I find that 50% of my business comes from YOU referring friends and family to my shop. Yay YOU!
So, I've decided to start a new referral program that I hope YOU can benefit from. Everytime YOU refer a friend, family, or even a stranger to my shop and that person purchases from me, I will give YOU 10% off OR free shipping within the US on YOUR next order . YOU choose. But, wait, it gets better! Refer 10 people and YOU can choose one free item from my shop including Custom Orders.
The next time you're out spreading the word to friends and family about me and my awesome prducts ;), make sure you also tell them to include your full name in the message to sellers section if they decide to purchase something. During your next visit to the shop I can do a quick verification and award you your well earned 10% off. (If your friend forgets to include your name, I can always do a quick cross reference check too.)
THANK YOU to my loyal customers!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Refer Your Friends & Family
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Art + Yard Sale=YART!
CuteAndSweet is participating in the 2nd annual YART Sale on Etsy. The promotion runs Wednesday, June 10th through Sunday, June 14th. During this time I will be posting lots of unused supplies just taking up valuable space in my craft room as well as woven headbands and clips from the past year at an unbeatable price!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Back to Business
I officially reopened the CuteAndSweet Shop doors! I'm not accepting any custom requests quite yet, but I will happily ship anything currently listed in the shop. :)
Friday, February 20, 2009
Boxes, boxes, and more boxes....
We're in the new home and busy unpacking!
Update: I know where all my CuteAndSweet goodies are....I just haven't cleared a path to them yet. :)
Back to work....
Monday, February 16, 2009
Moving Day
Tomorrow is the the BIG DAY! We finally move into our new house in Indiana. Once all the goodies are unpacked I will reopen my Etsy shop.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Libraries Aren't Even Safe From This New Law
Interesting articles.
CNN online.
American Library Assocciation.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Oh Boy....The CPSIA
There's been a lot of buzz in the handmade world lately, especially by those who create items for children. In a nutshell...congress passed a law that states all items intended for children under the age of 12 must be tested for lead. And, before you second guess all this, YES, this law is all encompasssing. It affects not only big corporations but even us 'small potatoes'. By their defintion, I am a manufacturer and (unless the law is amended) I will need to comply and have each of my components tested by a third party CPSIA approved labratory. Or, go out of business.
As a parent, I'm glad congress is making an effort to keep my children safe. As a "manufacturer" of children's items, I'm concerned about the effect this law will potentially have on my business. The required testing is quite expensive and as much as I would like for my items to not be considered "hazardous", I simply don't feel I will have much success selling $7 headbands for over $1500 (which the price would need to be to cover cost of third party testing).
Sellers of children's items on Etsy have already started hypothetically pricing their items to include the cost of testing to get everyone's attention. Take a look at these links...
hullabalooboutique, lalaspequenos, and boygirlboygirldesign
Today, is the day for the blogger's "blog-in". All of those small business owners affected and those who love to buy handmade children's items are posting the following on their blogs.
**As parents and concerned citizens I’m sure most of us at one time or another have been confronted with the question of lead poisoning. But have you asked yourself what your government is doing to protect your children from lead contained in toys?
The answer? They're banning toys, taking books from schools and libraries, hurting low income families, killing entrepreneurial spirit and risking putting the economy in an even greater depression than we've seen in decades. I'd like to introduce you to their solution: the CPSIA.
Do you know about the CPSIA? No? Then I ask you to take a few minutes to find out about it.The CPSIA stands for Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, a new set of laws that will come into effect on 10 February, 2009 and will impact many, many people in a negative way. Make no mistake, this is very real. View it for yourself. If Forbes, the American Library Association and numerous other media are paying attention, perhaps you should too. How will these new laws affect you? Well, here are a few examples:
To the Parents of Young Students:Due to the new law, expect to see the cost of school supplies sky rocket. While those paper clips weren't originally intended for your student to use, they will need to be tested now that your 11-year-old needs them for his school project. This law applies to any and all school supplies (textbooks, pencils, crayons, paper, etc.) being used by children under 12.
To the Avid Reader:Due to the new law, all children's books will be pulled from library and school shelves, as there is no exemption for them. That’s okay though, there's always television. Our children don’t need to learn the love of reading after all.Article from the American Library Association http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=1322
To the Lover of All Things Handmade:Due to the new law, you will now be given a cotton ball and an instruction manual so you can make it yourself since that blanket you originally had your eye on for $50 will now cost you around $1,000 after it's passed testing. It won't even be the one-of-a-kind blanket you were hoping for. Items are destroyed in the testing process making one-of-a-kind items virtually impossible. So that gorgeous hand-knit hat you bought your child this past winter won’t be available next winter.
To the Environmentalist:Due to the new law, all items in non-compliance will now be dumped into our already overflowing landfills. Imagine not just products from the small business owners, but the Big Box Stores as well. You can't sell it so you must toss it. Or be potentially sued for selling it. You can't even give them away. If you are caught, it is still a violation.
To the Second-Hand Shopper:Due to the new law, you will now need to spend $20 for that brand new pair of jeans for your 2-year old, rather than shop at the Goodwill for second hand. Many resale shops are eliminating children's items all together to avoid future lawsuits.
To the Entrepreneur:Due to this new law, you will be forced to adhere to strict testing of your unique products or discontinue to make and/or sell them. Small businesses will be likely to be unable to afford the cost of testing and be forced to close up shop. Due to the current economic state, you'll have to hope for the best when it comes to finding a new job in Corporate America.
To the Antique Toy Collector:Due to the new law, you'd better start buying now because it's all going to private collection and will no longer be available to purchase. “Because the new rules apply retroactively, toys and clothes already on the shelf will have to be thrown out if they aren't certified as safe.” http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123189645948879745.html
To the American Economy:Already struggling under an economy that hasn’t been this weak in decades, the American economy will be hit harder with the inevitable loss of jobs and revenues from suppliers, small businesses and consumers. The required testing is far too costly and restrictive for small businesses or individuals to undertake.
To the Worldwide Economy:Due to this new law, many foreign manufacturers have already pulled out of the US market. You can imagine the impact of this on their businesses. If you think this is exaggerating, here is a recent article from Forbeshttp://www.forbes.com/2009/01/16/cpsia-safety-toys-oped-cx_wo_0116olson.html
And for those of you prepared to be stupefied and boggled, The New Lawhttp://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html
Did you know? If this upsets or alarms you, please react. Contact your representatives.
(written by Holly of Winklepots and chichiboulie --re-posted with permission. Picture courtesy of MiniMonster)
As a parent, I'm glad congress is making an effort to keep my children safe. As a "manufacturer" of children's items, I'm concerned about the effect this law will potentially have on my business. The required testing is quite expensive and as much as I would like for my items to not be considered "hazardous", I simply don't feel I will have much success selling $7 headbands for over $1500 (which the price would need to be to cover cost of third party testing).
Sellers of children's items on Etsy have already started hypothetically pricing their items to include the cost of testing to get everyone's attention. Take a look at these links...
hullabalooboutique, lalaspequenos, and boygirlboygirldesign
Kind of ridiculous, don't you think? But, people have done their research and those prices reflect that.
Today, is the day for the blogger's "blog-in". All of those small business owners affected and those who love to buy handmade children's items are posting the following on their blogs.
**As parents and concerned citizens I’m sure most of us at one time or another have been confronted with the question of lead poisoning. But have you asked yourself what your government is doing to protect your children from lead contained in toys?
The answer? They're banning toys, taking books from schools and libraries, hurting low income families, killing entrepreneurial spirit and risking putting the economy in an even greater depression than we've seen in decades. I'd like to introduce you to their solution: the CPSIA.
Do you know about the CPSIA? No? Then I ask you to take a few minutes to find out about it.The CPSIA stands for Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, a new set of laws that will come into effect on 10 February, 2009 and will impact many, many people in a negative way. Make no mistake, this is very real. View it for yourself. If Forbes, the American Library Association and numerous other media are paying attention, perhaps you should too. How will these new laws affect you? Well, here are a few examples:
To the Parents of Young Students:Due to the new law, expect to see the cost of school supplies sky rocket. While those paper clips weren't originally intended for your student to use, they will need to be tested now that your 11-year-old needs them for his school project. This law applies to any and all school supplies (textbooks, pencils, crayons, paper, etc.) being used by children under 12.
To the Avid Reader:Due to the new law, all children's books will be pulled from library and school shelves, as there is no exemption for them. That’s okay though, there's always television. Our children don’t need to learn the love of reading after all.Article from the American Library Association http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=1322
To the Lover of All Things Handmade:Due to the new law, you will now be given a cotton ball and an instruction manual so you can make it yourself since that blanket you originally had your eye on for $50 will now cost you around $1,000 after it's passed testing. It won't even be the one-of-a-kind blanket you were hoping for. Items are destroyed in the testing process making one-of-a-kind items virtually impossible. So that gorgeous hand-knit hat you bought your child this past winter won’t be available next winter.
To the Environmentalist:Due to the new law, all items in non-compliance will now be dumped into our already overflowing landfills. Imagine not just products from the small business owners, but the Big Box Stores as well. You can't sell it so you must toss it. Or be potentially sued for selling it. You can't even give them away. If you are caught, it is still a violation.
To the Second-Hand Shopper:Due to the new law, you will now need to spend $20 for that brand new pair of jeans for your 2-year old, rather than shop at the Goodwill for second hand. Many resale shops are eliminating children's items all together to avoid future lawsuits.
To the Entrepreneur:Due to this new law, you will be forced to adhere to strict testing of your unique products or discontinue to make and/or sell them. Small businesses will be likely to be unable to afford the cost of testing and be forced to close up shop. Due to the current economic state, you'll have to hope for the best when it comes to finding a new job in Corporate America.
To the Antique Toy Collector:Due to the new law, you'd better start buying now because it's all going to private collection and will no longer be available to purchase. “Because the new rules apply retroactively, toys and clothes already on the shelf will have to be thrown out if they aren't certified as safe.” http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123189645948879745.html
To the American Economy:Already struggling under an economy that hasn’t been this weak in decades, the American economy will be hit harder with the inevitable loss of jobs and revenues from suppliers, small businesses and consumers. The required testing is far too costly and restrictive for small businesses or individuals to undertake.
To the Worldwide Economy:Due to this new law, many foreign manufacturers have already pulled out of the US market. You can imagine the impact of this on their businesses. If you think this is exaggerating, here is a recent article from Forbeshttp://www.forbes.com/2009/01/16/cpsia-safety-toys-oped-cx_wo_0116olson.html
And for those of you prepared to be stupefied and boggled, The New Lawhttp://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html
Did you know? If this upsets or alarms you, please react. Contact your representatives.
(written by Holly of Winklepots and chichiboulie --re-posted with permission. Picture courtesy of MiniMonster)
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