Etsy DFW Meet & Greet

I had so much fun at our first meeting, and I hope we can do it again soon! It was Sunday from 1-4 at Jo-Ann Fabrics. We went around the table and talked about our shops and our craft. That took awhile because we always branched off into other topics such as wholesale selling and pricing etc. Then, our fearless leader Mary brought out some craft kits that she had put together for us. We made altered books, and played with wallpaper, glue, scissors, ribbons, and an ancient looking punch! I loved the outside of mine, but it didn't look as pretty on the inside. Some people decided to donate their project to the team shop for helping promote the trunk show in NY. We decided to do more crafts at future meetings, and donate them as well. I'm the first person on the right side of the picture. Here's a list of everyone and their shops starting with me :)

Mandi = Scribbles
Ellen = EllensTreasures
Mary = MarysMadness
Shannon = Bijoujuju
Micky = MoonshineBluebirds
Megan = Muttsywonder
Karen = Nerdbomber
Diane = DLSDesigns
Beth = ATrunkFullOFun
Kelly = BananaShowcase

Words

I have changed by shop intro to include the story behind my shop. Here it is: I love writing, so I was already a fan of the G2 Pilot Pens for the fun colors and the smooth gel ink. The only problem was they looked so ordinary. I combined the pens with my passion for beading and BANG, Scribble Scrabble Beaded Pens was born. If you don't see a pen that fits your personality, I'd love to do a custom pen for you. They are perfect for journaling, jotting notes, writing letters, and even scrapbooking!

I also added a sections about my beadwork and about the pens so people have a better idea about what I'm selling and why it's so awesome!

*About the Beadwork:
I use a needle and thread, and a technique called peyote stitch to weave the beads together. The beads are Japanese Delicas to create a precision, flawless design. I start with a circle of beads, and each additional bead is locked into place one at a time. This process takes 2-6 hours depending on the size of the pen, and the complexity of design. The result is a solid tube of beads that will slide off the pen so it can be placed on a new one!

*About the Pens:
Quality work needs a quality "frame," and that's why I chose the G2 Pilot Pen. The gel ink is smooth, water resistant, and acid free (archival safe). It's retractable, so there is no cap to lose. They also come in fun colors with a comfortable, contoured rubber grip. Use the regular size for journaling, jotting notes, writing letters, scrapbooking! The compact design of the mini is perfect for purses, datebooks, briefcases, and pockets!

"First Monday" was a Success!

Etsy Texas Crafters had our inaugural "First Monday" on June 4th and it was a success. I made two sales, and one was from our fearless leader Milly! We had 31 member shops participate, and 17 had sales with a total of 37 items sold! I glad the "I Heart Yarn Pen" finally found a good home, too. I am having my first talk with a team member today about our the ETC website we are building. Staying busy, that's for sure.

Also, my Sampler package was found! Apparently many of the packages had trouble making it there. Silly mailman! All are found and will be going out today, and I'm really excited about that. I'm also going to try to get this new pen posted before I leave for work.

Good News and Bad News

I guess I'll start with the bad news so I can end on a positive note. My package to the Sampler was lost in the mail! I cried when I saw they didn't receive it, and after I went to the post office and they said there's nothing they can do. I lost over $200 worth of merchandise and promos, plus all the time that went into it. It was so stupid not to insure it or get delivery confirmation or something. For those type of packages I think I'll use UPS or FED EX so this won't happen again.

The good news is that I got a new lightbox, and I can finally get those awesome white backgrounds for my pictures! I just posted this blue peace mini pen in my shop. I'm going to re-photograph all my pens this weekend and hopefully have everything finished in time for the very first Etsy Texas Crafters "First Mondays." The first one is this Monday -- this will be 24 hours of great sales and special offers in the ETC team shop, as well as in ETC members' shops, and will be held the first Monday of every month (12:01am to 12:00 midnight Monday, Central Time / 1:01am Monday to 1:00am Tuesday, Etsy Time). Watch for our special avatars to appear when First Mondays sales are going on. My sale will be a BOGO, so when you buy a regular size pen, you'll receive your choice of mini pen free!