Make a Textured Ombre Pen Pot or Vase

My desk needs a bit of sprucing up. My big plan is to sand it completely to remove the stain, and then paint it white, or maybe yellow. In the mean time I decided to work on a smaller project to make my work area a bit more cheerful. I spend a lot of time sitting at my desk, so I wanted to have a cheery pop of colour there. I decided that a new pen pot would be just the thing! And while I was at it I made a vase too.

Supplies for a Textured Ombre Pen Pot:

• Empty jam or mason jars. ( I always have a ton of these I keep, you?)
• White gesso
• Spray ink
• A sponge dabber
• Non-stick craft mat.

1. Measure out some white gesso onto your non-stick mat, and using the sponge dabber apply it all over the glass jars in a, well a dabbing motion

We’re going for texture here, so don’t worry too much about it going on evenly. Once the jars are completely covered, turn upside down to dry.

Luckily gesso dries pretty quickly, so it’s not a long wait!
2. Holding the jar by the rim, spray the ink on the lower part of the jar while turning it at the same time

This part is very unpredictable, so you have to be up for surprises! If you’d like a more even  edge, you can put some painter’s tape around the top part of the jar. To get deeper colours, you can apply several coats of the ink.

Now wait to dry, and that’s it! Time to add pens and flowers

I love the weather beaten look of these, and the pen pot is the perfect touch for my somewhat drab desk.
Other Ideas

• You could make these in a rainbow of colours for a themed event.
• Or paint different shaped jars in the same colour for some uniformity.
• Instead of spray ink, experiment with acrylic paints or washes.

Enjoy!

Visit MyMisi for Amazing Handmade Creations!

Visit MyMisi for Amazing Handmade Creations!

How to Put a Background Picture in Your Tumblr Theme

Adding a background picture to your Tumblr can be a great way to make your blog look great and express your personality. These simple steps will teach you how to add any picture you want to your Tumblr background.

1. 
   Sign up or log in to your Tumblr. Go to your own blog by clicking on the title at the top of your dashboard.
2. 
   Click on "Customize theme" on the right side of the screen.
3. 
   Scroll down on the customization sidebar until you reach the "Background" section. Click on the "Upload" button.
4. 
   Select the image you wish to use for your background. It should be as large and as high-quality as possible, similar to the desktop background on your computer.
5. 
   Save your changes. When you have selected an image as your new background, you will see a preview of your new theme. Make sure that it looks how you want, and then click the green "Save" button.
6. Confirm your changes. After you click "Save", click "Close". This will take you back to your Dashboard page. Click on the name of your blog next to "Dashboard" at the top of the page. Then click "Open [name of your blog]" near the top right corner. This will show you your blog as it appears to other users. Make sure that your new background looks how you want it to.
   
   
   

How to Remove an Application Off Your Twitter Account

Did you try this new application on Twitter and then realized that it was annoying for your followers? Maybe it kept tweeting weird stuff and sending weird DMs to others? Read on and you will know how to delete any applications that you do not want to keep in a second!

1. 
   Log on to your Twitter account.
2. 
   Look for the "gear" in the right-hand corner.
3. 
   Click on "Settings"
4. 
   Go to "Apps"
5. 
   Click on "Revoke Access" to remove the app that you want to stop accessing your Twitter account

How To Use Twitter As A Promotional Tool

Twitter is a popular social media website that allows users to post "micro-blogs" of 140 characters or less. It began in 2006 and is now home to more than 300 million users. Many of these users are actually businesses that promote sales, customer loyalty and new products through their account. As with most social media outlets, consistency is the key to successful Twitter promotion. It is a good idea to create a personal account and become familiar with the way Twitter works, or appoint someone who will post to your account every day. This article will tell you how to use Twitter as a promotional tool.

1. 
   1
   Create a Twitter account for your business. Make sure it is both the brand name of your company and includes the website name. For example, if your business is called Cooper City Promotions, and your website is coopercitypromo, you would want your account to be www.twitter.com/coopercitypromo.
   • To set up an account, go to twitter.com and click the "Sign up for Twitter" button. Input your company description, website, location and upload your logo. Fill out your profile as completely as possible, including common search terms that people use to find your company in the bio section.
2. 2
   Use your twitter link on all marketing materials, including business cards, letterhead, website, Facebook account, invoices and all other online or printed promotions. On your next email blast, include a section that asks people to find or follow you on Twitter.
3. 
   3
   Master the use of the hashtag. The hashtag is the "#" symbol followed by a keyword. This can be as specific as your business name, such as #coopercitypromo, or it can be keywords that people use to find your business, such as #marketing, #coopercity or #advertising.
   • Include a hashtag with #deal, #coupon or #bargain, whenever you are having a sale or promotion. There are many aggregate websites that gather all of the day's tweets that include these keywords. Also regularly include any other popular search terms that people use to find your website along with a hashtag on your daily tweets. If you tweet a coupon code, you can track your sales by all the people who use the Twitter-specific code.
4. 
   4
   Find people to follow by using a twitter directory like twellow or Justtweetit.Most Twitter users receive an email when someone new is following them. Add a few people every day, and many people will choose to follow you in turn.
5. 
   5
   Avoid hard sales tactics. Twitter accounts that pressure or only post sales and business-related content rarely keep a large amount of followers for long. Post links and statements that show you are in touch, and on the cutting edge, of industry innovation and standards.
   • If you have a strong relationship with your local community, post stories and links that support the community, other businesses and organizations. This will encourage people from your neighborhood or city to follow you for the latest updates, and they will receive your promotions at the same time.
6. 
   6
   Encourage employees to communicate with the company Twitter account using their personal accounts or specially-made company twitter accounts.Use the "@" symbol before the Twitter user name to direct message people or mention them in your tweets.
7. 
   7
   Announce all new events or products on Twitter, using product shots and details. Schedule your tweets so that they correspond with press releases for products or events. Make a hashtag for each event, such as "#coopershow."
8. 
   8
   Use Twitter-based contests to promote your product. Many businesses have started to give away large items, like gift cards, phones or cameras to people who retweet or direct message their Twitter account during a day or week. The following are good general guidelines to follow when holding a Twitter contest:
   • A contest will not have much impact if you have a boring Twitter account. You must first have a strong base of followers to create buzz about your company's contest. Follow new people every day, target people in your area or demographic and put time into creating a fun Twitter presence, and then hold a contest.
   • Frequent contests of lower value are better than infrequent contests at a high value. Once users understand that you hold regular contests, they are more likely to follow your account on a daily basis, occasionally retweeting your content, and gaining you followers by referral.
   • Be honest with your followers about what they will win. There were complaints recently when companies said they were giving away iPhones, but they were really sending gift cards.
   • You can hold your contest in a number of ways. You can offer it to anyone who retweets, anyone who direct messages you, anyone who uses your hashtag, or anyone who responds in a short time. You may want to try different strategies to see what results in the largest increase in followers or response.
9. 
   9
   Follow the "Trending Topics" on Twitter and use these common hashtags when they apply to you. Trending Topics are listed on the right side of the Twitter home page. Don't be afraid to use the hashtag a few times, if you can contribute good content or conversation.
   • Try to stay away from political trending topics. Kenneth Cole created controversy when he used the #Cairo hashtag to promote his new shoe line during the Cairo riots.
10. 
    10
    Employ a social media service, if you are unable to do all of this promotion within your company. Companies, such as Submitinme or coTweet, provide marketing services that focus on social media outlets like Twitter.
11. 
    11
    Buy a Twitter Promoted Tweet to try to target a new market. Promoted Tweets appear on top of the screen when a user searches for related topics. Go to www.business.twitter.com/advertise/promoted-tweets and use a special link, like 1 created through Google Analytics, to track website activity from Twitter.

Listing Tips ~ How to Price your Handmade Products

Handmade products take a lot of time and effort to produce. In order to make them worth it, you'll have to do some budgeting to decide how much you can sell them for. Consider the following steps to decide a price for your handmade products.

1. Research the demand for the product.

The price of the handmade item that you are selling is very dependent on how high the demand is for the product. Take the time to figure out the popularity of the item by visiting local retailers as well as online stores to get a sense of what is out there. Note how much these products are going for at different places to give yourself a starting point.

2. Keep track of your man hours.

Handmade products can generally be sold for more than commercially made items due to the amount of man hours that are put into each item. Identify how long it takes you, on average, to make each item and adjust the price accordingly.

3. Consider material costs.

There are some items you buy once and can use for many homemade products. There are others, though, that you will buy to be used once for each item you make that should be incorporated into the final price of the item. The materials you use over and over will be absorbed into the overall costsof your handmade product business.

4. Remember to allow for a profit.

Yes, account for the time you put into the product and the material costs, but don't forget to make some money. Although it should be within reason, the idea is that you will profit from each item sold rather than just breaking even. In the beginning, you may just break even, but that's because you had to invest a lot of money to get your sales off of the ground. Once you break even, though, you should make something on top of the given costs of each item.

5. Factor in shipping, transportation and other overhead costs.

If you have a storefront, don't forget to budget in your monthly rent. Online sellers will have to factor in shipping and web site maintenance costs. And, if you are going to do in-home parties to sell your homemade products, remember to take into account your transportation costs.

source: wikihow.com

image source: pulpsushi.typepad.com

Listing Tips ~ How to Write Great Handmade Jewellery Descriptions

Your handmade jewellery descriptions have to persuade someone that your jewellery is worth buying...

And just making a list of materials just doesn't go very far.

That's why spending time to hone your description is so important to your ultimate long-term success.

Here are some tips for making those product descriptions more likely to make the sale:

Tip #1: Think of the Title as a Headline

A great description has to first catch your readers attention. Make sure the title of your product is something that catches the eye and makes someone want to read further. You'll want your title to be both descriptive and representative, and not vague and "artsy". Remember, your title won't always be seen with the photo of your work. In search engine listing for example, the title and brief description is all the reader will see. Artsy titles will appeal to the reader more when they actually see the item on your product page.

Here are some examples

• "The Perfect Mother's Day Bracelet" is a much better title than "Crystal Bracelet".
• "A Summer Bracelet for Lazy Casual Evenings Out" is better than "Summer Shades".

Tip #2: Benefits are More Important Than Features

Focus your description on benefits (what's in it for me?) first before the features.

A quick overview of features vs. benefits.

What's a feature? A feature is a descriptor.

Here are some examples:

* Handmade, one of a kind piece
* Sterling silver components
* 16" long.

What's a benefit? The benefit is what that feature does for your customer.

To know what benefit to emphasize, you'll need to know your customer. What are they like? What is important to them? Are they looking for a feeling or experience? Do they need admiration and status? Or are they more concerned with getting something that doesn't break easily?

Here are some examples of benefits:

• One of a kind There is non other like it in the world (Feeling unique is an emotional benefit that's important to lots of people)
• Sterling silver Real silver is a luxury and we all need to be pampered sometimes, don't we? (Feeling pampered is sought after by many)
• 16" long the perfect length for showing off a V-neck and to highlight the face. (Feeling attractive is a strong emotional desire that could be a benefit of your jewelry item.)
• Strong Chain Links Durable and long lasting, and won't break when a baby pulls on it (Logical benefit)

Tip #3: Include Emotional Benefits and Logical Benefits

People buy for emotional needs, but rationalize with logical benefits so it's a good idea to hit on both. A good rule of thumb is to include 3 emotional benefits and 2 logical ones.

Examples of emotional needs:

• Feeling loved
• Feeling attractive
• Feeling caring or nurturing
• Feeling altruistic (this is a good one if a portion of your sale goes to charity)
• Feeling spiritual
• Feeling intelligent
• Feeling unique

Examples of logical benefits:

• Solves a problem (for example if it's a great gift solution for Mother's Day)
• Money saving (like free shipping or a coupon savings)

Tip #4: Write Conversationally.

Throw out whatever you learned in school. No one wants to read formal, stilted descriptions full of self-important big words. Don't write a dissertation, and you're not making a legal argument either. Write like you speak, and you are much more likely to engage your reader.

Tip #5: Speak Directly to Your Reader

Here's a trick: Pretend you are talking to your best friend. One person only. If it sounds like you're having a chat with a friend, you'll build trust and likability, which ultimately is what will tips the scales for making your sale.

Tip #6: Use "You" instead of "I"

The sweetest word to a reader (other than the person's own name!) is the word "You".

So instead of talk about yourself and what you like about your product, talk about what the product will do for them.

For example...

"You'll feel like the Belle of the Ball on your wedding day"

is infinitely better than

"I created this necklace to suit the bride who wants to be the Belle of the Ball on her wedding day".

Tip #7: Stories are a Jewellery Seller's Best Friend

People often buy handmade jewellery so they can feel wise or insightful and you, believe it or not, YOU are often the biggest selling point especially is your work is very distinctive and unique, or if you yourself are distinctive and unique.

Depending on your market, you'll want to make decisions about what types of stories to tell.

Here are some jewellery story ideas:

• How you came to be inspired for a piece
• What funny thing happened that made you think to make this handmade necklace
• The story behind an interesting found component
• How one coincidence became a necklace.

Tip #8 Offer a Guarantee

You should always offer some kind of guarantee to increase your customer's comfort level and trust. The guarantee is up to you, but the sales increase is significant for people who offer guarantees, and you might be surprised to know that refund requests are about the same (or even less!) for those that are up front with their guarantee so it only makes sense to offer one.

Source.

Listing Tips - Pick the Right Name for Your Online Handmade Business

You’ve decided to set up a shop with your handmade crafts.. How do you pick a name for your business? And If you already chose a name - How do you make sure it is a good one?

While some people believe that picking a name for your shop is not important, I believe that it in an aspect that you have to consider wisely. Of course, nobody guarantees that having an awesome name will bring success to your business, but there is nothing you can lose if you spent some time putting some thought into your shop name.

1. Short & Easy

Try to pick a name that is not more that 3 words and it is simple. If you have to explain to your customers how does your name spell and what it means, then probably you picked the wrong name.

2. Relevant 

When picking the name for your shop think long and hard about it. Choose something that is totally you! Make sure the name goes with your product. Make sure that when costumers see your name they will automatically know what you’re selling.

3.Unique - Available

Do your research – No matter how original you think your name is, the chances are that somebody else has already thought of it. Google your name and see of others had thought about it first.

4. Make it Memorable

Convey a feeling, emotion, or funny mental image. Customers are 100x more likely to remember an emotion, whether it be fun and lighthearted or if it’s sentimental and brings back memories.
Another important part of branding is the look and feel of your shop. This can be accomplished by color scheme, fonts, and graphics.

Enjoy the ride!

How to Add your Location to Twitter

Adding your location on Twitter will let your followers know where you're tweeting from, whether you're a homebody or permanently on the move. It's easy to do. Read on to learn how.

1. 
   1
   Open your Twitter account and sign in.
   
   
2. 
   2
   Look at the top right on the homescreen. You will see a toolbar with options. Select 'Settings'. Wait for the page to load completely.
3. 3
   Navigate to "Account" tab
   
   
   
4. 4
   Tick the "add location to my tweets" box on the middle part of the screen.Save changes