November Giveaway

Alphabet Soup!

 I've spilled my soup all over the internet...letters EVERYWHERE!  Can you help me clean them up?  If you can find them and unscramble them, you could be a winner!  The prize for the November Giveaway is a $10.00 Gift voucher to my Artfire shop or Etsy shop (your choice) AND Free Shipping for all of your purchases through the month of December. Pretty Good Deal, right?

Letters are hidden everywhere that you find ceejaybags online. Here on my blog, on my Facebook Page, and in my online shops ceejaybags Artfire and ceejaybags Etsy. All you have to do is find them.  But the soup spilled everywhere!  You'll need to look closely to clean up this alphabet mess.  When you've found all of the letters (there are eleven of them, by the way) and figured out what the word is, come back here and post your answer in a comment as your Official Entry.  I will take all of the entries, stir them into the soup pot and randomly pick one as the WINNER (using random.org).  The winner will be announced on Friday November 13, right here.

So you get one entry for commenting with the correct answer. Great! Want to have a better chance of winning? Here's what you can do:

1 EXTRA Entry

• Tweet about the giveaway, and leave the link here in Comments (one entry per day)
• Become a Fan of ceejaybags on Facebook (comment here when you do.  Already a fan? Fabulous, just let me know!)
• Share this giveaway on Facebook, and post the link here or on my Facebook page (one entry per day)
  

5 EXTRA Entries (woohoo!!)

• Blog about this Giveaway, with links to ceejaybags on Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Etsy AND Artfire. (Share the post here in Comments to be eligible)
  
• Anyone who makes a purchase from either online shop DURING THE GIVEAWAY (Nov. 8-13, 2009) will be entered 5 times.
  

Ooooh, almost forgot.  Here's a letter, to get you started.  Have fun, and Good Luck!

Lessons In Networking: Facebook Page for your Indie Business?

How can a Facebook Business Page (some call them "Fan Pages") help get the word out about your Handcrafted Items? Think of Facebook as Word of Mouth for the Digital Age. You know the old commercial with the catchy phrase "...and they told two friends, and so on, and so on"? Well, when someone on Facebook becomes a Fan of your Business Page, that information is broadcast out to all of THEIR friends, and so on, and so on.

But where do you start??
Facebook can sometimes be a bit confusing...no worries! Here's a bit of a tutorial to walk you through it.

The easiest place to start is to go to any Business Page on Facebook. Check out the ceejaybags Page here
Go to the bottom left of the page and click "Create a Page for my Business".

• Select your Category from the dropdown 
• Name your page with your business name (BE CAREFUL! Check to be sure you are happy with your name, and your spelling is correct.) 
• Click on the Create a Page button and there you have it.

(Once you have created it, copy the URL for future reference. You'll need it to promote your new page, as  you'll see in a minute.)

TIPS:
If you have a PERSONAL PROFILE on Facebook, edit your profile to include that URL as one of your websites.
Include your Facebook Business Page URL on your business cards, on your online shop pages, and in your email signature.
Make sure YOU become a fan of your page! :-) Then hit "Share" so every one of your friends knows you've created a business page for your creative endeavors.

When you become a fan of someone's page, you will show up as yourself, NOT your Business Page.

Feel free to comment here, or post on my FB Page if you need any help!
Good luck!

Inspiration comes from the strangest places (and things!)

Earlier today I was lamenting my lack of inspiration.  It's been quite a dry spell for me, creatively speaking, and I was beginning to worry that I'd never create anything ever again! (Please pardon the "woe is me" moment...)  So I set out to break out of this rut.

I've been toying with the concept of a new Upcycled bag collection, whereby I rescue beautiful pre-loved fabrics and create something wonderfully new and chic. Today, I thought, was the day to begin this new journey in my creative adventure. I decided to take "before" pictures of all of the amazing treasures that my Mom (aka Mamaramadingdong) has gifted me from her never-ending stash of drapery and home decor textiles, as well as some luscious suede jackets that I came upon.  At the very least I would enjoy the gorgeous fall weather, and hopefully have some pix to include when I finally start listing new items in my Artfire shop.

Little did I know that inspiration was hiding in one of the many bags of goodness that I hauled outside!  Finally, I felt the familiar creative juices starting to flow through me again.  It has been way too long!!

Here's a peek at the "before" life of my soon-to-be created XL Tote:

Ooooohhh...I'm in LOVE with the grommets!!

In the house I went, my head full of ideas.  Before I  knew it I was cutting and pressing (and turning a deaf ear to the cries of "What's for dinner?")  I was so excited that I had to take a few "in progress" pictures, to commemorate the return to my studio.

Who knew that a bag full of drapery samples had the magic ingredient that I was missing?

And The Winner Is...

Hi...just a quick note.

The Giveaway Winner over on 10oneworld has been announced, and... (drum role please) the lucky entrant is Miki!
Her entry comment was so sweet... "I am in LOVE with this printed linen bag: (click here) The color, the bag size & shape everything! Great shop!" and her response when she found out she had won was great! "Oh my gosh, I’m sooo excited!!! Thank you so much Jen!!! ... Thanks again and I can’t wait to show off that adorable, fun colored wristlet!"

Stop on over at her blog here to congratulate her!

Congratulations, Miki. I hope you enjoy your ceejaybags original!

TWO great blog features, TWO new giveaways

It's an honor to be featured this week on not ONE but TWO fantastic Indie blogs!

Back in December I was offered the opportunity to be featured on LoveEtsyFeedback, a great blog that features relatively new Etsy shops. The great thing about this blog is the way that they tie in feedback from the featured shop's customers. ceejaybags will be the featured shop beginning March 4. Along with the write-up, there will be a one week wristlet giveaway. (see photo below)

Also this week, 10OneWorld will be reviewing ceejaybags. I love that blogger Jen includes a little interview, and posts items that she likes from the she is reviewing. The review and interview, as well as a wristlet giveaway will begin March 3 and runs for one week. (see photo below)
Be sure to read the entry rules on both blogs, as they are different.
Please stop by and show me some love, and enter for your chance to win a ceejaybags original.

I'm back

Oh my gosh it's been an extremely hectic month! But I'm back to my blog and I have very exciting news!
ceejaybags will be featured on two great blogs next month, and both will be offering a giveaway. Two different wristlets will be given way, so don't miss this opportunity to own a ceejaybags original!
I'll be posting the links as soon as the features go live, so be sure to check back on the 3rd!

ceejaybags has been blogged about!

How wonderful to learn that someone likes a ceejaybags handbag so much that they blog about it! It's always exciting! My black and white toile handbag caught the eye of blogger Alicia, who took a moment to feature it on her blog.




If you get a moment, stop on over to the cutest shops online where you can check out the nice things that Alicia had to say about ceejaybags and me!

A new look for ceejaybags

On the 23rd, I made the decision to put my ceejaybags on vacation mode until January 5th, so I could devote some time to my beloved children. I truly believe it was the best idea I've had in a while. I felt as if Iwas in a whirlwind, with a new job, the holiday rush, and a busy Etsy shop all pulling me in different directions. All I really wanted was to stop, relax and spend time with my kids.
Being away from the shop (and the constant promoting, tweeting, etc. that goes along with it) doesn't mean I'm not thinking about ceejaybags! Just the opposite, in fact. I'm working on some great new bag designs, and also thinking about a look for my shop and blog. I'm looking for a graphic designer who can help me create a recognizable "brand" for my business, and I'll hopefully be able to have everything ready before I open back up in January. I have an idea of what I want, but I'm not exactly sure how to go about getting it! I've been doing some research, and reading lots of blog posts on the topic, but I'm still not sure. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated! Wish me luck!

Showcased on Art Zoo!

Wow! What a great surprise! This afternoon's google alert brought very exciting news, letting me know that my blue paisley and striped Montgomery Tote is showcased on The Art Zoo, a "Photoblog featuring handmade products by independent artisans and crafters". It always blows me away when someone features one of my bags! It's seriously an honor, and I'm thrilled that others appreciate my work.

Amazing

I'm beside myself! Tomorrow morning I have the most amazing opportunity, thanks to my fabulous sister Didi, to meet with a fabric designer to discuss a possible collaboration. Imagine...my newest bag designs, made with her stunning hand printed limited-run fabric. Someone pinch me!!
How did this happen?Well...
My sister and her hubbie were hob-nobbing with some design-types at a work function, and Didi was carrying a ceejaybags original (bless her!) When someone inquired about it, she plugged my etsy shop and raved about me. The person inquiring happened to be the fabric designer! Contacts were made, invitation accepted....and now I'm going to meet with her tomorrow. Amazing.

3 little wristlets, all in a row

i've listed 3 new wristlets in my shop today. it's been such a miserable day so i sewed, sewed, and sewed some more. this is the result!

stop by ceejaybags and have a look!

featured on "a blog on etsy blogs"!

today, ceejaybags has been featured on "a blog about etsy blogs"! check it out!