affirmations!

I am obsessed with ‘The Secret’. Reading and using The Secret in my life has produced amazing results. I’ve decided to start a line of Affirmation CD’s and MP3 downloads to help others quickly achieve positive lasting changes in their life. Positive affirmations work to change negative thought patterns and they produce a positive attitude. Using affirmations on a daily basis sends our desires out into the universe. The universe gives back what you ask for.

Here are the affirmation sessions I've listed so far and I'm planning many more to come. They are about 6-7 minutes long and easy to use twice a day for two weeks.

 

Happiness Affirmations $6.99

Healthy Confidence Affirmations $6.99

Physical Health Affirmations $6.99

Radiant Rainbows

I'm on a rainbow kick lately! Here's a treasury I made this morning. Show it some love =)

Radiant Rainbows!

What a wonderful time of year....

I love this time of year! My favorite part is the air right before and after a thunderstorm. Yesterday I snapped this double rainbow right after a storm.

and it inspired a rainbow search on ETSY....

 

Bubbling Serenity emarshallgaller.etsy.com

Heulwen by PlanetPoe.etsy.com

Masked Bear by ZukZuk.etsy.com

Hypnosis MP3 Download Giveaway!

I'm having a giveaway! Stacie at Simply Stacie was kind enough to review my Heal Fibromyalgia Pain hypnosis CD on her blog and to host a giveaway! So if you're interested in winning any of my hypnosis MP3 downloads, hop over to her blog and enter to win.

Good Luck!

Remembering My Spirit Guide

I am totally in love with this print. I have admired it for months now. This is what I imagine my spirit guide looks like. Isn't it amazing the feelings art can provoke? Looking at "Venus" reminds me of the unknown emptiness of space and beyond and it reminds me there is something bigger than myself and the world we live in. It reminds me to be grateful and appreciative of all the unknown still to come.

Thank you ImagineStudio.etsy.com for creating such an inspirational piece of art.

Featured Artist Interview Bitsnbeads!

Hi Everyone,
I was recently featured on The Meandering Musings of a Consummate Shopper! From there I discovered Bitsnbeads.com. Zoie, the artist behind Bitsnbeads, has shops at ETSY, Zibbet, Artfire and 1000markets! She has a huge selection of items from eyeglass holders to earrings to Id badge lanyards! I hope you enjoy reading about Bitsnbeads.

Beaded Eyeglass Holder Mom $32

Tell us about yourself...
I'm a jewelry designer and artisan that creates beautiful (tooting my own horn here because I think they're spectacular) colorful jewelry and accessories for the everyday woman. I work together with my partner, Leal, to run a shop on Etsy as well as a couple other market venues that you can find through our website ( http://www.bitsnbeads.com ).


What inspires you the most?
Color and emotion. For me they're very intrinsically linked together and I believe they are for others too. I love that I can create a piece and others can enjoy it not just for its aesthetics but for how it makes them *feel* as well.

Handmade Beaded Earrings Desert Flowers in Red $14

What other talents do you have?
OOoph. Loaded question! I was raised in an artisan household and all the women throughout the generations have been artisans. So I learned from each of them a little of this and that from candle making to pottery, ceramics, painting, music, embroidery (which I admit I'm not very good at). I love working with glass and often etch designs on glass.


What promotional tools have been the most effective for you?
Hard work. I think that pretty much sums it up. It's not exactly a tool, but a realization that you utilize for success. There is no "easy answer". You're not going to find some magical tool that lets you sit back and let things go on their own. Promotion takes constant work and you have to put time and effort into it, no matter what the venue you choose.

Lucky Purse Charm Make a Wish $12

As a handmade seller, what lesson did you learn the hard way?
Sometimes you have to set things aside and take some time for yourself to stay healthy and happy.


What's your best selling item?
Our eyeglass chains sell the best. I think it's because they serve both a function as well as being pretty, so people can have something they love to wear that's -like- jewelry, but useful also.


Links:

Etsy Shop: http://gilliauna.etsy.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/bitsnbeadsbygilliauna
Twitter: http://twitter.com/gilliauna

Hearts For Haiti

I want to let everyone know about Hearts For Haiti on ETSY! A group of etsians started Hearts For Haiti to help raise money for Doctors Without Borders. I donated five MP3 downloads to the site. You can see my listing here.

They started the site on 1/14/10 and have already raised $21,463! AMAZING. If you get a chance, hop over there and see if you like anything =)

(the item above is also listed there and was created and donated by wickedgems.etsy.com)

Movie Review ~ Invictus

This weekend I went to see Invictus with Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman. Invictousis the Latin word for Unconquerable. This is the true story of Nelson Mandela and the South African rugby team. Going into this movie I wasn't sure what to expect. Leaving the only word I can use is 'inspirational'.

I had heard Nelson Mandela's name before but really didn't know his story or about the Apartheid in South African. Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 year because he led a party against Apartheid. After his release he was elected as president of South Africa. Racial separation was a major issue in South Africa. Invictus is the story of how Mandela used the rugby to to unite the nation. Quite an amazing story. I was transfixed by Freeman's portrayal of Mandela and I'm amazed by the quiet wisdom of Mandela.

As soon as I got home. I downloaded Mandela's autobiography to my Kindle. I've started reading, Long Walk to Freedom and I'm already totally engrossed in it. If you get a chance, go see Invictus!

Above Artwork Features a Quote by Nelson Mandela and is from Artbyerinleigh on ETSY.

Giveaway!! WyldeWoodPapers is having a Giveaway!

THE WINNER IS MIZZ SNAPE!! Congratulations!!!


Jan is offering her Wyldestar Handmade Paper and Twig Ornament

Here's a little about Jan and her shop:

Wyldewood Papers offers enchanting creations from the enchanted wood. The majority of my works are made from handmade paper, twigs and other bits of nature’s debris. Inspired by fairy tales and fairy godmothers, nature spirits and ancient voices, my OOAK sculptural art lamps are the centerpiece of my shop. I also carry whimsical little delights like my stars and from time to time I include other unique pieces to tempt the soul. My hope is that my work will touch others in such a way that they can feel the magic of the natural world.

To enter this contest you must:

1) Visit wyldewoodpapers, at her blog, choose your favorite item, then return here and tell me which item you chose and why. (Remember to add your contact information or I won't be able to contact you if you win.)

Additional entries are allowed by completing the following:

2) An additional entry for those those who sign up for my newsletter (top right hand of my blog) and post a comment that you have subscribed.

3) An additional entry for those who blog about the giveaway and share a link to this contest on their blog.

4) An additional entry will be given for those who follow this blog and post a comment that you are now following.

5) One last entry for those who post the giveaway to twitter.

RT: Win a Wyldestar Handmade Ornament! Enter to win here: http://www.hypnotransformations.blogspot.com

The winner will be chosen using Random.org on Sunday, November 29th at 10:59 pm.

Good Luck!

My Latest ETSY Acquisition and an Update on Dream Dinners

I've had my eye on this vinyl wall decal from singlestonestudios for quite sometime. My lovely sister bought this for me and I put it up on my living room wall over the weekend. I think the colors are fantastic with my blue walls! I hope the light doesn't melt it. So far so good =)

The Dream Dinners experiment is going well. So far we have made the Steak Gorgonzola and the Toasted Pecan Chicken. My boyfriend exclaimed "This is six servings?" I replied with "yes, honey this is six normal size servings". (He eats like a horse!) We were both full after we ate the steak with a side of roasted potatoes and we actually had leftovers! The gorgonzola butter sauce was fantastic!

The Toasted Pecan Chicken was also delicious. I thawed the meal the day before, took the chicken out of the yummy marinade and coated the chicken in the Pecan/Bread Crumb mixture! It was delicious. How can you go wrong with toasted pecans? I served it with a side of baked potatoes and salad.

Overall, I still feel that the price and ease of preparing these meals is well worth the price. The clean up was simple. Basically, throw the freezer bags in the trash.

Tomorrow night is the Beef Bolognese Pasta! I can't wait =)

Featured Artist ~ Melissa Lisbon from Californiablue

I had another opportunity to guest blog on Notes from the Handmade Highway. If you get a chance, check out Melissa Lisbon from Californiablue on ETSY. She makes fantastic jewelry inspired by her beautiful surroundings in northern California. Here's my favorite from her shop.

Labor Day Weekend Sale!

20% off this whole weekend at my ETSY shop.

Use promo code "Weekend Deals".

www.hypnotransformations.etsy.com

Are you having a Labor Day Weekend Sale? Post it here if you are =)

I'm a guest Blogger!

I am so excited! I recently received two invitations to become a guest blogger.

The first is for a fantastic website which helps people suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The site, healmyPTSD.com, has a plethora of resources for PTSD sufferers.
A month or so ago I developed a hypnosis CD to help people with PTSD begin to heal. Michele from healmyptsd.com discovered my session through Twitter. She asked me to write an article from a professionals perspective about the benefits of hypnosis regarding PTSD treatment.Here's an excerpt:
Hypnosis has been proven as an effective tool to treat PTSD. Other treatments such as psychotherapy and Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) are also very effective for PTSD sufferers. All of these therapies allow sufferers to get past the traumatic event and to learn how to cope. If you have PTSD or if you know someone who does it is important to seek help and support.

Check it out if you get a chance.

My second opportunity was for the Handmade Highway's companion blog Notes from the Handmade Highway. I was lucky enough to feature Jennifer Lambein of Studiopetite. Her art is amazing! The picture below is my favorite. If you want to see more.... hop on over to her ETSY shop.

Handmade Highway....

I just joined the Handmade Highway.

"The Handmade Highway is a living, dynamic directory of handmade sellers giving users 1-click access to handmade shops, products, pictures, location, seller contact info, and availability for wholesale, consignment, bulk discounts, custom work and availability for blog features and giveaways. The goal of Handmade Highway is to give buyers and sellers a reliable place to find what they’re looking for regardless of where a particular seller or a particular product is sold."

I'm can't wait to start featuring sellers from the Handmade Highway that have listed their shops as eligible for giveaways and features. This site seems like a really great way to network and meet new people in the handmade community. Check it out if you get a chance.

Healthy Eating Hypnosis ~ New

I just finished creating a new hypnosis session. I'm really excited about it! I've been wanting to make it for quite a while. I made it because I want to help people focus on eating better. Ever seen Super Sized? That movie really changed my perception of fast food!

I am continuously stunned by the obesity epidemic in America. Hopefully this session will help people eat healthier and in turn influence their friends and family to eat better =)

Next, I am going to make a session that focuses on body image and learning to love your body. This was inspired by Breeze at Weighless and Weightless. Thanks Breeze...

My First Treasury Creation.....

I created my first treasury on ETSY yesterday. I think it turned out pretty well. One of the artists actually sold their art! I was pretty excited that I could help someone sell something =)

What do you think? Please CLICK and leave a comment if you like it.

How to Find Your Target Market and Sunday Sale

Lately, I have been focusing on different advertising markets. I've been trying to find an affordable, predictable avenue for advertising my hypnosis CD's. Unfortunately, the online market is saturated with hypnosis sellers. I believe I have found a niche in the handmade market because I actually make all me CD's/mp3's at home and really spend a lot of time developing the hypnosis scripts I record.

Recently, I decided to spend a lot of money on a very popular blog. It seemed to me that if there are a lot of readers then my selling success, statistically, will go up. Well, I'm not finding that to be the case. I've had about 9 clicks in 20,000 views! Whew, what now?

I keep hearing that you need to identify your target market. I have been debating whether or not I should send a follow up survey after people leave feedback for my hypnosis cd's. After researching this I have discovered that I really need to send a survey. I found a few pointers on how to identify your target market through a survey.

The two most important areas are Demographics and Psychographics.

Demographics should cover; Age, gender, income, education level, stage of life cycle (married, single, divorced, etc), ethnic and religious background.

Psychographics should cover; Lifestyle questions. Are the consumers trendy, conservative, travelers? What social class do your consumers belong to? Upper, middle, lower? Are they opinion leaders or opinion followers. What are their activities, interests, attitudes and beliefs. How do they spend their spare time?

I found a few sample survey's online and I'm going to develop a survey that can give me a better picture of my target market. I've decided I will email my customers after they leave feedback and offer a free gift if they complete the survey. I'm thinking my meditation mp3 download would be a nice gift for participating.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic and I hope this was helpful.

In light of advertising without knowing my target market (sheesh) I've decided to put my entire ETSY shop on sale this week.