Stock up on greeting cards for 2011 and take advantage of my weekend sale.
Buy one card and get one FREE! It’s a great time to purchase cards for birthdays, thank yous, anniversaries, weddings, congratulations, baby etc. The promotion is available on my whole shop so stop by and shop.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/SnoValleyGreetings
Here are some pictures of the most recently listed cards:
Happy Birthday Strawberry Cake
I came across this great project idea on Michael’s website. These gift card holders are a perfect way to personalize your gift rather than put it in a store bought holder. I’ve included directions below on how to make the Snowflake Gift Card Holder. 
Materials Used:
Cost of each project will vary depending on materials used.
Directions:
Cut two circles with a diameter of 4½-inches from the purple Eazy-Felt.
Use the hole punch to make holes in the purple felt circles about every ¼-inch around the entire circumference. Lay the second piece on top and punch through both pieces to ensure the holes line up. Cut a 25-inch piece of white narrow ribbon with silver edge. Lace this through the holes. Leave a 3-inch opening on one side of the circle, lacing only to one side and not through to the other circle. Do the same to the other side of the 3-inch opening. This will give the illusion that it is completely laced all the way around. Glue down each end inside the circle so it cannot be seen.
Use a snowflake template from the computer or freehand draw one onto paper. Use a copier or printer to reduce the size of the snowflake, just make sure the snowflake fits within the purple felt circles, including the lacing. Print three sizes in smaller succession. Place the largest snowflake over the light blue felt and cut out entire flake with the craft knife. Take the smallest snowflake template and only cut the center of the flake out of the light blue felt. Take the medium sized snowflake and cut the flake completely out of the white felt. Layer and glue the snowflakes together as shown.
Glue the light blue felt snowflake down in the center of the circle. Lay the white snowflake on top and glue down. Glue the light blue center of the snowflake down in the center of the white snowflake.
Cut a 6-inch piece of silver dots on white grosgrain ribbon. Fold in half, glue ends together. Glue the raw end to the inside of the tag but only the front or the gift card holder will get glued shut.
Use the glitter glue to accent the snowflake. Place glitter glue in center of snowflake over the blue felt and just at the tips of the other parts of the snowflake.
Tip:
Use photo as a guide and follow manufacturer’s instructions for all products used.
The felt and ribbon colors could easily be changed to suit any particular theme or color scheme. Please experiment within the idea.
If you are interested in seeing the project sheet on Michael’s website click HERE to be re-directed. Happy Crafting!
It’s official Artfire just reached their one year anniversary! To celebrate read the message below that I received from Artfire.
Happy Anniversary ArtFire!
ArtFire officially turns one year old in November, and what a year it has been. We’ve seen amazing growth in traffic, page views, member sales, and products listed each month, ArtFire has become the second largest artisan marketplace on the internet. We are proud to report our expected one year member sales at $1.5 million dollars. We saw a 30% increase in sales in October over September, along with 20million page views and almost 700,000 active products.
Part of ArtFire’s success has been our commitment to service and innovation. In just 12 months we have developed industry leading selling tools such as a one button sale mode, the rapid cart remote checkout widget, the ArtFire Facebook Kiosk, coupon codes, the global product editor and more! We are committed to providing you the best: the best service, the best platform, the best tools, and the best price. We also want to thank all of the amazing artisans in our community who have helped make ArtFire into the venue it is today.
To celebrate our anniversary we’re happy to announce a 2010 pre-pay opportunity for our members with The ArtFire Pro 500. In the past, many members have expressed interest in billing periods other than per month which our previous payment systems wouldn’t allow. As we grow and upgrade our infrastructure we are happy to extend a 2010 pre-pay offer to 500 of our artisans. While this offer lasts, you can pay for a yearlong Pro(Verified) ArtFire.com membership for just 100$; that’s over 30% off the normal $12/mo rate. If you’re a $7/mo charter artisan you have the option pre-pay for 2010 at your normal rate knowing that you already have the best deal we can offer.
We have more exciting features planned for year two. You will see some of those in just the next few days. While this first year has been many long hours and hard work for everyone here, it is all worth it to see those sales numbers and know that we are building such a strong and successful artisan community together.
Thank you for helping make the ArtFire community that it is today.
Sincerely,
My Artfire Anniversary is also coming up. I opened my Cards By Jenna shop on Artfire exactly a year ago November 14, 2008. I can’t believe it’s already been a year. Not only that but I’ve only had 2 sales! In order to celebrate both anniversary dates I will be offering free shipping on all orders to the USA and Canada. Stock up on cards now before this free shipping offer is over. Offer ends November 30th. Thanks for stopping by!
Sorry to my blog, etsy, and artfire shops! I have been very pre-occupied lately due to wedding planning that I have been completely neglecting my blog and both of my card shops. I have even been absent from the teams I am currently apart of so much so that I was kicked out of one and with no warning at all! I won’t name names but needless to say by the time I came around to logging in to the forums my access was denied. I’ve heard this team is known for giving the boot with no warning, oh well!
In order to revive my shop I’m going to be setting up a giveaway soon. I’m not sure what it will be but it will be great. Check back later for more information. In the meantime I’m hoping my blog and shops forgive me.
I love coupons but online discounts are even better! No clipping with scissors, just enter the code and check out. I was excited to get this online deal delivered to my inbox today from Oriental Trading Company. I promised myself that I wouldn’t buy any more crafty items until I make a huge dent in what I already have.
It’s pretty tough to deny myself the need to shop…but in the end I am saving $$$. Soooooooooo, since I am unable to let myself go on a shopping spree I am sharing the coupon code with the rest of you in hopes that someone out there can take advantage.
20% off is a fantastic deal. Enter coupon code: 
Happy Shopping!
The other day I came across a very neat website for consumers to quickly locate online coupons, promo codes, and other discounts. It’s called Retail Me Not. First of all what a clever title and second nobody is going to retail me anymore, woo-hoo! The best thing about this website is that you can submit your very own coupon codes. If you come across a code that works and want to share you can do it on this website. All you have to do is sign up for an account.
I will share a little secret with you, not only can you submit coupon codes you come across…but…you can submit your own coupon codes for your own shop too! For example: I am offering a free card with each order purchased from my Artfire shop: www.cardsbyjenna.artfire.com. Curious how it looks, check it out by following these steps:
Go to www.retailmenot.com
Type in the top right hand corner search box “cardsbyjenna”.
The next window will feature a thumbnail of my artfire shop. Click the thumbnail and it will take you to the promo code I posted. Super cool!!!
Explore the site and let me know what you think by posting a comment here.
After much thought and deliberation I am starting to list more of my greeting cards in my Artfire shop. Etsy is where I began my online store, Cards By Jenna, but to tell you all the truth and to be quite blunt every month when I get my bill from Etsy I feel like a bunch of lemons have been squirt in my eye! 20 cents to list an item and then taking 3.5% off the top of my sale, that hurts when you are selling one greeting card for $2.50. I do not sell my cards to make lots of money, that never was my goal…but…I am not even making back the cost of materials.
Soooooo, what does all this mean? Well, Etsy, you gave me lemons therefore I am going to make lemonade and move my items to Artfire where I pay a small monthly fee, no listing fees, and no % taken off the top of my sale. I will still keep my Etsy shop open for now but it’s days may be numbered.
For fun here are some items from Artfire that are full of lemony goodness.
What a fun Cosmopolitan Cranberry and Lemon Handmade Cocktail Soap from Epically Epic Soap. The best part about Epically Epic soap is that they make your soap fresh just for you! At $4 this soap is a steal. Looks like if you need more than one soap bar this soap is included in the buy 3 for $10 deal. 
Need some lemon for your lips? Check out this Lemon Drop Kiss(tm) Lip Balm from Coquette Bath. This lip balm includes shea oil, sweet almond butter, Vitamin E, castor oil, and real lemon essential oil to give your lips all the moisture that you need. For a .15 ounce by volume tube you can purchase this for $3.25, what a great deal! I love the graphics on the packaging too.
Sadly summer will be coming to an end soon so get ready for fall and pick up a beautiful scarf from Valerie’s Gallery. This Handknit Wool Blend Scarf in Lemon Meringue would be the perfect addition to your upcoming fall wardrobe. Knit with a wool/acrylic mix this scarf is sure to keep you warm and is even soft to the touch! Not a fan of yellow? Contact Valerie and she can custom design a scarf just for you.
This set of Bird and Lemon Pot Holders really caught my eye. You can find these beauties in Bean Pickle Sprout’s shop. Since these pot holders are made to order you are receiving a one of a kind item. I love the color combo and design of these. What a great addition to add to your kitchen!
Have a little girl who needs this cute Custom Boutique Lemon Smocked Dress? What a great dress for summer. The print is very summery and the dress design is so adorable. Contact Lil Bug Clothing to place your order!
Enjoy the weekend!
~Jenna
The first day of summer is right around the corner, June 21st to be exact. How ironic…June 21st is also Father’s Day! What is your favorite thing about the summer season? What is summer like where you live?
Here in Western Washington summer has been slow approaching. We have had some nice hot weather in these past few weeks but definitely not enough to say summer is really here. Today is pretty overcast and a low 60 degrees…a little too cold for shorts!
My Top 10 Summer Favorites:
1. BBQ’ing – nothing is better than grilling outside, less mess in the kitchen! 
2. Relaxing in the sun – catching rays and reading a book, heaven!
3. Wearing flip flops – gotta love no socks, and pretty pedicures
4. Opening windows – letting fresh air in to the house, smells clean
5. Taking the kitties outside – they are indoor and only go out with supervision
6. Planting flowers – even though I have a small patio I make the best of it
7. Longer days – love when the sun stays out longer, no short winter days here!
8. Feeding hummingbirds – I love watching the hummingbirds swarm the feeder
9. 4th of July – who doesn’t like fireworks?
10. Taking it outside – bike riding, walking, and playing in the sun
I’ve learned that living in Washington you have to take in every ray of sun you can. Sun would be nice year round however having 4 seasons is even better.
To celebrate Summer I made a set of Summer greeting cards. To purchase these cards from my Artfire shop please click HERE.
Happy Summer everyone!
Congratulations to Nora of Design By Nora for being chosen as the Etsy Bloggers Team featured member! Nora’s shop is filled with cute handbags and unique jewelry pieces. I have picked some of my favorite items from her shop and have featured them below.
The first item that caught my eye was this adorable floral purse called "Mabel’s Purse”. This purse can be used for a casual outing or a for a hot date out on the town. With spring finally here I imagine this little handbag will look great with any spring dress. The attention to detail on this handbag is amazing and I love that it is made with bamboo!
Have a purse fetish? Check out the other handbags in Nora’s shop by clicking HERE!
Even though the cold days are coming to an end there is always a need for a 
warm cozy blanket. What better to buy than a handmade one? Check out this Green and Pink Crocheted Bed Spread. What a great way to decorate a room handmade style!
My favorite jewelry piece from Nora’s shop are these Lavender Flower Studs. These flowers are the perfect size and are just in time for Easter.
Want to see more from Nora’s shop? Stop by today…and if you do decided to purchase something let her know Cards By Jenna sent you. :)
Thanks for stopping by!
Opening my shop on Etsy, Cards By Jenna, was one of the best things I could have done to inspire myself. Before selling on Etsy I made paper goods when I needed them.
For example: If someone I knew was going to have a birthday I would make a card specific to them. Depending on the gift I purchased I would even make the gift wrap and tag. Everything was hand made and personalized.
Don’t get me wrong I still personalize cards and gift wrap…however… now that I have a place to display and sell my creations a whole new world of card making opened for me. At times I would get bored and feel like I was losing my creativity by making the same type of cards over and over again…mainly birthday cards. I needed a variety and opening my shop allowed me to create any type of greeting card I wanted.
One day I found Etsy by surfing the Internet for inspiration and ideas. I was definitely inspired and signed up. I didn’t set up my shop right away. It took a few months for me to get a banner, avatar, and create more inventory. Once I was up and running the possibilities were endless. I could make any type of greeting card I wanted. I started creating and designing cards for events and occasions I never had before. At first my favorite cards to make were anything Baby! Then I moved on to wedding, thank you notes, gift sets, photo cards, etc…my creativity took off! It was great.
I love being a seller on Etsy because I enjoy sharing my creations with others. It’s great to share ideas, browse other shops, network, and make new friends. Handmade items are so unique and one of a kind. My shop is not set up to make profit, most of the time I break even or make a few cents. Whatever money I do make I spend on more card making supplies. :-)
The draw back to being an Etsy seller is paying all the fees! On top of the 20 cent per listing fee Etsy also takes 3.5% off the top of the sale. I understand that Etsy needs to make money too but for a card shop that is quite a bit of money being taken. On top of these fees I use paypal and paypal charges you too!
Being a part of Etsy has allowed me to join two awesome teams. Currently I am a member of the EtsyGreetings Team and the EtsyBloggers Street Team. Within both groups I have made great friends and have been immersed into a world of creativity.
Thanks for reading!
This is the first year I will be participating in the “One World, One Heart Giveaway” and I am so excited to be a part of it. Lisa started this idea 3 years ago and has been continuing to keep the tradition going. To visit Lisa’s personal blog here is the link:
http://awhimsicalbohemian.typepad.com
So what is the “One World, One Heart Giveaway”? Lisa created this event to bring bloggers together worldwide. It’s a great way to meet new bloggers, expand your horizons, and get free goodies! Listed on the One World, One Heart blog is a list of almost 500 bloggers giving things away. Here is the direct link if you are interested in checking it out:
http://oneworldoneheart.typepad.com/one_worldone_heart/
To participate all you have to do is go to a participating blog and leave a comment on the giveaway post. Winners for each giveaway will be drawn on February 12th, see participating blogs for more details.
If you are a blogger and would like to participate click HERE for more information.
With that said here is my giveaway!
Thank you cards are used year round so I thought giving away a set of my handmade thank you cards would be a perfect giveaway. 
This set of 10 cards is hand stamped in silver ink on a scalloped black square mounted on a combination of white and black cardstock. In the middle of the black/white cardstock there is a layer of black paper with sparkly silver circle accents. Each card is accented with a silver circle rhinestone in the lower right hand corner.
Cards are white and blank on the inside allowing plenty of space to write your note. Measuring 4 x 5.5 inches each handcrafted card comes with its own white envelope and packed in a clear cello bag.
These cards are considered A2 size. Value: $20.00
To enter the giveaway please leave a comment on this post. Be sure to include your contact information (i.e: email, etsy shop url, webpage, blog url, artfire url). The deadline to enter is midnight (PST) February 12th. You don’t need to be a blogger to enter and I will ship worldwide! The winner will be chosen via the famous number generator. :-)
