Goal this year.

I am kind of thrilled with myself. My main goal this year is to successfully sell in 7 different online shop/venues. I just spent countless minutes, maybe even hours going through some of my inventory and sorting/organizing it. I think I'm really going to reach as well as surpass this goal. After looking at my older pieces and my newer ones I'm getting so excited to create and make things work.

I have so much to photograph and list. Yay 2011! <3

Where Products are Shipped

Ever wonder how your order from 1337 Art is prepared and packaged?

This is (ideally) how my shipping area is supposed to look. I took this picture after I first set it up, and after I played over there it got messy and temperamental when I tried to keep it "clean."

I'm currently moving it across the room so I can use this shelf to hoard my beads for easier access. My work tables are in front of that white drawer. Think upside "L" shape.

Once it is all set up (again) and personalized I will post another picture. Maybe if I keep posting pictures it will inspire my office / studio area to clean itself? And again, when the whole room is redone I'll post those pictures as well.

Thank you so much for reading!

Dark Inspiration and New Items in the Works.

I’ve been feeling inspired lately to create darker, dramatic pieces. I am currently filling up a page with different designs and materials – I already have colors and textures figured out! In the coming weeks I will get to work on these pieces and get them up for sale as soon as possible. It’s really exciting to have a specific look/feel call out to you demanding to be created.

You can also expect more wine charm sets, bookmarks, jewelry pieces, brooches, hair accessories, and men’s items in the coming weeks…maybe even a few Valentine’s Day themed items.

Again I am reminded to take it easy with my work. Sometimes I just get so excited I want to do everything and see the results right now. I am going to try to do the daily blogging, as that is one of my goals for 2009. I’ll also try to relax and not work so hard all the time. The trick is to get organized and set/maintain a realistic schedule.

I look forward to connecting with you on a daily basis.

Thank you so much for reading. And thank you to everyone that comments and follows this blog.

-
Christina
CM Designs dba 1337 Art
http://1337art.etsy.com/
http://1337art.artfire.com
[Elite Art for the elite at heart.] Featuring jewelry for men and women, awareness items, bookmarks, brooches, cards, cell phone charms, clip on earrings, cuff links, hair accessories, wine charms, and more!

5 Ways to Organize Your Business for the Holidays

The holidays are quickly approaching--it's already October!! Here are five ways to help organize your business for the holidays. Hopefully you can be prepared so you can take it easy.

1. Purchase plastic shoe containers at Target or Walmart for $0.99 each. These fit great on shelves, and they are see through. If you do a lot of shows you can designate one container for each show and label them as such. These bins are also good for storing supplies, finished product…the possibilities are limited to your imagination.

2. Get a free self-inking address stamp from Vistaprint. These are great to stamp on customs forms and envelopes. It will be a great time saver when you have a lot of orders to package and ship at one time.

3. Make sure you have enough shipping supplies. Plan to have more than you think you need. Do you have enough tape? Bubble envelops and boxes in different sizes? You can get free expedited shipping supplies from the United States Postal Service website. You can even order free customs forms.

4. Create, create, create! The holidays bring a lot of hungry shoppers. Be sure your shop has plenty of stock available in different styles and price ranges. If it is possible, create multiples of the same item so when you sell one you can immediately relist it. Look through all, and I mean all of your supplies to see what you actually have! (I know I have a ton of supplies around that I need to dedicate a day to go through!)

5. Set boundaries. If you accept custom orders set a deadline so you aren't overloaded on custom orders. Designate a weekly schedule to go to the post office...maybe just two or three times a week? You could also make things one day, ship items another day, etc. Whatever will work for you.

I hope this is helpful to you, and I appreciate you taking the time to read. If you have any comments, questions, or requests please feel free to reply to this blog.

Thank you so much for your time,

-

Christina

CM Designs dba 1337 Art

http://1337art.etsy.com

Elite Art for the elite at heart. Featuring jewelry for men and women, art collage, awareness items, bookmarks, cell phone charms, hair accessories, key chains, kilt pin brooches, wine charms, and more.

Custom orders are accepted.

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