Encore Handmad Fair

This past Saturday I had my booth at the Encore Handmade Fair.  This is the second year I have done it and I felt that this year went a whole lot better, not only for me but for the people who put the show together.  I feel this show will keep getting better every year.  I had a mark I wanted to make (money wise) and I reached it!!  I even went a little bit over it, which just made my day.  So here are some photos of my booth and some products that made their debut there.



Me at my booth.




Another one of me at the booth.




Dinosaur Pull Tab Baby Book - SOLD




4x6 Photo Box Set - Baby Boy




4x6 Photo Box Set - Baby Girl




Baby Girl Pull Tab Book




Wallet Photo Book - Baby Girl




4x6 Double Photo Book with quote about Grandmas




4x6 Photo Book with quote about moms - SOLD




4x6 Double Photo Book




1/2 Sheet Journal




Wide shot of the booth.




Left side of the table.




Center of table.




Right side of the table.

 And now it is time to get ready for the Handmade Promenade on the Ave. this Friday.  So if you are in the Indianapolis area please stop by and say hi to me and see all the awesome stuff that will be for sale.  And who knows, maybe you will find that perfect Mother's Day gift.  :)

Learning to Blog

So since I am still new to this whole blogging thing and I would like to learn how to promote my products by using my blog I signed myself up for a free blogging e-course from Sunday Afternoon Housewife that is basically ALL about blogging to promote your business!!  How great is that?!?!  Well I think it’s pretty darn great.  Did I mention that it's free!  So I’m hoping that it will get me blogging about the right stuff to attract more followers as well as customers and to just blog more often too.  J 

So for my first blogging prompt I’m to write about something new that I would like to share with my readers/customers.  I have recently heard about this thing called Picnik and up until today I had no idea what it was….at all.  So I did a little poking around and playing around and have found that it is kind of a cool little website for photo editing.  There is a large chunk of it that is free to use and some more advanced features that you pay a monthly subscription to use but all in all I found it kind of cool.  You are able to add some effects to photos that normally only the pros know how to do as well as some cute stickers and “accessories” (check out my doctored photo) to your photos. 

I also like that you don’t have to just have fun with it but for the more serious person who just wants to clean up their photos there are a lot of useful tools in there and some only the pros know how to do…like creating that airbrushed effect or cleaning up that mad solar glare on your forehead.   Now, I will say that I have been using Photoshop for years for all my photo editing and I have become pretty comfortable with it so I will probably still stick with that but for being a website that you can correct photos on, I think Picnik is pretty darn cool.  Check it out sometime.  J

BIG News!!

So I have some really BIG news to share.  I got accepted into my FIRST juried craft show!!!!!  I have been accepted in the Handmade Promenade show on May 6^th!  I know, I know, that is the weekend after the Encore Consignment sale!  Wow…I’m going to be doubly busy the next few weeks.  At least I have a week between shows so I can whip up whatever products I need to for the second one because they sold unbelievably well at the consignment sale….right?....I guess I can dream…and hope that will happen.  I guess I can’t complain because I need to make MORE product right?  So this will be a new experience for me, one that I am very much looking forward to.  I feel excited and scared and overwhelmed and a whole bunch of other emotions all at the same time!!  I’m going to be going crazy by the end of the month I think.  This show in Indy will be my first where I have to set up EVERYTHING….from the canopy to the table to my products (because it’s my first outdoor show too!!)  I’m hoping that with me new network of crafting friends that I will be able to hear about many more craft shows and be able to apply to them.  So here’s hoping that all goes well and I sell lots of books!

GIVEAWAY

So I have been thinking for awhile that I need to get myself out there more.  And since Facebook* is such a great way to get people to hear about you I thought what I could do is have a giveaway once the JO Designs page has 100 "likes".  So get busy and tell all your friends about JO Designs!!

How it will work:

• I will do postings periodically about the giveaway on Facebook* as reminders, posting links back to this blog post.
• You just have to:
• "Like" the JO Designs page on Facebook*.
• Then comment on this blog posting.
• If you are already a fan on Facebook* then you can still post a comment on this blog post and be entered into the giveaway.
• Once we have reached that goal of 100 "likes" a random winner will be picked by Random.org.
• I will count how many people posted comments on the blog post and enter that number in their random number generator. 
• Which ever number comes up is the winner.
• Numbers will be assigned in the order the postings are posted on this blog.
• I will post the winner here on the blog.
• Then (and only then) will I ask you to send me an email with your contact information.
• I will post on Facebook* when the winner is announced but will not post any information there.  The name of the winner will ONLY be posted here on the blog.

Prize:

The prize will be one(1) handmade Matchbook Photo Book.  You will have the choice of requesting a color scheme or any theme you would like and you will also have the choice of wallet size (2.5x3.5) or 4x6 size.  Whatever size you pick the book will be big enough to hold 20 photos.

Disclosures:

*This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. You are providing your information to JO Designs and not to Facebook. The information you provide will only be used for the purpose of sending the winner of the giveaway their prize.

**Please only provide your name on this posting.  The winner will be asked to send an email to JO Designs (jodesigns08@gmail.com) with their contact information for the purpose of sending the winning prize.

***If you have any questions please feel free to email me at jodesigns08@gmail.com.

Getting Ready

Now that I don't have 3 classes I'm taking I finally have time to do some more books!!  YAY!!  And since Spring is in the air that means the Encore Consignment Sale and Handmade Market will soon be here.  And that means I am busy making new products to bring, but don't worry, for those of you who went last year I will have some of the same stuff.  So here is a sneak peek of two of the items that will be new this year.

Pull Tab Book

I'm really super excited about this book, because the applications for it are really endless...as far as your imagination can go!  :)  I plan on having a few books already made for the sale but I also will have them in kits so you can make whatever kind of book you want!  I will also have a sample book made up to show how the book can be used.  This one is a baby girl book.  There is room for one photo for each month (1-12) and then you pull the tab out and there is space for recording the weight and height for that month as well as the "story of the month".  Great way to keep track of all those special moments in that first year but in a simple way!

Matchbook Photo Book

This little book is really fun!  It's a great place to put those wallet size photos you don't know what to do with.  Also great to keep in your purse to show off those cute kids/grandkids of yours!  It holds up to 12 wallet size photos.

Don't forget to come back often to see what else will be making a début at the

Encore Consignment Sale and Handmade Market 2011.