Pulp Sushi

Quirky Handmade Holiday Bizaare Tomorrow!

I hope everyone had a wonderfulThanksgiving! Mine was fantastic. My mom's meal was DEE-LICIOUS!!!! The boyfriend and I had a nice time.  I have plenty of leftovers to enjoy for lunch today too. Getting hungry again just thinking about it. :)

Anyway, I have to admit I feel kind of bad now for not posting a "What I am thankful for..." entry like so many others did yesterday.  It honestly slipped my mind.  But you know what? Today is my blog's 2nd Year Anniversary!!! Two years ago today, I posted my first entry here on Typepad.  I love writing this blog and want to take it as far as I possibly can.  I love interacting with other bloggers and the folks who stop by to visit. I've found new blogs to be a fan of because of comments left here.  So I am thankful for YOU! I have made such great friends through this blog, Pulp Sushi is definitely my favorite of all the blogs I've written and is going NOWHERE!

So....The real holiday shopping begins today! Well, avoid the tacky malls and shop HANDMADE this season! Tomorrow I will be up in Rhinebeck, NY vending at...

I'm really excited about this show and Rhinebeck is such a pretty town. It's my first craft show without the NewNew name on it although there will be other members of the team there. I have been working on pieces that have not been posted online yet. Consider them show exclusives, hee hee!  I will post about it  next week.

Also next weekend, don't forget city folk!

Next Saturday!

 MAKE SURE YOU CHECK BACK ON THE BLOG MONDAY 12/1!

New Ways To Promote

It almost seems like it happened overnight, but Own The Hour has taken off quite rapidly since it started a couple of weeks ago.

For only FIFTY cents, you reserve a slot displaying one of your items for the hour. Good luck trying to nab a spot, they are filling up quickly.  I know one person who got a sale directly as a result.  The site is still in the beta stage so more features will be coming soon.

OwnTheHour purchases advertising on Facebook, Twitter, through Google, and other direct advertising partners that directly targets DIY and Craft related websites to attract sellers and Shopping, Gift, and Consumer based sites targeting keywords relating to handmade, unique gifts, and art to attract buyers.

Another place to up for promotion grabs is the new forum on Scoutie Girl.  Jan set this up so everyone can post their sales, events, contest, giveaways, directly on the website and it is super easy to sign up.   This is a very well visited site so you would be a fool to not take advantage.

Well it's the day before Thanksgiving which many of us I believe celebrate. Have safe travels if you're hitting the road. Enjoy your turkey or tofurkey if you will. :)  I will be spending it with my parents. Thanksgiving is probably the one day you can drive into Manhattan and find decent parking so I think we're good.

I win :)

Hooray! I won the cards from Wai Sze that I blogged about last week. Woot!  This week's {NewNew} giveaway is pretty sweet.  It is a 8x10 cut paper silhouette from Jen at peppersprouts.

Isn't that nice?  Visit The {NewNew} blog to see how you can win this awesome prize. This piece would make a great gift too. Jen also writes a nice blog too, Upstate Fancy.

Getting Ready!

Oh hi! Here are some new items I will be adding to Pulp Sushi this week.  I love those little cloud earrings!  Too cute.

Sales continue to flow steady but haven't had that *rush* that the holidays usually brings, what I was expecting.   Times are rough I guess, not just in the States but everywhere.  I see some shops doing well, they must have made a deal with the devil.

 

I'm kidding of course. 

I'm really looking forward to my two big holiday shows coming up. That will certainly pick up the online slack.  Getting everything ready for The Quirky Handmade Holiday Bazaar this Saturday.  It's in it's second year and I have a good feeling about it. It's in Rhinebeck, NY which is a super cute town. Even if sales are slow, it'll be nice to be up there again. Plus, I'd like to gain more experience selling my items in person. It really does boost your confidence to see people stopping to look and take interest, even if they don't purchase.  

You know what I have not shown in a while? Some Flickr Favorites!  Enjoy!

Sale @ The Fabled Needle & Modish Giveaway

I have to mention this wonderful sale that Liette from The Fabled Needle is currently having.  BOGO! You can't go wrong with that especially when beautiful prints and paper goods are involved.   Treat yourself or another little princess in your life with a nice piece of art. :)

Sticking to the theme of getting stuff for FREE, Modish is having Giveaway #2 this month and my "Love Gun" necklace is a part of this batch so you best head on over and check it out!

 

Get Organized With Google

I don't want to sound like a commercial but I really mean it when I say that I love using Google.  Not only is it a good search engine but it is a very useful tool to run your business.  It is my one-stop spot when I am working on my DaWanda shop.  Some sellers from the States are unsure how to price their items in Euros or how to convert their measurements.

I wanted to give you a little peek of my setup and the great tools that are available for those of us who deal with international customers.

I know I got a lot going on here.  So lets take a closer look...

 

In the first column I have my Currency and Measurement converters.  This is what I use to make my prices and indicate measurements of my pieces in MM or CM.  Plus it helps me in case I'm interested in purchasing something from another country.

 

This is the center column. I started using Google Translator to post some of my items in French on DaWanda. I don't know how accurate it is and it's been a few years since I studied the language but I like to think it helps a little. Below that I have a World Clock just so I know not to expect to hear from a customer certain times of the day.

I am 100% content with this system I have developed.  Of course there are a ton of other tools available like "To Do" lists, maps and more. I hope I have shed some light on how to bring some order and organization to your business. Have a good weekend!

Cheers!

Have you seen this delightful card from www.jennifersquires.etsy.com? What a great image and different take on the hoildays.

This card features a photograph of a wine glass and holiday ornament on the front and is blank inside.  What makes this card so special is that it is printed on 100% recycled cover stock (50% of which is recycled from post-consumer waste), is processed chlorine free, and the energy used in the printing process is 100% wind-powered via renewable energy credits.  Accompanying this card is a 100% post-consumer recycled envelope in natural white with a smooth finish.

These contemporary fine art cards are suitable to be used for holiday greetings and party invitations and are available for sale via Etsy at www.jennifersquires.etsy.com.

Another happy giveaway winner

Why didn't I start participating in giveaways sooner? Nothing feels better than getting a convo from someone who won a big giveaway including one of your items.  How sweet of them to take the time to personally thank me.  This happened with the Modish giveaway last month. This morning I received an Etsy convo from Jingle whose blog is Just Jingle. She won one of the Scoutie Girl giveaways this month which included a necklace from me.

*squeek!* How sweet of her. I'm actually quite jealous of the other prizes she won too.  Make sure you pay her a visit.

SHOP UPDATE!

Added a new pair of earrings and a necklace to Etsy and DaWanda today.

The necklace is like a charm bracelet for your neck.  I had a lot of fun putting this one together.  Sometimes it's fun to just mix things up a little.

Cute cards up for grabs

Yesterday was devoted to the BIM recap but I definitely wanted to post about the neat giveaway going on at at The {NewNew} blog this week.  

They are greeting cards from Wai Sze, and they're very pretty.   You can win these by posting about the giveaway then come back to the NewNew blog and leave a comment with the link to where you mentioned it.  It's quite easy actually.

Folks are always looking for things to blog about right? :)

Recovery

I...am...so...exhausted.  I went to bed around 10:30 (!!!) last night, got a full eight hours of sleep but still woke up feeling groggy.  I feel better on less hours of sleep I think.

I had a a good time yesterday but it was a very long and chilly day.  It was an interesting experience to set up shop on the sidewalk for passersby.  My sales were ok, not as good as I had hoped but I can't complain. My goal is to always at least make back the booth fee which I'm happy to say I did with a little extra.  Overall a great experience.

I would love to do the Brooklyn Indie Market again but I think next time I would like to try it inside the tent instead of the sidewalk kiosks.  Anyway, on to some photos shall we? (click for larger view)

That's me on the left setting up my half of the kiosk with Lisa from Fubabee.  It was a cute space with shelves and electricity inside.  We definitely utilized all the shelf space and it allowed people to step inside for a closer look.

 

Lisa came up with the idea of posting fliers for the Holiday Handmade Cavalcade event next month.



I hope Sushette wasn't cold, I should have given her a scarf.



Our sidewalk neighbors. The guy selling the hats is from Rocks & Salt and we previously met over the summer at a friend's barbecue, small world.

Inside the tent were the rest of the NewNew team participating...






Good times! There are even MORE photos in my Flickr album.

Ok time to unpack everything.

This Sunday!

If you happen to be in the Carroll Gardens section of Brooklyn, you may spot me at The Brooklyn Indie Market

Pulp Sushi will be there with some members of The {NewNew} and we're taking over the market for the day!

I am already half way through my issue of Artful Blogging, so much great content and  new blogs for me to check out.   Good things it is a gloomy, rainy day out today.

The Art Of Blogging

I received my first issue of Artful Blogging and "inspiring" is not the word to describe it...

Every page is a visual treat!



I heard about this magazine from Vanessa at A Fanciful Twist and thought "What a brilliant idea for a magazine, and the irony too! " Naturally Vanessa is IN the latest issue....again. :)



I never get to make it to Vanessa's parties although they seem like a lot of fun. They are usually at a time when I am not online much. It's not like I'm not invited! =P



I have to confess that I purchased this copy from someone on Ebay so I did save a buck or two.  Although now that I think of it, I have a feeling this person might actually work for the publisher, call it a hunch.  But oh what a surprise to see some extra goodies just in time for Christmas!

Seriously, I have been blogging one way or another for about 11 years now, I think.    I've been on Livejournal since July 2001 - first as "rednails" then as "nurse bateman".  Before that I did Diaryland, blogger, I had my own domain website (rednails.net) where I had a webcam and joined camportals and all that nonsense.  I never quite put in the *thought* of presentation the way some blogs do now like Vanessa or Posie Gets Cozy.   I hate the expression "Took it to a whole nutha level" but really, that's what has happened to blogging.  It was so simple back in the old days.  Starting a blog now requires so much friggin' work, not just in writing but with the visuals too! You have maybe 5 seconds to catch the attention of someone visiting your website for the first time, you gotta grab them!

Trunk Show Craziness

I think it's safe to say that The {NewNew} Virtual Trunk show was a success, look at the turnout!   It was a good time!

Looks like three people were party poopers.   And even though this was a "NY" show, a good part of the room were folks outside of the area so that was pretty cool too.

{NewNew} Trunk Show Tonite!

Ok, so you've heard about these trunk shows on Etsy but never checked one out.  You're still curious though aren't you? Well tonight at 7:00 pm, The {NewNew} will be hosting a virtual trunk show.  During the sale, you'll get a chance to meet and chat with the lovely artists and ask questions about the featured products for sale.

Now to get there, you must have an Etsy account.  After you log in, pay a visit to the Virtual Labs under "Community" then visit the "Treehouse" room and go nuts!  You'll be amongst friends! I'll be there checking it out, hope to see you there!

Awww, I got a sweet convo from the winner of the October Modish Giveaway saying how happy she is to have my necklace and excited to own a piece of my work. Very nice message to wake up to. :)

And last, I snuck in a new necklace in the shops (Etsy & DaWanda)...

Modish Giveaway

The giveaway this month at Modish is SO HUGE that there are TWO of them!  Jena posted the first one yesterday.  The second is coming next week and will include another necklace from me. :)

It also GIFT GUIDE season and wanted to give a special mention to Sweet Figments who has been posting great gift guides for the special guy, gal, geek, pet in your life. She's doing a great job!

Oh! I must share my excitement. The other day I asked my sister-in-law for some gift suggestions for my oldest niece/goddaughter. She just turned 4.  One of the things she says my niece likes to do now is......MAKE JEWELRY!!! =D  Maybe I'll get a kit from the craft store. That made me giddy.  I would love to sit down with her one day and just make stuff.

What is a Trunk Show?

By definition, a "trunk show" is

A special sale in which vendors present merchandise directly to store personnel or select customers at a retail location or another unique venue. In many cases it allows store personnel to preview and/or purchase merchandise before it is made available to the public. It is particularly desirable to have the actual designer present at the event. Most small businesses do this to get more buys.

I swiped this from Wikipedia.

I mentioned last week the trunk show that The {NewNew} is having this week and someone asked if I can post more about how the Virtual Trunk show that goes on at Etsy.  

I have only check out one trunk show on Etsy. From what I gathered, it is a group of sellers who are part of a group or team and basically are showing off items in their shop. One person moderates and kind of controls the discussion.  They may have special offers specifically for the Trunk Show.  You can ask the seller questions about the items and I guess it's almost like dealing with a potential customer in person.  I don't know what the success rate for trunk shows are but you may gain some hearts and future sales as a result.

You will find some great visuals of how this works at The {NewNew} website. OR you can watch this great introductory video by the {NewNew} leader Kimmchi.

Maybe I'll have a BOOK PARTY!

I had a "Pre-Holiday" party at my place this past weekend and I did not take any pictures. What kind of host am I? It was a great time. I made my WORLD FAMOUS olive spread, spice cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, and for the first time, caramelized butternut squash and damn was that good! Sometimes I really surprise myself in the kitchen.   My bf made a series of yummy finger food and everyone was very well fed.

When I have a party, I don't expect anyone to bring gifts. Their presence is present enough for me, seriously.  One of our friends brought us wine glasses which I admit, I so desperately needed.   Another brought me a very cute book that has been added to the current list of books I am reading which are...

So now I am also reading

Markets of Paris is a cute little pocket travel guide to all the street markets of Paris with lots of wonderful photos to daydream to. I was really touched. I don't travel much, at the moment I can only take vacations in my head so books like this are wonderful.

Oh yes, it's Monday! Check out these awesome earrings being given away at The {NewNew} blog! 

Happy Friday!!!!

This post is going to kind of be all over the place so please bear with me.  First, I added a new ring to the shops today.  It's a BIG Sweetie Ring.

Big rings are all the rage and I couldn't be happier about it so I'm going to indulge in this trend as much as possible.  I know that is a question that comes up from time to time on messageboards: Do you keep up with current trends or do you stick to designing what YOU like? Personally, I like to do a little bit of both. Some trends I am just not fond of so I don't bother but if something does become popular (ie: BIG jewelry) then I'm all over it.  There are always going to be customers who don't care about what's hot at the moment and just like what you do. I'm here to please as many people as I can. :)

Look what I got from Tizzalicious? Big thank you to her!  It is nice to be recognized every now and then.  So I guess I am suppose to list three things that I love, which should be pretty easy today (in no particular order)...

1)Cookie Dough Ice Cream
2)Vanilla Chai Lattes
3)My pretty, pretty nieces

Along with this award, I am suppose to nominate five others who I feel are worthy, once again this is the part I hate since I like SO many blogs. Hmmmm

-The Fabled Needle: I just discovered this lovely blog myself after they left a comment here. :)
-My Hands, My Knees: Enjoy following along with Tina on her DIY journey
-ChristopherandTia: Who doesn't enjoy this blog?
-Love Forever: She's a fellow NewNew member and has great Etsy shop.
-The Queen of Re: I just love visually stimulating blogs. :)

So it's one more week until I head to BROOKLYN!

Depending on how well this goes, I may want to do some more dates in the Spring, we'll see!

Fun Downloads & Trunk Show

That's right, the new issue of Mankind Mag is out, Erin is already up to Issue 5! It's The Handmade Issue, here's a sneaky peaky.

 

Make sure you go check it out! 

What? You want to download more freebies? Sure why not!  How about you check out the The {NewNew} Team Catalog we just released?  This is what the cover looks like, it's like a subway map. :) When you click it opens as a .PDF. You'll find some really great shops in there!

Speaking of The {NewNew}...

The {NewNew} will be hosting a virtual trunk show on Thursday, November 13.  During the sale, you'll get a chance to meet and chat with the lovely artists and ask questions about the featured products for sale.  I am not one of the seller for this event but I hope to be in the room.

New at Pulp Sushi

Here are some new necklaces I added to the Etsy and DaWanda shops. I wanted to add something a little nice to the Bird Chase necklace, even though it is perfectly nice on it's own. :)

Check it out, i am today's "Member's Spotlight" at the Crafting In Color team blog. Go check it out and say something nice.  :) I also posted another "I see CIC" entry the other day.