Tangerine Messenger Bag!

Okay, I can't get enough of this color.

A linen and canvas Messenger Bag a la Tangerine.  It's a large messenger bag in bright Tangerine.

Carry everything, your laptop, (up to a 17" laptop), books and other stuff.  Messenger Bag comes with cool hardware in brass,eco friendly lining in 10oz canvas...and lots of pockets.

Under the flap are large pocket under the flap can also hold your iPad.  Italian linen, oh so wonderful...

Find it here in the shop.

Lonely Shop

Just a quick post today.

It’s been a busy few months; I have been sewing at a steady pace since the holiday season began last year.  Due to the increase in sales, I have not come up for air since last November, but did want to thank my customers for their wonderful feedback as well as their patience.  Since my orders increased faster than my output, my two week window for production has grown from 2 to nearly 4 weeks, which I believe is too long!

 

Aside from the backlog of orders, something else that has been weighing heavily on my mind has been my desire to update and redesigned my messenger bag.  In addition, a  friend of mine said, that my shop should be stocked with a variety of items and this is another goal I have been unable to achieve...Therefore this week I made the decision to pull all “made to order items” from the shop until I catch up on pending orders, redesign some of my handbags as well complete those unfinished projects started so long ago.  

 

While I may only have about 10 items currently for sale they are ready to ship.  So, if you happen by the shop (www.hmmills.com), and see a lonely shop don’t despair, I will return in a few weeks, with new items.

Take care,

Helen

Sewing Weekend - Hey Buy Handmade!

 
Promoting myself has been on my mind lately and I have been itching to get back to creating and sewing.  I have so busy working on my bedroom remodel project that I have had no time to add new items to my shop.  I guess I should add that it's not just one shop, as I have two shops on Etsy, HM Mills & Haute Bridal.  In addition to Etsy, last year I also opened a shop on 1000 Markets and opened another shop at Zibbet.com in December.

All these shops in the past two weeks have resulted in four sales, two being the Brown Canvas Messenger Bag.  As I have been working on these bags, I have been thinking about the customers who chose to forgo the normal avenue by buying something that was mass produced and took a chance on an unknown.  Perhaps they know that a lot of pride and care will go into making their product.

So with that thought, I say support handmade and local artisans.

Smokey Quartz and Hammered Silver Necklace

Trying to follow some of the tips I have listed on previous posts:

http://hmmills.blogspot.com/2008/07/avatar-question-product-photo-or-shop.html

http://hmmills.blogspot.com/2008/07/success-on-etsy.html

...I have added a listing the other day to my Esty Shop: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=13537512.

Last week there was a post in the Etsy Forums regarding the Treasury, someone wanted to know why it always seems that the same artists appear in Treasuries that are then post on the home front page. A successful artist responded that it was a combination of a great product, but most importantly she has great photos which is why folk pick her items for a treasury. (Wish I had Bookmarked that post.)

So, as I am looking at this pic, I am still debating the white background verse a texture or printed background. I think this pic looks washed-out and is just, oh how to say it....boring, unimaginative and doesn't shout out, "Buy Me!" I added this item on 7/20/2008 and in four days I have had four views.

Oh how the Picture Taking Gods mock me!

Avatar Question - Product Photo or Shop Logo?

Following my previous thread about success on Etsy - there was an interesting post this morning on the Etsy Business Topics Forum regarding Avatars. http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5598888&page=1

Flourishjewelry posted a question about whether shop's avatar should be a product photo or was it more professional to use the shop's logo. The reason for her question, "I wonder if I would get more looks that way since I know people "shop" from avatars. What do you think?"

I always thought that it was more professional to just use a logo but the comment that people shop from avatars opened my eyes and probably confused me a little as well...

She went on to say, "I was reading a thread about whether people look at, therefore shop at, a store based on whether they like the avatar. Most people said that the avatar was what made them want to stop and shop..."

emmebaby added the comment, "I've heard about the "avatar shopping" many times before, but I totally disagree with that. Most avatars that show items from a persons shop I will NOT click on. I don't know exactly why, but it usually looks less professional to me. I like your logo and I'd stick with it. ☺"

Another POV was provided by CassandraRussell, "I am drawn to product avatars because they depict what you are selling. There is so much jewelery on etsy that you must make your distinct though. When I first glanced at your avatar I was not sure what it was. I am an avid etsy jewelry collector and am naturally attracted to avatars with those pics. I have done several jewellery's avatars now --you can see them on my blog: www.cassandrarussell.typepad.com to see the improvements. Remember an avatar is also how people on etsy will identify you --it is like a logo."

So this morning I went back into my Etsy Profile and changed by Avatar from just my name to my shop name with a background. Which would you shop?

Plain - just my Shop name?

This was the first attempt, I tried to center, but then recropped the pic for an off centered look....