Happy Mother's Day + Spotlight on DK Designs on Etsy

Wedding season is in full swing and my Etsy shop is super busy with bridal shower tags, graduation party supplies and wedding favor labels. Between that, baseball season, the end of the school year and AWANA, it would be easy to come up with excuses instead of Mother's Day gifts.

But the more years I spend as a Mother myself, the more I realize the sacrifice many women in my life have made for their families. I've been looking for ways to express my gratitude and thought I'd share a few with you.

The first thing I thought of was corsages, but as you know their beauty fades. Recently I noticed a trend in polymer clay flowers in the Etsy Weddings Section. Genious, right? Gorgeous flowers that last forever, a keepsake of your special day.

So I began looking for a local maker as I was a bit pressed for time. I narrowed the search and found an Etsy seller in my own backyard, DK Designs.

I was ecstatic when Diane messaged me back saying she could work with my requests. I was looking for 3 delicate corsages in specific colors, and needed them quickly. Before I knew it, they arrived on my porch, carefully packaged in cute little gift boxes.

After I'd ordered these pretty little flowers I began to look through Diane's Etsy shop and noticed she has been featured on Martha Stewart. Naturally, I did the stalkery thing and found this video. I probably watched it years ago. Amazing, right?

The colors in each arrangement represent my children's birthstones. I can't wait to give them to special Mom's in my life as a token of my love and appreciation.

I'm also working on a few DIY clay projects (nothing Martha Stewart worthy, but fun) for my sister and friends that I hope to have time to share with you later this week. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, I want to wish all of the Mom's out there a blessed Mother's Day!

Meet the Artist and Giveaway: Kimberly from Honizukle

It's Giveaway Time!

Ya'll know I love me some letterpress.

I was SO excited when Kimberly over at Honizukle agreed to sponsor a giveaway!

One lucky winner will receive 2 sets of absolutely gorgeous 

handmade mini letterpress cards from Honizukle!

Buy it here

I can't tell you how in love I am with Kimberly's work.

When she showed me her latest collection, I thought it was so beautiful I just had to pin them.

Buy them here

Let me just tell you, the cards are even more beautiful in hand.

The stationery is thick and luxurious. The impressions are rich and precise.

The colors are modern and vibrant. The designs are one-of-a-kind.

Let's learn more about the talented and lovely Kimberly who made this all possible:

Q: Tell us a little about yourself.


A: A little about myself… well, it's hard to describe myself. I'm very driven. Anything creative inspires me and there's nothing artistic that I don't like to do or want to try my hand at. Of course, I have to narrow it down and concentrate on something to be any good at it. I love designing and working on the press. When I'm not working I'm spending time with my apprentice in the making, my two year old son, Jack. We have fun together and he and my husband inspire a lot of my work.



Q: How did you get started doing letterpress?


A: I've always loved stationery. Even before I came to the US. It was something my sister and I used to collect and really enjoy. I don't remember exactly when I first laid eyes on a letterpressed card but once I saw what could be done I knew I had to do it. My husband was kind enough to allow me to invest in my own press and I took an intensive workshop in Brooklyn that really cemented my love for it. 



Buy it here

Q: Do you sell your products anywhere besides Etsy? How does it compare?


A: I don't yet. I've sold through my own site but I'm redoing it at the moment so I've only been selling through Etsy. I will hopefully be in a few shops soon and that's exciting but Etsy is a great marketplace. The kind of people that appreciate handmade are already going to Etsy to find things, so you already have the clients you're looking for. Etsy also puts so much work into their marketing and that's work they do for you. Each listing is like a little ad of your own. I think Etsy is a great place to sell and I don't think I'd ever stop selling there.



Buy it here

Q: What is your most popular item?


A: It's hard to say. I design new items for holidays so there are definite favorites during those times but I'd have to say what I sell the most are personalized sets. There's something great about getting or giving personalized stationery and it shows in the amount of sets I sell.

Buy it here



Q: What inspired your new collection?


A: My new collection is all Spring. I picked a palette I love and went with it. I was also very inspired by the Pearl Lettra stock I had acquired. It has a very creamy feel because of the color and that just made me want to do soft pastels and of course sweet designs. I'd say a lot of it was inspired by Mother's Day and my own mother actually. She loves flowers and used to draw them all the time. We're far away so I think about her a lot, this collection could be a subconscious ode to her too.



Buy it here

Q: Where do you see yourself/your shop in 3 years?


A: In three years I hope to be in stores. I'd really like to enter a store and see my cards on a counter. I know there would be a lot of satisfaction in that. I also hope to acquire another press, specifically a Vandercook. I have big ideas and I'd love to expand into other products and so I'd need a bigger press. I'd keep Charlotte of course but I'd love my studio to grow.



Q: Any advice for new shop owners on Etsy?


A: Stay on top of your Shop Stats. See what's bringing people in. If you have a product that you can tailor (like cards) pay close attention to the key words people are looking for and make a product that fills that need. Make sure to renew listings and to keep making new products to keep your shop fresh.

Buy it here



Q: Just for fun, what is the last thing you bought yourself on Etsy? 

A: The last thing I got from Etsy was the cutest little apron. I saw it and knew it would be perfect for me to print with. Indeed, I've printed with it already and it's fantastic, no more searching for my tools all over the place. :)

ATTENTION SHOPPERS!!! COUPON ALERT!!

Kimberly is offering my readers an exclusive coupon code to Honizukle:

Use MT2012 for 10% off your entire purchase 

(excluding wedding/custom orders).

Buy it here

Are you ready to win some funtabulous stuff from Honizukle?
Thought so :)

How to Enter the Giveaway:

1. Follow this blog (Mandatory)

and leave a comment here saying you did.

2. Add Honizukle to your circle or Favorite Shops on Etsy

and leave a separate comment here saying you did.

3. Leave a comment about your favorite design(s) from Honizukle.

Best of Luck!

Make sure to bookmark my giveaways page if you haven't already, 

and READ THE FINE PRINT

Fine print:

Only 3 entries per household please

Giveaway ends June 15th at midnight PST

Winner will be chosen by random.org

Entries will be validated

Winner will be announced here

Winner will have 3 days to contact me, 

after which a new winner will be chosen

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter

Otherwise open to everyone! 

Custom Tags

I'm lovin' all these custom orders.

Custom = Flattery

Just finished these for Leigh Ann's wedding:

Buy it here

When we first got to talking she asked if I could do custom colors and I was like, "Of course!"

I freaked out a little because I just wasn't sure about the color combination she asked for 

but I came up with an idea. I asked for a picture of the fabric she was using

for her table decor and she sent me this photo:

Believe it or not seeing something on a computer screen and seeing it in real life is dramatically different.

So what I decided to do was send her a little color sample sheet via Etsy conversation and she was stoked! 

I had her print it out to see which matched up.

She decided to go with #4.

I sent over a few samples in the 2 sizes I have available, easy as pie.

Made a little adjustment to the yellow and she was super happy!

Made me realize these tags may be just what brides are looking for.

It's funny, because right after I'd gotten through with this I was showing a new friend at work

my Etsy shop and she saw my pink and blue tags and said she wished she'd known for her wedding.

Buy it here

I'd love to hear some opinions about other color combinations to try.

Help me out, you know you want to!