Sugarhouse Ink

Transparency

2015-04-08T16:22:00.002-06:00

There's something I've always appreciated about having a little look behind the scenes of something successful. Am I alone in that? I really appreciate a candid look at another person's business, seeing what is working for them and how their business is lining up with their goals. I love numbers and data and analyzing my own stats (part of why I always run with my garmin*). But at the same time, for some odd reason I have a hard time with keeping up on my monthly accounting tasks. Even though they should fall under the umbrella of data, numbers and statistics, they feel so tedious and boring.

In an effort to be more helpful and transparent to my readers and customers AND as an added motive to keep up on the tasks that I dread the most, I've decided to start talking more openly about my business: the numbers, the stats, the systems, the tools, the experiments and the changes I'm trying to implement to become more successful. And the plan is to talk about it all right here, on my blog. Stay tuned!

Modern Family Update Holiday Photo Card

2014-10-09T11:35:00.000-06:00

The modern family update holiday photo card design has been very popular in my shop and I get a lot of questions about what can and cannot be changed - number of photos, layout, headings, etc. Here are some past orders I have done that will give you an idea of a few different configurations.

This family kept the same general layout, changed a few headings and used three photos instead of two.

This family had a slight layout change, ditched the illustrations, changed headings and colors.

Here's a vertical layout of the design with a single photo.

These guys brought in a bright and colorful palette and flipped the location of the photos and text.

Here's a cute yellow take on the design with three photos instead of two.

Don't have enough text to fill out the card? No problem. I can add snowflakes or a Christmas tree if your card is looking bare.

LDS Missionary Announcements

2014-04-21T09:30:00.000-06:00

Eighteen months ago, the age requirement for young people serving LDS missions was lowered to 18 for young men and 19 for young women. The result? An unprecedented surge of missionaries entering the mission field - including 58 brand new missions around the world. I designed several missionary announcements - with sister missionaries in mind - along with coordinating missionary address cards and return address labels. These have been very popular over the past year and I hope to keep adding more! Here are a few favorites:

All of these (and many more designs) are available for purchase in my etsy shop!

Confetti Birthday Party - Inspiration Board

2014-04-14T08:30:00.000-06:00

I love the idea of a confetti themed birthday party. It's simple, traditional, festive and just a little bit delicate. After seeing this darling smash cake, I was inspired and designed a new confetti themed birthday party invitation. There are lots of great confetti inspired cakes, decorations and treats to create the perfect party!

You can view all of my sources and even more inspiration on my confetti party pinterest board.

The Perfect Rainbow Birthday Party - New and Improved Party Board

2014-04-14T07:30:00.000-06:00

The rainbow party board was one of the first that I put together. It's safe to say that since then, people have taken party planning to a whole new level and inspiration for great parties is abundant! I've pulled together some of my favorite (more recent) finds for the perfect rainbow birthday party. It all starts with the Color Burst Rainbow Birthday Party Invitation. The rest, well... check it out below!

All of my sources, and even MORE inspiration can be found on my rainbow party pinterest board.

Old MacDonald Nursery Prints

2013-07-02T14:46:00.000-06:00

The very first nursery prints I designed were Old MacDonald prints that looked like this:

Now I've redesigned them as a set of three prints. You can order them in a single color, or three different colors - it's up to you. They will really make a statement on the wall of your nursery or playroom. Here are a few favorites:

New Colors for Printables

2013-06-24T14:35:00.000-06:00

I have added several new colors to my color palette for my printable wall art. New colors include soot, chalk, baby boy, berry, mustard, shamrock, and mint. As always, feel free to request any custom colors if you can't find what you need here!

LDS Temple Wedding Keepsake Prints

2013-06-20T16:09:00.000-06:00

This summer, there are a lot of weddings in my neighborhood. I designed a personalized gift that has been a hit at wedding showers (without breaking the bank). Since it's been so popular, I thought I'd start offering them in my shop as well - personalized LDS temple silhouette wedding keepsake printables. Right now I only have the Salt Lake Temple and Rexburg Idaho Temple silhouettes available, but please contact me if you need another temple silhouette!

Order, print, pop it in a nice frame and you'll have a sweet, personalized gift that the couple will love!

A Few New Prints

2013-06-18T14:32:00.000-06:00

I have a few new printable wall art designs available in my shop! They are lots of fun - I hope you like them!

First up - You Are Braver Than You Believe --

"You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." -A.A. Milne

Next - I Cannot Live Without Books --

"I Cannot Live Without Books" -Thomas Jefferson

Finally - All You Need is Love --

"All You Need is LOVE is all you need"

Family Reunion Invitations

2013-06-15T14:19:00.002-06:00

I have just launched a new line of invitations created especially for your family reunion! Make a statement with your invitation and easily print and mail or email to everyone on your list. Here are a few of the new family reunion invitations available in my shop.

For all family reunion invitations available in my shop, click here.

A Few Printing Tips

2013-05-31T08:06:00.001-06:00

One of the most frequent questions I receive from my customers is, "what is the best way to print my order?" Well, you've come to the right place! Here's the low-down on printing:

I sell digital files, but I also offer printing options
This might be easiest if you are a "hands off" kind of person. If you want me design, print and ship your order to you then feel free to ask me to! My home and work load might affect turnaround times slightly, so it's always a good idea to make sure you know what my current turnaround times are. Just ask! I print invitations, announcements and wall art for my customers. For a full rundown of the prices and options for each, check here. I only use professional printers and photo processors, so you know you will be getting great quality!

Use a local print shop.
Local print shops are great for printing my designs. They have invested in high quality, professional equipment and you will usually end up with great results. What is a local print shop? FedEx Office, Alphagraphics, Staples, etc. There are probably some great locally owned print shops in your area too!

Have your design printed as photos.
This is one of the best ways to ensure rich, vivid colors on your design. Upload your design to a local or online photo lab (Costco, Walgreens, Shutterfly, etc.) and have it printed as photos. I like a matte finish, but it is a matter of personal preference. Photo prints work especially well for larger wall art.

Worst case scenario, print at home.
Sure, you can print at home... but I wouldn't recommend it. Maybe you've had better luck with home printers than I, but I tend to find them frustrating and their print quality sub-par. If I ever luck out with a really vibrant print from home, it's usually because my printer has consumed an entire set of ink cartridges (for $70 give or take) to do so. Not worth it. But this can be a decent option if your design is not heavy on color, has a white background or you need something printed very quickly.

Return Address Labels

2012-11-30T04:30:00.000-07:00

I'm now offering return address labels to coordinate with a bunch of my designs - particularly holiday cards. If you don't see one that matches the design for your card, let me know and I'll make one just for you!

The long and skinny return address labels are $19.50 for 140 labels (that includes design, professional printing and shipping). Round labels start at $24 for 24 1.5" labels and the discounts for higher quantities are significant.

For a limited time, the long skinny labels are marked down to only $11.99 for 140 labels. Prices in the shop currently reflect the discount. Your order, payment and proof approval must occur before 12:00 noon (Mountain Standard Time) on December 3rd for the discount to apply.

Brickyard Buffalo

2012-11-29T13:43:00.001-07:00

Hey friends! Have you heard of Brickyard Buffalo? They are a "flash deal" site featuring quality on-trend items at great discounts. And the best part is their vendors and items are handmade or designed! For the next few days they are featuring several nursery printables from my shop for $4.99. That's 38% off of the regular price ($8).

Check them out soon! Quantities are limited on each item as well as availability.

Super Tuesday

2012-11-27T08:31:00.001-07:00

If you felt a little overwhelmed with all of the online sales yesterday, you weren't alone! That's why I've invented Super Tuesday! All digital designs are 25% off (discounts are already reflected in the shop price) - but blog reading friends can get an additional 5% discount.

This sale and coupon are good today only! Happy shopping!

Owl Birthday Party

2012-10-01T13:35:00.000-06:00

My little girl is turning two in December and I'm already thinking about her party. We've had a little bit of an owl theme in her bedroom, so it seems like a totally appropriate party theme as well. Owls are just so darling and there are so many options to work them into a party.

For more ideas (and for sources) check my owl birthday party board on pinterest.

Custom iPhone 5 Cases

2012-09-28T13:42:00.001-06:00

For a few months now, I've been offering customized cases for the iPhone. I have one of my cases on my phone right now (an iPhone 4) and I love the unique style that it provides, along with great protection for my phone.

For my personal case, I chose the "traveler's case" - customized with passport stamps from several of the places that have personal significance to me: where my husband and I honeymooned, where I was born, where I went to college, where I lived while serving an LDS mission, places I did internships, and other places I traveled. People always comment on my case when I have my phone out and I love having something so personal. Enough about my case though - I'd love to create a special case for YOU!

I offer cases for the iPhone 3, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5 and the iPod Touch 4G. These cases provide a durable hard shell for your phone and are professionally printed using an advanced 3D thermal transfer process that embeds the graphic into the case. That way, your design cannot scratch or wear off over time. You can also upgrade to a TOUGH case for added protection for your phone, while maintaining a slim profile.

I'm adding new designs regularly and hope to add iPad cases and iPadfolios soon! If you have a device that you'd like a case for and it's not an iSomething, feel free to contact me and I'll see if it's something I can offer. All of my cases can be viewed and purchased here.

Customer Locations

2012-05-25T13:34:00.000-06:00

I have always used quickbooks to track all of my business-related finances, but I recently signed up for a free service called outright as well. I like it because it connects directly to my accounts associated with my business and generates useful reports with the information it collects.

One report I found interesting was the "sales by state" report. Here's the map it generated:

This is just for sales in 2012, but looking back on 2011, I noticed that the same states seemed lower in sales. I wonder why that is? Does someone from Idaho, North Dakota, Montana or Vermont care to explain? I don't really care about having customers in every state, but I just thought it was interesting that the pattern seems consistent. I wonder if there are fewer etsy buyers in general from those states?

ABC's to Match Your Nursery

2012-05-23T09:20:00.001-06:00

I can customize the colors of any of my prints to match your nursery decor. Here are a few examples of my Multi-Color ABC's Poster in different colorways.

Made to match Dwell Studio Owls Nursery Collection

Made to match Dwell Studio Zinnia Nursery Collection

Please contact me if you are interested in a custom order to match your nursery or home.

Printable Wall Art

2012-05-21T08:30:00.000-06:00

If you haven't visited the shop lately, you might not know that I've recently ventured into designing wall art. It's been a lot of fun to work on bright, fun and meaningful prints for a nursery, home, or kid's room. It's a collection that I hope to continually expand. Right now I offer printable files for $8 and designs with customization are $12.50.

You can also order a custom printable file with your own text or quote in the style of any of my current designs.

I hope you enjoy these new designs and will check back often to see the latest.

New Print Product

2012-05-15T10:30:00.000-06:00

I've just started offering a new print product - value cards are now available in 5x7 size! They come in both flat and folded varieties with options for matte or glossy finish. I've had a lot of people request this specific product, so I'm excited to be able to finally offer it. Prices and options for all of my print products are outlined here.

Last Minute Mother's Day Cards

2012-05-12T07:00:00.000-06:00

If you've waited until the last minute, chances are the card aisle at your local grocery store has been swept over and there's not a single cute or clever Mother's Day card for miles around.

Worry not!

I've designed four printable Mother's Day cards. Purchase one and print as many as you need. It's a super value at $3.50 per file.

Want a sneak peek? Here you go!

Customer Feedback

2012-05-11T15:00:00.003-06:00

Are you someone who reads reviews? My friends and family know that I will scarcely consider buying anything unless there are lots of reviews about the product I'm considering for purchase. That's why I thought it might be a good idea to make the reviews I've received easily accessible to anyone who is considering using my services.

I always value thoughtful feedback from my customers, and I'll do just about anything to make them happy. I've just set up a customer feedback page on this blog, sharing some feedback I've gotten from past customers. If you've ordered from me and would like to leave feedback, you can use the etsy comment form or send an email to info [at] sugarhouseink [dot] com.

Thanks!

St. Patrick's Day Party

2012-02-24T11:00:00.000-07:00

Whether you've got a birthday near St. Patrick's Day, or want to throw a bash to celebrate the Irish holiday on it's own, here are a few ideas for the perfect green party.

All links and additional ideas can be found on my pinterest board.

Spring Specials

2012-02-16T13:09:00.000-07:00

Here's a special offer to save some money this spring. Purchase either of these special listings and receive automatic savings.

First is the Spring Shower Special:

1 customized digital design - yellow damask shower invitation
25 A7 buttercream envelopes
Regularly $20.50 if purchased separately
NOW $17.00 (when purchased in this special combined listing)

Next up, the Lucky Charm Special:

1 customized digital design - st. patrick's day birthday invitation
25 A7 grass envelopes
Regularly $20.50 if purchased separately
NOW $17.00 (when purchased in this special combined listing)

FREE PRINTABLE: Valentine's Day Treat Bag Topper

2012-02-02T14:57:00.000-07:00

With all the new classroom valentines, I thought it would be fun to create some treat bag toppers to go along with them. You can purchase a coordinating treat bag topper for any of the kid's valentine designs for $9.

But if you'd just like a sweet treat bag topper that you can write your [kid's] name on yourself, I've got you covered on that front too. Here's a cute valentine's day treat bag topper - it's a FREE printable for you!

Click here to download and print this free printable.