Our 10,000th Etsy cart winner is ….
… a university student! Who here doesn’t have starving college days that they can recall? Man, I used to make it work for the weekend when my cheap meal plan didn’t cover it. I’d get a rotisserie chicken for $3.99, a lime, and a cucumber and make it last for all my meals for the weekend! That’s $5 for food for the whole weekend. I just remember being hungry during all my university years.
I couldn’t be happier for her because she was timely and also “played it” well. Knowing that the shop was within sight of hitting 10,000 Doryn went ahead and bought many different frames to try out along with the PDF, thereby securing her spot! Her cart totaled $145 so she got the 10,000th item – the PDF! – free as well as $100 off her cart.
And wouldn’t you know it, but Doryn is from New Jersey! What a coincidence. I had asked some questions about Doryn, so read our Q&A.
Q: Can you tell me a bit about you?
A: I am studying environmental law and policy. The curriculum prepares me for law school if I decide to become an environmental lawyer. I can also become an environmental consultant for a company and then my job would be to ensure the company is functioning within current federal and state environmental regulations. I’ve loved Star Trek for as long as I can remember and I’m also a Patrick Stewart fangirl 🙂 I’m naturally more of a ‘thinker’ than a ‘doer’; I’d rather ponder over ideas and theories than test them. I’ve also been told that I’m highly analytical, though I don’t think that’s true (I’m just good at pretending I am, ha!)
Q: Do you have a shop?
A: Not yet, but I do plan on launching one within next few months.
Q: Do you like to craft?
A: Love it, it’s nice to let creativity flow. In addition to sewing, I knit, crochet and draw/sketch. I’m relatively new to sewing, I’ve only been sewing for a year and a half. I find it to be therapeutic and I use it as a way to de-stress and focus when my mind is jumbled. I also love the sense of accomplishment I feel when I’ve finished a project that is unique and completely me. I will be using these frames to make bridesmaid’s clutches for my cousin’s wedding and prom clutches for my younger friends.
A wristlet by Doryn.
Doryn made this pen roll.
Q: How did you hear about WhileBabyNaps?
A: I was searching for frames that I could use to make the bridesmaid’s clutches for my cousin’s wedding. I came across your shop on Etsy and I saw how much pride you take in your items and the amount of work you’ve put into making these frames top-grade. When I realized you supported those businesses who use your frames, that you were a jeweler, AND from New Jersey, I knew I had to have them!
Q: How did you hear about the 10,000th item promotion?
A: I’ll admit I’m one of those people who puts tons of items in their cart, and leaves them there so I can mull over the possible purchase. I was finally preparing to checkout when I decided to look over your shop again and I saw the 10,000th item banner! It was an opportunity too good to pass up! Thank you, Winn!
I like her spunk!
Congrats, Doryn. I hope you enjoy making your clutches for your cousins and friends. We all look forward to seeing your shop of sewn good and crafts. My thanks to each and every customer on Etsy (and from the webstore)!
~Winn
We did it! 10,000th item on Etsy sold!!!
It’s been 12 years since I started my LLC and my businesses, and it’s been a little over 3 years since I’ve been on Etsy, but I just hit the 10,000th item sold!!! We’ve got a winner ladies and gents. I could not be any happier to celebrate this huge milestone with you all. Details will come soon on the winner. 🙂
Thank you, thank you, to all.
Get some swag – $200!
As mentioned before in a previous post, when I get asked to be a sponsor, I really have to weigh the value of what I give to what I get in return. I’d go broke if I said yes to everything. But as my company’s motto is “Putting Women in Business”, I always find a way to make it work when it comes to workshops that teach women a new skill. I was asked to be a sponsor for an inaugural sewing event that took place a couple of weeks ago in North Carolina. Though it was a small group, Sew South made a big impact for all attendees. The enthusiasm from these ladies is amazing and you can see the skills they learned, the friends they met, and the good times they had at this sewing retreat. Check out all photos at this Flickr group. Here’s a snapshot of some of the photos:
Take a look at the new clutches made from the attendees, most of whom were new to making clutches.
- women of all ages (25-65)
- women of all skill levels (some sewing for 6 months, some for 20 years)
- women from around the country (from California to North Carolina, Wisconsin to Florida – even someone from San Juan Puerto Rico!)
- over half of the attendees are bloggers
Even though this retreat was limited to 50 participants, Jennifer, the founder, has opened up a free swag drawing for everyone — including you, my customers and blog readers. Enter here at Sew South Retreat website to win this loot worth $200. There will be 3 lucky winners.
Good luck and I hope one of you get it!!! If you do, let me know.
Winn 🙂
Who will be the winner of the 10,000th item on Etsy?
We are getting close! A couple weeks ago, I wrote about our huge milestone coming up, and now we are on the cusp of having a winner. Currently, at 9942 items sold, we should have a winner within the next week, unless my crystal ball is not working. 🙂
Can I start the countdown?
Whoever’s (whomever’s?)cart contains the 10,000th item sold, will get that item and the entire cart free, up to $100.00! I’m curious to see if it will be a brand new customer, a woman who is trying out a new skill for the first time who will make a clutch for her friends, or if it will be a woman who runs her own business and needs to get some more frames to make clutches getting ready for Mother’s Day sales. Not to slight my few but wonderful male customers, it could be one of them needing some more Gutermann glue to their clutches, too. We will have to wait and see!
New purse frame coming out!
Hi everyone! My family and I just got back from our spectacular trip to China. We got home at 2 a.m. last night, so we are all just lolly-gagging about today. School is back tomorrow and we will slowly, but surely, be back to the grind! I will be sure to post some photos soon. But before that happens, I just wanted to share a quick update to all my dear blog readers and customers: there is a new antique brass coming out this week in 4.5×3! Take a look.
New 4.5×3 antique brass coming this week!
These will be listed this week. We had a lot of demand for this, but due to the difficult antique brass finish, it took some time to make sure this was a permanent addition we wanted to add. Thank you to all who asked for it and have been so patient. As you can see above, this is made in the same design as my nickel-free 4.5×3 size. There’s something to be said for consistency! I can see this frames used with all kinds of fabrics. This is just another option in your product line.
Vacation Notice: Please get your orders in!
Well, it’s Spring Break time of the year and it’s also a much-needed pull-the-plug from work and plugging into the kids! Both shops, the Etsy shop and the online store, will be closed March 23, 2013 for 10 days. This Saturday will be the last day for shipping so please get your order in by Thursday. Shipping will resume Tuesday, April 2nd!
During the shop closing, Thy will have internet access and will be taking Custom Orders. So while you may still be able to order, no shipping will occur until April 2, 2013.
Thy is taking some time off with her 2 boys, and I will be headed to China(!) with my 3 kids. The Great Wall has been on The Bucket List and I’m finally getting to cross it off! We are also looking forward to being in cooler weather. How we miss the cold and snow of New Jersey! I know it’s been a cold and snowy and tough winter season for many of you above the Mason-Dixon line, but hang in there! Spring is just around the corner. 🙂
Photo courtesy of Over50feeling40.
Warmly yours,
Winn
Tips for your digital camera
I get asked questions about how to improve many shop’s listings and product photos. I have helped several shops make improvements on their photos and their sales have increased. While my talent in photography lies in close-ups of jewelry, I continually work on developing my other skills.
One of my favorite shots from my jewelry shop. So sparkly.
However, I currently only use a simple point-and-click digital camera that is about 7 years old. It’s a little dented and is not fancy but does the trick. It’s not doing justice to my wide shots, in low-light conditions, or shots with any movement since I have no shutter speed to work with but for a straightforward, non-moving target, I get a lot out of an old cheap camera.
Sometimes I can time it right and get an "action" shot.
I use iPhoto on my Mac to straighten, sharpen, brighten the shadows and the overall exposure. Sometimes, all I need to do is hit the “Enhance” button and instant improvements are done! However, if I start with an out-of-focus, badly lit shot, there’s not much I can do. But here’s a sample of where a little straightening (ok, a lot), cropping and better exposure can improve a terrible photo.
Before. I was laying on my side trying to snap the view. Makes you kinda dizzy...
After
For your clutch shop, I recommend taking time to set up the shot before you snap. In fact, the majority of your effort should be spent on setting up the shot with the right lighting, backdrop, and positioning. Here’s one of my favorite shots of my clutch kits.
I sell a lot of these kits because it's a good clutch, but also due to the photo. It's a good angle and shows off the clutch well with good focus on the subject. You can even see the texture of the fabric.
I just ran across an article on camera tips so click on the pic below to get to that article. I hope it’ll help you in your picture taking!
Click to read full article.
If you’ve got any good tips, I would love to hear them!
~Winn
Minor edits to 3 pages. Get it now!
Hi ladies –
There are 3 minor revisions on the following pages that were not caught in the previous go-arounds. If you are among the 500 or so who just grabbed the latest updated tutorial, please go to the post here and download the tutorial again. The 3 pages that were changed ever so slightly were pgs. 13, 21, and 22. You can just print out those pages if you like. I hope these minor, yet important, changes will help to provide clarity.
Please note:
*that the most recent version is always at my blog at the password-protected post. Any time I make changes or additions, I also let everyone know ahead of time and give you the go ahead to access it via this blog.
*please copy and paste the URL in its entirety to access the posts referenced (interface and glue) in the tutorial. I’ve tested the URLs several times and they will lead you to the correct posts mentioned. I’ve not removed those posts.
Now that my eyes are completely cross-eyed from looking at this tutorial for all these weeks and hours, I think I’ll give them a rest.
Thy just made a clutch trying the Bottom Seam way with the new Shortcut. It took her 40 minutes from start to finish to make a clutch using our aunt’s old sewing machine at 1 in the morning. (Hey, you work when you can and the kids were sleeping!) 🙂 You moms know how it is …
She found that the Shortcut way made it easier to invert the clutch right-side-out (fewer wrinkling) and made for easier insertion into the purse frame. Try it out let me know how it works for you!
Have a great weekend!
Winn
Thank YOU!!!!
Thank you for all of you who have purchased my Snappy(TM) Clutch Wallet PDF and my upcycled purse frames at my PurseFramesOutlet.Etsy.com store!!!!
Upcycling evolved out of recycling. Upcycling “is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new products of a higher environmental value.”
This is great video explaining the trend of upcycling:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qZvwxhqf2k
By offering a new design – my Snappy(TM) Wallet Clutch – I am able to re-use a subset of my useless, defective frames in a way that results in a new product that is better on the environment (it doesn’t have to be re-melted, or stripped using harsh industrial chemicals and solvents, etc…) and gives YOU a bigger profit margin. You now have a new product to add to your product line at a different price point!
I know you all have been hoarding (there’s a show for that … :)) a stash of beloved scrap fabric, so now is the time to get those amazing little bits out and use them! Those of you who can only have access to quilting cotton, now this is the perfect solution!
Learn all about upcycling trends.
It’s been a roaring success right out of the gate, and my research has paid off!
Here’s a post specifically about the upcycling trend by Etsy artists!
http://brittanysbest.com/?p=1233
So thank you, thank you, for helping me to upcycle my beautiful frames that simply didn’t make the cut for WhileBabyNaps.Etsy.com. I would love to post pics of Snappy(TM) Wallet Clutches in a future post to see the many kinds of fabric designs out there! So convo me with those pics or email me. (I can’t re-post my email here since I’ve been getting spammers…)
Best ~ 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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