Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Crafting For a Cause - Project Linus

Project Linus was one of the top three charities to enter the JoAnn's Craft for a Cause contest and because of that we have now been entered the next phase of the competition, which if we win, could receive $50,000 for Linus. We have to vote on line (only once a day) until December 4th. You have to enter your email address so that they can stop you trying to vote more than once a day. Therefore everyone gets a fair chance at winning. There are three prizes as well as the $50,000, second place gets $25,000 and third gets $15,000 so even if we don't win the top prize we would still get something out of the contest.
I hope you will all take a moment out of your very busy lives to vote for us. The link address is www.Joann.com/craftforacause .


Thank you in advance for your support.

Crochetgal

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Halloween and Things that go Bump in the Night

Dressing up for Halloween is so much fun! Enjoy it even more knowing that you and your little goblins prepared their faces for the frightful night. Face paint is inexpensive when you make it yourself, and it's safer than a mask that can obscure vision. Try these ghoulish recipes yourself!

Homemade Face Make Up

1 tsp corn starch
1/2 tsp water
1/2 tsp cold cream
food coloring
Stir together starch and cold cream until well blended. Add water and stir, then add food coloring.

Wash your face and any area that you will be applying the makeup to. Dry thoroughly. Use fingertips to spread onto large areas. Use a small paint brush to paint designs on face. Removes with soap and water. Store in airtight container.

Homemade Bruises

deep blue powder eyeshadow
charcoal or smoke gray powder eyeshadow
shimmery green powder eyeshadow
make up brush

Using a blot of deep blue powder eye shadow, apply with a wet make up brush. Use your fingertips to add blots of charcoal gray and blue shadows. Touch up the edges with a shimmery olive green. Smudge the bruise to complete.

Homemade Blood

1/2 bottle of light corn syrup
very hot water
squirt of liquid soap
red food coloring
blue or green food coloring (optional)

Pour light corn syrup into a bowl and add hot water sparingly, adding and stirring until you have the right consistency. Add a squirt of liquid soap to make it the blood easy to clean off later. Tint with red food coloring. You may add a drop of blue or green if you like to make the blood a darker color. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Smear on as needed!

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Customer Appreciation Sale!



Customer Appreciation Sale!
Thanks to all who took part!







SWTC Vegas




To see the entire range click here


SWTC Rock



To see the entire range click here


SWTC Inspiration

To see the full colour range click here


SWTC Fur Real

Colours are here


To see the entire selection of beautiful yarns available, please take a look at
Crochetgal.etsy.com







Friday, July 30, 2010

Technical Support

Caller: Hello? Hello?

Support: How can I help you today?

Caller: Hi. My printer isn't working right.

Support: What's wrong with it?

Caller: The mouse is jammed

Support: Mouse? Our printers don't use a mouse..

Caller: Really? Well mine has one!! I'll send you a pic










Caller: Now what do I do???

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

The Continuing Adventures of Tzipi

Tzipi arrived in the desert southwest just as the spring temperatures were fading and the summer heat was starting.

After a few days to aclimatize, (she really wasn't feeling well when she arrived) we started touring.

Tzipi spent time volunteering with the local Project Linus group and helped out with making blankets for some of the children. Yes, she's there, hiding amongst all the blankets!

I learned that Tzipi has a real knack for the artistic just like her mother, Raisinlike.

Tzipi also found solace in the desert gardens. She especially liked the orchids!



Tzipi enjoyed the beautiful desert sunsets.


and made quite a few new friends. Although I realize that she must continue on her journey her smile will be missed.

Hopefully Tzipi will have a chance to visit again during the winter months.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Inquiring Customers Want to know!!

Do you have lots of views but very few sales? Here are some great tips!

1) Inquiring customers want to know!
- do you have your shop policies outlined in detail? What happens if someone wants to return something? How do you ship?

Here is a great article from Etsy’s Blog the Storque on Setting up shop policies.

http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/tech-update-plus-customer-care-tip-hello-policy-1681/

2) Are you being served?
Outstanding customer service can bring buyers back.
Etsy has done a wonderful series on Service Tips for sellers
http://www.etsy.com/storque/search/title/service-tips-for-sellers/


3) Marketing vs Promotion
Are you always having a sale of some form or a special promotion? Too many sales and buyers will wait to make that purchase. If you are going to run a special promotion or a sale, don’t do them too often but make them really special when you do!

4) I’m looking for a green widget!
How many times have you heard people say that they cannot find what they are looking for on Etsy? If you are selling green widgets, please tag them as such! A buyer looking for a green widget won’t find you if your widget isn’t tagged.

There are some excellent tagging guidelines in the Storque
http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/guidelines-tips-tagging-on-etsy-281/
You have 14 tags available, use them responsibly!

5) you want it HOW big?
Do you offer your products in a range of sizes? Everyone is NOT a size 2! Sometimes
having a section for each size or colour can be a great advantage.

6) Are your prices too low (or too high)?
Sellers always seem to be asking if their prices are too high. There is nothing wrong with having different price points in your shop. Have you considered tiered pricing?
Beth writes an excellent article in the storque about how to use tiered pricing to your advantage.
http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/the-art-of-pricing-tiered-pricing-627/

And the Etsy Success newsletter had a recent article on Three Helpful pricing exercises
http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/the-art-of-pricing-three-helpful-pricing-exercises-37
88/

in their art of pricing series.
There are many other wonderful articles on pricing in the Storque
http://www.etsy.com/storque/search/title/art-of-pricing/


7) It can’t get there from here!
Sure it can... you just have to ship it.

Great basic shipping information is available .. you just have to read it!
http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/shipping-how-to-the-final-frontier-1821/

Etsy makes it easy to ship anywhere by setting up shipping profiles which can be applied to multiple listings.
http://www.etsy.com/faq_selling.php#shipping_profiles


And fellow Etsy Seller Goto has one of the most comprehensive forum posts on shipping from the US that I’ve seen.
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6382394

Hopefully, buy applying a few (or all) of these tips, you can convert your browers into Buyers!