Another Snowy Day in Cincinnati

The kids are off school and the husband is home as well. This actually gives me some time to work as they are all out frolicking in the snow. Shane's been taking some pictures so I'll have to post them later.

I've been bouncing around a few ideas for blog topics so keep watching as I'm hoping to get a few down on"paper" today. Some news first:

• My fans are now over 100! Thanks for being a fan and, if you aren't, go do it now. Become a Fan of Handmade Cards by LLK.
• The Go Red for Women! event held at the offices of Dr. Lisa Larkin was on Friday evening. We had a so-so turnout because of impending bad weather but it was a success none the less! I met some wonderful women, ate some delicious food and sold over $200 worth of cards and cozies. If you live in Cincinnati, make sure you attend next year!
• I've had a few promising interviews lately so keep your fingers crossed and say a prayer that something breaks soon.
• Vienna is still on The Bachelor.
• My new studio isn't neat and clean anymore.
• I still have a few Valentine's cards left so check out my shop, send me an email or give me a call.
• I was mentioned in a blog recently.
• I'm one of four creative women that started a support group that encourages and shares our knowledge to help creative women start, build and be successful with their own businesses. The name of the group is W2Wcincinnati. No website or blog yet but we meet every Saturday morning at 9:00 AM at the Caribou Coffee in Anderson. Please join us if you are interested or let me know if you would like to speak at an upcoming meeting.
• I added a new widget to my site so you can purchase my Etsy listings even easier! Look to the left of the postings.

Catch you later!

This Week's Special: Welcome to February!

This is the first of many specials I will be running from my blog!

If you ever go to your local coffee shop and grab a cup 'o joe, tea, hot chocolate or even the fancier temptations (my fave is a mocha), then you will LOVE my coffee cup cozies! They are each handmade by me from double-lined fleece and fit all standard drink cups. The best part about them is that they help keep our earth green. No more using and throwing away those cardboard sleeves. They are also...wait for it...wait for it...machine washable and dryable AND don't need to be ironed. Just take it out of the dryer, throw it in your purse and slip it on to your cup. They work really well for cold drinks too.

So here's the deal...for every cozy you purchase get a FREE handmade greeting card of your choice! After you make your selection here, just put in code Feb2010Special in the notes to seller. Also include the type of greeting card you want. This set would make a great teacher gift for Valentine's Day! Or give it as a gift to your mom, sister, BFF, mailman, husband, that lady down the street that thinks your weird, just about anyone would appreciate it! In fact, you may want to buy a few cozies. There is no limit but the offer expires on Valentine's Day (February 14).

My First Etsy Treasury

I (heart) the Etsy Greetings Team! Since I'm a new member, I thought it was important to jump in with both feet and participate in the Valentine's Day Promotion. You can do a search for "egvdaypromo" to find all the cards and shops participating.

The best part of being in a group is all the new stuff you learn and try because (1) you didn't know it existed before, (2) you were afraid, (3) you didn't think you had the time. I could go on and on. The thing I tried today for the first time was curating an Etsy Treasury. I had to wait until some expired as there are a limited number of showcases allowed. That was the hardest part. While waiting, I perused all the participating members' shops and kept those windows open on my laptop so I could pull them all quickly.

I'd love it if you would all go take a look, leave a comment and make sure to click through to all the listings. This is the part where I learned something new. The more views AND click throughs, the higher the ranking on the "hot" list. Let's see if we can get it to the top of the list and get some of us featured on the front page!

Here's the link:

Je T'aime Treasury on Etsy

Etsy Greetings Team VDay Promo

I joined one of the Etsy teams at the beginning of 2010...Etsy Greetings. I'm looking forward to participating and learning from the rest of the group which consists of over 300 members.

It didn't take long for me to get involved as we are hosting a VDay Promo. There are 33 shops, each one showcasing a Valentine's Day card (mine is in the 3rd row, 2nd from the left) and some are offering special deals. The really nice part is getting some additional exposure for my shop. We are all aware of the over-abundance of information on the web (just look how many people have blogs for goodness sake) and reaching people through multiple touchpoints is essential to e-commerce success. But more on that subject later.

For now, check out my VDay offerings at Pink Purse Creative. The promo runs through January 31 so don't wait to purchase the items quickly as they won't last long!

It's Show Time!

You know, I only started my greeting card business this past August and it is off to a great start! With the holidays coming upon us sooner than we always think, I am participating in my first shows.

I have to admit, I'm uncertain and stressed to the max! How much stock should I have? Will anyone show up? Will any of my designs sell? Is it worth the time and effort? I certainly hope so. I've never been one to worry and look at the "worst case scenario." I really try to stay positive and upbeat.

My main path of thinking is, "I love my cards so there have to be others out there that love them too!" It's like selling your house. You bought it, right? Because it was a great fit for you, your family (if you have one), your lifestyle, your taste. So it only seems right to think that it would also be a good fit for someone else.

I hope everyone that reads this post will love my cards too and stop by to see me at the shows.

Thursday, November 12  5:00 to 8:00 : : Poeme Trunk Show
Sunday, November 15  noon to 4:00 : : Poeme Trunk Show
Saturday, November 21  noon to 5:00 : : Legendary Run Arts & Crafts Show