Happy New Year!

It's hard to believe the end of another year has arrived so soon. I have been scrambling the last month or so trying to get too many things done at once, which I'm sure many others have done as well due to the holidays. It always seems so overwhelming and the push to get it all done is relentless. Added to the chaos of my life, I decided to update a dollhouse that was handmade for me as a child by my grandfather. It had been collecting dust up in the attic for years, and I got the bright idea to clean it up and repaint, wallpaper and repair it for a gift to my daughter at Christmas.

Let me just say - I really should have given myself more time to devote to this little project. 5 hours spread out over a month just wasn't enough. *sigh*
Although I didn't get to do all the updating I would've liked, I did accomplish the main tasks, like repairing the staircase, some of the furniture and repainting the exterior (it went from a light blue with white trim to pink and brown). I also re-hung the wall paper in two rooms. Most everything else was in good enough shape to keep. All in all it was a great learning experience, and my daughter loves it, but I don't think I will be attempting a large craft project like this again... unless of course I have loads of free time to devote to it. ;)

So, now that the hustle of the holidays are over, and my baby girl has her "new-again" doll house, it's time for me to set some New Year's resolutions. Have you got yours figured out? I've been thinking of things I want to make a priority in my business this coming year and thought I better keep a record of it, just to be sure it gets done! Here is my list..

- Make some kind of street banner to hang in my town.
Signs and banners are a great form of long-term promotion and the best part is once the item is paid for it's free advertising for years!

- Devote more time to designing and creating what I love, then list it on a regular basis. (I sometimes get carried away with promoting and my Etsy shop gets a little slim on merchandise.)

- Get my paperwork and tax information better organized. Right now there is somewhat of a method to my madness, but only I can make sense of it. I need a better method, with less madness!

I think that is a pretty good start for the new year. I would like to wish you a very Happy New Year and nothing but happiness with what life brings in 2011.

Anual Newsletter

Here we are at the end of another busy year. Christmas is looming a very short few days away and I, like many others I'm sure, am overloaded with things yet to do. Because of all the Christmas craziness, I haven't been able to sink as much time into new products and have just plain given up on promoting for the moment. But, no worries, I do have some great new ideas that I plan to implement as the new year unfolds.
For now, I would like to let you in on the new things going on over the past year with my little business if you are so inclined to read my ramblings.
This year I have discovered Etsy.com and am absolutely loving it. Etsy is an online marketplace for all things vintage and handmade. Artisans and crafters from all over the world can be found in drones, each having their own little cyber-store filled with all sorts of unique and beautiful items. I've found some great Christmas gifts here, some that cannot be found anywhere else... for example a desk clock made from an old computer floppy disk and CD with laser etched math equations equal to the hour on the face. How cool is that?!? Yes, I am a little bit of a computer nerd! ;)
I opened my own little Etsy store in July ( www.PrintasticDesigns.Etsy.com ) and have been filling it with my vinyl wall designs, as well as some customizable graphic designed items like photo calendars, invitations, announcements etc. I have had a few sales, of which I am very proud, but it only makes me want to try harder and push farther into this world of online selling. I am planning on revamping all my photos and adding new items after the New Year. I am finding it very hard to get my little business noticed in the great big world of e-commerce. Heck, it's hard to get noticed in my small little town! But I am still trying and that my friends, is going to work eventually - I can feel it.
Ok, so now I have a website, an Etsy store and as you now can clearly see I have started a blog. This will now be taking the place of my annual e-mailed newsletter. I hope to gain a few interested followers for this new blog. It the easiest way I can think of to keep those who are interested updated on my newest products and such, and I really don't like spam so I can't bring myself to send out possibly unwanted e-mail solicitations on a regular basis.
Now, please don't forget that I also have lots of printed items available. Business cards, invitations, announcements, holiday cards etc. can be done with a matte or gloss finish on 80 or 100 lb card stock. I have loads of stock designs that I can sift through to find a good fit for your business, or if you want something completely unique I can create a totally custom design from scratch with your logo. So, what if you don't have a logo you ask? I can do that too! I love designing custom logos as well, just give me a good description of your company and what you stand for, colors you'd like incorporated and what the logo will be used for and I can get a few sketches together for you to choose from. Then I will create your totally unique logo design.
Do you need fliers to advertise an upcoming event or a new product for your business? I've got it covered. Magnetic calendars and mouse pads? I've got those too. All of which can be customized a little or a lot according to your preference and budget.
I have several different sign options to choose from as well, like cast aluminum and bronze plaques, yard and address plaques, vinyl lettered metal signs, banners and magnetic car door signs and such. I hope to add to my product line as time progresses. If you have a specific type of sign in mind, please ask, and I will see if I can get it for you.
Well, I believe that about wraps up the most exciting aspects of what I have accomplished this year. If you have ordered from me in the past please know that I am very thankful that you gave me the chance to help you with your project and I truly appreciate your business and look forward to working with you again in the future. For those of you who have never heard of me, you can check out my website for a list of my available products and examples of my work. I would love the chance to help you with your next project.
I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a blessed and happy New Year!

Jill♥

Holiday decorating on a budget!

The month of December is a crazy whirlwind of pageants, programs, dinners, family gatherings and endless shopping to prepare for the celebration of the birth of our Savior. Usually, the majority of holiday preparation falls to the women, and if your a Mom or even a Grandma, sometimes it seams completely overwhelming and decorating becomes more of a last minute hassle than a project to enjoy.

Now I don't go all out with decoration for any holiday, as with kids and jobs and life there just isn't enough time (or money) to spend on projects that are not absolutely necessary. That being said, I do feel that a little decorating, like some table garland, a nativity, or a Christmas door wreath can help to get everyone in the holiday spirit and adds to the excitement of the quickly approaching season. So this year my little decorating idea was to buy a new wreath for my front door. I checked a few crafts fairs and found some beautiful  wreaths, but most were $60 or more, and with the hard hit we've all had to our pocketbooks recently, I just couldn't justify spending that much on a decoration I use once a year.

Now, my new idea was to dig out an old wreath and give it a new make over. I knew I had a plain artificial pine wreath that I had bought several years ago and never really done much with so, keeping that in mind I made a trip to Walmart and picked up two decorative pine floral picks ( aprox. $2 ea) and one of those over the door wreath hangers (another $2). I then went through a tub of rarely used Christmas decorations from previous years and found a roll of red velvet ribbon and two strands of thin red & gold wired tinsel.

The first thing I did was use the red velvet ribbon and wrapped it around the wreath, starting at the bottom. Once I completed the circle I tied a knot at the bottom and let the ends trail from the back side. I used the first strand of  tinsel to follow the pattern of the red velvet ribbon and wrap around the wreath the same direction. Next, I inserted the floral pine picks I bought, one on either side, and wired them to the wreath. Now, I love to craft, but I'm not very good at constructing bows. I thought my wreath needed a bow to finish it off, so  I used the second strand of wired tinsel to create a makeshift bow by gathering it into a roll and then wrapping the end of the tinsel around the center of the roll to make it look similar to a bow, then I wired it to the bottom of the wreath. I had to reposition and bend the loops around until I was happy with it, but I think it turned out pretty good. I then hung my 'new again' Christmas wreath on my front door with the clear plastic wreath hanger.

I was totally happy with my up-cycled wreath and I only had to spend $4.

Now, If your not the crafty type, but love to surround yourself with handmade items then Etsy has several beautiful handmade wreaths available for purchase. I found several that inspired my creativity and I wanted to share some of my favorites in a treasury. If you'd like to see it here's a link...
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4cfc1389abb38eef2ee8e9e9/beautiful-christmas-wreaths-for-40-or


Or here are a few of my favorites from the list...
http://www.etsy.com/listing/63678912/15-christmas-wreath-with-handmade-paper?ref=tre-4cfc1389abb38eef2ee8e9e9-2

http://www.etsy.com/listing/59506646/25-off-sale-santa-christmas-list-wreath?ref=tre-4cfc1389abb38eef2ee8e9e9-3

http://www.etsy.com/listing/59610561/gingerbread-man-christmas-wreath-free?ref=tre-4cfc1389abb38eef2ee8e9e9-1


Happy Christmas Crafting!!

Jill♥

Printastic Designs has a new blog!

I am extremely excited to finally join the world of blogging!  With the craziness of everyday life, creating a blog has been at the bottom of my "To-Do" list for a while now, but with my annual newsletter deadline looming, I decided to bump it up and make the switch to a blog instead and here I am!

Right now, I am in the process of keeping my Etsy shop updated for the holidays. If you'd like to check it out here's a link www.PrintasticDesigns.Etsy.com I have several unique wall designs available now, as well as some holiday items with vinyl designs incorporated. I will post a pic or two below.

I love custom projects so if you have an idea in mind for your baby's nursery or your kitchen please let me know and together, we can something beautiful!!

My very first post is going to have to be short - I have a turkey in the oven and loads of online shopping to do for the holidays!

Have a great Thursday!!

Jill