Good Day Today

Okay, since I am behind on Christina’s Thirty Days to a Better Shop project, I’m cramming things in to catch up!

Day Two: The assignment was to analyze and change our Store Announcement. Here is my old announcement-

Welcome Friends! Thanks for dropping by. My work is inspired by design motifs of the 1920's, 30's and 40's- especially the look and feel of children's literature. I make dolls and all manner of soft goods- pillows, purses, pincushions, soft toys and more. My creations are usually made from vintage patterns and I use a lot of vintage and reproduction fabrics. Come by and visit my blog at www.tenderarts.blogspot.com. I hope you like what you find!

And here is my new one:

Welcome Friends! Happy Autumn!

Looking for Cute? Vintage? Cheerful? I’ve got you covered! My work is often inspired by children’s books of the 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s. Check in with me for dolls and all manner of soft goods for you, your baby and your home sweet home.

Come by and visit my blog too- http://www.tenderarts.blogspot.com/

It’s not a huge change, but I like it. What I love about this series is that we are scrutinizing everything and really thinking about how it all fits together.

Day Three: Store Sections. I think in the future I will need sections to categorize all my inventory, but right now I have only a tiny handful of product. Sections would look a little pretentious, I think!

Day Four: Our assignment was to analyze and change our Profile. My profile was horrible as you can see:

I am a compulsive maker of things. I like old things and I like dolls.

I really struggled with this which is why the first one was so bad! The new version is kinda silly, but hopefully it’s a little fun too.

Aw, shucks! You’re lookin’ at me!
It is not easy to describe yourself. How’s this:

MWF, 44, seeks commercial relationship with attractive buyer.
Me:
Hates idle hands; loves dogs, children and cozy evenings at home. Only feels normal with a sewing needle in hand.
You:
Discerning and tasteful with an appreciation for the finer things in life. Loves to support the arts. Hates mass production and shoddy workmanship.

If you are interested in a connection, just click “Add To Cart” anywhere on this page!

Day Five: Let’s look at our banner.
I didn’t change my banner because I love it so. Amanda G. said she found it difficult to read and I totally see where she is coming from, but it’s so pretty! Also, my mini-me-only-better, Carmen, made it for me! Having said that, I do think I will change it frequently because I plan on having a different “theme” every month or so. I sure wish I were clever at web graphics because the opportunities for cuteness are so appealing! Also, I believe that Mo Jackson is still working on some things for me. (Wooee! Talk about cute!)

And that’s what I’ve accomplished towards bettering my shop. I am enjoying this process very much. But you know what is even more fun? Yup! Actually selling stuff! I am so proud and pleased to announce that my very first Etsy customer is none other than Hillary “wee wonderful” Lang herself! She who has been my inspiration from the moment I discovered her blog, the first craft blog I had ever seen, back in December 2004. I am incredibly honored to know that my humble little Linnea is a Christmas gift for the beautiful and wise Phoebe. Wow.

But that is not all- oh no, that is not all. Because Maggie is also off to a new home! I can still remember the first time I “met” Amanda B. from Zhinkadinkadoo. She commented on this post about how her son loves capes, but she worried about strangling. I wrote back to tell her that dressmaker snaps are wonderful for capes because they open with the slightest pressure. We’ve been friends ever since! In fact I was her first customer when she opened her Etsy shop and she surprised me with a fabulous new friend.

So, yeah, this is a good day. I feel a little flummoxed by it. Yesterday I broke Earl’s nice LCD monitor by laying the headphones too close to it. I guess the magnets in the headphones are bad- I didn’t know. There is a little fried looking “hole” in the monitor now. I’ve also been sick this week with a sore throat and aches and pains and missed my brother’s graduation (that really sucked). Plus, we have dental bills to worry over and credit card debt and I was feeling this morning like I couldn’t catch a break. I’m sure not feeling that way now! I want to savor this moment and really remember it. It always seems like it’s so easy to remember what misery feels like, but not always so with joy. I have champagne at home. Maybe tonight we’ll open it and make a toast to Tender Arts.

Hugs to all!