Glue bundling update…
I’ve had many requests about the glue bundled with frames. Just a review, it was my intention to sell the glue ONLY bundled with my frames due to the hassles, expense, and time importing the glue.
However, I’ve been dragging my foot for 2 reasons and I’ve decided against it. Here’s why:
1. My goal has been to put women in business by teaching them a skill. My PDF tutorials do NOT limit clutch-making to just my frames. Never has. You can buy any u-channel purse frame from any seller and make your own clutch. With my bonus tutorial, you can learn how to make a template for any purse frame too. The basic skill needed to make a clutch is what I wanted to teach women. I could have done it in a way to restrict it to only my frames, but I wanted to democratize it so the tutorials have always have women how to make a clutch using any frames.
2. If I sold the glue by bundling it with my frames, that would negate this ideal because that would bar other clutch-makers who buy frames from other sellers but need glue. I take pride in providing everything to my customers to enable their success. I’ve thought “why should I sell my glue that I have so much trouble importing to those who will buy frames from someone else?”. And that’s a struggle since I love (and am admittedly biased towards) my frames. But if I sold glue only bundled with my frames, it goes against my mission of democratizing it and to teach women a skill that won’t limit them to just my goods.
It is because of this that I hope you understand why I’ve changed my mind about bundling the glue with frames. I am very open about my policies and thoughts, and sometimes, it requires deeper thought before affecting a change. I know many of you would like the lower cost of the bundled products. In the next couple of months, I still may offer bundled frames+glue in addition to glue alone. But I will not restricting the Gutermann glue only to those who buy my frames. (I wish you would buy from me exclusively, but …. the choice has always been yours to make and will remain so.)
Thoughts? Comments? Contact me at any time.
~Winn
Shop alert: “For the times they are a-changin’…”
During the shop transition that we’ve been undertaking, I’ve kept you all in the loop in the past 2 months. My goal has been to make it as seamless as possible for you.
But as Bob Dylan has said “For the times they are a-changin'” …
There have been a lot going on behind the scenes. The business has grown exponentially and we’ve gotten a lot of good exposure for all the handbag makers and artisans. Many of my handbag makers are now in crafts fairs and other selling venues and have been doing very well! 🙂 I’m so happy to see the success that many of you are having. Thanks for letting me know about your success and for the kudos that I get from you. It means a lot to me.
That said, there is a change in the business that is happening that I would like to let you know: my other sister, Thy (pronounced “T”), has joined the business. 🙂 (Ummm, there are 5 of us girls, so yes, you see why I’m so “pro-women”!) 🙂
I felt this change needed to happen because the business has gotten so large that it needed more hands to handle your orders. And it continues to grow. I’ve been blessed with the Etsy business and that continues to be my preferred selling venue; however, my big orders continue to rise in my webstore which I had before I opened the Etsy shop.
So here’s where it stands.
*I will do the main parts of the business until the foreseeable future: answering emails and convos, marketing my handbag makers on multiple platforms (Facebook, Twitter, and my blog), product research, product design, product development, business relations, forecasting, and blogging on technical, sales, and marketing tips.
*Thy will be inspecting, packaging, and shipping out all orders from whilebabynaps.etsy.com and whilebabynap.com.
*Y (pronounce “E”) will be running the new business venture for upcycling my frames via my new shop that is to come: PurseFramesOutlet.etsy.com.
In the meantime, both whilebabynaps shops will be operating at a minimum for 2 weeks. On Etsy, I’ve de-activated many listings and will be only sending out what I’m able to send out timely. I do not want to make promises I cannot keep, so I’ve only listed those frames that I have available to ship on time as per usual. I’ve got all kinds of inventory trucking and in transit all over the country!
I’ve got a lot to do in the next 2 weeks, and your patience is not taken for granted. Your support is truly appreciated.
In the growth of companies, no matter how small, bumps are likely to occur. It is my hope that by restructuring it in this manner, it will allow me to keep the highest level of customer service to you.
Please convo me if you have specific frames that you need for custom orders. I can put those custom orders together for you and let you know when they will be shipped. I will be very transparent with you, as I’ve always been.
I am truly excited for the new business that I will launch: PurseFramesOutlet.etsy.com. This is a truly phenomenal product to add to your line of clutches and one that will enable you to get frames at a greatly discounted price and enables me to meet my company’s goal of up-cycling my frames. It is an extension of my outreach to help other women who do not have the means to start their business. I really think you all will be adding this to your line of products on your table, your booth, your online shop, or your local boutique. The reviews on this product has exceeded my expectations: it’s easier to make and cheaper in material costs. 🙂
Sneek Peak: the banner!
Talk soon~
Winn
Testimonials wanted…
Thank you very much for all your emails and convos about my shop!
Because I spend 2-3 hours a day on emails and convos, and 4-6 hours a week researching and blogging, 5-6 hours a week marketing and promoting your shops, I really strive to help you succeed in your business. I’ve gotten really heartfelt and tremendous feedback that the advice and tips given has really helped.
I have asked many of you “may I use your comment as a testimonial?” to which 100% of you said “Absolutely!” “Sure!”
Since my webstore is private, my pro’s go in and order and leave without a whisper. However, with my Etsy shop, the number one way I get business to stay in business is via feedback. So I appreciate those of you who have left me private feedback about the products and/or customer service.
And here’s where I’m asking for your input and help: I get questions daily about shipping and other aspects of my shop. Many of these are new to Etsy and have not worked with me yet, let alone any sellers on Etsy, and so I’ve not earned their trust. However, through working with me, you all know I refund any Etsy shipping overcharge that over $1. I back up my frames 100%. I answer all your convos promptly. I ship promptly. We package your orders professionally. I wouldn’t have the repeat customers that I do if it wasn’t for:
1) having the finest, highest quality frames that you can trust on the market
2) having the best, most transparent, consistent, and honest customer service
…. So, if you have would like to help me out, please submit your quick testimonial via the Convo/Contact feature at my Etsy shop. (I used to put my company’s email on here, and then those ‘bots’ started spamming my mailbox … *groan*). If you’ve ordered from me, then you already have my company’s email, so you can send it there as well.
I would like to have a page of testimonials that I can refer those who have a doubt about whether or not I will refund their shipping Etsy overcharge, whether the PDF tutorial is easy to download, whether the frames are really the bee’s knees…
Find out how this phrase came about at http://lsned.com/facts/bees-knees/
Thank you to those of you who will spend the 5 minutes to send in your testimonials. Your loyalty, your support, and your business, is truly appreciated!
How to turn your $100 of donation into $3500 worth of humanitarian aid!
In light of the horrendous disaster in Japan, I wanted to let you know of a great organization that my husband and I donate to for International tragedies and disasters.
Anyone looking for a great charity?
Here’s the top 3 reasons why you should consider AmeriCares and what I think makes them great:
1. An astounding 98% of their overall expenses go to support their programs. Only 2% is for adminstration and fundraising. –> Your donations are well spent where it belongs!
2. They are an international disaster relief non-profit organization that focuses on providing, first and foremost, the medical care after a disaster strikes.
3. For every $100 that you donate, AmeriCares is able to provide $3500 worth of humanitarian aid due to in-kind and matching donations from pharmaceutical and medical supplies companies.
So well before other worthy charities are on the ground with food and clothing, AmeriCares has already been there providing emergency medical aid. They work with many other local organizations to coordinate their efforts as well.
Please go to AmeriCares.org to donate!
Interestingly, this great non-profit was founded in 1975 when a jet carrying Vietnamese orphans crashed and burned in the jungle. While many perished, there were still survivors but the Pentagon would not have been unable to reach them for another 10 days. Robert C. Macauley from Connecticut stepped in, chartered a plane, and rescued the young survivors who were safe in California after 48 hours. He and his wife mortgaged their homes to pay the bills, but this was how AmeriCares was “borne”.
I love a non-profit organization that can run lean and I know that my donation will go directly to help those in need, and not towards paying for a swanky dinner for Hollywood starlets. And I love that it gets our country’s name exposed positively to many during their times of crisis — it lets people know that Americans care through AmeriCares! The name is genius!
Please consider this worthy organization for your charitable donation and see your $100 turn into $3500 worth of medical and humanitarian aid!
OSU Buckeyes
I just had to give a shout out to the Ohio State Buckeyes basketball team – the #1 seed in the March Madness that’s going on. (And a shout out to my Ohio customers as well, especially those in Columbus, Ohio!)
And I should preface it by saying this has nothing to do with making clutches, and I’m not a ball fan of any sort. I fall in that “mom-demographic” of gymnastics and ice skating … 🙂
But I would be remiss if I didn’t say anything about the #1 team in the country. Having grown up a large chunk of my life in Columbus, Ohio, you are brain-washed and get an extra credit point for wearing “scarlet and grey” on game days – mainly football. But with the infractions for Tressel (the high and mighty always fall … how disappointing), this basketball team is really something to root for!
This is a very good article about their #1 player, Jared Sullinger.
And the reasons I am posting this is because of the wonderful family he comes from. I should know because his father, a life-long teacher, was one of my middle school teachers in Columbus, Ohio! They are a great example of a tight-knit family who support each other and are just great models in our community. Mr. Sullinger, the father, was a great teacher: warm, inviting, kept us kids engaged on learning.
Another tidbit about why I am supporting my home team, and this goes wayyyyy back in the 1980s (Hello, BIG hair! Hello, mall perms!), is that the former coach of OSU Buckeyes men’s basketball team, Eldon Miller, was my best friend’s dad. We were in 7th grade and she and I just bonded and she was my best friend for years until she moved to Iowa. Coincidentally, I would later go to Iowa for college!
GO Sullingers! GO OSU Buckeye basketball!
So as March Madness gets under way, I will be rooting for my “home” team! And having been to 35 states for business and personal trips, I can’t even list the ones that I’ve been to and which ones I haven’t been to anymore … But my husband’s been to all 50 states, and our family goal is to take the kids to all 50 states before they head off to college visiting as many family and friends as we can. We have to shelve that for when we live abroad, but it remains a great goal to strive for, nonetheless.
Along with growing up in middle America of Columbus, Ohio, here are some of my favorites:
*falling asleep reading Glamour on the beach on Amelia Island,
*driving in my Suburban by rolling acres of hay in the Nebraska sunset,
*swimming in the warm natural springs and breathing in the cool mountain air of Colorado Springs,
*listening to Simon & Garfunkel while at the Roosevelt State Park in North Dakota,
*walking among the giant sequoias in California,
*visiting Elvis’s home in Tupelo, Mississippi
*having the experience of the worst motel in the US — the Curve Motel in Oklahoma panhandle — where I was dirtier getting out of the shower than going in!
… These experiences, and many more, were all done on my own … solo. And I loved it. I was building my corporate career but made time to enjoy the sites. I met some amazing people! I’ve seen gorgeous sunsets and vistas and have had many unforgettable experiences!
If you haven’t made it very far out of your home town or state, I would highly recommend spending your money on experiences, and not on “things”. You will find that people are people everywhere. (By that I mean, none of the rhetoric about “small town/big city”, “main street”, etc… Every town has a main street and all parents want their kids to go to a good school! Everyone wants their community to be the type of place where they leave their cars unlocked and they have BBQs with their neighbors.)
And you will see that the United States is. simply. amazing.
Enjoy your day!
Empowering Women: Why it should matter to you!
International Women’s Day – March 8th. As someone whose company’s motto is “Putting Women in Business!”, this day of recognition of women on a world-wide level is one I wanted to take time to express my thoughts about.
I have found that by supporting women (from stay-at-home moms, work-at-home moms, unemployed women, college students, part-time graduates, retired grandmas, fully employed women with an corporate job/career, military wives, single moms, and many other women in all kinds as aspects in their personal and professional lives…) I have gained much more in return. You will never lose by supporting another woman.
I have long advocated and tried to foster this camaraderie. Instead of seeing other clutch makers as your competition, I have shown you scientific proof that by banding together and taking advantage of consumer behavior of “taste uncertainty”, you will increase your chances of making a sale. It has been to my heart’s fulfillment that the Facebook fan page for WhileBabyNaps.Etsy.com has been filled with you leaving positive and congratulatory comments about each other’s work.
Here are a few recent ones:
So other than it positively affecting your pocketbook, why else should you support other women? Because when we help women succeed, all of humanity succeeds.
Some things that bear this out:
1) Educating a girl one year beyond the national average boosts her earning power between 10 and 20 percent.
2) Countries with higher levels of female secondary-school enrollment have lower infant mortality, lower rates of HIV and AIDS infection, and better child nutrition.
3) According to the WEF, the US could boost its GDP by as much as 9 percent by putting more women in leadership positions in business and government and working harder to correct pay inequities.
4) Women still earn 33 cents less per dollar than men.
5) When women earn their own money, they spend on their families at more than twice the rate of men.
6) Worldwide, companies perform better and produce better ides when their highest ranks have gender diversity.
*Source: Newsweek, March 14, 2011. The Gender Metric.
Speaking of women, check out the issue of Newsweek on your newsstand featuring Hillary Clinton on the cover – politics aside – a trailblazer. It was edited by who else? Tina Brown! Go Tina! I like where Newsweek is headed under your direction.
I want to go back to point #5 above: When women earn their own money, they spend on their families at more than twice the rate of men.
When women earn their own money …
When women earn their own money …
When women earn their own money …
This is where they can get their power and have control in their lives.
But I know that it takes money to make money.
It takes money to make money.
It takes money to make money.
You cannot start your own business unless you have cash (either a microloan, bank loan, angel investors, family loans or you happen to have a load a cash under your mattress) to buy your materials. You can have all the bright ideas in the world and not get anything off the ground.
I have helped several women through my Etsy shop by donating frames and greatly discounting slightly marred frames so that they can make clutches for a church sale. I have not promoted this because I simply cannot do it on a great scale.
Until now …
In the next two weeks, you will be hearing from me about a new launch helping all women. Over a year of thought has gone into this new arena, tugging at my heartstrings, and I have come up with something that will:
*Give you another product to add to your line of clutches.
*Lower part of your materials cost.
*Lower start-up cost overall.
*Upcycles my slightly marred frames thereby reducing waste and energy by re-melting and re-making them.
*Allows women to start a business at their local school fair, weekend craft shows, church fundraisers and other community initiatives for a much lower cost.
*Easier to make and requires a lower level of skill than my classic clutches.
I am extremely excited about this new venture. I hope you will be too! I’ve got a lot to do still before it’s launched, but stay tuned!
Peace and Joy to all you wonderful women ~ Winn and Y.
In praise of the neutral rectangular purse frame
I am known for my plain ‘ol rectangular frame. Nothin’ fancy to look at folks.
But there’s a reason to my madness after all: it was designed to be neutral so that your art, your creativity, your fabrics and your embellishments can stand out — and not my frames.
I’ve often said that while I think my frames are the best there is, they are designed to be just that – to frame your work. I do not want to detract from the true part of the clutch and that is the part where your artistry comes in.
I recently did a photo album of red clutches to promote my handbag makers for Valentine’s Day on the Facebook fan page. All used my fine frames, but look at the variety!
The neutral frame allows your work to stand out!
Just a note on FB’s redesign of fan pages: it does not allow the wall posts to be listed chronologically. It’s nonsensical and I hope it will be changed.
But never fear! Please know that every wall post of a clutch gets hundreds of post views. It shows up on search engines and a lot of people stumble upon it. I am happy to have noticed that there have been clutches that have appeared on the wall that have been sold. Several have been sold many times over.
So keep posting your clutches on the wall at your pleasure. And I’ll do my best to keep promoting your work!
Etsy shop update
I wanted to update all of you on what’s happening with the shop, the inventory, and the overall shop transition.
The shop and transition:
As all of you have known, Y has been training with me to take over the packaging and shipping of your orders. She was here in New Jersey for 3 weeks learning and working. She has been back to her home in Florida for the past 3 weeks getting her office space set up to ship your orders. Here’s a pic of her studio!
Yes, even our cubbies are green and brown!
With the shop transition happening, I’ve been drawing down on the inventory and shipping orders as per usual from my home in New Jersey while Y has been setting up her office. This helps in 2 ways:
1. ZERO disruption to shipping your orders. There is no OFF day when we do not ship. We maintain the same Monday – Saturday noon schedule to ship out your orders. 🙂
2. It minimizes the shipping cost of transferring my inventory to Florida. Shipping heavy frames is extremely costly!
In addition, many of you took advantage of the great “make good” sale when I ran out of antique brass frames so that helped to draw down some inventory as well. (It was the one with free nickel-free chains with the same order of frames with loops.) I am sorry that I cannot extend that offer past the 2 weeks it was on sale. I hope you all take advantage of sales when they happen. You are always the first to know here on my blog.
Which leads me to fill you in about the antique brass frames.
First, thank you for your patience. Those of you who have come to love my antique brass frames and depend on the quality, I hate to say that I have been unable to have a manufacturer who can provide a good finish that I need and prefer.
Y worked with 3 companies in Florida in the past several weeks, and unfortunately, they were charging more than what I can (or want) to sell them for. They were charging 4 times what my guy in the Mid West was charging!
My antique brass coating is a very labor-intensive process. It is not just one coat but contains 2 different coats whose application takes longer to perfect. The second coat gives it some “antiquing” in spots. And if it’s not done right … it can look really bad.
So I am having samples made by 2 more manufacturers right now and hopefully their batches will be what I’m looking for. They will be made with the same Perfect Fit 6(TM) u-channel that I designed and the kisslock balls will be solid like before.
Antique br*ss has become a pain in the *ss ... 🙂 haha
So thank you, wholeheartedly, for those who sent convos letting me know that you’ll “wait for (my) frames”. I urge you to do what is best for your customers, though I truly appreciate your loyalty. This unfortunate set of circumstances has been beyond my control and both Y and I have been working really hard (and logging miles) to find the right manufacturing partner.
Another update: Gutermann glue is in!! My importing costs on this doubled so I will need to raise the prices. That’s why they have not been re-listed.
I do want to let you know that the price of it will also increase in May — by the manufacturer. So the price of it worldwide will increase. But I feel they can command the price since it’s such an integral part of making clutches. It’s d*mn good glue!
However, I’ve been asked to test a new glue made my another manufacturer and submit my feedback. This glue costs less than Gutermann glue but I’ve not worked with it. The only reason I would switch is if this new adhesive has better adhesion properties. That’s the utmost importance!
I’ll keep you guys in the loop as I experiment with it next week.
BUT if you buy glue with my fine frames the price of the glue will be cheaper than buying the glue alone. I will offer a bundled listing of glue and frames. These new listings will go up by this weekend so look for it.
1 tube of glue will come bundled with 5 frames.
Well, it’s almost midnight. I hope you all had a wonderful President’s Day!
Clutches for the lucky one on Valentine’s Day!
Everyone please check out the Facebook fan page!
I just added an album of clutches that are amazing and available for purchase from various artisans for Valentine’s Day. Spread the love and “like”! 🙂
See the amazing creativity. I stayed with the tried-and-true reds but these artisans have many more clutches made from my fine purse frames available for sale: for you, your sweetie, or best gf.
Here’s a small screen capture:
Click on the pic to go directly and see the album.
See what you like? Each clutch has a direct link to the shop! These are all lovingly handmade.
And they are one-of-a-kind — just like you!
Happy, happy Valentine’s Day!
xo-Winn
More FREE templates for Clutch PDF tutorial
For those who had purchased my $8 PDF tutorial, please use your password to access 3 new templates for FREE: 8×3 Classic Day Clutch(TM), 10×3 Cross-and-Carrry Clutch(TM), and 6×3 TeaTime(TM) clutch.
I made minor additions to the tutorial, which will further enhance the learning for novices. In addition, since most of you have easy access to quilting cotton, I’ve revised the instruction to add fusible interface to the inner fabric. If you are using heavier fabrics, you may opt from doing that. You just have to get a feel for what feels right to you.
In the make-your-own kits, I’ve also included 2 more pre-cut fusible interface for those using quilting cotton as this will help to add more structure to the clutch.
Here are pictures of all the clutches that can be made using my 6 patterns included in this PDF tutorial. Everything is still the same price of $8 — a bargain!
3 x 1.5 frame for coin purse
4.5 x 3 wallet
NEW 6×3 pattern!
6 x 3 TeaTime Clutch(TM) in Blue Birdies fabric on the right
Baguette Clutch(TM) using my 8x3 EleganceLock(TM) frame and chain with Robin's Egg Blue ribbon
NEW Classic Day Clutch(TM) pattern
Classic Day Clutch(TM) using my 8x3 nickel-free frame(TM) in kisslock with loops and matching nickel-free chain
NEW 10×3 pattern
Cross-and-Carry Clutch(TM) with my 10x3 nickel-free frame(TM) kisslock with loops and nickel-free chain
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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