Wednesday, November 23, 2011

LIPGLOSSFIEND REVIEW & BLOG FEATURE


LipGlossFiend is a great website to check out and read about different product reviews. You might find some items that you are interested in purchasing. The blogger is avid about using the products herself and keeping her followers informed.

The blogger purchased a customer portfolio and wrislet from me, which she absolutely loved! To read more and see photos of what she bought CLICK HERE!

Monday, November 21, 2011

Destination Inspirations Blog Feature



CraftyStitches was featured at Destination Inspirations by the founder and editor Jess. Destination Inspirations is a wedding blog dedicated to everything destination wedding.

It’s an Etsy day! and Etsy seller Crafty Stitches makes some of the most adorable fabric jewelry holders, wallets and totes. They are the perfect gifts for bridesmaids or moms. To read more click here...

Thursday, November 17, 2011

HANDMADE DIY IS A VIABLE & SCALABLE BUSINESS


CraftyStitches did it! Handmade DIY is a viable and scalable business - not just your little hobby anymore!

Let me breathe for second. It's all happening so fast! I can't believe I won...

CraftyStitches just won 1st Place in the Scalable Business Plan Award! Yes, we are going places! Lookout -Handmade DIY is a viable and scalable business - not just your little hobby.

I have to say that the moment really took off when I did my first Heartsy Deal and sold over 600 pieces of product in 2 days! Yep. That was the day I quit my full time job and decided to push forward with my business. I stopped playing around. It's now a real livelihood. From then on CraftyStitches is now with 2 part-time assistants and 1 full time. J It's incredible! I couldn't have done it without Heartsy!

My advice is to take it seriously! Take every sale seriously and make it count! Customer Service and deliver everything you've got. Yes it's a discount, but you also just increased the awareness of your shop Exponentially.

I wrote my business plan based on all the ideas I've been storing away for years and really thought about the cost and analytics behind building a business and not a hobby. I wrote with passion, I wrote with conviction, I wrote with love for handmade, I wrote from the heart! That's at the heart of handmade LOVE, PASSION and ART. I also love business and understand that my love for quilted accessories would not continue if I didn't make any money to support these wonderful ideas. Love what you make, believei n what you make. Live up to the mistakes - boy did I make a lot of those too. When I did, I offered a refund and my customers came back. They supported the DIY Handmade movement because they believe in it.

Our customers today are different. Our customers are just like us - those who love our handmade work believe in a handmade human economy. They appreciate you. So go and promote your items and what you love to do.

I too hope you will continue your love for handmade goods and continue the DIY handmade movement through Heartsy and Etsy. It's how I believe will create a different kind of economy. We are the next generation of GLOBALIZED HANDMADE. Keep shopping handmade and supporting the handmade human economy.

Visit my website for our DIY CraftyKitsTM and handmade quilted accessories. SEW SEW SEW... keep stitching us together.

Check out how my 15 min pitch with my scribbles.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

CRAFTYSTITCHES WINS 1ST PLACE FOR SCALABLE BUSINESS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Vanessa Blackburn, Marketing Director
CraftyStitches
www.craftystitches.etsy.com
http://www.craftystitchesdesigns.com
Vanessa@craftystitchesdesigns.com

CRAFTYSTITCHES HANDMADE DESIGNER WINS 1ST PLACE FOR SCALABLE BUSINESS

VIRGINA — November 9, 2011 — CraftyStitches LLC (www.craftystitches.etsy.com) is the 1st Place Winner of the Business Plan Competition for Scalable Business in Loudoun Small Business Development Center (http://www.loudounsbdc.org). Look out Wal-Mart, handmade artists are growing big! With over 2 million users on Etsy, the handmade industry has carved a dent into the online ecommerce world. There is a newfound appreciation for handmade quality goods. The new Do It Yourself (DIY) culture has sprouted another movement in the handmade market and it is exciting. Join CraftyStitches and be a part of this fast growing movement of Handmade Quilted Accessories one stitch at a time.

Local businesswoman and designer Jennifer Michael is the creative brain behind CraftyStitches, which specializes in handmade quilted accessories. This homemade business has sold over 4000 pieces this year. As the creator of The Perfect Bridesmaids® Travel Jewelry roll, this item is marked as the PERFECT BRIDESMAID gift of the year with over 3000 jewelry rolls sold. This season, CraftyStitches launched the CraftyKit™ to promote the DIY movement where crafters/novice can make their own quilted accessory in less than 30 minutes. CraftyStitches plans to grow into the retail stores market, look out for the CraftyStitches Studios nationwide.

Jennifer Michael has been featured on wedding blogs, Martha Stewart ads, and product reviews by modern brides as a creative and crafty bridesmaid gift “MUST-HAVE”. Check out what they are saying about CraftyStitches Products at Niche Magazine, Destination Weddings, ShopHappens, and LittleWedHen. Jennifer is also the Captain and chair of the Etsy street team (CREST: capitol region etsy street team ARTISANS) of 300 artisans that sell on Etsy in the Capitol Region. Look out for events and info about CREST ARTISANS.

Congrats to CraftyStitches for the spectacular win!
Would you like to read her pitch? Or read her plan? Follow CraftyStitches and find out what it takes to WIN!

For more information: www.craftystitchesdesigns.com
Contact: Vanessa Blackburn, Marketing Director
Vanessa@craftystitchesdesigns.com

Follow Craftystitches on FB @ http://www.facebook.com/CraftyStitchesDesigns
Twitter: CraftyStitches www.twitter.com/craftystitches

Sunday, November 6, 2011

ETSY SPOTLIGHT AT SHOPHAPPENS

ShopHappens

From Canada to Finland, Craftystitches is absolutely everywhere! Recently it was featured on ShopHappens.com and interviewed by the online shopper extraordinaire Erin! According to their website, "ShopHappens.com is a website dedicated to sharing shopping knowledge with the general public. Customer service stories, awesome sales, interviews with Etsy sellers… nothing is off-limits as long as it is shopping related."

Jennifer Michael was able to talk about the roots of Craftystitches and how it all began. She also talked about what inspires her and no matter how successful Craftystitches gets the most important thing to her is spending time with her two girls. The best part about the feature was the mentioning of Craftystitches latest promotion, 25% of all sales will be donated in support of Our Lady of Hope Catholic School from now thru December 2011. Thank you Erin!

To read the feature on ShopHappens.com please CLICK HERE