Supporting some funny women
It’s a lazy rainy Sunday here and I’m busy with my 3 kids, stealing time reading something funny. Do you have sisters? Do you like funny? I’d like to share a blog that I follow and love because it’s just so well-done, creative and funny. I think you’d like it, too.
The blog is The Middlest Sister. It’s written by the oldest sister of 5 girls highlighting the foibles of the middlest sister. And as one of 5 girls myself, I had to give this blog a look-see. And I LOVE it. It’s so hilarious. She has a large and devoted following and hopefully will come out with a book!
Nicole, the blogger, does so much more than just blog. She creates these amazing scenes with paper to convey the funnies. I know how you all love and honor handmade and this is as handmade as it gets! I really consider her work to be art – made using scissors and paper. The detail in each frame is not to be missed! I am excerpting several of my favorite frames made by Nicole at themiddlestsister.com. These are just a teaser. For a whole TROVE of funny stuff between sisters and siblings, head on over to her blog. You can also click on the following pics to go directly to that post as well.
ALL the posts are funny, but this was one of my favorite episodes for detail.
This was my favorite from a setting-up-the-shot-like-a-director standpoint.
How brilliant is this overhead shot with receding figures in the distance?
This is part of a 3-parter on the family’s pet, Mr. Cotton.
She is so good with the making of the facial expressions. Nicole conveys so much with paper.
So hop on over to The Middlest Sister and enjoy your Sunday. 🙂
~Winn
#1 on Google for “Clutch Sellers”!
Hope you all have had a great week! Some of you already know but I’ve just opened the shop to take orders.
Please note the shop announcement that Thy and her family will be back on the 25th and shipping will commence on the 26th. Thank you very much for your loyalty! I know there were many who waited until we opened the shop back up to place the order. We didn’t want you to wait too long for your order so we shut it down for the week so there wouldn’t have too much of a back log. She certainly needed the break with her family. There are several orders in already so thank you so much for your confidence in my fine frames for use in your craft and business!
As always, please let me know if you have any questions.
On my link exchange, I realized that you may want links to your shops or other web properties — not necessarily blogs. So if you want to do a link exchange with your shop or any web property, please leave a comment here, email me, or convo me.
Here, again, is my link info if you have a blog:
URL: http://clutch-me.com
Title: All about clutches.
If you don’t have a blog, a link on your shop would work (thanks, Nancy):
URL: http://whilebabynaps.etsy.com
Once you’ve put in my link, please contact me here and I’ll put your link in.
Though I have a niche market of clutches in the bags and purses category, I am the #1 US purse frames seller and I get inquiries on who to buy from. Check out my #1 Google search result for “clutch sellers”.
I work hard to get to #1 so that my Sellers can get more views.
So if they are looking for a seller who sells clutch handbags, they are coming to my little blog.
I know it would benefit my blog to do a link exchange, and I know it will benefit you as well. So I’m happy to add a link to your shop, blog, fanpage, blog store … I hope all of you currently on the Seller page will submit yours!
Thanks
Winn
Because I WILL lose some memories …
I just started a personal photo blog to document the places my family and I have been to and will be going to.
Feel free to follow and comment. In fact, I would LOVE it if you would! It’s a personal blog mainly focused on my kids and travel. You can read about it here.
I started this blog because I am a huge picture-taker. (Not a great one, just from a quantitative stand-point.) It has been my belief for years now that I cannot rely on having my full faculties – namely memory – when I’m older. So I have lots of photo albums. But printing pictures out and getting them shipped to my home in Ho Chi Minh City is non-existent. Oh, how I miss Snapfish! So as I was editing the photos, I thought that I would put the main photos on a blog so that all my family – namely those not on Facebook – can see the photos.
You will see posts on my travels and sights and sounds in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC, where I will live for another 2 years), other cities in Viet Nam, Bangkok, Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore … It’s our family goal to save money in all areas so that we can spend it on traveling and gaining experiences with the kids.
Just another WordPress blog.
Just to warn you, because it is a personal blog, my language may be salty. I’m going to keep it to a minimum since the kids will be seeing and reading this blog. I hope you will get a chance to do some traveling as well. A change of scenery does the soul some good!
~Winn
Extra traffic to your blog
Anyone want to do some link exchanges? I just revamped my blog’s sidebars and will be adding links via my blog roll.
Direct link to your blog!
If you are interested, please send me a convo or leave your blog URL in the comments here and I’ll add it. Please give me your blog’s name and that’s how it will appear.
*Please use my blog info as follows to reciprocate and add to your blog roll:
URL: http://clutch-me.com
Blog name: All about clutches.
If you are a WordPress blogger, you can add blog links via “Links”, “Add New” on the main menu. For it to show up on your blog, you will need go to Appearance > Widgets, and drag and drop the “Links” widget onto your sidebar. You can watch a 2-minute video here.
By adding each other on the blog roll, I hope to drive more traffic to your blog and vice versa. 🙂
Be Green with envy! Handmade clutches for you!
Here is a new album on the WhileBabyNaps Facebook fanpage. It’s green for St. Patrick’s Day and would be great for a spring bag, too!
Check out my album!
All were made by Sellers using my fine purse frames. If you are a seller whose clutch has been featured, please “like” the album and feel free to share on your own Facebook fan pages!
I’ve also done the same on the WhileBabyNaps Pinterest board.
Please click the "Like" icon if you like what you see!
Each of these clutches were also promoted via their own tweets on my Twitter feed.
I used this for my Twitter wallpaper as well! Nice change from the red clutches from Valentine’s Day! 🙂
I get a lot of lookers from my Twitter feed who then go directly to either my blog or the clutch maker's shops.
I have found that promoting my Seller’s clutches at all 3 social media networks at the same time increases the exposure for my clutch makers. It takes longer for me to do it all across all 3 platforms at one time but it is more efficient to also get it all done at the same time.
So if you are a Seller and have had your clutch featured, please spread the word and share the Facebook album, Pinterest board, or retweet my Twitter tweets. Remember taste uncertainty and how research has shown that it helps you, the seller, to get more buyers when you are listed with other like-sellers more than if you are doing it alone. Please read that post on taste uncertainty to get more info.
Thanks and I will be doing another spread for Spring 2012 soon!
~Winn
Paypal is throwing down with Square — and YOU benefit!
Exciting news! Paypal is going to introduce their own mobile paying device that will be similar to Square. Please note: SquareUp.com is the domain name that the company “Square Inc.” or “Square” uses. SquareUp, Square Up, Square up, and Square are all used through the media interchangeably. They really should just change their main domain to Square.com. I don’t know why they are doing the reverse and directing it all to SquareUp.com … anyways … just my humble opinion. 🙂
It is not yet known what features it will offer beyond those of Square, however, Paypal will have a lower transaction fee thereby undercutting what Square is currently charging.
Will Square answer back by lowering their transaction charge rate as well? It’s yet to be seen, but this is very good news for small business owners, mom and pop shops, and those of you selling your clutches at arts and crafts fairs and bazaars. It will be ubiquitous and your customers will be able to pay you with their credit cards. You will be able to accept credit cards easily without any start-up or ongoing maintenance costs!
Check out the article.
More companies offering mobile payment devices means lower charges you'll have to pay!
Since Paypal is the #1 online credit card payment processor in the world, this news is huge. The public trust is there with paying via Paypal’s secure encrypted network. So for Paypal to come out with this mobile paying device, the adoption rate will be high. It will probably link up with your existing Paypal accounts and you’ll have all your payments at one source. This is seriously going to effect Square and I anticipate them doing something to mitigate this.
If you haven’t used Square already – a free device – I would like to poke a hot poker and get you to try it out. Did I mention it’s free? 🙂 You can grow your business and craft fairs, school and church sales, home hostess parties ….
Oh, and it’s free.. 🙂
New URL for the blog.
I’ve gotten a new domain to try to make it short and sweet for my blog. Now, it will be known as clutch-me.com. Not to worry, if you type in the previous URL, it will redirect you to this domain, so it will not impact you negatively. One of the other reasons this one done was so that in the future, I can start running ads on the sidebars of my blog due to the increase in traffic volume. I spend a lot of time on the blog and I love it, but I would like to monetize it and have ads directly related to the content that I am writing about. This had occurred to me as I was reading other blogs and noticed relevant ads that I was interested in and clicked on. So I hope the ads will be of benefit to you as well.
I will also update the Sellers page. If you are an existing Seller and want a new screen snapshot of your shop, please rearrange your shop and convo me. I’ll take a snapshot and update it for you.
If you would like to be listed as a Seller, convo me and let me know. My promotions and marketing centers around the Sellers’ inventory of clutches made using my fine purse frames. I usually pick a theme and go “shopping”. 🙂 I then promote the clutches on Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook. All hyperlinks lead back to main shop page of the respective Etsy shop. I have found that doing in tandem on all social platforms greatly increases the number of redirects to my Sellers’ shops. More eyeballs means more potential sales. All this is free to clutch handbag makers who use my fine frames and honor my trademarks. If you are successful, then I will be successful. Simple as that. 🙂
Lastly, most of you have followed me and my family regarding my grandma’s health. I hadn’t mentioned it in a while because the grave illness had past, life happens, and the next thing you know it’s already March. Thank you keeping her in your thoughts and asking about her. I really believe that prayers and positive thinking pulled her through. We have been very blessed and she is in relatively good health for her old age. She can sit up to eat meals now and her keen mind is back. I still visit her once or twice a week and I bring the kids twice a month to visit her – their Great Gram. (It’s a bumpy hour-long trip and the carsickness has gotten worse for them! Roads are so bad here.) What I am most heartened about is how my kids mention her when they see something they think she would like. The relationship has deepened between my kids and their Great Gram and I am grateful for it.
Spanning the ages: 5, 98, 9, and 7.
With my winter clutch kits, I had been bringing the fabric and fusible fleece to trace the templates and cut while I’m visiting with her. Hey, you’ve got to grab time when you can! Her mattress is on the floor so I just plop right on the tile and cut. She rolls on her side and helps me by holding down the edges of the fabric so that the oscillating fan doesn’t blow it up! 🙂 I finally brought a finished clutch for her to see and she was very happy. She says I got skills! 🙂 I keep her involved on what’s going on so that she feels included, alive, and sharp.
I had also been busy painting her walls. They hadn’t been painted in over 7+ years.
This is the "after" shot of the same walls as shown in the previous photo. I chose a light green called pistachio to usher in spring and brighten up the room that has only one light.
Here in Vietnam, there is no such thing as a Home Depot or Ace Hardware. It is either your profession (painter, carpenter, etc…) or you hire them. So imagine the looks and comments I got when I went to get the painting supplies. (I had left all my brushes, rollers, extenders, etc… in storage in New Jersey. I had started an interior painting business in late 2010 in New Jersey – two weeks before finding we are moving to Viet Nam.) So the condescension was palpable “look, little lady …” LOL.
Sample of my work. I used a 20-ft. metal ladder to paint up high! Don't look down!
She was very happy after my cousins and I finished. She said it was like she got a new house. It’s amazing what a fresh coat of paint will do to your moods.
So thank you for your very warm and kind wishes for my grandmother. If I’m not working on the business, I’m usually sitting on my grandma’s mattress talking to her. I don’t know how many days she has left (none of us know how many days we have left ourselves) so I don’t take anything for granted. If anything, my spending time with her only affirms what blessings I have in my life and how I want to spend that time.
Blessings to you and yours!
~Winn
Etsy shop banner redesigned
I just redid my Etsy shop banner to match my web store. I like this color scheme. It works for me. (I am going to miss those little munchkins that were on my banner shop previously though.) What do you think of this new banner?
More changes are coming in store for the listings. Some have been made but there’s much work to be done. I wish there were other ways on Etsy to list my catalog of purse frames that makes it easier for you to navigate. I will be working on them for the next couple of weeks. I hope to streamline a lot of the listings since I have so many SKUs. I hope that it will help you find what you need to make your clutches: purse frames, Gutermann glue, or complete kits.
Cleaner, crisper WhileBabyNaps.com shop for your orders
I’ve finally got my web store redesigned. Come take a look!
With this new re-design, I’ve been able to incorporate a direct link to clutch handbag makers on my Sellers list. This will allow me to drive more traffic to handbag makers who have clutches – ready for sale – that are made using my fine purse frames. Many visit my web store and love the idea of making a clutch, but many more just want instant gratification and to buy one. And I haven’t made them to sell for years so I’m happy to pass on my referrals. It’s a “win-win”: I keep my visitors happy and my clutch makers can get a sale! If you are interested in becoming a seller, convo me and I’ll walk you through the process.
I hope you will find this layout and theme much more appealing and easier to navigate. Please note that most of what I sell at my Etsy shop is also sold here; however, as I’ve had this shop first for professional handbag makers, I sell up to 500 of any single frame. I have added DIY clutch kits since I also get Google hits on this website from the general public as well.
Kits are sold based on geography due to the shipping restrictions for Gutermann glue.
As you will see, the volume discounts are the exact same at both shops and I only sell at wholesale pricing. The floor price is the highest discount given for that particular size or style. So whether a customer buys 500 or 1000 frames, they get the same per unit discount since the floor price is the 500 level. Floor price for Gutermann glue is for 6 tubes. There is no middle man.
42% is the highest discount given for this frame.
Lastly, I combine ship. When you buy 2+items, I will combine the shipping and refund you any excess shipping charge over $1. Shipping for items over 200 will be more economical for you using UPS Ground. That will take longer than USPS Priority Mail, but it will be a lot less cheaper. I have used customers’ business shipping accounts to ship with FedEx and DHL, too, and that’s not a problem at all.
Please take a look and if you catch any edits, let me know. I do all the writing and coding and I might not have caught them all behind the scenes … 🙂
Shop on Vacation soon.
My shops (WhileBabyNaps.Etsy.com and PurseFramesOutlet.Etsy.com) will be on vacation mode from Sat. March 17 – Saturday March 24. Thy and her family will be on some much-needed vacation time to Florida. So if you need an order prior before the shop closes, please get it in before she takes off. She will ship out until Thursday, March 15th as she will need time to pack for their adventures!
Speaking of Florida, one of our other sisters (there’s 5 of us girls in the family … :)) lives in Florida. She just opened her new photo mats shops. Please stop by her shop GirlByTheBeach and have a look. They will make great gifts for your:
– girlfriend’s 2-yr old’s birthday
– mother-in-law who likes to garden (mine taught me how to grow flowers)
– family’s holiday photo
– Girl’s Weekend vacation photo in the Caribbean (so lucky!)
– dog, kids, co-workers, your guy, your gal… something for everyone.
Handmade photo keepsakes for that memorable time. They are all painted using watercolor and use acid-free scrapbook decals.
***If you like what you see and are in the US, enter BLOGVIPFREESHIP to get free shipping. Please note that this is only for US customers. Since shipping rates differ all over the world, if you are outside of the US, enter BLOGVIP20OFF to get 20% off your entire order. Please note this is only for non-US customers. This offer is good until March 17th midnight EST. Value between US and non-US customers is comparable. Only one type of discount per customer based on the location of your mailing address.
Here are just a few …
My Dog photo mat
Flip Flops photo mat
Day at the Park photo mat
New Arrival photo mat.
Thank you, as always …
~Winn 🙂
About
I am the #1 US seller of purse frames and I’ve been incorporated since 2001. This blog is mainly aimed at my audience of clutch handbag makers. I have a very small niche that is comprised of 99.9% women. I am loyal and promote handbag makers who are loyal to me by using my fine purse frames. When they are successful, then I am successful.
The two businesses that I own are:
*purse supplies, Gutermann glue, and DIY clutch kits at whilebabynaps.etsy.com, whilebabynaps.com
*up-cycled purse supplies PurseFramesOutlet.etsy.com
To find clutches made using my fine metal purse frames, LOOK to see “Trademarks of WhileBabyNaps.com and H&D LLC” and you’ll know the clutches are made using the finest metal purse frames that are tested for lead and that have a protective coating to lengthen the life of the clutch. You can go to any of the sellers on the Sellers page.
****NOTE: If you want someone to make a clutch for you, please contact any of my sellers and inquire. They will gladly make custom orders!****
Interested in reaching my audience? Advertise. Contact me here.
Thank you for stopping by for a look.
Warmly,
Thy Khuong
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My Etsy shop
#1 US Seller of Purse Frames
My Main shop
Wholesale purse frames for clutches
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