Sugar Panda

monday/monday

2009-11-02T11:56:00.000-08:00

Busy day ahead filled with lots of work, and of course, another OB appointment. Excited to get many new products listed on my website. Also have tons of ideas for necklaces swimming in my head and I'm itching for a calm moment to sketch them so I don't forget them! Not much to talk about so far, it's a Monday.

However, if you need a Monday pick-me-up, I just entered in this awesome blog giveaway for a chance to win a necklace by the amazingly talented 3squares (she also happens to be a fellow JET team member!). The giveaway is hosted by Catherine on Olive Bites (on etsy you may know her as uncorked or polarity). Click here to enter!

Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T12:21:00.000-08:00

I wanted to be a good girl and post this ON actual Halloween, but I was too busy buying last minute candy for the trick or treaters. Then my husband and I took our 18 month old on her first trick or treating trip! She did fantastic and walked A LOT. We tried to get her to say "trick or treat" but once she figured out that people were giving her food she just held her hand out and said "Mmmm!!"

I have so much going on right now that it feels like November just snuck up on me! Dealing with a difficult pregnancy, never ending doctors appointments, a very talkative ad energetic toddler, and trying to come up with new ideas and stock up my inventory- it's no wonder that the months are just flying by!

I'm very excited about a couple of things this month:

A super fun giveaway will happen on my blog
Will be introducing a new Christmas ornament line
Doing a fun holiday tutorial on my blog
Working on an ornament exchange just for fun with some girls, including Danni and Jessica (she's hosting the exchange)

2009-10-16T21:53:00.000-07:00

Alina, 10 random reasons I love being your Mom.

(in no particular order)

***

When you held my face in your hands and said "Pretty Girl" to me.
Your random hugs, cuddles, and kisses are the sweetest.
Because so many mornings the first sound I wake up to is your singing over the baby monitor.
You love books as much as I do.
You're delight in the simplest of things brings me so much joy.
You inspire me to be a better human every day.
You make me see the world through a child's eyes again.
Your laughter and giggles make my heart melt.
To me you are the most amazing little creature that ever lived.
For deodorizing the carpet with an entire bottle of baby powder...how sweet of you. ;)

2009-10-10T23:48:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when I turn my back for 60 seconds.

She decided to decorate our new living room with an entire bottle of baby powder.

Well now that I'm back from my blogging hiatus, I'm super excited to start posting again! I've had lots of exciting things happen since the last post. We moved (again) into a bigger house on base. With the new baby coming we qualified for a larger housing, and although the moving process is so tedious I couldn't be happier with the new place. I finally love and adore our home.

And best of all- I finally have a craft room. Not a corner. Not a spot. An entire room as my studio. Granted it's tiny, and isn't considered a bedroom (more like a very very large storage room) and it has no windows. But, it's my own room and I plan on making the best of it.

Coming Soon: Fall 2009 Products

2009-08-08T14:11:00.000-07:00

I've got many new products in the works, just in time for the Fall/Winter 2009 season. Above and below are previews of products that will be introduced in the coming weeks. I'm also working on a fabulous collaboration with a fabulous Etsy seller- but for now I'm keeping it a secret until the product is ready to launch. So lots of exciting new things headed your way, and I'm enjoying the flood of creativity urging me to create new things for the holiday shoppers.

Also- my loyal blog readers will be in for a treat very soon. I will be offering special coupon codes as well as hosting another giveaway, so stay tuned! :)

2009-07-24T15:04:00.000-07:00

happy friday.

2009-07-22T19:38:00.000-07:00

i will...

{ always }

- put my family, especially my children, first

- hate people who hurt animals, distrust those who don't like animals

- love pandas, and cry when i see them in person

- believe in God, no matter what happens

- be a Carolina girl at heart, regardless of where i may live

- want/need/crave art in my life

- need my Mommy

- pray, and trust that miracles happen

- love books and have millions of them

{ sometimes }

- need my hubby to feel sorry for me on my bad days

- like my hair, but not often

- like living in california, but not often

- wish i were rich

- be way too stressed, way too anxious, and way too paranoid

- cry, because i cannot believe how much i love my babies

- want more and more pets

- want more kids

- wish i could sleep longer

- wish i had a bigger office + studio

{ never }

- regret marrying young & having children young

- live without an animal in the house

- disown or stop loving any of my children, no matter what they do

- stop trusting in God

- live in California if given the freedom to choose

- live in a place that snows, i can't tolerate the cold

- give up, because admitting defeat doesn't sit well with me

+

( thanks to Jessica + Danni for this! )

Baby Panda Salad Recipe.

2009-07-22T13:37:00.000-07:00

Since I recently found out that I am expecting again, I have been trying to eat a lot healthier for the sake of the little growing baby panda. I'm also always starving, so I eat much more often during the day and need stuff that I can make quickly (otherwise I turn into an evil monster somewhat resembling the Incredible Hulk). So I decided to start incoorporating more salads into my meal plans. I have no idea if this salad is an actual recipe already- nor do I care. I call it my Baby Panda Salad Recipe, because it was so good and I was proud of myself for throwing it together.

{ what you need } *feel free to substitute stuff*

- white vinegar

- olive oil

- 1 small tomato

- 1 large red radish

- 1/4 cup of green olives

- Half of 1 small onion

- 2 tbsp feta cheese

- 1 cup fresh spinach leaves

- 1/4 cucumber

- salt

- pepper
+

{ instructions }

1. Chop up all the veggies

2. In a salad bowl, mix your olive oil and vinegar, adding salt + pepper to taste. (taste it, if it's too tart for you, simply add a dash more olive oil)

3. Drop everything into your salad bowl and stir until it's nice and covered in the dressing.

4. Grab a fruit and a drink, Enjoy!
+

Easy. Peasy. Yummy.

ABC's of Me

2009-07-13T13:34:00.000-07:00

"Mein Haus" - Original Mixed Media Art Block, $28

ABC's OF ME: (courtesy of ArmyWifeBlogger)

A-Age: 22

B-Birth date: December 1, 1986

C-Chore you hate: Vacuuming, Dishes

D-Dog's name: His name was Rocky (r.i.p. baby)

E-Enter or Exit: Enter

F-Favorite color: I have a few. Pink and brown are obviously among them.

G-Gold or silver: Silver

H-Hair color: Dark Brown

I-Instrument: I played the Viola

J-Job Title: Artist & Designer Extraordinaire, Owner of Sugar Panda

K-Kids: 1, and another on the way!

L-Living arrangements: Base Housing

M-Monkey or Moose: Moose. Monkeys are ugly and annoying.

N-Nicknames: Anthony calls me Val. Alina calls me "Mam or Mama"

O-Odd thing about you: hmmm...I don't know

P-Pet Peeve: People who chew with their mouths open or make any kind of nasty mouth noises when they eat. It makes me homicidal. I think I need therapy for it, it's beyond a pet peeve for me.

Q-Quote from a movie: I suck at remembering stuff like that.

R-Right/Left Handed: Right

S-Siblings: 1 younger sister, 1 younger brother

T-Time you wake up? Between 8:30 - 9:30 am

U-Underwear: always

V-Veggie you dislike: I love them all.

W-What makes you run late: kids

X-X-Rays: Teeth, foot, chest, back, neck, left knee, head

Y-Yummy food you make: Spinach Lasagna from scratch and Schnitzel

Z-Zoo Animal: Panda!

Renegade Craft show in L.A.

2009-07-12T16:11:00.000-07:00

So yesterday, Jessica and I headed up to L.A. for the Renegade Craft show to meet Danni from Oh, Hello Friend. The drive up was nice, the traffiic wasn't too bad and there were lots of laughs on the way. It was the first time we got to meet Danni in person, up until yesterday we had only talked online. Meeting new friends is always exhilirating and it was a very pleasant experience. I'm usually very shy and introverted until I get to know someone, so actually meeting people isn't always easy for me. We also met Steppie, she was sharing a booth with Danni (and she has super ridiculously cute stuff!).

The spoils of my Renegade Craft show shopping experience. I went with a very strict budget of $25 and I stuck with it. I came home with these goodies though, and love love love them all! The postcard by Oh, Hello Friend was free, but it's so pretty I'm gonna frame it and hang it up in my studio/office.

This thing was hilarious. A lady sat inside with a microphone and once you slid in $2 she made all these sound effects while she "processed" the money and you chose which kind of postcard you wanted...it was cute, and she definetely got a lot of attention! Jessica gave Danni money to see what the Postcard Machine was all about.

Danni's brother brought his Photo Booth machine to the craft fair so we couldn't resist taking pics. Mainly we couldn't stop giggling long enough to take a decent picture, so in 99% of them somebody is making a funny face. :)

Etsy had a booth set up there as well to promote the website. I got a free sticker and a button. =)
You can see more pics of yesterday on my flickr.

summer, new friends, and news

2009-07-10T12:11:00.000-07:00

Summer is my favorite season of the year. Hands down. I love the heat, I love the sun, I love the beach...so it's no surprise to me that summer puts me in a happier mood and gets my creativity back on track.

We took Alina to the beach over the 4th of July weekend, this was only her 2nd time. She's finally old enough to enjoy it, so this will have to occur much more frequently. I got some great shots of her playing in the sand, some make me all teary eyed because of their cute factor.

I can't remember if I've mentioned it officially on my blog (but nowadays I can't remember much of anything), hubby and I are expecting our 2nd child in January 2010! This was a total surprise baby, but we're happy and hoping for a healthy baby and pregnancy. Thankfully, we won't have to worry about finding a larger place because we qualify for a 3 or 4 bedroom house on base now. We'll be moving again as soon as one opens up. Weird, moving only after living somewhere for 6 months...oh well, part of military life I guess.

Oh, and how could I have forgotten to mention: I met JessicaJane on Etsy over a year ago, and we've been talking regularly online and texting for a while. Her husband recently got stationed at the same base as mine, so we finally met in person! It's weird, how I was super nervous on my way to her house, but once I got there it wasn't nearly as scary as I thought. It just felt like reuniting with an old friend. I guess it helped since we talked online so I already knew what to expect from her. It's such a wonderful treat to not only meet someone as talented as Jessica in person, but to finally get to hangout with someone who is a Marine wife like me, artsy, and business owner! I finally feel like I've met someone that has the qualities I've been really missing in a friend, and it's a great feeling.

This Saturday, Jessica and I are driving up to L.A. to meet Danni from Oh, Hello Friend! I've only talked to her online, so this will be exciting too! If you haven't already, you should really check out Danni's blog. It's wonderful, pretty, cute, inspirational...a very addictive read! :)

Sorry for the long long blog post, but it's been a while and I guess I had a lot to get off my chest.

Happy friday

...

....

xoxo valerie

A Giveaway!

2009-05-09T11:58:00.000-07:00

Enter to win this Sugar Panda bookmark!
win:

To help launch my new line of bookmarks, I'm having a giveaway! Enter to win this Sugar Panda bookmark!

many ways to enter:

- Leave a comment on this blog post with your name and email address!

- Share: tweet about it and leave your name, email address, and twitter address in a comment to this post.

- Blog about it! Just blog about this giveaway with a link to my blog, come back and give me your name, email address, and blog address!

You can enter up to three times if you do all three!

giveaway ends Monday night!!

busy, busy, and even more busy.

2009-05-06T16:18:00.001-07:00

Twilight bookmark set, $35

I've been so ridiculously busy, from dealing with a sick (and teething) baby, catching a cold, to drowning in custom order requests. I feel like I'm barely keeping my head above water! However, I've managed (by some miracle) to get some new ideas and products started, like the bookmark set above.

I also have been neglecting my website, but ina sudden burst of energy dusted off the cobwebs and got to work listing new things yesterday. I even switched up the slideshow, which can be seen on the home page of my website.

Buy 2 Get 1 Free sale!

2009-03-23T15:16:00.000-07:00

For a limited time enjoy a Buy 2 Get 1 free special in my shop!

-Buy 2 pendants, get 1 of equal or lesser value FREE!
-This special only applies to scrabble and wood tile pendants
-REMEMBER: Tell me which pendant you would like for free in "message to seller" during checkout! :)

Spring Fling Sale!

2009-03-20T12:03:00.000-07:00

As a very proud member of the Jewelry on Etsy Team, I am happy to announce that Sugar Panda is participating in the Spring Fling Promotion with our very own sale! For super low prices on select Spring related items in my shop, click here!

You can also win FREE jewelry by entering our giveaway all weekend in our Spring Fling promotion thread! For details on how to win free jewelry visit our team blog by clicking here.

Spring Fling Sale

2009-03-17T15:41:00.000-07:00

click the banner for more info

Just in time for the first day of Spring, the Jewelry On Etsy team is having a huge promotion. I will be offering 20% off specially marked pendants in my shop. You can find all the sale items in the "Spring Fling" section of my shop. Prices will be adjusted on Friday.

I am also offering buy one get one 50% off in my accessory shop, Palomina.

DIY Lightbox

2009-02-10T15:59:00.000-08:00

My finished lightbox...raggedy looking? Yep. Ghetto? Probably. Does it work? YES.

Recently, I stumbled upon an interesting tutorial for a DIY light tent. It seemed simple enough and the material costs were sooo cheap that I just had to try it. I got so sick of having to rely on a perfect day to take pictures of my pendants and even more tired of having to adjust so much using my photo editing software. I figured it wouldn't hurt to try to build one, especially for rainy days.

I got to work on it, and my hubby helped me out a little as well. Although I made some slight adjustments to my lightbox, I pretty much did what the tutorial said and my box yields some pretty good pictures! It does take some fiddling around with your camera's white balance settings to find what works best for what you're photographing. Best of all, it only took 2 hours to make!

Flowery

2009-01-27T18:20:00.001-08:00

New product! These gorgeous 100% silk flower pins are available on my website. Cut, singed, and sewn by hand.

They're the perfect accessory to so many things! Blouses, jackets, purses, canvas totes, scarves, gloves, bookbags, etc. I'm working on hairpins and haircombs as well, which will be a must-have for brides and bridesmaids!

Happy New Year!!

2009-01-01T01:01:00.000-08:00

Happy 2009 everyone!!

Yay! I'm super excited to ring in the new year. Out with the old, in with the new. I'm probably going to have a clearance sale soon in my etsy shop of discontinued designs. I will also be introducing many new products and designs in the coming weeks.

I learned a lot in 2008 about e-commerce and what it takes to run a successful business. I've definetely learned (late and the hard way, lol) that I need to utilize the paypal shipping features. So, as part of my new year's resolutions, I will be doing so beginning today.

Wishing you a very happy, healthy, and successful 2009!

xoxo

Ready for some change...

2008-12-26T17:16:00.000-08:00

Golden Flower Field - Earrings, $12.oo

I listed 4 new fashion jewelry pieces in my Etsy shop. I wanted to test the waters and see how they do in there. The fashion jewelry does very well on the website, so I figured I would list some exclusive pieces on Etsy.

Now that the worst of the holiday rush is over, I'm bracing myself for January. We're getting ready to move into a larger home on base. I'll finally have my own office/workspace! Also, I'm working on making new designs to debut in the new year.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-26T00:50:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone had a happy and safe holiday!

Giveaways!

2008-12-13T13:15:00.000-08:00

Click the banner above to enter to win a bunch of stuff over at OhHelloFriend's blog! I am one of the sponsors and gave an adorable bird magnet set (not even available in my shop yet!) and a signed 8x8 fine art print from my other shop. - And if that's not enough blog giveaway goodness for ya, there's more!! I am also participating in the HUGE (you could win over $2,000 worth of prizes!) Modish blog giveaway! You enter to win here.

New Product Line & Giveaways!

2008-11-22T00:43:00.000-08:00

Twilight Gift Set, $25

Just in time for the movie premiere of "Twilight"! I am utterly obsessed with the book series and anything "Twilight". I am now offering pendants with the cover art of the 4 books from the "Twilight" Saga in my etsy shop & on my website http://www.sugarpanda.net/! You can purchase the pendants individually, or as a gift set.

Also, there are two fabulous giveaways coming up! The first will begin Monday. The lucky winner will receive a $15.00 gift certificate to my website http://www.sugarpanda.net/! Be sure to check back on Monday to find out all the details you need to win!

The second giveaway will be held on my personal blog, http://www.chartreusepanda.blogspot.com/. It's a very special giveaway, because one lucky winner receives multiple prizes from different sellers on Etsy! This giveaway will begin on December 1st (my birthday!) and end December 5th. So mark your calendars! It's going to be a fabulous giveaway!!

Happy Friday...

xoxo

Shop Update!

2008-11-19T18:04:00.000-08:00

Best Friends, $12

I dedicated this set to my best friend Aylin because she's always been there for me. No matter what. She even urged me to create a set like this, and I'm glad I did. Thanks Aylin. For everything.

Marine Wife, $6

This pendant is dedicated to all my fellow Marine Wives. If you are, or ever have been, "Married to the Corps" you will see the humor of this.

Chocolat, $6

---

I've been busy working on new lines and new products to debut within the next week, so stay tuned! I'll have lots of lovely stocking stuffers for you to choose from! <3

Yay! It's up!

2008-11-01T22:47:00.000-07:00

http://www.sugarpanda.net/

Woohoo! My website is finally up! I added a ton of products to it, some old, some new, some very new! I'm expanding my jewelry line to include fashion jewelry and more gift ideas for the people you love. It is absolutely beautiful, thanks to the uber-talented Robin, the Owner & Designer of http://www.boutiquemama.com/!

So take a look around and be sure to sign my guestbook while you're there!

HUGE SALE.

2008-10-25T16:09:00.001-07:00

Stardust - 2 Scrabble Tile Hairpins, $4.00 (*limited time only*)

Starting tonight at midnight etsy time through Nov. 8th, my shop is participating in the annual JET Holiday Sale! There is a special category in my shop called "JET Holiday Sale" where you will find rings, pendants, magnets, and hairpins at up to 50% off! Only until November 8th!!

So hurry, do your Christmas shopping early!

Happy Saturday!

Sneek Peek....

2008-10-25T02:58:00.000-07:00

Good news! I'm feverishly working on a website for Sugar Panda. It will be an online boutique. The web design is scheduled to be completed sometime next week, and hopefully I can launch the new site on Nov. 1st! I am terribly excited about this, and you should be, too! Because although I will still retain my little space on Etsy and Dawanda, there will be products exclusive to the website.

Here's a sneek peek of one of the limited edition collectible pieces (it's unfinished in this above pic) that will be available exclusively on my new shiny website beginning Nov. 1st!

Rush Rush Rush

2008-10-16T00:36:00.000-07:00

I'm gearing up for the Holiday rush. I have craft shows to attend, I've been making pendants like crazy, have inventory to do, and SO so SO much to prepare! BUT, I'm super excited...although winter is definetely not my favorite time of year, it has it's up-sides. I love Halloween, Thanksgiving, my birthday (December 1st), and of course Christmas and New Year...but I hate the cold!

I actually had my thyroid removed a few years ago, and I can't tolerate cold climates. Being cold is almost painful to me, because I'm hyper-sensitive to it. So I'd rather be celebrating these holidays in the Bahamas.

Check out my shop often, I've got LOTS of holiday goodies coming your way!

Happy Thursday!

So sad...

2008-09-12T12:42:00.000-07:00

So some of you may have seen the blog post I had up about a fundraiser I was doing with my mother to help a friend of the family who is in need. I had to remove it because of recent security issues and scams towards the family. The family has specifically asked that we take everything relating to them off of the internet.

It's really sad and messed up how some people can turn something positive into a negative and disgusting opportunity to make money for themselves.

Thank you to all those who participated! The family greatly appreciated it and it helped out a lot! For those of you who know about the fundraiser, I ask that you continue to pray for them.

NEW Product!

2008-09-06T17:16:00.001-07:00

$7.50 - Available in my shop!

A Sugar Panda exclusive product! Sugar Panda is the only shop on Etsy.com that offers these extra large slide top tins! They are perfect for organizing things and fit everything from beads to cigarettes (not that I'm advocating or encouraging smoking). =)

So I'm gearing up for the holiday rush, and these beautiful extra large slide top tins will be available in holiday themes, making them perfect for gift-giving and for use as gift boxes!

Speaking of the holiday season, check out my first holiday trade from jessicajane:

It's a beautiful little bird ornament custom made for my baby daughter, Alina. I love it!

500+ Hearts, a baby, and Spongebob Squarepants.

2008-08-20T11:02:00.001-07:00

This is such an honor. Thank you everyone!

I LOVE SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS. It's Alina's new favorite show. It actually makes her laugh. Yes, my 4 month old's babysitter is Spongebob Squarepants. He rocks. Take that, Baby Einstein!!

Cutest Shop Ever. Period.

2008-08-14T16:09:00.000-07:00

PetiteHouse.etsy.com

Petite House is the newest sensation to hit Etsy. It is shop owner Jessica's second shop on Etsy (her first being jessicajane.etsy.com). So if it looks familiar, that's because it is. Jessica has a very unique and distinctive style. She describes it as being "Rustic and neutral.Bright and modern." and I couldn't agree more.

Her little houses have already been featured in a storque article, within hours of being listed. Petite Houses feature bright and happy colors and fun themes. They each have a detachable roof and are hollow on the inside, making them an adorable place to hide your little treasures. I plan on ordering a pink and brown one from her for my daughter's room. I think it would be a cute little way to store her first lock of hair.

Visit Petite House today, and hurry! They're selling fast!

New Stuff and a Sale!

2008-07-20T19:26:00.000-07:00

Something new. A magnet set.

I listed a bunch of new stuff today! I'm really excited about them all. I've been crafting like a maniac and have been *trying* to clean up and organize my workspace...yeah...that's not going so well. I always get distracted when I rediscover stuff hidden under the massive mound of junk on my desk and start making things! We'll be buying a new work desk from Ikea for me and a book shelf next weekend. I'm also getting a bunch of storage containers, too.

I also decided to try to get rid of some of my pendants. I'm discontinuing some of them because I want my shop to go in a different direction. So I'm practically giving them away in my clearance section! :)

2-piece magnet set, $2.oo

Featured Etsian: ScribbleIt

2008-07-11T18:07:00.000-07:00

Cherish the little things Wall Decal from ScribbleIt.

I absolutely love anything to do with home decor. Unfortunately, I have a limited budget and live in an apartment, so my options are very few. However, thanks to wall decals like the ones in ScribbleIt's shop I can decorate without breaking the bank OR breaking my apartment's rules! I love how interesting her wall decals look. She offers a variety of color options on her decals as well, making it easy for you to customize your look.

My custom tutu from Sirena Boutique!

So my best friend has a shop on Etsy selling hair bows and tutus for little girls. I love tutus, they are so very girly, so of course my little one HAD to have one. It's still a bit big on her (I ordered a larger size for when she is old enough to sit up) but I was too impatient to wait until she's 6 months old to put it on. ; )

Her tutus and hair bows are very reasonably priced and make a super fun gift for the little princesses in your life.

Happy Friday!

Promoting Your Business

2008-07-11T01:42:00.000-07:00

Image courtesy of PromosInASnap

Advertising.

It's one of the more tedious aspects of running your own business. We as artists/small business owners have to be incredibly multi-talented. We are our own boss (yay for that), the artist, photographer, shipping & packaging extraordinaires, customer service reps, and (of course) we are our very own Marketing Team.

With all the things we are supposed to be doing to make our business prosper, such as relisting, renewing often, and listing fresh items on a regular basis, it's difficult to pull yourself away from creating to actually DO the promoting. So, I'm probably not the first one to admit that I've skimped on promoting my business in the "real world" instead of just working the Etsy forums.

I did a little experiment. I live in an apartment complex, and I can see the community mail boxes from my patio. Above the mail boxes is a nice little wooden beam that runs the length of the mail box structure. I decided to attach 6 business cards to this beam with tape just to see how long it would take for them to dissappear. I figured, everybody in the apartment complex will eventually have to check their mail, so I can get my name out there to hundreds (yep, it's a big apartment complex) of people at one time.

It took 2 days for all 6 business cards to vanish. After only 24 hours of taping the business cards up, I made a 7 item sale to a brand new Etsian from my apartment complex! They signed up that day JUST to purchase from me! What an awesome feeling, and how freakin easy, right?

So, here are some easy ways you can promote your business outside of the Etsy:

Do what I did. If you live in an apartment complex try attaching your business cards to a community message board or even ask your front office staff if you could display your business cards in the front office.
Leave a tip. When you go out to eat, leave your business card along with your tip. Also, some restaurants have "fish bowls" for business cards along with some sort of "Win lunch for your company" special. Always drop your card in there.
Pay bills. When you pay your monthly bills, stick a little business card in along with your payment! It may seem odd, but I've known sellers who have done this with success.
Share. Give what you create as gifts to friends and family (if this is feasable) and give them a stack of business cards to hand out to people who ask about your product. I always do this for my friends and family, so when they get compliments on their jewelry they hand out one of my business cards.
Craigslist. Put an add up on Craigslist. I recently made a sale within 24 hours of posting an advertisement on this website to a local customer.
Make friends. Fellow artists are a wonderful resource. Make friends and connections and swap business cards. There are a handful of fellow Etsy sellers who hand out my business cards with their orders, and I do the same.
The Golden Rule- always always always carry your business cards with you. You never know who you might bump into and what new opportunities await you! Even if you *assume* (which you never ever should, I learned this the hard way while working in a department store) that your pediatrician won't be interested in your shop, give them a business card anyway. I recently went to see an Endocrinologist and found out that HE shopped on Etsy! I never ever would have guessed it!

The bottom line is, a large part of finding success and building a business is directly related to how much time and effort you put into promoting it. You just cannot put things in your shop, sit back, and wait for the customers to come to you. Sometimes promoting requires you to step out of your comfort zone and talking to strangers, but give it a try for just one week and I promise you will see a difference.

Got more creative tips and suggestions? Let me know, and I will add them to the list!

Featured Etsian: Least Likely 2 Breed

2008-07-08T19:47:00.000-07:00

Image from LeastLikely2Breed.etsy.com

Bad Ass Booty Balm diaper ointment is a must-have for Moms! As featured in the May 2008 issue of Pregnancy magazine, this wonderful ointment is a life-saver for precious bottoms. It also makes my Pediatricians laugh until they have tears streaming down their faces.

Least Likely 2 Breeds' sense of humor and product descriptions are one-of-a kind. Her packaging is adorable. I recently purchased 2 of her "Bundle O Joy" gift sets which include Bad Ass Booty Balm, Mother Effers Va-J-J -Jelly, and Tough Titties nipple ointment for nursing moms. This adorable gift set comes gift-wrapped in a size 2 chlorine-free diaper.

I personally use the Bad Ass Booty Balm on my newborn daughter, and I love the rich texture and it provides excellent protection from wetness. It also has a very light, clean scent.

One very satisfied customer.

Happy Father's Day!!

2008-06-15T23:18:00.000-07:00

My dad wore the tie I bought him (got it on Etsy from toybreaker) to church for Fathers Day. He loved it! And I must say, it looks great on him!

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I love you, daddy. Thank you for everything.

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This is the card I got for my hubby. It's his very first Fathers Day, and this card was absolutely perfect. It was especially for new dads AND it had pandas on it!! OMG perfect, right?

My husband is an absolutely amazing father. I can tell that Alina will be a total "Daddy's Girl" because she already has him completely wrapped around her finger. Watching them together makes me want to cry tears of joy. I never could have imagined a love this powerful. My family is everything.

Happy 1st Father's Day, sweetie.

I love you.

Featured Etsy Shop: toybreaker

2008-06-10T16:21:00.000-07:00

You can find this gorgeous tie at toybreaker.etsy.com.

Father's Day is just around the corner, and what makes a better gift for the Dad in your life than a beautiful tie? There are three things my dad absolutely loves; expensive cologne, nice watches, and ties. Over the years my daddy has racked up quite a collection of ties from Father's Day gifts but he always says he can never have too many.

This is the tie I got for my dad! It's a soft microfiber tie with a screenprinted original illustration.

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I figured it's high time I start featuring fellow Etsy sellers in my little blog. Would you like to be featured in my blog, or know of a shop that should be? Just convo me (sugarpanda) and tell me all about the shop! :)

For The Birds...

2008-06-06T14:48:00.000-07:00

Available now in my shop.

I've been taking it easy and laying low on Etsy for awhile because my family came to visit from South Carolina. They all came to see the baby, and it's been absolutely wonderful having them here. They leave in 3 days *cry* and I'm gonna miss them so so so much!!!

The baby has finally packed on some weight, so I don't think that will be an issue any longer for her. She's been doing wonderful and has been sleeping through the night for a whole week now! Yay for me!

Today I plan on photographing more stuff, making more stuff, and finishing up some very unfinished pendants. Hope your Friday is as beautiful as mine!

MIA

2008-05-28T12:20:00.000-07:00

So I've been totally neglecting my blog lately, what with the new baby and all. Being a work @ home Mommy is tough business! However, I ordered a TON of new supplies and have gotten most of them in the mail already (yayness!). I got this new paper that I am totally excited about as well.

(brb, baby is crying...)

Ok, so as I was saying...new supplies = new pretty stuff for my shop! I also made my very first sale on dawanda! Go me! And, I am finally comfortable enough to take a leap and make my little business an official "for real" business. I'm getting my license!! I'm super excited about that. And once I get the license, I plan on scouting out some local craft shows and also shopping my pretties around at some boutiques in San Diego and L.A. (scary!) so wish me luck!

Oh, and I almost forgot...I am seriously considering opening a second shop on Etsy to sell my pastel art and photography prints...hmmm, what shall I do?

Booties!!

2008-05-09T22:36:00.000-07:00

Baby booties handmade by my Mom!

How cute are these? My mom (and brand new Grandma!) made these for my daughter (and her namesake). She'll be bringing them with her when my family comes to visit from Columbia, SC at the end of the month. I can't wait!! My baby is a preemie, but she has some huge feet, so I hope they'll fit! I just LOVE handmade baby stuff! My mom should sell these in her etsy shop. =)

Beautiful...

2008-05-07T04:43:00.001-07:00

I bought this from jessicajane on Etsy.

In honor of my first child, I decided to order a custom bird pendant from jessicajane's shop. I LOVE LOVE LOVE how it turned out!! It's absolutely beautiful and it means so much to me. I cried when I got it. She will probably never know how much I cherish this little pendant.

If you're reading this:

Thank You.

She's Here!!

2008-05-07T04:35:00.001-07:00

Alina Angelika Glover

April 28th, 2008

8:57 PM

4 lbs 15 oz

Born @ 36 weeks

She's finally here! If you're interested, here's my labor/birth story...

I went into the hospital on Sunday because I had been having really high blood pressure and wasn't feelin well at all. So they monitored me in labor and delivery and saw that my blood pressure was through the roof and my heart rate kept dropping. Then I had a couple of braxton hicks during which the baby's heart rate dropped.

So then they moved me to an observation room and kept me over night monitoring the baby and me. The doctor did two ultrasounds to measure the baby and make sure that she would be developed enough to be ok outside of the womb in case they wanted to induce labor.
In the morning they decided to do a contraction stress test so they gave me some pitocin and monitored the baby's heart beats (which dropped during some of the contractions). The doctors then decided that it would be safer to induce labor than to send me home and let me go full term because the baby's heart beat kept dropping.

So they took me off the pitocin and put me on something else (a pill) that I took by mouth and started inducing labor. They then moved me to a labor room and I was in labor from 6 am until 8 pm with strong contractions but I wasn't dilating past 1 cm.

Then, suddenly, at around 8 pm I was having very strong contractions during which the baby's heart rate dropped and stayed low during the entire contraction (7 minutes) and the doctor said "OK that's enough. We need to do a c-section."

The funny thing is that 10 minutes before that they told me and Anthony that I would probably be in labor another 24 hours so to relax. Anthony decided to run home really quick to feed our cat and to grab my hospital bag and some dinner for himself. I had to call him and tell him to turn right back around because they were going to do a c-section the second he arrived. So he threw some cat food in the bowl, grabbed our digital cameras and came back to the hospital.
I cried and I was really upset because I did NOT want a C-section. I was so upset about it because I felt robbed of the whole birth experience. I WANTED the contractions to hurt and to feel them until the end. I WANTED to push my child out and get to hold her the second I delivered her. I wanted all that and now I knew I wasn't going to get it.

So they rolled me into the operating room and gave me the epidural and started preparing me for the c-section. Anthony came in at the last minute and sat by my head. I was crying and shaking because I was terrified that they would mess my c-section up (umm....this WAS a military hospital after all....). But then, they cut me open and told Anthony to look if he wanted to watch his daughter come out. Anthony stood and started snapping pictures and I fel a lot of pressure and then one of the doctors started pushing down on my uterus really hard and I felt my baby slide out.

A full minute went by before my baby made a sound. I started panicking because I assumed all babies (healthy ones anyway) scream their heart out the second they come out. The anesthesiologist saw that I was getting nervous and told me not to worry because they had to wake the baby up. She came out asleep and was just wriggling around and making faces instead of screaming. Then I heard her squeak a couple of times and she started screaming once they began to clean her.

I started crying REALLY hard because it was th most beautiul sound I had ever heard. I could not believe she was finally here and I just wanted to know she was healthy. They finally finished cleaning her and weighing her and brought her to my face so I could see her and kiss her. I kissed her little eye and they whisked her away again.

So I cried. I was pissed off that I couldn't follow her because I had to wait for them to sew me up and stuff. After being put back together, I was wheeled into recovery. I was laying in recovery and was told that I couldn't see Alina until I could feel my legs enough to lift my ass off the bed. Let me tell you- I moved and wiggled my toes and shook my legs and MADE my damn legs wake up. The nurse was totally surprised at how quickly I was able to lift my ass off that table.
They moved me into the maternal/infant unit and I was asking "So when can I see my baby???" and the nurse told me that I would have to be able to STAND on my own and lower myself into a wheelchair. Fuck. Well, I kept moving and shaking my legs and wiggling my toes nonstop and within 5 minutes I told the nurse to bring me the damn wheelchair. She had doubts, but I did it and she was amazed.

My hubby then wheeled me into the NICU and I saw my baby hooked up to all these machines and I was terrified. They explained to me that she was fine, perfectly healthy but just neeeded a little extra oxgen. She was able to breathe on her own but was only getting 70% of oxygen. So they put her under an oxygen hood to supply her with the additional 30%. She remained stable and within 24 hours she was off the oxygen. I couldn't hold her in the mean time, so I was kind of losing my mind by Tuesday. Wednesday morning I was able to hold my baby for the first time. It was amazing.

Everything went well, I felt fine, she did amazing and we were discharged on Friday.

Pregnancy is kickin my butt!!

2008-04-27T15:17:00.001-07:00

So the doctor's believe that I have Pre-eclampsia. I have huge swollen feet, ankles, legs, hands, and face, high blood pressure (which I have never had in my entire life), my heart rate is psychotic, and a host of other symptoms.

However, the first pee test they did came back negative for it so they made me do a 24-hour one where I have to pee in a jug and keep it in our refrigerator (yeah, pretty gross and hubby is totally freaked out lol). I just feel like crap now and they are talking about inducing me early. I hope they do!

I had such an easy pregnancy thus far, but now with these medical issues popping up it's becoming very difficult just to function during the day. Hopefully they induce labor soon, because that is the only cure for Pre-eclampsia.

Well, wish me luck! I'm off to drop off my jug of pee @ the hospital! =)

Strange Day

2008-04-22T21:59:00.000-07:00

I had a totally stressful day. My computer caught a nasty disease from some dirty spyware and totally died for an entire day. I had to run to Best Buy and purchase new spyware removal software to save my poor baby. All is well now, but I was having some serious Etsy withdrawal.

Also, my sweet little sugar monkey (my husband) gave me my Mother's Day gift early. I got a brand new digital camera!!!! I was so SO happy! He decided to give me my very first Mother's Day gift early because he wanted me to enjoy my camera a little before I gave birth (and would therefore be too busy to enjoy it for a while). I am so excited! I can't wait to start getting serious about my photography. Thanks hubby! I love you!

101 hearts! Yay!

2008-04-18T12:43:00.001-07:00

My first 100 hearts!

I am having a wonderful morning today. I woke up and saw this! It feels nice to know that 101 people find my shop worth noticing. How happy it's made me! I would love to take this opportunity to thank each and everyone of those hearts, I truly do appreciate it!

This morning I also saw a really sweet feedback from a customer in Australia. She received this:

"LOVE IT. LOVE IT. LOVE IT. Perfectly wrapped and shipped. Beautifully drawn and framed. Absolutely one of my most prized pictures! Thank-you Sugar Panda"

Aww! How sweet!! All this with my morning cup of chamomile tea. I was on cloud 9! Love ya'll!

Necessary Change....

2008-04-17T14:22:00.001-07:00

I dislike change. I really do. It makes me nervous and I don't like adapting. But, sometimes change is good and very necessary.

I found that pricing competitively can be difficult, and at times impossible when there are sellers who undercut prices. I made a couple of small price changes in my shop because I felt that I wasn't reflecting the true value of the piece and all the love and hard work that went into making it. So chain necklaces, for example, are now optional upgrades with the pendants. That way I can keep the pendants priced competitively without losing money due to material costs.

Like I said...I hate change...it makes me nervous, but I feel that I did the right thing so hopefully this change will be for the better.

Scrabble Tile Rings!

2008-04-15T18:07:00.001-07:00

This little beauty is available in my Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=11047814

I'm introducing my line of scrabble tile and wood tile rings. Scrabble tile jewelry seems to be an immensely popular trend on Etsy right now (a new shop offering them seems to open each day) and I simply can't get enough! They are such cute little treasures and are so much fun to make.

I hope to be expanding my shop soon. I am working on a new project (ssshh! super top secret stuff) and as soon as I perfect it, I shall begin offering them in my shop. Keep checking my blog for more info on upcoming products. :)

Happy Tuesday! <3

Paris says "Hi!"

2008-04-15T18:01:00.000-07:00

Aww, isn't she cute??

Well, good news! I went to my OB today and they said I am already 1 cm dialated! I'm taking it for what it's worth- she might come early, on time, or late. Who knows? BUT- I do know this- I will not be pregnant forever, yay! I can't wait! But these endless Braxton Hicks contractions are killing me...so sooner would be much better than later (ahem, are you listening daughter?).

Nature In a Jar Pendants

2008-04-09T16:04:00.001-07:00

Orchid Kiss

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=10820100

So I introduced a new line of pendants in my shop. I love them! They are called Nature In A Jar pendants, and they are simply stunning! I liked the idea of putting them in a glass jar, because it reminded me of catching fireflies. I think the packaging compliments the beautiful images on the pendants.

Just looking at them makes me happy! I can't wait to make more!

Introducing a New Line...

2008-03-28T18:38:00.000-07:00

I am introducing a new line of magnets to my shop. I'm very proud of them, and they are SO much fun to make. I added my first magnet listing today in my shop!

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=10602779

RIP Rocky

2008-03-26T18:13:00.001-07:00

R.I.P.

Rocky "Broccoli"

March 23rd 2008

12 years old

Words simply cannot describe the heartache I feel over my dogs passing. It was sudden and traumatizing. This picture was taken on his last day alive. I am so glad that we got to enjoy an absolutely beautiful day at the park with him. The weather was perfect, he loved the fresh air, we had a wonderful picnic. It was so lovely, and I'm glad we were able to make his last day special. I miss him so much. I've had him since I was about 9 years old. Without him the apartment feels so empty and eerily quiet. I miss seeing him lying around. After having him since childhood, it feels so strange to not have him here.

Well, Rocky baby, I hope you're enjoying doggy heaven and I am glad you're free of pain and suffering. I love you.

New Project

2008-03-21T13:46:00.000-07:00

I'm starting work on a new project. I'm super excited about it! My wonderful mom bought me some craft supplies as an Easter gift! It felt like Christmas. I began working on pretty things right away!

I'm experimenting with wood tiles, papers, epoxy resin, pretty glass beads, you name it. I made my first batch today...just waiting on them to dry.

Vacation Time!

2008-03-19T15:03:00.001-07:00

I'm on vacation!

Well...sort of. I'm still working- just from my Mom's house in South Carolina instead of my place in California. My trip here was an absolute nightmare! I am NEVER flying with Northwest airlines again. Period. I was supposed to arrive in Charlotte, NC on a Friday and didn't get there until Saturday at around 1:30 PM. My luggage was left somewhere in Minneapolis so by the time we got that all figured out we left the airport at 2:00 PM.

My babyshower was at 3 PM in Columbia, SC. Yeah, we had JUST enough time to get to the shower straight from the airport. I was wearing the same stinky clothes I had from Friday morning, same makeup, everything thanks to getting stuck in Minneapolis. It sucked. So I looked and felt like crap after no sleep and no shower.

Out of the 35 people invited to my shower 7 showed up. It hurt my feelings a lot, but I still had a lot of fun. The guests that DID show up were lots of fun and very generous. I got tons of wonderful gifts from everyone.

I also started listing some of my pastel artwork in my Etsy shop. Sales are sluggish at best. I'm just waiting for the day that I can buy all my materials to begin making my pendants, magnets, and containers. Save, save, save. Hopefully things will fall into place soon!

Evil Paypal!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-02-27T00:41:00.000-08:00

I'm having technical difficulty with stupid Paypal, and am therefore unable to accept it until (supposedly) Friday!!My Paypal account is all kinds of messed up and I'm waiting on them to fix it...

I explained the situation in my shop announcement, so hopefully people understand and don't hesitate to make custom orders. It just irks me that something beyond my control may be turning potential customers away!

*sigh*

Well, there's nothing left to do but wait until Friday and hope things pick up by then. Must stay positive! =)

My First Sale!!

2008-02-25T16:38:00.000-08:00

That's right! I made my very first sale in my etsy shop today! My mom came up with this brilliant idea for me to sell custom etsy banners and avatars until I can get all my materials and begin crafting. It's a wonderful idea, and I made my first custom order last night, and sold it today!

I'm super motivated and can't wait to make more!

Phew!

2008-02-20T02:22:00.000-08:00

I have been learning tons the last few days about etsy.com and what I need to know to get my business started. I must say, I am becoming addicted. The more I learn, the more I love etsy!

I learned all about flickr, and I must say- it's so much fun! I love how you can add little notes to your images.

Yesterday, I took a nice little walk with my hubby and my dog, Rocky. I took some pictures along the way...here's two of my favorites!

The Beginning.

2008-02-15T02:47:00.000-08:00

February 14th, 2008.

Marks the birth of Sugar Panda. We are in the very beginning stages- the proverbial seed has been planted. Interesting for a mum-to-be to decide to create a business now.

We come from a family of female entrepreneurs. Our Mother and Sister are the creators/owners/designers of Vandiva fashion jewelry. They work tirelessly to produce amazing handmade gemstone jewelry, and are constantly improving their business. We strive for the same with our "baby" Sugar Panda.
Follow us on the exciting, yet daunting, journey of starting, not just an internet shop, but a brand- and make a name for ourselves.
This will be fun!

Valerie [ the queen panda ]