Expanding my business

Over the past few months I have been working on expanding my product line. I will be doing everything that I have been doing already plus more. If there is anything that you want done in the scrapbooking arena don't hesitate to contact me.

Recently I completed a end table for a little girls room. I photographed the bedspread in their room then decoupage the pictures on the top of the end table. It turned out better than I could have anticipated and they loved it!

 

View from the top

 

 

View from the front

 

I really loved this project. This is one of those projects that one of my customers came to me asking if it was possible and I found a way.

 

Christmas bear

I have added a Christmas bear to my product line. She is adorned with garland, ornaments, tinsel and rhinestones. The actual bear is made of mohair. This bear is only $10 for anyone who in interested. If there are any special requests for any other type of Christmas bear feel free to contact me at toostinkincutescrapping@yahoo.com. Also make sure to get you tag and Christmas card orders in. All Christmas orders are 10% off until December 20!

Personalized gifts

I can't believe that it is that time of year again! Christmas is right around the corner. It really is time to start thinking about what to get for your loved ones. Too Stinkin' Cute Scrapping can help with your personalized gifts. Is there something that you have seen on Pinterest that you want to make but don't have the time? Is there a gift that you have thought about doing but don't know how to make it? If you have an idea of what you want I can help.

I have done many personalized gifts over the years including calenders, scrapbooks, mugs, themed baskets, bookmarks and much more. Feel free to contact me with anything that will make your Christmas shopping a little easier!

Ordering cards and tags for Christmas

Make sure to preorder your Christmas cards! Christmas is my busiest time of the year so get your orders in early. If you have any special additions such as a family photo just let me know.

If Christmas cards are not for you, I also do gift tags. I usually charge 50 cents a tag depending on supplies.

I can ship anywhere in the United States and I only charge shipping, no handling charges. Make sure to contact me with any questions that you have!

Featured in the B-Town blog

Recently we were featured in the B-Town blog! We were featured as the vendor of the week! Here is the link for anyone who is interested in reading it!

http://b-townblog.com/2012/08/09/farmers-market-vendor-too-stinkin-cute-skull-pretty-family-made-crafts/?fb_action_ids=3867187112288&fb_action_types=og.recommends&fb_source=aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=246965925417366

Starting to teach classes

Too Stinkin' Cute Scrapping is now starting to teach classes. If you are interested in taking a class in your home feel free to get in contact with me. Some of the classes that I am currently offering include:

• Card making
• Gift tag making
• General scrapbooking
• Journal decorating
• Calenders
• Various gifts
• How to make your own invitations
• Scarpbooked wall art
• Personalized coasters including using a picture
• Ornaments

These are just some of the options that I am offering. If you have an idea for a class that you would like to take just let me know.  Prices are subject to the individual class. If you have any questions feel free to comment here or email me at toostinkincutescrapping@yahoo.com.

Personal scrapbooker

Lately I have been doing a lot of personal scrapbooking. It really is the thing that I enjoy doing most. I finally figured out all the ligistics of the pricing. I charge $5 for a 8x8 page and $7 for a 12x12 page. I looked up how much other people charge and then reduced it by $2. I want to be affordable for everyone. I also have been doing personalized gift tags for $2 a tag. These prices are dependant on the amount of work and materials that are needed. The price will be adjusted accordingly depending on what you want.

If anyone wants any of their memories scrapbooked feel free to email me at toostinkincutescrapping@yahoo.com

Additional product for the Kent and Burien Farmers markets

I have two new chairs for the farmers markets. The first one is another flower chair. I am selling it for $25. Originally I had the other chair posted for $15 but I had so many requests for them that I decided to up the price. It takes me quit a bit of time to do these chairs so I think that the price increase is pretty fair.

The second chair is Mary Engelbreit. It is absolutely one of my most favorite things that I have ever made. If I had a little girl I would definitely keep it for her. I am selling this chair for $35. I also have a matching table that I am selling for $45. I will sell the set for $70.

The last addition that I have for the markets is my little suitcase. Hopefully this one will sell as well as the other ones have. I am selling this one for $15.

 

 This week Fonna and I will be doing the Burien Farmers Market on Thursday and the Kent Farmers Market on Saturday. Hope to see you all this week!

Sold items so far at the Burien Farmers Market

So far today I have sold the little child's chair and a lamp that was posted on my facebook site. I also sell these little wood boxes that have different decorations on them. The one the I sold today was turquoise with a purple fairy on it.

One of my favorite items that I make are these mini luggage's that I decoupage. I wish I had taken pictures of them but I forgot :-( Every week I consistently sell the ones that I have made. I think that I am going to have to keep that product in our booth every week. The first one that I sold was decoupaged with retro flower paper. The one that sold this week was covered in a reprint of a newspaper from the early 40's then of course it was antiqued. Hanging from the handle was key charms. I also added a mirror on the inside that Fonna helped me cut. I must say that it was too stinkin' cute! I sold one of those cases last week that was a medium size. I sell the small one for ten and the medium one for fifteen. The next time that I make one I will post a picture.

I am so glad that I am finally getting to know what product sells well. I have been trying to start this business for over a year now and I finally feel like I am getting somewhere. My next step is to open a fully functioning website. Anyone know of any good free places to start a website?

More product!

I have been working so hard lately on getting this business really booming. I am excited to say that I have been consistently selling my product through my facebook page and the Burien Farmers Market. Lately my husband has been promoting my business too to all of his friends and coworkers and I have been able to start expanding my personal scrapbooker part of my business. 

I think the hardest thing about starting a business is making something that sells and brings in enough money to make it worth all the effort. Recently it has been the antiqued furniture that has been bringing in the most money at the farmers market. I actually really enjoy doing it. I love my new sage green line. I think that I am also going to start doing a pastel pink line also. I put up the pictures of the sage green line on facebook and sold a piece about five minutes later.

Lately I have been doing a lot of personized scrapbooking. Today I just got an order for making a scrapbook using recipes that have been pasted down from generations. I am really excited to start the project. I will be shopping for all the product at Joann fabrics on Saturday. I will be doing that scrapbook with a vintage theme.

I will post pictures of the scrapbook as it unfolds. Of course I will be posting the pictures without the recipes. I can't give away family secrets :-)

Here is a look at some of the product that I have online right now for sale. Feel free to contact me at toostinkincutescrapping@yahoo.com if you have any questions or are interested in any of the product.

This white wash wine carrier is selling for $12.

This is a decoupaged box that has yellow, pink and blue flowers. I am selling it for $15.

This angel box with rhinestones is selling for $10

This flower wine box with rhinestones is selling for $8.

This child's chair has all different types of flowers and rhinestones. I am selling it for $15.

 -SOLD

This large sage green mirror with shelf is selling for $20.

These small sage green mirror with shelf is selling for $8. I have already sold one.

This sage green jewelry box is selling for $12

This medium sage green mirror with shelf is selling for $15.

Expanding my business

I have recently started to do more than just scrapbook. I have started altering furniture too. My most recent creation is the chair that is posted on this page. It is a child's chair covered in various flowers. I am selling it at the Burien market this Thursday for fifteen dollars if anyone is interested. It ended up being a really fun project that I will be doing more of. It is a good in front of the T.V. kinda project. If anyone has any projects that they want me to do for them let me know. I also "antique" already existing pieces. I will post more pictures of my other work in the next few days.

Getting into scrapbooking stores and doing craft shows

I have recently decided that I am going to get my product into scrapbooking stores around Washington. I really feel this is the next step into advancing Too Stinkin' Cute Scrapping. I really hope that some of my product will get out there. I have already been taking orders through my Too Stinkin' Cute Scrapping page on Facebook. I have started to make cards, notebooks, cupcake toppers and large individual gift tags.

This spring/summer I will also be doing craft shows at the Burian and Kent markets. I am also hoping to do Kent Cornucopia days this July too. I think that adding all these avenues will get me somewhere. I am so excited for the possibilities of the business growing! I am so ready to work for myself.

They sold!

I sold my My Little Pony and my Pastel Butterfly tags recently. I couldn't tell you how excited I am! I really need to start marketing my product more. Tyler and I recently found out that we are pregnant and I need to start making some extra money for the baby. It would really help us out if these tags would sell at a higher volume. I might be getting my work into craft fairs and the like thanks to my dads fiance Fonna. She also has many crafts that she sells. Thanks to her, I might be able to get my product out there more. I am so excited to see what comes of all my hard work. I believe in my product and I have faith that it will do well! Thank you everyone for your support!

Where to sell?

So far I have actually had the most luck on a free site yardsellr.com. I actually really like this site. I can add product for free and sell for free. I just have to get a tracking number and they send me a check. I actually like this site the best.

As for Ebay, I think that I am going to stop selling on there. I have not made any money and I have yet to even get any views on my product. So for me right now I think that it is a waste of my time.

I do still like Etsy. I know that I have not made any money on there yet, but at least I get to have my post online for four months for only $0.20. If I sell anything then they get a percentage of what I make but I think that it is worth it.

As for my website, I think that I might not use it right now. I might just get rid of it until I make a better name for myself. I don't think that spending the money on a website every month is really worth it right now.

Craigslist is great for local selling but so far nothing has come of it. One day, I will be making enough money to support all my dreams, but right now I will do what I have to on the free sites to get myself going!

Ebay... Yes or no?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180663714918&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

I have listed on thing on Ebay with no success. Not even one bid. I decided to give it one more shot and try again listing the same item at a lower price. I don't know if I like Ebay or not. Has anyone else had any luck on Ebay or does it just tend to be a waste of money? The first time I listed my My Little Pony tags it cost me $0.75 and this time to re list it was $0.40. The first time it was listed I only was able to list it for 7 days and this time it allowed me to list it for 10. I really don't know if it is worth it or not. I know that I have heard a lot of "success stories" when it does come to selling on Ebay but so far I am not one of them. If nothing comes of this listing, I think that I may think twice next time that I want to list something on Ebay.
So far I think that I am liking Etsy a lot better. Their listing fee is only $0.20 for four months. Hopefully that will end up working out for me. So far nothing but I am trying to not lose hope. 

www.scrappingbyholly.etsy.com

I DID IT!

www.toostinkincutescrapping.com

I FINALLY created a website after much frustration. I am really proud of myself that I overcame that obstacle. Maybe to some of you out there it may seem like an easy task, but to me it was more of a challenge then I expected... glad that is over with! It may not be the best website in the world, but for now it definitely works! I am excited to see if the website brings in any more money.
To be completely honest, which I am trying to do in this blog, I have not sold anything yet. As you can see on my Etsy page, I opened up shop on April 5, 2011. I figure that I need to give myself more than just a month before I become disappointed. I have read on many websites that it takes about 6 months to a year for a small business that is built solely online to actually get going. I really hope that it doesn't take that long, but I am willing to wait if I eventually get to make this my career. I would get to do the thing that I love to do for the rest of my life.
I cant tell people how happy scrapbooking makes me. I think that it is because it is something that I used to share with my mom. For those of you out there who don't know, I lost my mom on March 1, 2006. It hit me and my family really hard, which is expected. I think that I try to hold on and cherish the memories of her and scrapbooking is one way that my mom lives on. I know that she would be happy that I am actually trying to get this business going.

Trying to build a website....

 Butterfly tags

Right now I have been online for 2 days trying to build a website. It is a lot harder than it looks. I wish there was just a really simple way to have one built that didn't cost a lot of money. I am trying Intuits 30 day free trial and I keep having to start over with the website because something goes wrong. Even though I grew up with computers, I still have a really hard time sometimes. Oh well... I will either figure it out or I wont. For anyone who is interested I do have a yardsale account

http://yardsellr.com/yardsale/Holly-Sholes-157226

And I also have an Etsy account

www.scrappingbyholly.etsy.com 

Both of these pages have my products on them and hopefully soon I will have a running website. The frustrations of starting a website....

Little yellow and orange ducky tags

I have recently added really cute yellow and orange ducky tags to the list of things that I am selling. I love these tags. I personally would use them for baby shower name settings or party favors but the options are endless for these tags. When I saw the embellishments in the store I knew that they would be a hit. I love all the glitter that has been added to the embellishment itself and the rhinestone on the ducky is sooo cute! Paired with the yellow and orange card stock and ribbon, they are perfect for many occasions!

Introducing Too Stinkin' Cute Scrapping

My name is Holly Sholes and I have been scrapbooking for over ten years now. My mom was the one that introduced me to scrapbooking and I decided that I needed turn my passion and hobby into a business. I have currently opened up shop on etsy. I hope to make this blog about the journey and complications of starting a new small business online. Here is the link to my current website 

http://www.etsy.com/people/scrappingbyholly