kadydid designs

Design Your Own Products & Lots of Fabric Options!

2018-01-19T18:13:00.001-08:00

As I mentioned in my last post, my shop is shifting. Let me tell ya....it's a lot of hard work!! I'm so glad I'm allowing myself several months to transition everything over. Since I have my shop spread out over a couple of different platforms, I thought I may be easier to show a large chunk of fabric options all in one place.

**These are by no means the ONLY options available. I just picked out the most popular ones right now. Not seeing something you love? That's okay! Message me and we'll find something you DO love!!**

You will now find listings that look like these in both my Etsy shop and on my website:

There are also lots of different fabrics to choose from! You can pick from different dimple dot minkys or from more luxurious backings like llama and sherpa. The options are endless!!

Are you ready to design your own baby gear? Give me a holler!! I am so excited to help you create the baby goods of your dreams!

What the Future Will Hold

2018-01-12T07:26:00.001-08:00

When I started my little shop, I was just looking for a creative outlet; a way to dust off my "mom brain" and use my head for something outside the sometimes mundane life of raising babies. I figured if I could make a little extra money on the side to help our growing family, then even better! I never, in a million years, dreamed it would become as large as it has grown. That I would have a company that provided me a full time income while I stayed at home enjoying my babes. The connections I have made with other business owners and new mommas has been absolutely amazing, and I am so amazingly grateful for ALL of it!!

However, seasons change, and that is where I am finding myself now. In a new season. My youngest starts school full time in the fall. So many other "mom things" are demanding additional attention. School projects, after school activities, PTA and so forth. My time with my children is now limited to the precious amount of time we have together after school and on the weekends, and I am finding myself working 90% of that time rather than spending it with them. That has never been my intent. With that in mind, the direction of Kadydid Designs will be changing drastically.

Over the next 5 months, I will be scaling back my shop so that I will only be taking occasional custom orders. My Etsy shop and website will be completely different than you currently see them. Instead of hundreds of listings for different items, there will be just a handful of listings to reserve custom spots. Those spots will be extremely limited. I still love picking out fabrics, sewing and making goodies for mommas and babies both to enjoy and I want to continue that aspect of my business.

I will still be attending The Queen Bee Market in Las Vegas this March, with plenty of fun stuff to share (and possibly an amazing after market sale for those who can't come shop in person!). With the new structure of my business, I may focus more on these cute handmade markets (I currently can only find time to do one or two of them a year) in the future.

More than anything, I want to sincerely thank each and every one of you for your love and support. Nothing makes me happier than messages from my customers telling me how much they love their items. Or how their baby's new Kadydid blanket is their absolute favorite. I LOVE hearing your stories! I love helping you pick fabrics for new nurseries! I love working with you! A million times over, THANK YOU!!!!

Holiday Shopping Deals

2017-11-24T13:34:00.001-08:00

In case you haven't seen it yet, I am offering some amazing deals through Cyber Monday this year.

Both deals are available on my website AND my Etsy shop. Items do vary from each place, so feel free to take a look at both sites to make sure you're not missing out on something!

Better yet? Many items are ready to ship this year, which means no waiting the normal 4 weeks for goodies to arrive in your mailbox. Take a look below to find just a few of the ready to ship items waiting for you!

Bunny teethers make the perfect stocking stuffer for babies and toddlers!

This mauve floral teether is available in the Etsy shop (along with a matching bib that's only $5.00!).

Babies and toddlers need bibs like Santa needs Rudolph!

This navy arrow bib is available on the website, along with several other cute options.

This is the comfiest, softest baby blanket ever!

Black and white flannel on top and a super squishy sherpa fabric underneath.

Baby (and momma!) will be so happy to find this under the tree!

You can find the blanket HERE.

In case you're wondering? YES! You can stack the 15% off with the $5.00 bibs. That rarely ever happens, so take advantage while you can! If you happen to purchase something that is not ready to ship, everything ordered this weekend will ship in time for Christmas delivery!

Now tell me...what are you hoping to snag for your littles this year?

How to Support Your Favorite Mompreneur (Without spending ANY money!)

2017-11-07T15:22:00.002-08:00

We all have those friends...the ones who are up to their eyeballs trying to run their own business. Whether it's one of the 500 people in your Facebook feed selling Rodan & Fields (I can't be the only one with that problem, can I??), your aunt selling LuLa Roe, your sister in law swearing by LipSense or your bestie peddling her super cute - but super pricey - handmade goods on Etsy...we all have loved ones trying to make a living by selling products they love.

Don't get me wrong! Hello!! I am the one peddling my goods on Etsy. I love Rodan & Fields and use it religiously. I own a few pair of LuLa Roe leggings and I do happen to love LipSense. I have absolutely nothing against ANY of these forms of making an extra buck. I am all for women trying new things and/or working hard for their families. However, as much as we want to (or really maybe DON'T want to), it is not feasible to purchase every single item from every single loved one. Right? So how can we support those that we love with their dreams of success without spending a small fortune? It is really so, so simple!

On Facebook?? When you scroll past a friend's business post, give it a quick like or heart. Leave a quick comment; even if it's a generic - "That looks interesting!". Share one of those posts once in awhile with a "Hey! I don't know if anybody's interested, but my girlfriend is selling this amazing product!". Likes, comments and shares boost their posts so they get seen by more people, which in turn helps drive more business their way.

How about Instagram? All the same as Facebook. Liking, commenting (although it's super helpful if your comments are at least 4 words long!!), sharing pics/posts and tagging your friend's IG account in any appropriate posts. The BIGGEST show of support for me on Instagram is when real life people/real life moms post a photo of my stuff to show it off. You'd be amazed at how much traffic that drives; even if you only have a small handful of followers.

Pinterest!!! We all love Pinterest and spend way too much time searching for delicious foods or cute holiday decor. Next time you're perusing Pinterest, take a minute to visit your loved one's website and pin one or two of their items to an appropriate board. All it takes is ONE pin to randomly go viral to absolutely change somebody's business success. Trust me...I've been on the receiving end of that. Crazy thing is? You never know which pin will be the "magic" one!! Perhaps one of the pins YOU pinned to support your Mompreneur will be the one to catapult her business into overdrive!

These are all tiny tasks that literally take seconds to do, but would mean the world to your Mompreneur friends!! Show them that you are supporting them, even if you don't want to buy any books, fitness regimens, or legal advice, 😉

Holiday Design Challenge

2017-10-04T11:13:00.002-07:00

The Halloween Design challenge I held a few months ago was such a huge hit; I decided to run it again for the winter holidays!

This design challenge is exactly the same as the fall challenge and super easy! Here's what you need to do:

Pick 3 or 4 fabrics that you would like to see bibs in for the upcoming holidays. (You can choose from fabric companies such as Spoonflower, Hawthorne Threads or Fabric.com)
Add your fabric choices in one collage
Post that collage on Instagram, tagging @kadydiddesigns and using #kddholidaydesigns (your account must be made public so I can see your tags)
Post your choices by October 10 - that's when I will repost them for voting!

The design choices with the highest number of votes will win free bibs in all of their selected fabrics!

Good luck and have fun!

Halloween at Disneyland

2017-09-07T08:40:00.000-07:00

Halloween has started at Disneyland and Disneyworld, and I have been reminiscing about our trip to Disney last fall for Mickey's Halloween Party. My kids have been asking (repeatedly) if we are going again this year; however, we just bought a house and are in the middle of packing and moving, so no trips to Disney for us this year. Fingers crossed for next year, though!

If you have never been to Mickey's Halloween Party, here are just a few tips - and need to knows. It is definitely NOT a comprehensive list, but you'll get a good idea. (Full disclaimer? The Halloween Party sells out weeks in advance. If you do not have tickets for this year, start planning for next year!)

The Halloween party is a separately ticketed event. Your normal Disney admission ticket will NOT get you into the party. Nor will your party tickets get you regular admission for a day at Disney. They are two totally separate things. However. Your party ticket does get you into Disney a few hours before the party officially begins, and you'll want to take full advantage of those extra hours! If you are planning a trip to Disneyland during their Halloween season (September - October), be sure to avoid going to the park on any of the party days if you do not plan on attending the party. Why? You will get kicked out of the park early! Nobody wants to spend massive amounts of money for Disney tickets just to get kicked out of the park early.

Dress up!! This is the one time Disney will allow adults to enter the parks in costume. There are a few safety regulations that your costumes must meet, but they're fairly simple and require just basic common sense. Obviously, our family went with a Disney theme, however use your imagination and have fun! I would suggest making children's costumes relatively easy: you want them to be safe, comfortable and be able to make it to the bathroom easily enough. I would also skip lots of accessories. Even our face masks were getting annoying by the end of the day. Little kids get tired of carrying them and end up devastated if their sword/crown/whatever ends up broken or lost.

T-Shirts by Little Dorn Designs, Masks by Rosie K Embroidery

When you arrive, all party guests will line up in a perfectly, Disney-organized fashion. You will receive a wristband and a trick or treat bag. Once you enter the park, do NOT worry about hitting all the trick or treat stations first!! (We learned this the hard way). Enjoy the rides, wander around, eat some yummy food. The candy lines are ridiculously long at the beginning of the party. At the end of the night, the lines are non-existent and you can get as many treats as your heart desires. And obviously, because it's Disney, they are good treats. The best Halloween candy options you could ask for. Suggestion? Bring an extra bag for everybody. I'm not kidding when I say you'll end up with more treats than you could possibly use in one Halloween season. And that's per person. Not per family. (**While the rest of my family was stocking up on all the candy, I opted to get the "healthy" treats each time. I used those treats for school lunches and/or after school snacks for months after we got home).

As far as scheduling goes, try to avoid fall break times! We went during our school's fall break, and it was insanely busy. I will never do that again. If we go in the future, I will take my kids out of school for a couple of days. This is how we spent this particular Disney trip:
Day 1: Morning at Downtown Disney
Afternoon/Rest of the Night at Mickey's Halloween Party
Days 2 & 3: Park Hopper passes to split between Disneyland & California Adventure.

Next time, we will do:
Day 1: Disneyland regular admission
Day 2: Downtown Disney/Halloween Party
Day 3: Disnelyand OR California Adventure regular admission

I feel like the second schedule will be easier for my kids (who are younger), and makes it a bit less overwhelming for them. It also allows a bit of a down time on the second day. With small kids, I feel like park hopper passes are a waste of money; you can't really move fast enough to fully enjoy both parks with little legs.

I think I hit all the biggest lessons we learned during our first Halloween Party trip. If you are wanting to plan a Disney trip, I highly suggest Get Away Today Vacations. They make it so easy! And, if you're just looking for everyday tips and suggestions about getting the most out of your trip to Disneyland, I suggest following Disney Land Tour Guide on Instagram. I have been to Disney MANY times, but I keep learning new tips and tricks from her!

Do you have any super important tips to share? Or have any questions? Feel free to leave a comment!

Halloween Design Contest

2017-07-19T08:35:00.000-07:00

🎃 I know it's still July, but it's time to start thinking about Halloween/Fall bibs for your littles!

Every year, I am asked what options I will have for Halloween, and this year, I need your help!
Visit our friends at Hawthorne Threads, Spoonflower and/or Fabric.com and pick out 1 - 4 prints that you would LOVE to see on a bib for the Autumn/Halloween season. Post them (all in ONE photo collage) on your Instagram feed with the hashtag #kddhalloween (accounts MUST be public!). At the end of the entry period, I will repost your choices on my feed and we will let everybody vote. The person with the highest amounts of votes will win their fabric choices in bibs AND those will be the bibs I will carry for this season.

Got it? Good!! Hurry and choose your fabrics! This entry round will close on July 30. Tag your friends as well...the more that participate, the more fun it will be!! 🎃

How I Pay for Christmas (without spending any extra money)

2017-07-09T07:20:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to write this post for a very long time. I'm not sure why it took me so long, but here it is.

While my husband was building his business, money was tight. Like SUPER tight. As in I had to raid my children's piggy banks to scrounge up enough money to buy bread and milk (don't worry. They've been paid back - with interest). That Christmas was so incredibly stressful for me; trying to figure out how to provide a magical holiday with zero funds. However, I managed to have a normal Christmas without spending ANY extra money (and I still do Christmas the exact same way!). Let me tell you how.

There are a few money saving/earning apps I use religiously. I started using these apps and opened a new PayPal account that I don't use for anything else. The money saved/earned from these apps goes directly into that PayPal account, where I save it all up and use it for my holiday spending. Now. I know it doesn't earn any money in PayPal, but I found it the easiest way to stash it, forget about it and not have direct access to it.

Here are my go-to apps/websites:

Ibotta*. Ibotta is simply a coupon app that gives you money back for specific purchases you make at pretty much any grocery store/drug store/etc. You can also earn money back from movie tickets, online purchases and eating out. You can also earn bonuses based on a) how many coupons you redeem and b) how much money you save alongside any friends you have on your "team" (i.e. friends you have who also use the app). My first year using the app I saved over $200.00.

Ebates*. Ebates is another site that gives you cash back on purchases made online. Depending on the website and the day, you get anywhere from 1% to 10% of your purchase back. Obviously, I buy a LOT of fabric. Luckily, one of my vendors is a partner with Ebates. So every fabric purchase I make with them gives me 3% back. Hotels.com, Walmart, Etsy, Ebay...all websites that partner with Ebates. It's super easy to use and the money can add up quickly. I've also earned well over $200.00 on Ebates.

WalMart Savings Catcher. Rumor has it that this might be going away. I don't know if it's just the in store matching that they're doing away with, or the entire program. But. Until then, I keep on going! All you have to do is download their app and scan your Walmart receipt after every trip. They do the rest! Any money you saved (by price matching the ads of all nearby competitors) is then transferred to an American Express Bluebird card or use it with Walmart pay. I save up all those savings and don't touch them until the end of the year. I easily have enough each December to cover all the little stocking stuffers and candy for my 3 kiddos and my husband.

Acorns. This one is brand new to me, but I'm excited to see how it does! Simply link any accounts that you'd like and Acorns rounds up your purchases to the nearest dollar and saves that pocket change for you. Once you hit $5.00 (less than a day for me!), you can start investing it. One of my friends saved $1500.00 his first year. I saved $100 in my first 30 days, so I have high hopes for this addition to my holiday savings plan!

We have 7-ish months until Christmas. I know that's much time, but at least you can get a jump start on saving for it! Or maybe start now and start saving for next year. What about you? Do you have any quick and easy money saving tips?

Styling your tot with Kadydid Designs

2016-08-09T15:40:00.000-07:00

Are you looking for ideas on how to style your Kadydid gear?

Luckily, I have some awesome customers that love to share their ideas!

Flatlay: @_donovanjames_

This flat lay features one of our trendy bunny teethers, which you can find HERE

Flatlay: @lifewith.savvy

Our panda bear bandana bib is so cute and can be found HERE;

Flat lay: @lifewith.savvy

The safari bandana bib featured in this flat lay can be found HERE.

Flatlay: @_donovanjames_

This flat lay features one of our traditional baby bibs in the modern cloud print,

which can be found HERE.

Flat lay: @rocothreads

This pacifier clip is a Kadydid Designs exclusive for Roco Threads and can be purchased HERE.

You can find our other pacific clips HERE.

Flat lay: @kadydiddesigns

This is one of our most popular bandana bibs, which you can find HERE.

Do you love designing flat lays? If you use any items from Kadydid Designs, I'd love to see how you styled them! Tag me @kadydiddesigns or use #kadydiddesigns.

Shake off the Dust

2016-06-20T18:09:00.000-07:00

Hello, there!

It's been....well...ages since I've posted anything here. I've been considering dusting off my blog for awhile now; I keep thinking of things I want to share that just won't fit in a little 3x3 Instagram square, ya know?

So, in case you've totally forgotten who I am, let me give you a quick run down. My name is Alyssa. I run my little Etsy shop, Kadydid Designs out of my home with the help of my amazing husband and my three littles. My husband is from Idaho, I'm from South Dakota. We met while at Weber State University in Utah. He is a financial advisor for Edward Jones (an AMAZING company to work for, btw. If you, or anybody else you know is looking for a career change - send them my way. I could sing the praises of EJ for hours). Our little ones are 8, 6 and 3.

I am all about helping other momprenuers and have a serious love affair with supporting small businesses. I love my family, my faith, reading, chocolate, traveling and creating!! I'm not so fond of cleaning or doing my hair. Lol. Or rude, judgmental comments/people. I just love it when everybody is nice. :)

I hope you'll stick around - I promise to try to make it worth your while! Money saving tips, everyday Mom stuff, some yummy food and a few awesome women and small shops!

Let Me Help You!! :)

2015-08-03T11:40:00.000-07:00

I'm still here!!

Shocking, I know!!

Now that I've shooed away the crickets and the cobwebs, I want to give you a quick update.

Most of you have been visiting my blog looking for the Etsy Start Up Guide.

You may have noticed that most of it is now missing. It's not missing...it just moved. Here's the deal. Because the guide has been so tremendously popular and I have received so many emails with comments and questions, I decided it was time to condense everything into one document and add a bit more information. I have now put all the info from my blog into a pdf available in my Etsy shop. It contains all the information I had here, INCLUDING the 40 free listings with additional information (Hello, tax questions!!) for $5.00. The free listings more than pays for the fee of the guide; I didn't want the guide to be a financial detriment to your shop. However. If you just want the 40 free listings, you can still get those HERE.

So.

If you want the entire Etsy Start Up Guide + 40 free listings, go HERE.

If you want just the 40 free listings? Go HERE.

In the mean time, I hope to be back here on a regular basis. What do you want to see more of? Products? Etsy tips? Recipes? Home life? Let me hear from ya!!

2015 Brand Rep Search

2015-01-23T14:29:00.003-08:00

We are looking for our first brand reps!

We are looking for a few awesome mamas and chicklets who are active & have a larger following on Instagram to help promote our shop! Our brand reps would make a three month commitment to promote & share our products by posting pictures of themselves wearing/using our products on Instagram 1-3 times a week. In return, we would send them FREE products each month!

What exactly are we looking for?

4 mom/tot teams (in utero - 18mths old) with an IG account of at least 1k followers (but not required)!
a beautiful feed of photographs!
someone with a fun sense of style and mad photography skills!

If you are interested...here's what you need to do.

Head on over to Instagram and follow us @kadydiddesigns
Hashtag up to 3 of your photos per day with the hashtag #kadydidrepsearch and tag us @kadydiddesigns
Find our Instagram post about our brand rep search and share it on your Instagram feed using the same tags!

Our brand reps will receive anything from baby mitts and pacifier clips to car seat canopies and baby sheets. If you are expecting a new babe, let us see your gorgeous nurseries and sense of style!

Valentine's Day Wish List

2015-01-13T05:00:00.000-08:00

I <3 Valentine's Day.

I have fond memories of school Valentine's Day parties

and I hope to help create fun memories for my little ones each year.

I've gathered a fun little collection of Valentine's Day items from Etsy that I would love to have for myself OR for any of my loved ones.

This sweet little headband from The Golden Polka Dot has already been purchased and well worn in. We love it (as evidenced by my cheeky little monkey below)!!

I love dressing my kids up for holidays. Unfortunately, my almost 7 year old is getting to the point where he's too cool for such things. However...I think this cute TRex shirt from Scrapendipitees would be acceptable. In fact, it would work great for both my boys.

I am absolutely in love with this Kissing Booth sign from Torrey's Touches.

I think it would be perfect on my mantle along with the Valentine's Day Banner I made a couple of years ago.

And these conversation heart cookies from Sugared Hearts Bakery? Love.

She also offers a Valentine Themed Tic Tac Toe Cookie set that one of my loved ones will definitely be getting.

What about you? What kind of items do you have your eye on for Valentine's Day this year?

Etsy Start Up Guide Part 6: Etsy Teams & Forum

2015-01-04T05:00:00.000-08:00

I get *the most* questions about Etsy Teams and The Forum.

Teams and The Forum are used in two very different ways, but they can both be beneficial for your shop.

Etsy Teams are simply groups of Etsy shop owners with similar interests and/or goals. They are great for networking with others and getting your shop/products viewed. You can search all of the teams based on your personal likes. Maybe you want to get to know other shop owners in your geographical area. Or that have your same religious affiliation. Or that have the same hobbies/interests as you. Maybe you *just* want a team that will help with promoting your items and your shop. You can find ALL of those and more in Etsy Teams.

So. How can Etsy Teams help your shop? Ideally, team members work together to promote each others items. The more you participate in the different discussions or games, the more your shop/items get viewed. Now. I've heard some say that participating in teams could be a waste of time because that time and effort could be spent reaching out to potential customers. Here's my take. First of all, any traffic to your shop is good traffic. You never know who else is participating in those discussions/games/threads in your teams. They may be looking for exactly what you're selling. Secondly, even if people are just visiting your shop playing one of the little promotion games and never buy anything, it's still new traffic visiting your shop. The more computers that visit your shop, the more your shop gets boosted in Etsy. Lastly? Have you noticed people following you or "favoriting" your shop? Every time you favorite/heart an item in another shop - all the people that are following you see what you're hearting. So...everytime somebody else favorites an item in your shop; all of their followers are seeing your items too. And you never know where you may find a potential customer. Again - ANY traffic is GOOD traffic!!

Now. I don't spend a ton of time in teams. I do belong to quite a few of them and I participate when I have a few minutes here and there. When I was nursing a baby I spent a lot of time participating in my teams just because I couldn't do much else. So - spend a bit of time when you can, but don't let it be your sole source of advertising.

The Forum is mainly for asking specific questions Etsy in general, your shop...anything you may need help with. It's also where you'll go if you suspect there's a virus/bug or other issue affecting your shop. There are some rules in the forum...you can't mention specific shops by name (or URL address). It's also not for you to self- promote. **Although Etsy has recently added a Promotions section to the Forum. Just be sure you only share your listings there.**

How can the Forum help your shop? Tons of exposure. Remember? Any traffic is good traffic. And if you're participating in the Forum, you will get new traffic. And potentially lots of it. For example. Last year, I had a question about how to handle an issue with a customer and a specific item in my shop. That one item received over 100 views in a matter of minutes and 500 views or more for that one day. Because it was viewed so many times in one day, it was bumped up in SEO and popped up more frequently in searches where people actually were looking for that specific type of item. So thanks to several hundred Etsy owners looking at my one item, I had trailing "residuals" if you will from that one day for well over a week.

Again, I don't spend much time in the forum. However, if I have a question about something, I don't hesitate to start there first. And, if I have a spare minute or two (usually when I'm on hold with a customer service agent somewhere) I will jump in and read and/or try to comment on a few Forum questions. And it really is a good place to get any specific questions you have answered by other (seasoned) Etsy shop owners.

Bottom line? ANY traffic is GOOD traffic!! Teams and Forum are a great way to get fast and easy traffic. On Wednesday we'll continue discussing promoting and advertising your amazing shop.

Etsy Start Up Guide Part 5: Packaging & Shipping

2014-12-31T05:00:00.000-08:00

Now it's time for packaging and shipping.

Shoppers on Etsy seem to have a higher set of expectations when it comes to packaging of their products. Obviously, they want their purchase to be safely and quickly delivered. But they also want that extra touch; hand written cards and cute packaging. They love the extra attention and detail added to their packages, and I'm right there with them! It's part of the handmade/small business charm. I admit I'm not always the best in this department; it's one of my goals to work on for 2015. I do always include a hand written thank you (sometimes it's just on their invoice, sometimes a card), and I try to slap some cute washi tape on the outside of my packaging.

Pretend with Poppins is an excellent example of amazing packaging. I mean, just look at all that cute stuff that goes along with her orders! I kind of want to order from her just so I can get that fun party that comes with it (but really? Her stuff is super cute and I highly recommend you check her shop out!)

Again...there are lots of Etsy shops that provide super cute options for helping make your packages cuter.

Stationary Boutique is one of my favorites. I love her stamps and postcards.

If you're needing plain, simple poly or bubble mailers, check Royal Mailers. They are reasonably priced and deliver quickly. They also carry the clear poly bags. And obviously, if you're shipping Priority Mail, all that packaging is free and can be ordered from USPS.

Once you've got that package wrapped and ready to go, you need to get it addressed and in the mail.

If you choose to hand write your address labels, that's awesome! I'd recommend setting specific shipping days in your shop so you're not running to the post office everyday for postage. (IE: "All packages are shipped out on Tuesdays and Saturdays. If your scheduled shipping time falls between these days, your package will go out on the following shipping date)

However, the easiest thing to do is just print your labels and postage off at home. You can do this through Etsy and, if your customer paid via PayPal, you can print a shipping label/postage from PayPal as well. There is also a specific label printer that you can purchase through Etsy that prints your labels on adhesive paper so you don't have to worry about cutting and taping labels (I, however, am still part of the cut and tape crowd).

Also. Did you know that postage purchased through Etsy is slightly cheaper than what you'll pay at the Post Office? A flat rate, Priority Mail envelope typically costs $5.75 to mail. Purchase that postage through Etsy and it's only $5.05. Another good reason to just do everything at home!

Once you've packaged and labeled your package, it's time to get it to the postman! You can either drop it off at any post office/mail drop/UPS store/etc., OR if you have large items or a large amount of smaller items, you can schedule USPS to pick up from your doorstep for no extra charge.

Now that I've walked you through opening your shop and getting your first sale out the door, I'm going to start diving into more detail! On Sunday, I'll introduce you to Etsy Teams and the Forum.
Let me know if you have any questions - or anything in particular you want me to discuss!

Are you just joining us? You can find Part 1 HERE.

Wishing You The Best!

2014-12-30T09:10:00.000-08:00

Hoping 2015 brings you, your family and all of your endeavors everything you could hope for!

card design by Card Etcetera

New Year. New Goals. New Shop.

2014-12-29T05:00:00.000-08:00

2015 is right around the corner, and it's bringing some big changes to my little shop. Some items are being discontinued, yet a few new items are getting ready to make their debut. It's a scary/exciting/busy time for Kadydid Designs!

So...out with the old...
As of January 5, we will be discontinuing our line of tutus
(this includes all Halloween tutus)

as well as all burp cloths
(although we will still have some of these available in sets at local craft shows)

And in with the new...
We are so excited to introduce crib sheets to our shop!
We will have individual sheets as well as sheet/blanket combos available.

Ha! Ignore the sock sticking out from under the bed...

We are also toying with the idea of carrying children's play tents. I loved making one for my daughter and it's something my husband and I can do together. However, we are also thinking about just making these for local markets. What do you think?

In order to make room for all of our new product, we must get rid of some of our inventory! So, all bunny teethers and our ready to ship blankets have been marked down 15%, and any orders over $35 will receive an extra 20% off using code KISSES at checkout. It's a great time to stock up on gifts for baby and toddler!

Etsy Start Up Guide Part 4: FAQs

2014-12-28T05:00:00.000-08:00

UPDATE: I have now condensed this entire blog series, added a few new sections and now have it available for purchase in my Etsy shop HERE. It also includes 40 free listings to help you get your shop started.

Before we go any further, I want to answer a couple of frequently asked questions that may be helpful in this point of the game. I'll touch on most of them in greater depth later, but for those of you waiting, this will hopefully help. If you missed last week's post about listing your items for sale, you can find it HERE.

1. How do I set my prices?

There are all sorts of formulas out there for pricing your handmade items. I, however, find most of these totally outrageous and give you prices that are way too high. Basically, you need to figure out how much it costs you to make your item; all the supplies plus your time. And shop around!! Look around Etsy to see how much other shops are charging for something similar. You need to make sure you cover 100% of your costs and then some extra. Some shop owners charge a flat hourly rate on top of their costs. (Side note? Obviously you want to shop around and make sure you are getting your supplies for the absolute best price in order to give you a better profit margin. I see people selling the same type of items I make for next to nothing and I'm sad for them knowing they are actually paying people to buy their products)

You don't want to list items for too little but you also don't want to go too high. I would pick a middle ground that you feel comfortable with. Once your shop is hopping, you can start raising prices. Which leads me to another question...

2. How do I know when to raise my prices?

My rule of thumb? When my sales start getting out of control (meaning I can't keep up with them anymore), that's when I raise prices. Not by a ton; just a bit at a time. And I don't raise prices on everything all at once. If I find that my car seat canopies are going gang busters, I'll raise just those. When my pacifier clips start flying off the shelves, I'll raise the prices on those.

You'll also want to shop around from time to time as well and make sure you're still priced competitively. I did this awhile ago with my bibs and found that mine were by far the cheapest out there! I quickly raised my prices so I'd be in the same ball park as my competitors.

Don't worry about losing sales by raising prices. You'd be amazed at how much it does NOT effect your sales. If anything, it typically increases your sales. Don't ask me why - it's the strangest phenomenon.

2. How do I know how much to charge for shipping?

You can do one of three things.

a) Take your items to the post office each and every sale to individually weigh and postage them. This might be okay when you're first starting out, but I wouldn't recommend it. I did this for the longest time until I finally figured out I could print postage at home.

b) Take one of each of your items, fully packaged, and take them to the post office to weigh them. Jot down how much easy one weighs and make yourself a master list. This was my second course of action and it worked great!

c) Skip all that hassle and just buy a small kitchen scale (assuming your items will easily fit on that scale).

Once you've figured out how much to charge for each item, you can set up a shipping profile for them. That way, all the shipping information is saved for you based on what you're shipping, and you don't have to enter it all in every time you list a new item.

3. How long do I wait for sales to come in before I give up?

Obviously, that is totally up to you. However, it took me almost a full year before I started seeing regular sales. I will say, though, that I didn't do much advertising or pushing of my shop/products during that time. You have to have patience. Don't give up just because you didn't make 20 sales your first month out. If you stick with it, you'll get there!

I've heard that it takes approximately 100 views before an item sells, and that tends to hold true in my shop. So the more you get your product seen, the quicker you'll see those sales coming in.

4. How do I get my product seen?

I will definitely be doing an entire post of just this later, but if you want to start working on it, here you go. This is just a quick list and by no means a complete one. There are TONS of places to get your items seen.
- Join (and participate in) a few Etsy teams
- Facebook (create your own page and/or participate in one of the dozens of Etsy/Handmade groups)
- Twitter
- Linked In
- StoreWoot (this site promotes your items for you! Click through the link to try it for free!!)
- Instagram
- Pinterest
- Ask a blogger (or two. Or three.) to do a giveaway for you
- Tsu (this is a new social media outlet that has an AWESOME collection of handmade artisans)
- Continue adding product to your shop
- Play with your keywords

5. How do I edit my photos?

I simply use PicMonkey. Others use Photoshop. I've also been known to use my camera and editing options on my phone. There are lots of photographers that will take professional photos of your product in exchange for the item they're photographing (there's an entire Etsy Team devoted to matching photographers with shop ownders) and no other cost.

I think that's a good, quick recap of the most frequently asked questions I receive. On Wednesday, I'll be going through what to do once you make your first sale!!

Kids Tent

2014-12-26T07:53:00.000-08:00

This.

This collapsible tent is by far my favorite handmade gift of this holiday season. Using the tutorial at Just Another Hangup, my husband and I whipped this up for our 2 year old daughter. It was seriously so easy! If anybody wants one of their own, I'd be happy to do one for you...I've added a listing in the shop HERE. I am so in love!!

Luckily, she loved it just as much! It was a great place for her to stash all her Christmas goodies yesterday; keeping everything safe from brothers and dogs. And with a few twinkle lights added to it; perfectly magical for Christmas morning!

Etsy Start Up Guide Part 3: Listing Items for Sale

2014-12-24T05:00:00.000-08:00

Find the update regarding my Etsy Start Up Guide HERE.

Yay! You've opened up your shop and all of your policies and About Me sections are finished and perfected. Let's get some items up for sale!!

**note: you can always go back and make changes to your policies and About Me sections**

Still need to get your shop opened? Get your first 40 listings for free HERE.

I hope all of you have a wonderful holiday!!

Merry Christmas!

Etsy Start Up Guide Part 2: Shop Announcement, Policies & "About Me"

2014-12-21T15:55:00.003-08:00

Find the update regarding my Etsy Start Up Guide
HERE.

Okay. You've got your Etsy shop all set up; you've got your items ready to go. Now what?

Still need to set your Etsy shop up? Click HERE to get 40 free listings!!

Did you miss Part 1? Find it HERE.

Etsy Start Up Guide Part 1: Getting Started

2014-12-17T08:08:00.001-08:00

Find the update regarding my Etsy Start Up Guide
HERE!

DIY Felt Christmas Tree

2014-12-09T09:23:00.002-08:00

Guys.

This is seriously the easiest and cheapest gift you could ask for.

A felt Christmas tree.

Remember when I made this table cover play house for my kids?
It left me TONS of leftover felt.

So, with a few cookie cutters and free templates I printed off, I made a bunch of ornaments.

Here's what you need.

1 yard of felt.

The good thing is that felt is so wide, that it comes folded in half. So buying the 1 yard gives you enough to make 2 trees.

Scraps of felt and/or fabric

Velcro (loop side only)
Fabric glue or hot glue

Any embellishments you want!

Total cost to make 2 felt trees? $7.00!!!!

And that includes the velcro and new felt pieces for the ornaments!

It's pretty self explanatory. If using fabric, you'll need some kind of stabilizer so it's not so flimsy. I just used scraps of iron on stuff I had from an applique project I did ages ago.

So. Grab some supplies, pull up your favorite Netflix show and knock out a few trees for some of your favorite littles. I promise they'll love you for it!

Carole's Art Giveaway

2014-12-08T06:42:00.004-08:00

Zuni Bear Turquoise Magnesite Earrings

Any piece from CarolesArt is certainly a treasure. The pendant necklaces and other jewelry pieces are unlike any others you'll find. With an earthy, artisan quality, these pendants and stones simply shimmer with beauty and exquisiteness!

PRIZE:
These lovely little bears are quite the thing, and people love them. Wire-wrapped and hung from surgical Stainless Steel lever-back earrings.

Find CarolesArt online!

Etsy |
Facebook |
Pinterest

Would you like to win these lovely earrings?

Contest ends on December 21, 2014. Open to U.S. entrants only.
Please fill out the Rafflecopter form below to submit your entries.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

{Thank you to the BERRY HANDMADE blogging team!}

.:. Browse CarolesArt to view other available items .:.

Winners, Winners, Chicken Dinners (and our Thanksgiving)!!

2014-12-01T08:23:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful and relaxing Thanksgiving Holiday!

We were super blessed to be able to take a last minute trip to Texas to see all of my family (it's been over 2 years since I've seen some of them) before my youngest brother heads to Michigan State for law school. It was so wonderful to be able to spend a few days with everybody. I hated saying good-bye this weekend!

Okay. And now what you're really here for. The list of our 12 Days of Christmas Winners!!

Day 1: Marnie Davis Ward

Day 2: Yolanda Scott

Day 3: Peggy Johnson

Day 4: Holly Cunningham

Day 5: Deanna Lynn

Day 6: Anne Stewart

Day 7: Susan Kunkel

Day 8: Audra Watts

Day 9: Audrey Griffis

Day 10: Fiona N.

Day 11: Erin Mills

Day 12: Helga Romoser

Congratulations to everybody and another huge thanks to all of our vendors! I hope everybody enjoyed our 12 days of fun!!

Don't forget...we still have our Cyber Monday deals going on at Kadydid Designs.