It's Giveaway Time! The Latest from Modern Typography on Etsy

I'm really starting to get into the swing of this work-at-home thing.

The new baby is a good sleeper, praise the Lord. We will see how we do when baseball goes full swing. 2 players this season = 5 days a week of baseball!

I am so thankful for my faithful repeat customers on Etsy, things have been going pretty well since I started back up. However, I think I may have lost a little momentum. What better way to kick things into high gear than to start a new giveaway?! It's been ages, and well, ya'll deserve it!

The winner will receive a package of goodies from Modern Typography including:

25 Vintage Style Fold over Recipe Cards

25 Assorted Chalkboard Tags

100 blank kraft tags

& A bag of kraft heart confetti

A $55 value!

I'm not a big fan of Rafflecopter so let's do this the old fashioned way.

Leave 1 comment below for each of the following steps you complete for a chance to win! 

1. Subscribe to my blog.

I recommend following by email.

Sign up by entering your email in the box to the right of this post.

2. Comment on any post from my blog.

I recommend my recent rave about Stitch Fix.

Read it here.

3. Visit my Etsy Shop.

Love it? Hate it? Tell me about it.

4. Favorite any item(s) from Modern Typography.

Leave the name of the item in your comment.

5. Follow me on Facebook.

Leave your facebook name below.

That's it folks, easy enough? Now get to work & don't be a stranger!

To increase your chances of realizing you've won please add moderntypography@aol.com to your email contacts. 

Disclaimer: Contest open to US/Canada residents 18 years of age and older. 1 winner will be chosen at random on February 16th at noon PST. Winner will have 3 days to respond to the post here, on Facebook, or through email before I move along to an alternate. Sweet talk does not increase your chances of winning but is welcome :)

A Little Something for Valentine's Day: Coupon Code

Just wanted to send a little love your way this Valentine's Day!

Coupon code is good for 20% off your entire purchase at Modern Typography on Etsy now until February 14th at 11:59pm.

New Shop Banner

Trying out a new style in my Etsy shop.

What do you think?

I don't love it, but it'll do until I get around to taking some photos.

(You can double click on the picture to see it full screen)

I'm thinking about incorporating this style into my blog as well.

Love to get some feedback!

Special Offer on Rubee Lane: Personalized Christmas Stocking Tags

Last chance to pick up these

Personalized Christmas Stocking Gift Tags

at 25% off!

Only at Rubee Lane

Cyber Monday Sale!

Black Friday Sale

Enter the code BFCHALKTAGS 

in the notes to seller at checkout 

to receive a free set of chalkboard tags

with ANY purchase. 

You choose the color!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ModernTypography

Pondering a New Design

I'm considering changing my graphics. When I first opened my shop I was hoping to sell prints exclusively. Now 90% of my sales are custom tags. I'm not sure what direction I want to go with new graphics, but I'm pretty sure it's time to make the change.

Here are a few styles I'm considering. I'd love to get a little feedback!

Don't Sweat It

As the holidays approach my "conversations" and orders on Etsy are growing and growing. Do ya'll get those emails from Etsy with tips for improving your shop? I regularly read these, always gleaning some important little tidbit. Well a few weeks ago they had an article about getting help for the holidays. There were some great tips on there, some do's and don'ts, which I always find enlightening. I've been pondering this topic and article more and more the busier I get.

Well this last weekend I got so busy with orders that I had to put my shop on vacation status to catch up. Some of you are thinking, "Wouldn't that be nice?" But I've got to tell you, I was really sweating it. Many of those orders were small, tedious, and minimally profitable. It was my husband's birthday on Sunday, and the last thing I wanted to do was ask him for help.

I thought through that list....ask friends for help? I hate doing that....pay someone to help? Just not going to work on short notice....

It didn't take a genius to figure it out, something had to give, and I knew what it was.

For the last couple of months I've been trying to sell new products to grow my shop. Up until then I'd mostly been hand punching tags. I decided to try out wafer thin dies in my Big Shot (really an embossing tool more than anything). I tried out a couple of brands, and I was really excited about the new designs. But all along I'd been ignoring the facts. Those wafer thin dies, while they save my hands, take a ton of time and attention that I just can't spare.

So I made the big decision to veto those couple of items that were causing me the most stress. Last night as my husband and I were making these last couple batches (until 1am) he turned to me and said, "If you ever sell these again, I'm going to cut your throat." Sounds angry, but he was really just giving me a hard time (hard to convey in words). That sweet, sweet man stayed up with me to the bitter end to finish the last of these orders.

The moral of the story? Don't waste your precious time and energy just to get the sale. Work smarter, not harder! And spend that extra time with the people you love. That's what the holidays are really all about.

Give Back

I'm so excited about this months sales thus far.

I actually had to put my shop on vacation status over the weekend just to catch up!

Perhaps people have heard about my November goal. 

For every sale made by the end of this month I'll be giving $1 to a charitable organization.

A little more info on that here.

I'd love to hear about your plans for giving back this holiday season.

If you'd like to support my shop and give back, check it out here.

Vote for Me!

No, I'm not running for president.

I just created a new item in my shop for the Etsymom team Pantone Color Palette 2012 challenge.

When this year's palette came out I jumped right in and created new tags.

For the challenge, I decided to create new business cards to match!

This is one of my favorite Etsymom team challenges.

Last year I created my chevron tags for the very first time because of this competition.

They have been one of my best sellers, and no doubt brought me a ton of views.

I love this years colors, so bright and cheery.

I never would have thought of using such colors for fall, but I love them!

So, all I ask is that you head over to the Etsymom team facebook page

and like this photo to help me win a fabulous prize!

Thank you in advance for the love!

Last Day for Chalkboard Tags on Groop Dealz!

My chalkboard tags are selling like crazy!

This is a rock bottom price for me, you won't see this deal up again.

Today's the last day!

CLICK HERE

A Spooky Giveaway: Ultimate Halloween Magazine from Taste of Home and More!

Are you ready for a SPOOKY giveaway?

Don't be scared!

It's just the Taste of Home Magazine Special Edition

"Ultimate Halloween" Magazine!

This magazine is already in stores if you just can't wait...

August 14-November 6, 2012.

I just got my copy in the mail, along with one lucky winners copy

and I just know somebody out there is going to be as thrilled as I am!

This is one SERIOUS magazine.
In this edition you'll find Fun & Games, Ghoulish Grub, Boo-rific Beverages,
Ghostly Getups, & House Haunters.

Catherine Cassidy, Editor-in-Chief, was kind enough to send these along.
This is my second interaction with the folks over at Taste of Home.
They are just the sweetest!

I've noticed multiple times throughout this edition
Taste of Home sends readers to Etsy shops for other great ideas.
Isn't that grand?

In the spirit of generosity,

I'm also giving away a $10 gift card to my store,

Modern Typography.

Buy it here

I can't wait to hear about what ya'll plan to do with both!

The rules are simple: 

1. Follow the blog and leave me a comment below 

with your email and/or Etsy contact information

2. Tell me what you plan to do with this magazine 

and your gift certificate to Modern Typography.

After you've done the 2, you're eligible to receive a bonus entry for each of the following:

3. Like me on Facebook

4. Follow me on Pinterest

5. Heart My Etsy Shop

6. Heart and item from My Esty Shop

Please leave a seperate comment for each bonus entry, thanks!

Contest is open worldwide to everyone 18 years of age and older.

Ends August 31st at midnight.

Winner will be chosen via random.org and announced here.

I will notify the winner via email and Etsy (if provided)

and the winner will have 3 days to respond before another winner is chosen.

Good luck my spooktacular friends!

Spring has Sprung

"It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold; when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade." ~Charles Dickens

Pale green yellow and w... metamorphosing $20.00	Rose Water - Long Pink ... theplaincanvas $39.00	60s dress / 1960s party... DearGolden $135.00	Rabbit Friends - Natura... littlepearlqui... $10.00
Easter Basket - for a B... GoodWishesQuil... $40.00	Vintage Spring Kitchen ... jacklom3 $12.00	Peach Fade Vessel upintheairsome... $46.00	Shabby chic decor wood ... OldNewAgain $22.00
Green and Blue Nested B... gypsypottery $46.00	Mason Jar Wedding Favor... PoppyandPearlC... $14.00	Ruffle Butt Diaper Cove... ChirpAndBloom $26.00	I'm Sweet Lemon Pie... bowforher $5.99
5 Crochet Hearts with L... graceandfavour... $35.00	cup SALE. paulova $20.00	Real Butterfly Specimen... ButterfliesByA... $12.95	Queen For A Day Magnet... blockpartypres... $20.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

My Treasury Made the Front Page!

'Take Wing' by ModernTypography

Oh that I were a bird and could fly far, far away from here. Perhaps in a dream.

Reserved for Nani Mint ... pardes $19.00	Petite Lady Baltimore S... thewhitepepper $48.50	Pixie - faceted ring bo... OhDierLiving $38.00	Pocket Crinkle Toy - Ch... littlepearlqui... $6.00
flock mobile bookhouathome $160.00	Butterfly Necklace Moth... MySelvagedLife $23.00	Large Gold Paper Bowl upintheairsome... $68.00	Vintage Crochet Half Ap... marybethhale $12.00
Vintage Vera Neumann Na... bergenhouse $16.00	Gold Feather ring laonato $13.00	Real Butterfly Specimen... ButterfliesByA... $8.25	rESERVED for Rubie sohomode $240.00
Nature Photograph Print... AmeliaKayPhoto... $14.00	Trees Tea Towel in Must... EloiseRenouf $17.00	Peacock Feather Photo P... DovieMoon $20.00	Not All Who Wander Are ... wendygold $350.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.