tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90745728096310578302024-03-05T12:32:29.590-08:00BeBe Babies and FriendsBeBe Babieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16496544754397176523noreply@blogger.comBlogger229125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074572809631057830.post-69197148270871888702016-02-28T13:25:00.000-08:002016-02-28T13:25:50.301-08:00New Adventures In Custom Blythe Dolls and Eye ChipsHello everyone! As you know my little guy keeps me pretty busy but as always I hope to return to blogging regularly at some point. By the way he is 7 months old now! <br />
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In between caring for him and making BeBes I've started a new adventure. I've been a fan of Blythe dolls for many years but decided to try my hand at customizing my own. It has become an addictive hobby I do in the evenings after sewing BeBes and putting the little guy to bed. Here are the four I've had for sale.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwgL_dg2wQvS5yf5U-WCWf514ESDvWNdLYEEtcW8wqQtEEQ3P7MWtHChbzhPCVL_dNc5G5ZE6QaHd_W_JVQO7oEWbWi0Ym7CGq2jDFC7ZEm8hb6g-ZivPtlGqfZjj6v9hP15-OiwI2Rvll/s1600/combine_images12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwgL_dg2wQvS5yf5U-WCWf514ESDvWNdLYEEtcW8wqQtEEQ3P7MWtHChbzhPCVL_dNc5G5ZE6QaHd_W_JVQO7oEWbWi0Ym7CGq2jDFC7ZEm8hb6g-ZivPtlGqfZjj6v9hP15-OiwI2Rvll/s400/combine_images12.jpg" width="287" /></a></div>
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Poppy is available on Etsy <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/266153855/poppy-a-ooak-custom-blythe-art-doll-by?ref=shop_home_feat_3" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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Julia is available on Etsy <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/270234482/julia-a-ooak-custom-blythe-art-doll-by?ref=shop_home_feat_4" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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For those of you that are unfamiliar with Blythe dolls you can read about their history <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blythe_(doll)" target="_blank">here</a>. One of the key features of Blythe is that she has a pull string in her head that when you pull it her eyes change. She has four pairs of eyes (they look left, right, and two look forward). You can buy all different kinds to change the eyes that come with the doll. You can buy realistic printed eyes, you can paint plastic chips yourself, and there are glass eyes, etc. </div>
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Here is a pair of eyes I painted.</div>
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I'm sure I've mentioned before that my partner is an amazing <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AdrianVidalesPacheco/?fref=ts" target="_blank">artist</a>. Well one of the things he likes to draw most is eyes. I found that there weren't many people in the USA selling eyes for Blythe, and really there wasn't anyone selling realistic eyes in the USA. That meant the wait time for receiving eyes was at least a week but usually longer. So while I was working on my third doll Poppy, I asked him if he could possibly draw me some eyes for her. He went nuts and started making a ton of eyes. </div>
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They were so great that I decided to offer some for sale. We created a <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/BeBeBlytheCo?ref=search_shop_redirect" target="_blank">new shop on Etsy</a> and have been working hard to get it going. So far it has been a hit.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOx-2W_reFkz4ToHRVMwE9csuQDCIF01Xo1-ItsAG5uMNjQ0kgk5GRv7SRBqgnTX0gL6SoCbx215bSUbUHCF-AvnfL6uYOOz35F8VbXC_uDR9TMbO0WBjyE7aag7LajhPjY4hgcWtvhRdU/s1600/ultimo+chinga.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="40" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOx-2W_reFkz4ToHRVMwE9csuQDCIF01Xo1-ItsAG5uMNjQ0kgk5GRv7SRBqgnTX0gL6SoCbx215bSUbUHCF-AvnfL6uYOOz35F8VbXC_uDR9TMbO0WBjyE7aag7LajhPjY4hgcWtvhRdU/s320/ultimo+chinga.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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If you are interested in a new place to buy your Blythe eyes check out or eye chips on Etsy! </div>
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BeBe Babieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16496544754397176523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074572809631057830.post-34148927096481446862015-12-14T18:07:00.001-08:002015-12-14T18:10:16.567-08:00Christmas Photo Contest on the Facebook Fan ClubIt's been a long time since I posted, as Nolan has been keeping me pretty much run-ragged. I have no idea when I will be regularly writing again because so many other things are at the top of the daily to-do list (like showering and using the bathroom) and I surely do miss it. However I have wanted to get things going on the new <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BeBe-Bahttps://www.facebook.com/BeBe-Babies-and-Friends-205477992801561/bies-and-Friends-205477992801561/" target="_blank">BeBe Babies fan club</a>. Like last year I wanted to do another photo contest for the BeBe mommies out there.<br />
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The winner of this year's photo contest will win this adorable mini BeBe Kewpie. The Kewpies are available to order as well so if you are interested in adopting a full-size, or mini, send me a message.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSYvPGj9nI8sgYYembLZsK0DGYnWLbWw-eICowACUWXDehhWfMQXX_1YG7G4iOXOtP4jv5_YYGHPTFl3cptal3ItkJFWrQuIv8Ff4fFZcDArCbPc0Dj6c94UOsTJFk2jbnu5DSpTeM1pJN/s1600/IMG_2973.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSYvPGj9nI8sgYYembLZsK0DGYnWLbWw-eICowACUWXDehhWfMQXX_1YG7G4iOXOtP4jv5_YYGHPTFl3cptal3ItkJFWrQuIv8Ff4fFZcDArCbPc0Dj6c94UOsTJFk2jbnu5DSpTeM1pJN/s320/IMG_2973.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span id="goog_1695819000"></span><span id="goog_1695819001"></span>Now as for how the voting will work this year. I used to use an online voting system but that got too expensive. Then I had everyone email or message me their votes and that worked well except that I allowed everyone to vote again each day. That was a lot of votes to tally. So this year I would like to encourage you (and your family, friends, co-workers, etc) to vote ONE time per person. You have until 12/20 to vote.<br />
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How to vote:<br />
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-You can email me at bebebabiescom@yahoo.com<br />
-You can comment on this post<br />
-You can message me on Facebook from the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BeBe-Babies-and-Friends-205477992801561/?ref=hl" target="_blank">BeBe Babies page here</a><br />
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When you send me your vote just tell me which photo you are voting to win. They are numbered underneath each photo. That's it! Good luck everyone!<br />
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And if you would like to get in on the fun, whether you have a BeBe or not, join the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1625842384365092/" target="_blank">fan club here</a>.<br />
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Thank you to everyone who entered this year!</div>
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BeBe Babieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16496544754397176523noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074572809631057830.post-55884312053640893172015-08-06T16:19:00.001-07:002015-08-06T16:19:18.543-07:00Nolan is Here!!As you know I have been hosting a virtual baby shower on my blog for the last couple of months in anticipation of my baby's arrival. I was really hoping to have one last game for July. Baby Nolan was due August 17 but it was becoming apparent that he would most likely be early. Nevertheless at the end of July I had the last game pretty much mapped out and the giveaway ready. The game was going to be <a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_6034068_play-guess-mommy_s-tummy-size.html" target="_blank">"guess the mommy's belly size"</a> and the giveaway was going to be a Blankie BeBe from my new BeBes for Boys line of dolls. One is a superhero and the other is done in a monster fabric. These two are for Nolan.<br />
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July 25 was my last day at work and I planned to get the game up on the blog that weekend. I was really looking forward to at least a week off with no work and no baby, but Nolan had other plans for us. That night at 2:00 in the morning I rose to go to the bathroom. When I finished peeing I felt a bit of a trickle of something that did not seem like pee. I had a feeling it was my water. I went to wake up Adrian and he proceeded to tell me that it couldn't be my water because it should be more dramatic. I told him it wasn't always so.<br />
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As we sat on the bed discussing (arguing) about what constituted a "water break" a large gush flowed out of me and all over the bed. Obviously there was no more arguing! <br />
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I tried to get ahold of my Mom but she didn't answer. Adrian called our doctor and she also did not answer. We were a little frustrated. So Adrian called his Mom, and his family went over to the hospital to meet us. His sister called our original doctor. At first we were not happy about it because we really wanted to get ahold of our doctor. I had planned a natural water birth and already things were not going as planned.<br />
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I was having no pain or labor of any kind. We waited only about 10 minutes at the hospital before our original doctor arrived. We went into a labor room and he examined me. More water and blood were coming out and I was still not in any kind of labor. Nolan was doing fine but the doctor recommended a c-section as I would not be able to have my water birth because of the risk of infection. I knew there were options to avoid a c-section, which I really didn't want, but the options included risks as well as intensive monitoring, which I also didn't want. <br />
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Also I was not quite 37 weeks pregnant which meant that Nolan was technically pre-term. We decided to go ahead with the c-section.<br />
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Nolan was born around 5:00 Sunday July 26. He weighed 8 pounds 1 ounce and measured 21.5 inches. For being nearly 4 weeks early he was a big one! <br />
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I wish I could say everything has been peachy keen but I'll tell you what having a baby is hard work no joke! I hated being in the hospital, confined to a bed. I have hated the recovery from the surgery but it's getting easier. Breastfeeding has been very difficult as we learn what works and then the next day it all changes for no apparent reason. I can see why many moms give up on it! But I will not because I know how important it is for my little guy.<br />
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But my word the emotions involved! I love him so much sometimes it hurts. As frustrating and challenging as it is sometimes all I need is one look at his face and one smell of his baby smell and I don't care about anything. </div>
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I miss sewing and I don't know when I will ever be back to normal as far as BeBe production goes but I'm trying to take it one day at a time. For now I wanted to let you know there will not be a final game/giveaway for the virtual baby shower, obviously because the baby is already here! However I will think of something fun we can do very soon to make up for it.</div>
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I did have a bunch of Blankie BeBes finished and ready to go in the shop before Nolan came. Luckily between feedings I had a chance to get them uploaded yesterday. Check them out in the shop <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/bebebabiesmexico?section_id=15907481&ref=shopsection_leftnav_6" target="_blank">here</a>. There is just about every color I offer as well as one in the ethnic skin tone.</div>
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Thank you all for following along during my pregnancy journey and I hope you will stick around as the real journey begins! </div>
BeBe Babieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16496544754397176523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074572809631057830.post-66938154939811075842015-07-13T08:41:00.002-07:002015-07-13T08:41:17.398-07:00How to Make a Flower Planter out of Tea TinsI thought I would share a quick tutorial/project I completed this morning. Recently I have been trying to improve the atmosphere of our apartment with plants. The problem is the downstairs of the apartment is very very dark. This is great for keeping the house cool during the Mexican summers but it is a killer for plants. On my last plant shopping trip I asked for plants that would do well in almost 100% shade. I bought a few suggestions and within a few days one of the plants was already turning brown. I don't think the man realized when I said shade I meant near darkness.<br />
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So that plant has been moved upstairs to my sunny studio and seems to be doing much better. The cacti have stayed downstairs but I'm worried about them. I had two that were not even in decent planters yet and I was getting really tired of looking at the beer and pop can they came in. Well, while I was organizing some things around the house I found these cute tea tins that I was saving for something because of how much I like the look of them. I wondered if I could turn them into planters. Here's what I did...<br />
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First I punched holes in the bottom of the tins to allow for water drainage.</div>
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Then I glued the lid to the bottom of the tin to allow the water to drain and not make a mess. I used a silicone glue that is appropriate for metal.</div>
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Even though it is a fast drying glue I let it dry over-night just to make sure it was on their securely.</div>
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Then I added some rocks to the bottom of the tin to aid in the drainage, the dirt, and the cacti. Ta-da!</div>
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They are sitting on a shelf in my bathroom where there is an abundance of sunshine, especially in the morning.</div>
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Now I just need to paint the ugly shelf and find another tin for the third cactus.</div>
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BeBe Babieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16496544754397176523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074572809631057830.post-72587362498340094072015-07-08T12:59:00.003-07:002015-07-08T13:01:24.123-07:00Thalita Dol ReviewRemember back in February when I <a href="http://bebebabies.blogspot.mx/2015/02/the-simplicity-and-complexity-of.html" target="_blank">shared with you</a> one of my favorite doll artists, Thalita Dol? Well a little over a month ago Thalita approached me about a possible trade. Now normally I don't do trades, because BeBe Babies is a large part of my income, but when an artist I truly admire and covet contacts me I cannot say no! <br />
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I don't know why it never occurs to me to contact the artists myself. It would be a great way for me to actually have a doll collection again. I think it's a mix of feeling self-conscious that I will be rejected and also that I just don't think about it. Whatever it is I never do it and would like to consider it more in the future.<br />
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Anyway so because shipping takes so long to arrive to Mexico I finally received my box today. I was in the middle of meditating when my roommate yelled upstairs that my package arrived. Everyone knows I've been waiting anxiously for this package. It's a good thing I'm not great at meditating because I heard him right away and ran downstairs because I knew just what it was.<br />
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I made myself finish my daily meditation before I opened the box. This made meditating even more impossible, but I made it though, and then jumped up and took some photos so you could live the excitement with me.<br />
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The box was so cute!</div>
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I opened it from the bottom to avoid destroying the front. His name is Noé.</div>
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He is a heavy little guy.</div>
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And sooo sooo sweet¡ I just love his little face and his skinny little legs. I couldn't be more thrilled. I can't wait for Thalita to receive her BeBe.</div>
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If you would like your own Thalita Dol check out her <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/ThalitaDol" target="_blank">Etsy shop</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Thalita-Dol/112160295546141?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>.</div>
BeBe Babieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16496544754397176523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074572809631057830.post-90820436364874675012015-06-29T12:11:00.002-07:002015-06-29T12:14:10.207-07:00BeBe Babies Virtual Baby Shower Game/ Giveaway 2!Well gosh you guys I really didn't want this to be posted at the very end of the month but I'm trying to learn to go with the flow better seeing as though soon I will have a little one upending everything. The theme of this month's giveaway is MONSTERS! I have loved monsters since I was a little girl and decided it was the perfect theme for Nolan. The reason being that Nolan and I are sharing half of a room and I would like to enjoy my space as much as I would like it to be cute for him.<br />
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I have been spending the last couple of months putting most of my energy into making our room cozy, comfortable and cute. It's coming along but there is still so much I would like to do. Again I'm trying to remember that a living space is a work in progress and not stress out about it too much. <br />
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Well today I finally made some major progress by getting his monster mobile put up. I still want to make some more strings of stars for it but for now it's almost done and at least it is up. That's all that counts!<br />
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The mobile hangs between his changing table and my rocking chair. The monsters were made to match a fleece blanket that I also made for him (you can see it in the changing table). </div>
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One of the monsters is on the fat side which is skewing the mobile. I'm not sure I mind it but I will be adding more stars and maybe try to balance it out a little.</div>
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The fatty.</div>
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Adrian also put up some shelves which we were able to move Nolan's things too. Some of these things were given to Nolan by friends and family. Seeing them makes me very happy.</div>
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Now on to the game! I'm not a huge fan of baby shower games but I remembered one game my family always played that I thought was hilarious and fun. It's the poopy diaper game! Normally tiny cloth diapers are made up and one is pinned to each of the baby shower guests. Inside one of the diapers is a poop! The person who gets the poopy diaper is the winner. I thought this game would be really fun for everyone.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHxm6Xw8qR8W9ug21tqm0juI4IEIGIaMwqM5f5CpHM_HLwHg_6L9_EJNHZxtdVFBYl1rZTT8QNZKGloN6eSacbcI44DWgUf0KqBZsM5IwaobMNIO7JwV31QxWGtyz8RQi-FkJdwItTCjip/s1600/IMG_2011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHxm6Xw8qR8W9ug21tqm0juI4IEIGIaMwqM5f5CpHM_HLwHg_6L9_EJNHZxtdVFBYl1rZTT8QNZKGloN6eSacbcI44DWgUf0KqBZsM5IwaobMNIO7JwV31QxWGtyz8RQi-FkJdwItTCjip/s400/IMG_2011.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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One of these diapers is poopy!</div>
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<b><u>How it works: </u></b>Let me know that you want to be entered into the game. You have until July 3 to let me know. On July 4th I will pull a diaper out of the basket for each person and open them. The person who gets the poopy diaper wins!</div>
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<b>But wait there's a catch! </b> Baby showers are about family/friends and fun so what would a baby shower game be without sharing the love? Therefore the ONLY way your entry will be accepted is if you share this giveaway on your favorite social media network. It could be Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, etc. All you have to do is share the post and let me know where you shared it with a link or tag. You can let me know on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/BeBe-Babies-and-Friends/205477992801561?ref=hl" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, in a comment on this post, or email me at bebebabiescom@yahoo.com.</div>
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<b><u>The prize:</u></b> Going with the monster theme the winner of this game will receive one my newest designs in my BeBes for Boys line. The Monster BeBe! You will get to choose between green or teal. Here's what they look like.</div>
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Stay tuned, there is still one more game/giveaway left in the BeBe Babies virtual baby shower. Hopefully I can get it done and posted before Nolan arrives!</div>
BeBe Babieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16496544754397176523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074572809631057830.post-69195601373758916632015-06-24T20:22:00.000-07:002015-06-24T20:37:43.042-07:00How to Make a Market Bag with Mexican Oil ClothIf you have been reading my blog for any amount of time you know that I have another shop called <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/Mexicanfabricfashion?ref=hdr_shop_menu" target="_blank">Mexican Fabric and Fashion</a>. My boyfriend and I run the shop together and it is a passion of ours. We are hoping some day it will sustain us full time. The difficulty I have with running two very different shops is that I don't have as much sewing time as I would like to devote to the Mexican shop. We are in the process of setting up an extra work area as I will be hiring someone very soon to help out with the BeBes, and hopefully the Mexican shop too.<br />
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I spent today working on a project that has been sitting here waiting to be done for quite some time. Mexico has a huge selection of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oilcloth" target="_blank">oil cloth</a> that is used here for many different things. I was smitten immediately by the material because of it's color and variety, but my boyfriend, and his family, balked at the idea. Apparently it is not considered a very hip or desirable material by Mexicans. In fact they consider it kind of a poor persons material. It's so strange how we view our own cultures.<br />
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Well despite what they said I bought myself some with the intention to offer it in our shop, as well as make some cool bags from it. It's sat here for quite some time but today I spent a good part of the day making an extra large market bag. Tomorrow I will be headed to the supplier to get another contrasting color to make a smaller sized bag with a different pattern.<br />
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First of all this bag is huge. I intended it to be big but didn't really intend it to be this big. I'm not sure how practical it is but I still really really like it. If you would like to make your own bag, check out <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/Mexicanfabricfashion?section_id=14564837&ref=shopsection_leftnav_2" target="_blank">our shop </a>for the materials. For now here is how I made it...<br />
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You will need:<br />
-approximately 2 yards of each material (<a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/Mexicanfabricfashion?section_id=14564837&ref=shopsection_leftnav_2" target="_blank">buy it here</a>)<br />
-all the necessary sewing tools (scissors, thread, pins, sewing machine, etc)<br />
-ruler and tracing pen<br />
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1. Cut 4 large rectangles each 20 by 23 inches. You will have 2 of each material.<br />
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2. Cut 4 strips. Ideally you would only need two strips of 63 inches by 8 inches, but most likely you will not have 63 inches of uncut material. So what I did was cut 2 strips, 21 by 8 inches, and 2 strips 43 by 8 inches. I then sewed the small one to the big one to make two long strips of 63 by 8 inches each. If you are like me and sometimes you are bad at measuring (I am always bad at measuring) make your strips a little longer because you can easily trim them later. You can't however add material if they aren't long enough. </div>
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3. With right sides together take your larger square (the strawberry material) and pin your strip to it. Make sure you line it up to the seam where you sewed the two strips together. Sew the strip all the way around the strawberry material on all 3 sides.</div>
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4. Take your other strawberry square of material and sew to the other side of the strip with right sides together. Turn right side out.</div>
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5. Follow steps 1-4 and do the same with the other large squares and strip. This will be the inside of the bag.</div>
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6. I took this photo to show you that the two bags are exactly the same, however you will not want to turn the liner bag right side out. When you finish sewing it put it directly inside the strawberry bag. Adjust it so that all seams align and then pin it inside, starting at the seams.</div>
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7. Pin all the way around the top, folding the material down approximately 2-3 inches. </div>
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8. Before sewing the top you need to make the straps. Cut 4 more strips, 2 of each material approximately 36 by 5 inches long. This is a personal preference and you can use your flexible measuring tape to decide your own strap size if you would like. Again make them longer if you have any doubts because you can always cut them smaller later.</div>
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9. Fold the sides of the straps in until the ends meet and/or the strap measures about 2.5 inches wide. Pin them carefully, measuring as you go to ensure that the strap is 2.5 inches the whole way. Pin all 4 strap pieces before sewing.</div>
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10. Once you have them pinned seperately put one strawberry and one gingam wrong sides together. Sew them about 1/4 an inch from the edge removing the pins as you go. When you finish sewing both straps lay them on top of each other and trim to the same size.</div>
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11. Pin the straps to the top of the bag. I pinned mine 4 inches from the first seam on the side of the bag. You can pin them and try it out to see what you like best. Just make sure you measure so that you place them in the same position all the way around. Insert the strap approximately 2 inches inside the bag. Once you have them pinned measure the straps to make sure they are the same length on both sides. Adjust them if they are not. </div>
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12. Sew around the top of the bag. I sewed over the straps twice to reinforce them. </div>
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And voila! Your extra large market bag is ready for use! This bag is so big it was a little difficult to get a photo of however I made several more smaller sized bags that are available now. If you are interested in making smaller bags just reduce your proportions on the instructions above. These smaller bags finished are 15x15x4 inches.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDeX-vGacU28U5hEuHKFK_v1P-Lf0_rJUlRFqKL_zcth_vdGzpdvHpzA9k0prNduMjXpCZ9k69cCYMD_BeZ8YET-md7dPZObwPQMegnMhyphenhyphenI_bbWM0WWIcF__21gaLexcrrPljK_v8xpzec/s1600/IMG_1988.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDeX-vGacU28U5hEuHKFK_v1P-Lf0_rJUlRFqKL_zcth_vdGzpdvHpzA9k0prNduMjXpCZ9k69cCYMD_BeZ8YET-md7dPZObwPQMegnMhyphenhyphenI_bbWM0WWIcF__21gaLexcrrPljK_v8xpzec/s320/IMG_1988.jpg" width="309" /></a></div>
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Making market bags out of oil cloth means that they can easily be wiped out, as the fabric is waterproof. The material is flexible and folds up fairly easily. They are also reversible! These bags would be great for the beach or pool. If you are not interested in making your own buy yours in our shop <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/Mexicanfabricfashion?section_id=16308848&ref=shopsection_leftnav_7" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
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BeBe Babieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16496544754397176523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074572809631057830.post-1056520514369436232015-06-10T11:23:00.003-07:002015-06-10T11:27:29.635-07:00How to Know When to Raise your PricesPricing is hard. I get asked all the time how to price handmade items correctly. You can find all kinds of different online calculators that can help you get an idea of how to price your items. Here is a <a href="https://blog.etsy.com/en/2012/a-simple-formula-for-pricing-your-work/" target="_blank">great one on Etsy</a> and here is <a href="https://craftybase.com/etsy/pricing-calculator" target="_blank">another one</a> with less explanation. The problem with these calculators and methods is that they don't take into account the specific market you sell in. Some may say that doesn't matter but I think it does.<br />
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Either way the number one thing you must be doing if you are running your own handmade business is tracking your sales and expenses. You must know what you are earning. If you find that you are not earning the wage you want to be earning, or if you find that it has lowered over time, it is time to re-examine your pricing. <br />
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I have been watching my profits closely for months and have realized that while my work hours have increased my profit has not increased at an equal rate. I've come to realize that the cost of importing most of my materials, as well as the artistic evolution of my dolls, have resulted in a lower profit margin.<br />
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Why am I telling you this? Well because I've decided to raise the prices of my dolls. I want my customers to know why, as some have followed me for many years, and have become accustomed to my pricing. <br />
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The evolution of my dolls has resulted in spending more time per doll. When I started out my dolls were pretty basic. Here are a couple of examples.<br />
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I still love these older dolls for their simplicity but today my dolls are much more detailed. I spend much more time researching expressions as well as painting details that are just right. Here are some recent dolls.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ahexCVsH0x5Hb19fuvCRneBDy3uPp0kczm5r0Qk8dGoWGcYmgYHMkLaDE5mG_b3GXz4JG-EN1oTrcFN8iXCKeGlJojoIGg_TcaHhQyxmby6uBgRNtPcfJppqzoGkijitGYxzCjCmQIbP/s1600/IMG_1174.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ahexCVsH0x5Hb19fuvCRneBDy3uPp0kczm5r0Qk8dGoWGcYmgYHMkLaDE5mG_b3GXz4JG-EN1oTrcFN8iXCKeGlJojoIGg_TcaHhQyxmby6uBgRNtPcfJppqzoGkijitGYxzCjCmQIbP/s400/IMG_1174.jpg" width="323" /></a></div>
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The problem is my pricing has not changed in the last nearly 8 years. In addition to the extra time I am putting into the dolls, I also am now importing most of my supplies from the US. This has increased my expenses quite a bit, and while I do need to look into lower cost supply options, the reality is that right now it's not possible. </div>
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So as of today my new pricing scale for one of a kind dolls will be:</div>
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<span class="s1">1”-5” $70 </span></div>
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<span class="s1">6”-10” $80</span></div>
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11”-21” $145</div>
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<span class="s1">22-26” $170</span></div>
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<span class="s1">This of course is a rough estimate and is subject to change with custom orders or extra details. Also this only applies to one of a kind dolls as my pricing on my play dolls will not change at this time.</span></div>
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The other topic I want to mention that I eluded to above, is that many online pricing calculators do not take into account the market you are in. While the calculators can give you a great starting point you also need to take into consideration what others in your market are doing. Especially pay close attention to other makers who have as much time and experience as you do in your market. While you shouldn't base your pricing on other people, if you see that a similar maker is way over or way under your pricing you might take that into consideration.</div>
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For example I feel that in the one of a kind doll market my prices are on the lower end. I see very similar sized dolls, with similar work involved, starting at $200 and up. I would like my prices to be a little more comparable.</div>
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Anyway I hope this advice has been helpful and I hope all you loyal BeBe fans will understand the reasons for the increase. </div>
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<br />BeBe Babieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16496544754397176523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074572809631057830.post-89912524477365243282015-05-29T18:15:00.002-07:002015-05-29T18:15:35.354-07:00And the Winners are...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The first winners in the BeBe Baby virtual baby shower giveaway are Angelica and Thalita. Congrats ladies!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHDUFYqL5KYX_0xHKMqZbVEgTa5_dyW4UaIU2ykBzdWsFpB0W_WYuDjbZnwGR99CF1Yel7G-cCfxG6newK2IViIFtUeeMA7y4NJxR9VezYY2AUUbTkIdrCrxM-AZ1BL0lYMZUu8PqWXbNi/s1600/IMG_1849.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHDUFYqL5KYX_0xHKMqZbVEgTa5_dyW4UaIU2ykBzdWsFpB0W_WYuDjbZnwGR99CF1Yel7G-cCfxG6newK2IViIFtUeeMA7y4NJxR9VezYY2AUUbTkIdrCrxM-AZ1BL0lYMZUu8PqWXbNi/s320/IMG_1849.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Stay tuned for next month's game and giveaway. Below is a work in progress shot of what I will be revealing...</div>
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<br />BeBe Babieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16496544754397176523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074572809631057830.post-41718463682558979432015-05-20T10:57:00.000-07:002015-05-20T11:19:27.508-07:00The BeBe Babies Virtual Baby Shower Starts Now- Giveaway!As <a href="http://bebebabies.blogspot.mx/2015/04/big-announcements.html" target="_blank">I announced last month</a> I'm expecting a real BeBe of my very own. I really wanted to do something fun for my fans during this special time so I decided to do a virtual baby shower. How it will work is that each month until my little guy is born (May, June and July) I will be posting a fun contest/game in conjunction with a giveaway. Each giveaway is going to be something new and unique to BeBe Babies. I have been working on this month's giveaway for quite some time and it took longer to prepare than I had wished. I wanted it to be perfect though and I'm pretty satisfied that it is.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRLK8YJuFDmAfZ4B0_dIADaZ98-OeydojAZzJu4MKGQjp9Brex_0MB47HHc2FsdFW7p6Hp3Ww7SU_FcZx_C86HNNBHXwT2FkGQEcfZ02ycXH3PyObPl5MGlpXupWNPGTxmUfCwnfWjvkx7/s1600/IMG_1768.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRLK8YJuFDmAfZ4B0_dIADaZ98-OeydojAZzJu4MKGQjp9Brex_0MB47HHc2FsdFW7p6Hp3Ww7SU_FcZx_C86HNNBHXwT2FkGQEcfZ02ycXH3PyObPl5MGlpXupWNPGTxmUfCwnfWjvkx7/s400/IMG_1768.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The game:<br />
This month's game is a simple name guess. We have chosen the name for our little guy and I invite you to make your guess as to what we have chosen. Anyone who guesses the name correctly will be entered into a drawing. PLEASE NOTE: If you are friends with me on Facebook or in real life you might already know his name. That does not mean you can't participate. There will be a separate drawing for you. So if you know his name, instead of entering a guess, just write "I already know his name :)" and I will enter you in the separate drawing. The hint for his name is in the photo above.<br />
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The prize:<br />
This prize was inspired by receiving blankets. When I was in the states shopping for my little one I felt that there weren't many options for receiving blankets. In fact I think there were only two different packs/patterns at Target/Walmart. I decided it would be a lot cuter, and more fun, to make my own. <br />
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Ready for baby.</div>
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So I went to Joann Fabrics and picked out a few different patterns that I liked. I had looked at the normal receiving blanket size on a pack of them at Walmart. However after a little research when I got home I read that several moms recommend a larger size. Because of this I was only able to make one blanket out of each of the fabrics I bought for him. There was some material left over and I figured I would use it to make a few Bundle BeBes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeXbweqWjL-MQzK-jTdMeYi4Zxlm6Chyphenhyphenxnt6bwIn8RfojKopCAvjF9jbhGXxujavel7lltj38eCOaJg-jVYNb0plHRqr-27avigCifJ_7dGUlPe3Pbi55T2s7Pem6HUUzl4gGM8tC1zbXx/s1600/IMG_1756.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeXbweqWjL-MQzK-jTdMeYi4Zxlm6Chyphenhyphenxnt6bwIn8RfojKopCAvjF9jbhGXxujavel7lltj38eCOaJg-jVYNb0plHRqr-27avigCifJ_7dGUlPe3Pbi55T2s7Pem6HUUzl4gGM8tC1zbXx/s320/IMG_1756.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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But then I got an idea. How cute would it be to make a receiving/swaddling blanket that have their very own matching Bundle BeBe? I got to work sewing up a few different styles...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPhSesPNENY48EE0UUDYNnOGbSGLw0l-Nf48EhPQ7suonvSbZoUlWfwrEftKu_5Jep_lQvBe1gXy5A0CbeB3t64VIajBMNS1BGmQnmr9QA4vXsF3VVvlFC6DMGJMK9TV_xByKZ3OqNqtQz/s1600/IMG_1712.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPhSesPNENY48EE0UUDYNnOGbSGLw0l-Nf48EhPQ7suonvSbZoUlWfwrEftKu_5Jep_lQvBe1gXy5A0CbeB3t64VIajBMNS1BGmQnmr9QA4vXsF3VVvlFC6DMGJMK9TV_xByKZ3OqNqtQz/s400/IMG_1712.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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...and voila! Here are the completed sets. The two on top are just examples. They will actually be my baby's blankets. The Bundle BeBes however are available alone in my shop <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/bebebabiesmexico/search?search_query=limited+edition&order=date_desc&view_type=gallery&ref=shop_search" target="_blank">here</a>. I think these sets would make the perfect baby shower gift or an anytime baby gift. They also would be great for reborns or other collectible dolls. The only down side is that making the blanket uses a lot of material. I'm not sure if I will be making any sets for my shop yet because I don't want to use up all of my material. The blankets are about 43 by 41 inches.</div>
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The bottom two are going to be the giveaways in this month's contest!</div>
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Here is the first one. It is pink with little white buttons printed on it. </div>
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And this one is blue with orange mushrooms.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj516LMHIfEEXa1_bEsoc5GGUB1REokYQyRuCA08100FVvagBJ5PWtXUTIEdrZ8Dphq3X0aFmfAcoLpDCIBYBLC92EZJ4IycvfjsqSkXs1dQDzuKzq9QHpyDDQoZ8wiFe8b1iGm4B7SVBoQ/s1600/IMG_1723.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj516LMHIfEEXa1_bEsoc5GGUB1REokYQyRuCA08100FVvagBJ5PWtXUTIEdrZ8Dphq3X0aFmfAcoLpDCIBYBLC92EZJ4IycvfjsqSkXs1dQDzuKzq9QHpyDDQoZ8wiFe8b1iGm4B7SVBoQ/s320/IMG_1723.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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How to enter:</div>
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There are several ways for you to enter as well as earn additional entries. But FIRST you must not forget to guess my baby's name. Here's how to enter your guess:</div>
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-Post a comment here on this blog with your guess.</div>
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-Post a comment with your guess on the Facebook giveaway post <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/BeBe-Babies-and-Friends/205477992801561" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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-Email me at (bebebabiescom@yahoo.com) or message me on Facebook with your guess.</div>
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-Basically find a way to send me your guess!</div>
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If you want to earn an additional <span style="font-size: x-large;">5</span> entries here is how (earn an additional 5 for each task completed):</div>
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-Post a link to this blog post on your Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or other social networking site.</div>
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-Share the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/BeBe-Babies-and-Friends/205477992801561?ref=hl" target="_blank">BeBe Babies and Friends Facebook page</a> on your personal Facebook.</div>
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-Check out either of the two BeBe Babies shops and tell me which is your favorite BeBe Baby listed. <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/bebebabiesmexico?ref=hdr_shop_menu" target="_blank">BeBe Babies Mexico is here</a> and <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/casienipper?ref=search_shop_redirect" target="_blank">BeBe Babies USA is here</a>.</div>
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-Share one of the BeBe Baby Etsy shops on your Facebook or other social networking site.</div>
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-Share the <a href="http://www.bebebabies.com/" target="_blank">BeBe Babies website</a> on your Facebook or other social networking site.</div>
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The Rules:</div>
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If you do one of the additional tasks please let me know somehow (tag me on the post, email me the link, etc). I need to verify that it was actually done.</div>
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You can only guess ONE time. If you send me multiple names I will only count the first one you send. </div>
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The contest will run for 1 week, starting today May 20 and ending May 27. I will draw the winners on Thursday May 28. </div>
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I hope you have fun sharing with me this special time in my life. I can't wait to plan next month's event! Be sure to stay tuned...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCKnE_TL9gaxT34m1P0Ovg1yCervZP2wSOIN_VzGoQq3BeWuyipJtZR9fE1yeZ3N5AQC80AkRo-6uH8yxBwfIHFD5kc7TFfokAwwH6AxcTpyj54EoqlQrh3QZpoLYofO1csAWsZSjvclWk/s1600/IMG_1770.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCKnE_TL9gaxT34m1P0Ovg1yCervZP2wSOIN_VzGoQq3BeWuyipJtZR9fE1yeZ3N5AQC80AkRo-6uH8yxBwfIHFD5kc7TFfokAwwH6AxcTpyj54EoqlQrh3QZpoLYofO1csAWsZSjvclWk/s400/IMG_1770.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />BeBe Babieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16496544754397176523noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074572809631057830.post-73857320246771550132015-04-29T12:27:00.000-07:002015-04-29T12:54:35.805-07:00Facebook's Boost Post Promote Feature ReviewIf you own a business it is imperative that you have a Facebook page dedicated to it. You can find the BeBe Babies and Friends Facebook page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/BeBe-Babies-and-Friends/205477992801561?ref=hl" target="_blank">here</a> in case you are unfamiliar with what I'm talking about. Some artists use a Facebook personal page as their business page, but I wouldn't recommend it. The reason is because Facebook offers many tools that you can utilize on your business page that you can't on a personal page.<br />
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Right now I only pay attention to my "likes" statistics page, as well as how many people each of my posts reach. I also pay attention to comments and likes of each post of course. I am hoping to do some research over the following weeks to find out how I can use the Facebook statistics in a more productive way. Because while I understand that more "likes" and more people "reached" means something, I don't really know how to analyze the data to tell me something useful. I'll let you know what I discover along the way.<br />
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For today though I would like to share with you my experience and results using the Facebook promote tool for the first time. While I was in the US I was working hard to re-open and stock the <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/casienipper?ref=search_shop_redirect" target="_blank">BeBe Babies USA shop</a> as well as get the word out that the shop had re-opened. I had noticed that when I posted on Facebook in the past it would ask me if I would like to "boost my post". I had clicked on it previously but realized that it was a paid service, and I generally don't like to pay for things I'm not sure will produce profitable results.<br />
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However seeing as I wouldn't be in the US long, and not very often at that, I decided to give it a go. There are several options you can chose to target your audience as well as limit the cost and days your "boost" is running. I chose to target people who like my page and their friends, as well as the countries USA, United Kingdom and Australia, because that is where the majority of my customers live.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVD1rlBWAUMs1GfkEoCqA7jey7HCRkV1eL02rrnaXtoNk80asyIlRKy2sMtYy27cyV_3hakFXEYqQlEqWcG3T-2CJP0qcPHEeHXWXpmUIl8RysK6Js2ToEeTOjC_WYFSgYF9utjJrms5MH/s1600/Screen+shot+2015-04-22+at+12.09.13+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVD1rlBWAUMs1GfkEoCqA7jey7HCRkV1eL02rrnaXtoNk80asyIlRKy2sMtYy27cyV_3hakFXEYqQlEqWcG3T-2CJP0qcPHEeHXWXpmUIl8RysK6Js2ToEeTOjC_WYFSgYF9utjJrms5MH/s1600/Screen+shot+2015-04-22+at+12.09.13+PM.png" height="202" width="400" /></a></div>
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It looks like this.</div>
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Next you chose your price. I went with $20 for 2 days.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnjaJAaAjhJO9-fP-B_EFqUH-xZO57_lHRicI5XA_wpPWLPYupC32gNGM-w-1TG5bvMR9guTaKp6cp57tOMNvdvsahh0ZTt9-iVb7ax0cnDKt9Q-EroK37W-si4_knJ7G9ykW3zJjmOfzx/s1600/Screen+shot+2015-04-22+at+12.10.31+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnjaJAaAjhJO9-fP-B_EFqUH-xZO57_lHRicI5XA_wpPWLPYupC32gNGM-w-1TG5bvMR9guTaKp6cp57tOMNvdvsahh0ZTt9-iVb7ax0cnDKt9Q-EroK37W-si4_knJ7G9ykW3zJjmOfzx/s1600/Screen+shot+2015-04-22+at+12.10.31+PM.png" height="243" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA3DpspcFtjM0Qkk8A65bT7A79C4YDmHwapwZgo3pygVFKqfkt1oj73S79vsWKu1GWcAtvHtx-LtZO1Cv4FymTU35UqSCutJirTO0MaQDeM2aTV8Tng7XnMnI-Fj-Wj69RvX2pqEFDD6Xp/s1600/Screen+shot+2015-04-22+at+12.11.04+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA3DpspcFtjM0Qkk8A65bT7A79C4YDmHwapwZgo3pygVFKqfkt1oj73S79vsWKu1GWcAtvHtx-LtZO1Cv4FymTU35UqSCutJirTO0MaQDeM2aTV8Tng7XnMnI-Fj-Wj69RvX2pqEFDD6Xp/s1600/Screen+shot+2015-04-22+at+12.11.04+PM.png" height="255" width="320" /></a></div>
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Each selection that you change tells you the amount of people you should reach with that configuration. I believe my reach was estimated at 3,500-9,200 people. The post I chose to "boost" was a group of photos of brand new and available dolls. I had four different dolls available. The important thing to note here is that you are paying to promote one post, not your entire page. Here are the statistical results of my boost via Facebook.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6sgN99DT32-zjlD3HP7D5k3A7f2dPq0MJUt5uoFRMHXVDVyqQcJQjx6w8f0A8aA9Fouzwp_mR5mTRkyfJidgepNHbR0PcaxRPB-eA5wt1bj502r0IzxkuHoUMbiX7BtcLz0D7Aq3bwu3q/s1600/Screen+shot+2015-04-24+at+6.49.03+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6sgN99DT32-zjlD3HP7D5k3A7f2dPq0MJUt5uoFRMHXVDVyqQcJQjx6w8f0A8aA9Fouzwp_mR5mTRkyfJidgepNHbR0PcaxRPB-eA5wt1bj502r0IzxkuHoUMbiX7BtcLz0D7Aq3bwu3q/s1600/Screen+shot+2015-04-24+at+6.49.03+PM.png" height="183" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkWvO_t-xSVBPc4jiySawNFUSRuuz_G3ssRMM7HvbBLOrKvh-fHawG-CD145RoJmGn6QyQEBX3nB1eDJWuJb13HBFm1NkWvPQKdInD_5TA7VWaprWpGAVTxPaMcMAFGXY1sixiSult2bNv/s1600/Screen+shot+2015-04-24+at+6.50.05+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkWvO_t-xSVBPc4jiySawNFUSRuuz_G3ssRMM7HvbBLOrKvh-fHawG-CD145RoJmGn6QyQEBX3nB1eDJWuJb13HBFm1NkWvPQKdInD_5TA7VWaprWpGAVTxPaMcMAFGXY1sixiSult2bNv/s1600/Screen+shot+2015-04-24+at+6.50.05+PM.png" height="153" width="400" /></a></div>
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I "reached" 5,466 people which is pretty amazing considering on average I reach about 300 people per post. I also had 141 likes on the post, and, while it varies, I have never had more than 100. I also added nearly 100 new page likes in 2 days.</div>
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Now who cares about all these statistics? Like me you are probably thinking, did anything sell as a result of this advertisement? Did you make any money??</div>
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Well let me tell you friends I most certainly did. I sold every doll in the post as well as added 4 orders on top of that. For me that was several hundred dollars profit. Well worth the $20 investment.</div>
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Now obviously this tool could get expensive if you wanted to use it all the time. Also there might be different configurations to try to maximize the results. I would recommend only boosting posts that could lead to direct sales. For example, posts of available dolls, preferably when you have more than one doll. I am hoping to try this tool again in the near future, once I have something really good to share. </div>
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Another thing on my mind is the results <i>after</i> the boost. I have noticed that my traffic has increased overall, but only slightly. For the most part my stats have returned to their normal rate. I haven't noticed an increase in sales since the boost, and posts after the boost haven't increased much in likes or "reaches". So while I'm thrilled with the results of the paid advertisement, I would like to see a much larger sustained increase. This will be something to seriously consider before making the decision to pay for this service again.</div>
BeBe Babieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16496544754397176523noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074572809631057830.post-4740323186430739322015-04-15T12:31:00.002-07:002015-04-15T12:33:14.490-07:00Etsy Wholesale Review Update and Pricing Your Products for WholesaleRemember <a href="http://bebebabies.blogspot.mx/2014/11/etsy-wholesale-review.html" target="_blank">my last update on my Etsy wholesale</a> account? Well I got a lovely message from a lady on Etsy who said she found my blog when she googled "etsy wholesale reviews". See, I told you there wasn't a lot of real info out there. Also it feels so great that people are finding and reading my blog! Well her and I got into quite a long conversation as she had a bunch of questions, so I thought it might be nice to give you a little update as well as address her questions publicly. I figured some of you might have the same questions. But please keep in mind that I am no expert. I am just sharing with you my results and what I have been doing so far. I know there is a lot more for me to learn as well.<br />
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Ok first my results...<br />
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I was accepted by Etsy wholesale in November 2014. I immediately had a sale and a total of 4 wholesale purchases in November. I averaged one a week in November. I was very happy with the immediate results. However I was a little suspicious that these sales were probably a result of the Christmas holiday that was coming up.<br />
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December I had no wholesale orders but on January 1 I got one order as well as one more in that month. February I had no sales and in March I had one. This month I have had nothing so far. To summarize:<br />
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November: 4<br />
December: 0<br />
January: 2<br />
February: 0<br />
March: 1<br />
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Now I can't say that I am unhappy. I think these are good sales, and one was a repeat buyer, so that is great. However I need a lot more than this to turn this into a full-time job. I did a lot of fabric buying while I was in the US so I will be working over the next few weeks to update my wholesale line sheet with new patterns and hopefully new designs as well. I will keep you posted. But for now I will share with you the questions and answers by the lovely lady on Etsy who contacted me. I am going to post parts of the actual conversation to make it easier to follow along.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #ebf6f9; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Hi Casie! </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #ebf6f9; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">I just read your blog post from back in 2014. I've also been looking into etsy wholesale and haven't been able to find "real" reviews! Do you still recommend it? I opened my shop back in November and have been turning it into a full time gig. I am very interested, but want to hear first hand from an etsy seller. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #ebf6f9; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Thank you sooo much for your time! Im sure you are beyond busy!</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #ebf6f9; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">E.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #ebf6f9; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #f5f5f1; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Hi E!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f5f5f1; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Awesome to hear someone reads my blog other than my Mom ha ha. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f5f5f1; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">It definitely was worth it for me at first. You have to pay a $100 one-time membership fee and I earned that back pretty quickly. However I think because I joined right before Christmas I received quite a few orders right away(average one a week for 2 months). Since the first of the year, however, I have only had a handful (I would have to check but I think it's only been 2-3). </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f5f5f1; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">I still would say it's definitely worth it, but I haven't exactly figured out the formula for consistent sales yet. I actually was in the US recently and bought a lot of new fabrics. Now that I'm home I'm hoping to get my wholesale page updated and refreshed.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f5f5f1; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Anyway feel free to ask me anything you like! I hope it helps. :)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f5f5f1; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Casie</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #ebf6f9; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Casie,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #ebf6f9; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Thank you sooo much for replying! So I've been making a wholesale sheet to take to local boutiques and I think the lowest I can do is between 25-30%. Is that low enough that you think wholesale buyers will purchase?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #ebf6f9; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">What kind of buyers are buying from you? Boutiques? Conpanies? Local shops? I'm just so curious! </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #ebf6f9; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Last question, is there a lot of competition or have a lot of shops not joined? </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #ebf6f9; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Thank you thank you!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #ebf6f9; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">E.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #ebf6f9; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #f5f5f1; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">E,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f5f5f1; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">No problem!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f5f5f1; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">I totally understand your pricing dilemma. In general you should be offering 50% off your retail price to wholesale accounts. I have offered 40% for consignment in the past although I don't do consignment anymore because in my opinion there is too much risk and too much work to follow up on.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f5f5f1; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Even though nearly every site or business model you see will tell you 50% minimum, I believe there is always leeway for handmade businesses. And also it is your business so you can determine your pricing any way you want. The business will accept or they won't. One thing to consider though is that I believe Etsy wholesale requires it to be at least 50% so if you apply to sell with them you won't be able to use your %20-30 pricing.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f5f5f1; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Also remember a couple of other things:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f5f5f1; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">1. You pricing might work for local stores because they don't have to worry about shipping. However that isn't a very big margin for a shop that has to pay for shipping on top of the cost of your items. They might not be able to make enough for it to be worth it for them to buy.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f5f5f1; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">2. If you have different pricing for different situations you might run into future problems. For example if you only give a local store a %20 discount and the store goes online and finds they can get %50 off from you through Etsy they might not like that. In general the advice is to always keep your pricing consistent in all venues. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f5f5f1; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">So what can you do? You have some options. You can go with the pricing you want and see what happens, or you can raise your prices so that you can bear a %50 wholesale price. Don't be scared to raise your prices to a reasonable price. Most people who are scared to do this find that after they do, they don't lose business and in most cases increase their sales.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f5f5f1; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">All of my wholesale accounts have been small independent shops/boutiques in the USA and Australia.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f5f5f1; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">There are a lot of shops on Etsy wholesale but the competition depends on your market. For example I make dolls for children and the market is really small which is a big benefit for me. If your market is something like jewelry supplies you will have a lot more competition. As I said I haven't figured Etsy wholesale out that well and I still need to do some more research on how to get noticed and stand out.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f5f5f1; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Casie</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #ebf6f9; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Ohmgsh! Thank you for all of the wonderful advice!! I truly appreciate it! Many blessings to you, your shop, & blog!!! :)</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #ebf6f9; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">E.</span></span>
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If you have any of your own questions feel free to message me on <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/bebebabiesmexico?ref=hdr_shop_menu" target="_blank">Etsy</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/BeBe-Babies-and-Friends/205477992801561?ref=hl" target="_blank">Facebook</a> or send me an email at bebebabiescom@yahoo.com I will continue to post updates as I learn more as well as all the other advice I can think of. Thanks for reading!<br />
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BeBe Babieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16496544754397176523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074572809631057830.post-53894697600730168632015-04-08T23:21:00.001-07:002015-04-08T23:21:16.686-07:00Big AnnouncementsI have a lot of blog posts coming up I promise. I know I have been neglecting the blog and that really must stop. So on my real last night in the US before I return to my home in Mexico, I thought I would make the big announcement as well as tell you what's been happening. <br />
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<a href="http://bebebabies.blogspot.mx/2014/05/whats-happening.html" target="_blank">Remember when I said</a> I didn't know when I was going to be a mommy and I would sometimes panic about it? Well my boyfriend and I are expecting!! I am a little over 5 months pregnant and we are so excited. There is going to be a real BeBe in the house very soon. And it's a boy! I have a new line of dolls coming up soon that I'm so excited to work on. The line will be called BeBe Boys, or BeBes for Boys, I haven't decided yet. I'm very inspired by my upcoming arrival.<br />
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I'm not the type of person who thinks boys can't have dolls, but most of my dolls are very girly or in very girly colors, and I don't want his life saturated with that. Plus I love monsters and superheros which will be some of the BeBe Boys themes.<br />
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I'm in the US right now visiting my family and friends for the last time before the baby arrives. We had my baby shower last weekend. It was awesome! Here's a little look at the food and festivities.<br />
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Homemade monster cupcakes</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxpVIvLgoDGlk0XESmak_KzPvDk90FyARIdWcsgPCSjVEGT5p5bmyjSUZArbOB5pu4Em6bLPQvIeur1UW7soGajIJfvqFMLBI5VNDQ7w4TuzX2McAA_pvTnM0HE7js4JEN_siU93Vu4PsL/s1600/IMG_1367.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxpVIvLgoDGlk0XESmak_KzPvDk90FyARIdWcsgPCSjVEGT5p5bmyjSUZArbOB5pu4Em6bLPQvIeur1UW7soGajIJfvqFMLBI5VNDQ7w4TuzX2McAA_pvTnM0HE7js4JEN_siU93Vu4PsL/s1600/IMG_1367.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Pretty spring snack table</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6RhdiKiGqlPsGO0zzEVHivHOihyO1NWBs7Pg8arDSGHveYS-r-NR9Z98GuQZDxOkii3_UCKYZLx9DzMJUiypr1pU2z6Nd-fKcvDtie-5Td8xmBrqO07NhPxfAdaheby2np460mt_rknr3/s1600/IMG_1376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6RhdiKiGqlPsGO0zzEVHivHOihyO1NWBs7Pg8arDSGHveYS-r-NR9Z98GuQZDxOkii3_UCKYZLx9DzMJUiypr1pU2z6Nd-fKcvDtie-5Td8xmBrqO07NhPxfAdaheby2np460mt_rknr3/s1600/IMG_1376.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Onesie decorating</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR__1nRhCz5MZK61G0Q5skoJiX6iDYbk6GrTITyH2C8DbQldCVEgy2aojZmO7MlKxwkpzEJBXqE9eFlHY0gVwSB6vDfWHgm7MuXH9qrkZItBNWhIF2j0a7__qUg0nWRoxB8-ZpAK3uhtNC/s1600/IMG_1414.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR__1nRhCz5MZK61G0Q5skoJiX6iDYbk6GrTITyH2C8DbQldCVEgy2aojZmO7MlKxwkpzEJBXqE9eFlHY0gVwSB6vDfWHgm7MuXH9qrkZItBNWhIF2j0a7__qUg0nWRoxB8-ZpAK3uhtNC/s1600/IMG_1414.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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The shower was a family party because most of my friends are men. Everyone brought their partners and children. My Mom and I bought cheap outdoor toys for the kids and everyone had a blast. It was perfect.</div>
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One of my nephews</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs3wkTiHN7GCDRf2G2OSZTvthu18f3J6LJlcLjhTKjpABmSJS-iAqH4Rn1vkAYM4PBwpIGXWJD6SrVWskoL6RjO6YI2L2ido7xu8H1cH04ORTP07xqaLPhAeyHP0eblG9n2RNEuOCF97OO/s1600/IMG_1398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs3wkTiHN7GCDRf2G2OSZTvthu18f3J6LJlcLjhTKjpABmSJS-iAqH4Rn1vkAYM4PBwpIGXWJD6SrVWskoL6RjO6YI2L2ido7xu8H1cH04ORTP07xqaLPhAeyHP0eblG9n2RNEuOCF97OO/s1600/IMG_1398.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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The other big announcement is that the BeBe Babies USA shop has been reopened. You can find it <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/casienipper?ref=hdr_shop_menu" target="_blank">here</a>. I decided to reopen the USA shop because shipping from Mexico takes about 4 weeks and that can be very difficult for my customers. I'm hoping to restock the USA shop periodically throughout the year, either when I visit, or by shipping large groups of dolls to my Mom. She handles all of the shipping as the dolls sell, and she does a great job. I've been working on a few dolls while I've been here but all of them have been adopted from Facebook. Be sure to like <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/BeBe-Babies-and-Friends/205477992801561?ref=hl" target="_blank">BeBe Babies on Facebook</a> to have first choice of available BeBes before they are listed on Etsy. Many of my dolls are adopted on Facebook before they even get to my shop.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkqGO6ghR-ouG5LzhiqSXWS17F2UN-2oqAtlU4966FqGUI65Bg-vf-IA7UscMcDzA1hFFBpkqBI0mOvMN4cjQvXa-K8V2GBMIn2jQ3_-0ZJZNFMT9AltmMXX4j222J_EnMQQQwWDLJk-x4/s1600/IMG_1505.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkqGO6ghR-ouG5LzhiqSXWS17F2UN-2oqAtlU4966FqGUI65Bg-vf-IA7UscMcDzA1hFFBpkqBI0mOvMN4cjQvXa-K8V2GBMIn2jQ3_-0ZJZNFMT9AltmMXX4j222J_EnMQQQwWDLJk-x4/s1600/IMG_1505.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSyV5-246CfSNn39XAzVsrcLQVu1EVZ4TDE5RUDmndp7CAipTUmuoYusnffhJSnKPv1wYmOAcse5fBihwANOiwkgnyVExPE6QJ3FYTsCDcO7T9ZkxSpATq744wuaH1zJ5wTe3YnAEROJDH/s1600/IMG_1480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSyV5-246CfSNn39XAzVsrcLQVu1EVZ4TDE5RUDmndp7CAipTUmuoYusnffhJSnKPv1wYmOAcse5fBihwANOiwkgnyVExPE6QJ3FYTsCDcO7T9ZkxSpATq744wuaH1zJ5wTe3YnAEROJDH/s1600/IMG_1480.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Just yesterday I bought a Facebook ad as I've been contemplating if it would be successful or not. I can't wait to share the results with you in my next post...BeBe Babieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16496544754397176523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074572809631057830.post-16191084446241045322015-03-18T21:41:00.000-07:002015-03-19T09:31:43.007-07:00More Copycats...Sigh...<br />
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I really hate copycats. I really hate when I see a doll that is supposed to be like one of mine pop up on the internet. It's so FRUStrating. <br />
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Here's the deal.<br />
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On March 6 I posted photos of my newest one of a kind doll Brenda on Facebook. The first comment, which I have since deleted, was by Damaris Rodriguez Sierra. You can see the person on the left side of this photo as she posted on my page the day before. Her comment was that Brenda was beautiful.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWt9oe020BNOSVY_q17wRQRGdErxW20eYRtthGqd2nHz5eO-BOSTx_zVYI1IU3oXUyTOJuH0czi7Y-gY6PWoxSjZK_IZHDiVr9w4qgd4mRnpSsNUdbl6oPWzPl-zxJlfxB_WCJ9Wp-NSVC/s1600/Screen+shot+2015-03-18+at+9.07.44+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWt9oe020BNOSVY_q17wRQRGdErxW20eYRtthGqd2nHz5eO-BOSTx_zVYI1IU3oXUyTOJuH0czi7Y-gY6PWoxSjZK_IZHDiVr9w4qgd4mRnpSsNUdbl6oPWzPl-zxJlfxB_WCJ9Wp-NSVC/s1600/Screen+shot+2015-03-18+at+9.07.44+PM.png" height="250" width="400" /></a></div>
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Several days later she posted this doll to one of the doll groups that I am also a member of.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV2TcEJNGY7tjp00orl9g7wk-9FenYTVLNVFdeJ_vUL83sZwVF2D51N4msuUH7axu0rZgpXRfN9RLybbZrQr41ChgklfsOEnt5S1Cr5bv7xvhCWhNeyvYtFzSHN34308bXA2bKGW1VDusU/s1600/Screen+shot+2015-03-11+at+8.42.12+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV2TcEJNGY7tjp00orl9g7wk-9FenYTVLNVFdeJ_vUL83sZwVF2D51N4msuUH7axu0rZgpXRfN9RLybbZrQr41ChgklfsOEnt5S1Cr5bv7xvhCWhNeyvYtFzSHN34308bXA2bKGW1VDusU/s1600/Screen+shot+2015-03-11+at+8.42.12+PM.png" height="250" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxBaOeVagbAmDvI_1oiGkSyShEUbtJnUGmhId0g63aqGsbhXP4r-e_sip8vTL3sGr6kvVIhzIOfJ6MdQflTkcEey_tmCqRXLjm0T53ygMm3u6k_l8c1EYbaYIGzV9keswGvNXm0-6tWiST/s1600/Screen+shot+2015-03-11+at+8.42.06+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxBaOeVagbAmDvI_1oiGkSyShEUbtJnUGmhId0g63aqGsbhXP4r-e_sip8vTL3sGr6kvVIhzIOfJ6MdQflTkcEey_tmCqRXLjm0T53ygMm3u6k_l8c1EYbaYIGzV9keswGvNXm0-6tWiST/s1600/Screen+shot+2015-03-11+at+8.42.06+PM.png" height="250" width="400" /></a></div>
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Now normally I don't get all up in arms about these types of things. There are many people who make baby dolls and there are only so many ways to represent a baby. However this doll was an obvious attempt to <i>copy</i> BeBe Babies look and style. Also she names the doll "Bebe April" (now fair enough, "baby" in Spanish is "bebe", but still). I also don't really get upset about this when the doll is for a personal collection, but in the comments of her post she says she is working on a price for the doll to sell it. That is just not ok. </div>
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Now a quick message to the owner of the doll group and the post was removed. I dropped it. I didn't send a message to the poster and I didn't file a copyright claim. Fast forward to 20 min ago.</div>
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This woman posted another photo to the same doll group. This time it is too much. Here is "her" new doll.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCi_JQovc-zepU2oFP40oMKLvAeU6daaPKoP3HdmM5WYFk9u5xTwTFSB1_Z3oerRL6CwnAO5-8CMnxwadsWAuWtww5i3BktxYZLaiJx6hmBs8ZW-W1CcRhRTixcNctb2kNFH3ZWVI5HSzU/s1600/Screen+shot+2015-03-18+at+9.17.47+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCi_JQovc-zepU2oFP40oMKLvAeU6daaPKoP3HdmM5WYFk9u5xTwTFSB1_Z3oerRL6CwnAO5-8CMnxwadsWAuWtww5i3BktxYZLaiJx6hmBs8ZW-W1CcRhRTixcNctb2kNFH3ZWVI5HSzU/s1600/Screen+shot+2015-03-18+at+9.17.47+PM.png" height="250" width="400" /></a></div>
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Look familiar?</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bebe-babiescom/2306567738/in/photolist-4vPLeh-6p6SrQ-rnDMSJ-jeJW3i-8fR19A-kg6YWg-kg6ka6-mbQCVn-mbSeTL-rnDMrd-mbQC9n-mbRp14-9v7K8H-6p6Skh-cWjwjE-mbRfLD-rnDJjb-9vaKru-7KxmH5-6p2Jep-9v7JXx-6wTfjj-8A6n8q-7Kxgqh-8fR27f-6LMp2P-8CFsVi-dZLwtj-dZEQ5c-dZLwkQ-8fMJqT-6AAiYQ-7Ktp9T-8fR21y-7KwQX9-7KtiDZ-7Ktey6-6AAiZb-8CFt2Z-8CFsvD-9v7JRH-9vaK6b-9v7JBc-6AAj1y-r6aC6N-rnBNcp-r6hRig-qqXW7e-r6hT14-8fQYnQ" target="_blank">Purple BeBe Baby bunny Lulu March 2008</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXsaLZq2dU3IJvYru6Ej5_tpcRylSkLlLH8MYrg2RAlKrMg7OcrIoy99lEY3OmWUzA3CtnBbf4jm68b18DAB2fn0hNcfSy5ifxbKUI30zFuAqAfVUhGTKs6BgG-alDo8UNPXNPCmwYDCuP/s1600/2306567738_5e49ef834d_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXsaLZq2dU3IJvYru6Ej5_tpcRylSkLlLH8MYrg2RAlKrMg7OcrIoy99lEY3OmWUzA3CtnBbf4jm68b18DAB2fn0hNcfSy5ifxbKUI30zFuAqAfVUhGTKs6BgG-alDo8UNPXNPCmwYDCuP/s1600/2306567738_5e49ef834d_b.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bebe-babiescom/4762487848/in/photolist-8fQZHs-9vaK9w-dZEQgv-kg6XC4-4vKEDz-mbSnau-4vPLeh-6p6SrQ-rnDMSJ-jeJW3i-8fR19A-kg6YWg-kg6ka6-mbQCVn-mbSeTL-rnDMrd-mbQC9n-mbRp14-9v7K8H-6p6Skh-cWjwjE-mbRfLD-rnDJjb-9vaKru-7KxmH5-6p2Jep-9v7JXx-6wTfjj-8A6n8q-7Kxgqh-8fR27f-6LMp2P-8CFsVi-dZLwtj-dZEQ5c-dZLwkQ-8fMJqT-6AAiYQ-7Ktp9T-8fR21y-7KwQX9-7KtiDZ-7Ktey6-6AAiZb-8CFt2Z-8CFsvD-9v7JRH-9vaK6b-9v7JBc-6AAj1y" target="_blank">Pink BeBe Baby bunny July 2010</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bebe-babiescom/5580933488/sizes/l" target="_blank">Pink/green BeBe Baby bunny April 2011</a> (this one was included just to show you how it even seems she is attempting to copy the outdoor/plant look in my photo).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqBmFX1RW8UmEC_FpCgViY893-5zWXOl7yhRpEM_g7D6Q8x4ve-0c_q-ZiaXObQ5sJWTs8uRiCDRHagkLdxg20WeMBribhBm21HHpmckB1DEW91U_TwTDKtxDzYhf-RO8sMjSTA-WW1ExO/s1600/5580933488_e3d8c7abc0_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqBmFX1RW8UmEC_FpCgViY893-5zWXOl7yhRpEM_g7D6Q8x4ve-0c_q-ZiaXObQ5sJWTs8uRiCDRHagkLdxg20WeMBribhBm21HHpmckB1DEW91U_TwTDKtxDzYhf-RO8sMjSTA-WW1ExO/s1600/5580933488_e3d8c7abc0_b.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Please realize that artists work many years perfecting their own style and signature look. It is an insult to copy them. It is also against the law. I will be filing a claim with Facebook shortly, although I've never had to deal with them so I'm not sure how responsive they will be. </div>
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I have also sent a message to the creator of these frauds and commented on her recent post. You all know that I am a huge promoter of other doll artist's work. I would never shame a person for getting into the soft sculpture doll market, but this blatant copying is completely shameful. Every time it happens to me I feel sick for days. Copying is not flattery, it is theft.</div>
BeBe Babieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16496544754397176523noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074572809631057830.post-90941616244757774422015-03-01T19:35:00.001-08:002015-03-01T19:35:08.381-08:00Hippity Hop Easter's on its Way!I just wanted to pop in real quick to show you my complete series of miniature Easter BeBe Babies. This time around I decided to make a pre-order list for these dolls because as I shared the work in progress photos over the last couple months, I received a lot of messages from people interested in adopting them. Everyone was contacted in the order they were added to the list to choose their BeBe. It worked fairly well and three of the seven dolls were adopted. If you would like to get first dibs on future BeBe Babies be sure to "like" <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/BeBe-Babies-and-Friends/205477992801561?ref=hl" target="_blank">BeBe Babies and Friends </a>on Facebook.<br />
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The four remaining BeBes are listed on <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/bebebabiesmexico?ref=search_shop_redirect" target="_blank">Etsy</a>. You can find their direct links below.<br />
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All together</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5qOmqzjfi40O28qGa_Fu_zqPyOUDvWhidwW8cVzHNoSSIGypKzGP2XNJ5qqaW2g26p5QypbHaK4I3-D72b-HIhmyM0_xstIKowQYc2cyVWBO8WJiQxNxx5sMPrO6aDK0FL_pL95rM5oOt/s1600/IMG_1174.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5qOmqzjfi40O28qGa_Fu_zqPyOUDvWhidwW8cVzHNoSSIGypKzGP2XNJ5qqaW2g26p5QypbHaK4I3-D72b-HIhmyM0_xstIKowQYc2cyVWBO8WJiQxNxx5sMPrO6aDK0FL_pL95rM5oOt/s1600/IMG_1174.jpg" height="320" width="259" /></a></div>
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Fiona-Adopted</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDeETRspqTK2xfHzX9W0Ye9pRUZubGZtw1IzCLefNT1Iy6HQS8bHjwqKDflx1EX-3EwZ4L5EKb4l4nQg1v8X3xWEZy8AWjZTSF_FywZ1HmrhlF8VlPbKaAtY6MSqNrKA8eDbP1KN8X7sOp/s1600/IMG_1182.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDeETRspqTK2xfHzX9W0Ye9pRUZubGZtw1IzCLefNT1Iy6HQS8bHjwqKDflx1EX-3EwZ4L5EKb4l4nQg1v8X3xWEZy8AWjZTSF_FywZ1HmrhlF8VlPbKaAtY6MSqNrKA8eDbP1KN8X7sOp/s1600/IMG_1182.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Crystal- Adopted</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggCaggvvdI0dVslRoIyxZ6nxgP_n7fGyCH_yv5qRmUFwuEwiVz45yP1XwWXpne8CVcHNmy6POD7knA4ttYwas6pg7dYWFJzmKNIr0bOBbtdj717FVViW1usxkmM2xIfg8K9tYJsJhffzSA/s1600/IMG_1188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggCaggvvdI0dVslRoIyxZ6nxgP_n7fGyCH_yv5qRmUFwuEwiVz45yP1XwWXpne8CVcHNmy6POD7knA4ttYwas6pg7dYWFJzmKNIr0bOBbtdj717FVViW1usxkmM2xIfg8K9tYJsJhffzSA/s1600/IMG_1188.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/224585133/rose-a-one-of-a-kind-miniature-soft?ref=shop_home_feat_4" target="_blank">Rose- Available</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3VeOd4Kv-1eW1jGQaNLjDSzcHOGNFNM7Q1_AJe6xdMRFjbF9Vc27QkQaZ3XkjQktTDklldJlWxMpBPF-KKzT9QVJudN3xF3FVb8tnlPwdt6OWFUFzgFsFjSgHoE0KRNKWo_73rHqguvbc/s1600/IMG_1193.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3VeOd4Kv-1eW1jGQaNLjDSzcHOGNFNM7Q1_AJe6xdMRFjbF9Vc27QkQaZ3XkjQktTDklldJlWxMpBPF-KKzT9QVJudN3xF3FVb8tnlPwdt6OWFUFzgFsFjSgHoE0KRNKWo_73rHqguvbc/s1600/IMG_1193.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/224586339/ava-a-one-of-a-kind-miniature-soft?ref=listing-shop-header-0" target="_blank">Ava-Available</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ_dO7lHrggjSyNslxP3qzF9tn3NroEh-rE9_09Xpg0D-kZ9LZ4F7H7PDPwQ5-R7Sa4JTSTmTS-ioqUcUYDV_MPkerWrwyGIrU5UiPsa-IX7eyiT_enJw4QlB-wDm1CEdfmtTqv7_3JePP/s1600/IMG_1198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ_dO7lHrggjSyNslxP3qzF9tn3NroEh-rE9_09Xpg0D-kZ9LZ4F7H7PDPwQ5-R7Sa4JTSTmTS-ioqUcUYDV_MPkerWrwyGIrU5UiPsa-IX7eyiT_enJw4QlB-wDm1CEdfmtTqv7_3JePP/s1600/IMG_1198.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/224581360/logan-a-one-of-a-kind-miniature-soft?ref=listing-shop-header-1" target="_blank">Logan- Available</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9rAKs47dbS-xqnd8CreRlYyVRjAYnADrQJIsLZW3IvLY4wfsPB7v6yzoJNKHNJ6gEQkKBeTXxpB5wJOhmcT3KffDSASpKW7GKROng7RG3oAulH7nX2EtdumjDR3IRZouQEDMLAxLBQURw/s1600/IMG_1204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9rAKs47dbS-xqnd8CreRlYyVRjAYnADrQJIsLZW3IvLY4wfsPB7v6yzoJNKHNJ6gEQkKBeTXxpB5wJOhmcT3KffDSASpKW7GKROng7RG3oAulH7nX2EtdumjDR3IRZouQEDMLAxLBQURw/s1600/IMG_1204.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/224585407/mckenzie-a-one-of-a-kind-miniature-soft?ref=listing-shop-header-2" target="_blank">McKenzie- Available</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi69D53bvitQyZP0ceVMLEBwDmtfR4KS__mR35y_cGfaPMmS-CjM4335iIrGUtaDcg9WJ8JZWUkFpYn9LneSwRfNskeP793ZiTvBwzl-Ehz3qRGyU8vo4rTH0OmgzG2OZTTxqlqlmq7a0eg/s1600/IMG_1209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi69D53bvitQyZP0ceVMLEBwDmtfR4KS__mR35y_cGfaPMmS-CjM4335iIrGUtaDcg9WJ8JZWUkFpYn9LneSwRfNskeP793ZiTvBwzl-Ehz3qRGyU8vo4rTH0OmgzG2OZTTxqlqlmq7a0eg/s1600/IMG_1209.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Emmett-Adopted</div>
<br />BeBe Babieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16496544754397176523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074572809631057830.post-49381070755719289332015-02-23T08:46:00.000-08:002015-02-23T09:00:15.481-08:00How to Make a Million Dollars Selling On EtsyThe internet was all a-buzz last week with the story of the <a href="https://gma.yahoo.com/california-mom-says-she-grosses-least-70k-month-152400291--abc-news-personal-finance.html" target="_blank">California Mom who makes a million dollars</a> a year from her Etsy shop. I've been aware of her shop, <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/threebirdnest" target="_blank">Three Bird Nest</a>, for quite some time, because, did you know you can search for the top Etsy sellers on this site called <a href="http://craftcount.com/" target="_blank">Craftcount</a>? Well you can, and it's worth a look. I remember the first time I browsed Craftcount. I was, on the one hand fascinated, and on the other hand discouraged. I was discouraged because the "top sellers" on Etsy sell supplies. The top "handmade" sellers sell downloads, patterns, and/or t-shirts, mugs and buttons with cheesy sayings on them. In my opinion the top sellers on Etsy do not really sell anything handmade (<i>in general</i>).<br />
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That brings us to Three Bird Nest. Beautiful photos, cohesive styling, and modern products make it easy to see why people are drawn to the shop. As I'm sure you know, if you have been reading my blog, shops like these are something to be analysed. My method of analyzing the competition is a little different than how some on the Internet choose to investigate *ah hem* I mean analyze. <br />
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As with any success story there are those who will come out in droves to poo poo the good fortune of others, and that is where the drama begins...<br />
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The first article that I saw pop up in my Facebook was this one titled <a href="http://indieuntangled.com/make-1m-year-selling-knitting-successful-etsy-importer/" target="_blank">"The Myth of Three Bird Nest" or "How One Woman Makes Almost $1 Million a Year on Etsy"</a>. Ooooh I thought. What is the myth? She doesn't really make that much money? No my friends, that is not the myth the article speaks of, because in fact it would seem the owner of Three Bird Nest does earn that much from her Etsy shop. No the myth was that her stuff is not handmade. Gasp! Cough! Blasphemy! Crafters of the world are crossing their knitting needles and kneeling at their sewing machines.<br />
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Ok people are upset. Etsy is a site to sell <i>handmade</i> items (and supplies and vintage). It would appear that Three Bird Nest is buying <a href="http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Women-Lace-Knit-Boot-Cuff-crochet-boot-topper-faux-legwarmers-sock-tops-knit-leg-warmers/32250508449.html" target="_blank">socks made in China</a> and selling them as <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/93628068/boot-socks-taupe-knitted-lace-trim?ref=shop_home_active_9" target="_blank">handmade on Etsy</a>. They have been reported as adding the lace and/or buttons, but most believe that isn't sufficient or even entirely true. You decide.<br />
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<a href="http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Women-Lace-Knit-Boot-Cuff-crochet-boot-topper-faux-legwarmers-sock-tops-knit-leg-warmers/32250508449.html" target="_blank">China Socks</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwhOzFnGPRjkWM2XSleeHYsEfvuvvliNj0kax63vYvjbb9rGzqdjRh0tKQcd-0tP2ItvbPVY7loKPlMZMquIUZ_VgpN5JnC5-v7c8HmqerUNIXJAG4dorieiMGt0WDIxJZeDwzt3sop45h/s1600/il_570xN.645036398_s2iw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwhOzFnGPRjkWM2XSleeHYsEfvuvvliNj0kax63vYvjbb9rGzqdjRh0tKQcd-0tP2ItvbPVY7loKPlMZMquIUZ_VgpN5JnC5-v7c8HmqerUNIXJAG4dorieiMGt0WDIxJZeDwzt3sop45h/s1600/il_570xN.645036398_s2iw.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/93628068/boot-socks-taupe-knitted-lace-trim?ref=shop_home_active_9" target="_blank">Three Bird Nest Socks</a></div>
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So why are people mad? People are mad because they are jealous. Ok I said it, and you can disagree with me, but let me tell you why.</div>
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1. It isn't fair!</div>
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The first argument that comes up is that Etsy is a site for handmade items, and because this woman is selling items that are not handmade, then it is not fair. Life isn't fair, I'm sure you've heard that. Well it's true, it isn't fair. It's Etsy's site and Etsy can do what they want with it. You can bang your head against the wall trying to change it but what's the point? It's a waste of time, and being all hurt that Etsy isn't your best crafty friend anymore won't bring back the relationship you thought you had with them.</div>
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2. Shops like Three Bird Nest devalue my work!</div>
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I read articles all the time about the problem with sellers underpricing their work and how that effects others who charge a fair price for similar work. Let's imagine you make knitted socks. I did a quick search and found this shop <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/GrietaKnits?ref=l2-shopheader-name" target="_blank">GrietaKnits</a>, who appears to make beautiful <i>handmade</i> knit socks. From my search I determined that her price ($50-$100) was reasonable, although most knitted socks on the first page were more around $35 (but not nearly as pretty). However I would NEVER pay that much for one pair socks. They are beautiful, and honestly I would love to have a pair, but it doesn't matter how much I like them, I am not in the position to spend that much on a pair of socks. I could however, maybe afford a pair from Three Bird Nest at around $28. </div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/174273954/luxurious-pastel-lavender-lilac-hand?ref=shop_home_active_24" target="_blank">A pair of GrietaKnits beautiful socks.</a></div>
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The conclusion by most crafters is that because Three Bird Nest has provided me a similar pair of socks at a lower price, then GrietaKnits has lost business, but that is not the case at all. I would NEVER buy a pair of socks for $50 even if all the socks in the world cost $50.</div>
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If you are running a business, then you should set your prices fairly, not for other crafters, but because it makes good business sense. What the rest of the world is selling similar items for shouldn't matter in your pricing structure, because it will always be a problem for you to overcome. Your customers will buy your items if they want to, or can afford it, whether or not another seller or Walmart for that matter, sells a cheaper version of it. I've been convinced in the past to buy a $500 doll, but I'll keep buying my socks at Walmart no matter what you do, because that is what I value. It's difficult to change the shopping values of people. You might think $500 is too much for a doll and I think $50 is too much for socks.</div>
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3. I have to wade through pages of crap to find what I want! </div>
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Really? And you blame this on stuff made in China? I generally have to wade through <i>handmade</i> crap to find anything good, let alone China. I never thought Etsy's search feature was very good at finding anything. I even thought maybe their site should be juried like <a href="http://indiecart.com/" target="_blank">IndieCart</a> a different site for selling handmade items. I generally find all my favorite shops via Facebook, craft shows, and/or friends. I don't think you are wading through China crap. I think you are just wading through crap. I would rather look at Three Bird Nest's beautiful photos then 90% of the other stuff on Etsy.</div>
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Of course there were many other comments and discussions about this, but most were too ridiculous to mention (and basically would fit under the "it's not fair" category). So what is the point? If you can't be outraged about it (or if you still are outraged about it) what can you do? Well I believe this article on Wired called <a href="http://www.wired.com/2015/02/etsy-not-good-for-crafters/" target="_blank">"How Etsy Alienated Its Crafters and Lost Its Soul" </a>can help you out. While I don't agree with some of the article, I do agree with the part titled "Successful Businesses Leave Etsy". It's been on my mind for a while since I've been having more sales off of Etsy, via my Facebook page. </div>
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The bottom line is that if your craft is a business then you want to make money, probably a lot of money. Don't be sour because it's difficult. Don't blame others because you aren't there yet. Those are excuses that are holding you back. If you want to make it big, you will eventually be outsourcing your work. Let's face it there is no way to make it rich, or even a decent living in the handmade world, as a one man/woman show. It is not possible. You have to produce on a large scale. You have to keep your prices low and your margins high. Hopefully that doesn't mean undervaluing your work or undermining your ethics, but focus on how you can be successful within your company's limitations.</div>
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And finally, the advice I keep giving over and over: You should not be relying on Etsy to find your customers. I have always seen my Etsy shop as a service to process transactions and display my work. The few customers that come about through Etsy's search engine are lovely, but few. If you want to sell your work you have to bring the customers to your shop plain and simple. As soon as you stop relying on Etsy, and start working on your marketing, you will see that you never needed Etsy in the first place. At that point all this hoopla about what other people are doing will disappear.</div>
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*<a href="http://www.theverge.com/2015/2/18/8059835/how-to-make-money-on-etsy-buy-wholesale" target="_blank">Other article referenced </a>but not directly.</div>
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BeBe Babieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16496544754397176523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074572809631057830.post-25937742527422305442015-02-13T19:21:00.001-08:002015-02-13T19:22:10.165-08:00The Simplicity and the Complexity of Thalita Dol DollsIf you are skeptical about using Facebook to advertise your dolls now is the time to stop being skeptical and start using Facebook. I believe that right now in the world of marketing Facebook is number one. If you have to forget all those other sites you love to network on, just make sure you are using Facebook. I hope to write more in the future about how I use Facebook to sell my work, but for now I mention it because generally I find all the artists I feature on my blog via Facebook. I will just be minding my business, browsing along all the news updates, and then wow, a stunning doll will pop up on my feed. That's exactly what happened with <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/ThalitaDol?ref=search_shop_redirect" target="_blank">Thalita Dol</a>, and I immediately had to see more.<br />
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Located in Rio de Janeiro Brazil, Thalita Dol makes Waldorf inspired cloth dolls. I'm not sure what drew them to me at first, they looked so simple, but there was something so soft, so innocent under the surface. I do like Waldorf dolls in general, but sometimes they begin to all look the same to me. Thalita Dol really stood out in a big way.<br />
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As I did a little more research, as well as contacted Thalita to learn more, I found that these "simple" dolls were not so simple. Underneath the surface was a complex sculpting system. I was intrigued even more, and couldn't wait to learn more about this incredible doll artist. I hope you will stick around to see what she had to say about her sweet babies.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA0CXt4Sg-EMVCpmfk5VrFUWNFqs1uSthNMkghzRiby3Aen_pn7f4OjHP5PBWUumCH0_pM7eNt7eI-ra1SVhbc2Z3Im6eTi-cf6TaSQq194rnbdXp6i_9q8b_XqBH8o3U0q2brh6xHsjnX/s1600/il_570xN.701616539_coaf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA0CXt4Sg-EMVCpmfk5VrFUWNFqs1uSthNMkghzRiby3Aen_pn7f4OjHP5PBWUumCH0_pM7eNt7eI-ra1SVhbc2Z3Im6eTi-cf6TaSQq194rnbdXp6i_9q8b_XqBH8o3U0q2brh6xHsjnX/s1600/il_570xN.701616539_coaf.jpg" height="400" width="265" /></a></div>
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This was the first picture that truly had me over the moon with Thalita Dol.</div>
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<span style="background-color: #f5f5f1; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">1. When did you begin making cloth dolls? </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #ebf6f9; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I began making dolls when my oldest was little and I wanted special dolls for her. I always loved sewing and used to make clothes for her, as well as some stuffed animals, so sewing dolls seamed a lot of fun!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f5f5f1; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 21px;">2. Have you always made cloth dolls or have you made other types of dolls? </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #ebf6f9; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 21px;">My first attempt was a rag dolls from a <a href="http://www.weewonderfuls.com/store/" target="_blank">Wee Wonderfuls </a>pattern I had bought. Than I tried making my own patterns with the details I wished. Soon enough I found out the Waldorf dolls and totally fell in love with the Waldorf inspired universe.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxrzTjN8a8zKu-rerZvBqn0yLfc9E74hk4xvVF6oClVoLlJHl-I4DdgXkT2R7zxNIPqHVCkjdqCBKVC0dXVNAxSjon-oZhWwiEdjboZSDadM3PkwU2mFP56a82CisOqycMj3WrQ9sSc7TX/s1600/avela%CC%83+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxrzTjN8a8zKu-rerZvBqn0yLfc9E74hk4xvVF6oClVoLlJHl-I4DdgXkT2R7zxNIPqHVCkjdqCBKVC0dXVNAxSjon-oZhWwiEdjboZSDadM3PkwU2mFP56a82CisOqycMj3WrQ9sSc7TX/s1600/avela%CC%83+3.jpg" height="400" width="265" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #ebf6f9; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 21px;">I'm self taught. I started sewing doll clothes (always had some dolls of mine even before I had kids) and stuffed toys out of felt. I used to make them by hand. Than I got married and my husband got me a sewing machine as a gift for our first Christmas together. I soon got pregnant, and started making baby clothes. Mama sewing blogs helped me a lot in the beginning. Soon I started drafting my own patterns. I really love all of the process, from imagining, to creating patterns, than sewing and than admiring the magic of having in your hands something that was only in your mind before.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #ebf6f9; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 21px;">My advice is be yourself, don't be afraid of the process of trial and error, be unique and true to what you love.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfVZaqSiMJhTmKH2M2ArZilArxCX9pRIV2MVmE0udz0RxYYCThd-I-Ap5Kn9jekdZRIIQ3cCN-MJ5IS3al8NLqkY6l6xNbIvTta2K46lP7hH-gO7A0OTf5Mv5vf1YFl_y5_86MIMvHbJHy/s1600/wip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfVZaqSiMJhTmKH2M2ArZilArxCX9pRIV2MVmE0udz0RxYYCThd-I-Ap5Kn9jekdZRIIQ3cCN-MJ5IS3al8NLqkY6l6xNbIvTta2K46lP7hH-gO7A0OTf5Mv5vf1YFl_y5_86MIMvHbJHy/s1600/wip.jpg" height="400" width="265" /></a></div>
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Inside Thalita Dol there is a complex sculpting system. Just amazing.</div>
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<span style="background-color: #f5f5f1; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 21px;">5. Does anyone help you in the creation of your dolls?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #ebf6f9; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 21px;">No, but my cats like to steal my embroidery lines and my kids like to stay nearby while I sew =)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f5f5f1; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 21px;">6. Is making dolls just a hobby for you or a serious business? </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #ebf6f9; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 21px;">Well, a little of both. I enjoy it so much that it can be considered a hobby. I take it really serious, so it can be considered a business. But as a stay at home mom, I don't have much time on my hands, and because of that production is slow.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-e3dDp_CHrIHteY_OjxgQjfx_GzGaI8tWhrGdU73cV3jUkNRVi_u3FU1birGdzU371Qs-CqHkTAsaRi8wAl-W-nqbunemhsekod0ZOz7jsZJpPo2_-EFSlOTmCrABOVqIbM1AvpR-5XDw/s1600/_DSC0245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-e3dDp_CHrIHteY_OjxgQjfx_GzGaI8tWhrGdU73cV3jUkNRVi_u3FU1birGdzU371Qs-CqHkTAsaRi8wAl-W-nqbunemhsekod0ZOz7jsZJpPo2_-EFSlOTmCrABOVqIbM1AvpR-5XDw/s1600/_DSC0245.JPG" height="400" width="265" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f5f5f1; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">7. Do you belong to any doll clubs/groups/forums? </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #ebf6f9; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Oh, too many! I love chatting to other doll makers! Actually I first heard of doll making groups here on your blog, from the owner of Lali Dolls interview. Since than I have searched for those groups online and I'm much pleased to be able to do some dolly chatting.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f5f5f1; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">8. Where do you sell your dolls? Where can people buy them?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #ebf6f9; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I sell them on Etsy and on a Brazilian shop called Tanlup. I also have a Facebook page where I talk about the dolls and post WIP pictures.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkakIIctdhlBLeq9BHNH2RnROjCtLpxp6n4PAtEFFV0nSYVTzLuHncYkCcquO4hND3ASX7srm3Vcr-ni5fpq15euwTWHP3fCX10RfnIb_6tx4KMmpBk-EyRhHyjZYGplxX4igNGxHD-nRR/s1600/stela+e+marina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkakIIctdhlBLeq9BHNH2RnROjCtLpxp6n4PAtEFFV0nSYVTzLuHncYkCcquO4hND3ASX7srm3Vcr-ni5fpq15euwTWHP3fCX10RfnIb_6tx4KMmpBk-EyRhHyjZYGplxX4igNGxHD-nRR/s1600/stela+e+marina.jpg" height="400" width="265" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f5f5f1; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">9. Do you collect dolls yourself? </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #ebf6f9; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Yes I do! I don't have many, but my collection is growing. My most recent buy was a <a href="http://www.mariengold.net/english-2/" target="_blank">Mariengold</a> baby, and she is so sweet!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f5f5f1; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">10. Who are your favorite doll artists? </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #ebf6f9; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I really admire <a href="http://www.lalinda.pl/o-lalkach/english/" target="_blank">Lalinda's</a> work. Also <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MonPetitFrereDolls" target="_blank">Mon Petit Frere</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/North-Coast-Dolls/479936255370363" target="_blank">North Cost Dolls</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sweetdimplicitydollstudio" target="_blank">Sweet Dimplicity</a>, <a href="http://lalidollnursery.com/" target="_blank">Lali Doll</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/ivadollscz-waldorf-and-textile-dolls/398305930255966" target="_blank">Iva Dolls,</a> and Bebe Babies of course. The list could go on and on. So many talented doll makers out there!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #ebf6f9; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Doll making is about love. I think everyone who is inside the "doll universe" will agree. Each doll is created with so much love and care. They start as an imagination spark and come to life in our hands little by little, by thread and needle, and cloth and wool. A little piece of the doll maker's heart goes inside every little dolly. It's magical, joyful, and I'm so grateful to be able to experience this amazing process.</span></span></div>
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I hope you enjoyed learning about Thalita doll (as well as all the other doll artists she mentioned. I had so much fun looking at those as well). You can find her on the web in these places; <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thalita.dolessinger?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://thalitadol.blogspot.mx/search?updated-max=2014-11-06T21:46:00-02:00&max-results=10" target="_blank">blog</a>, and <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/ThalitaDol?ref=search_shop_redirect" target="_blank">Etsy</a>.</div>
BeBe Babieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16496544754397176523noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074572809631057830.post-89970734569986568542015-02-05T11:09:00.003-08:002015-02-05T11:09:22.565-08:00The Customer Isn't Always Right and Why Paypal SucksWhen you want to explode at a customer remember to breathe.<br />
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That's my mantra right now. Breathe in, breathe out. You don't want to say anything inappropriate.<br />
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Ok you <i>want</i> to say something inappropriate but it's not the best course of action in business. Very very hard not to do sometimes.<br />
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Here's the situation:<br />
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Recently we sold the first item made by my boyfriend's Mom. We were all so excited because she has been working so so hard, and finally she was earning a little money. I sent the scarf off, paid her, and everyone was so happy and excited.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuQA0sb7vIplLWqF-zKemk2y3vc3PURfuerr5aSx-tJT2PSRqJq_Ksg3R1PIeNVU_ldeFIkrOALV9hyIiKHVNWZ2ELNyMC9r3Uzh2qA0bpXR8YPUMA_GOoZSuuFNcASF3RTyUUkpZshO0C/s1600/IMG_0588.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuQA0sb7vIplLWqF-zKemk2y3vc3PURfuerr5aSx-tJT2PSRqJq_Ksg3R1PIeNVU_ldeFIkrOALV9hyIiKHVNWZ2ELNyMC9r3Uzh2qA0bpXR8YPUMA_GOoZSuuFNcASF3RTyUUkpZshO0C/s1600/IMG_0588.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Now, I'd had reservations about paying her before the item arrived safe and sound. I just had this gut feeling that I should wait until the transaction was completely complete. But I went ahead and paid, because it was so exciting for her.<br />
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As some of you know, shipping from Mexico is taking 2-4 weeks at this time via the regular post office. I realize that's long, and it stinks, but it's the situation, and I can't change it. (I am working on solutions for the BeBe Baby shop at this moment but the Mexican Fabric shop will have to wait). <br />
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So anyway, 8 days after shipping the scarf I receive a notice from Paypal that a dispute has been opened and that my funds have been withheld. The woman who bought the scarf started an "item not received" dispute. She never contacted me on Etsy, or in another manner, to inquire about the scarf.<br />
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It's a long story, with a lot of back and forth, but yesterday the scarf was attempted to be delivered and the customer wasn't there. She tells me today she will try to pick it up tomorrow and "cancel the dispute in the next day or two". In the meantime Paypal has withheld my money now for about 2 weeks.<br />
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I am angry number 1 because the customer opened a dispute without reading our shop policies or contacting me, but I am even more upset with Paypal. I have been a Paypal customer for over 10 years. I have NEVER had a dispute filed against me. Paypal is a company that makes their money from SELLERS and when a dispute is filed they automatically take the money from the seller? I can understand allowing the dispute to be opened, but to withhold the funds without any type of information? Now I could open a claim myself, and get Paypal involved, but why should I have to? I have done everything right in this situation and this customer is overreacting. She also mentioned that if she closes the dispute she can't open it again, which leads me to believe she has done this before. I on the other hand wasn't even familiar with this process until now.<br />
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I knew that Ebay bought Paypal, and I left Ebay for the same reasons I am now thinking about alternative payment options. These companies really need to realize that their paying customers deserve more respect than this. I know there are bad sellers, but there an equal amount of bad buyers, and creating policies that side heavily with one group over the other is bad business in my opinion. <br />
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I encourage you to use direct pay through Etsy when buying BeBe Baby products. Etsy has much friendlier seller policies and I would love to someday get away from Paypal all together. In the meantime I won't be using Paypal for my own purchases, and will start using my credit card more often. As for the customer, I wanted to slam her when I read her last message about how she'll release my funds in a day or two. What person believes they can receive their item before paying for it? Instead I wrote, "I would appreciate it". We will see if she is just a nervous nelly or a real scammer when the scarf is in her possession. <br />
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The consolation I suppose, is that in over 10 years this is the first real bad egg I've had. It's just extra rotten because my boyfriend's Mom won't be able to pay me back for the loss, and I don't want her to. This stinky customer ruined the excitement of a first sale, and I don't want to take that from his Mom, so I haven't even told her this happened.<br />
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I'll keep you posted on the outcome. The moral of the story is that these things happen to the best of us. It really sucks when it happens but as a business you must take it in stride, no matter how much you rage inside.<br />
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<i>Update: The customer received the scarf, cancelled the dispute and even sent a thank you message about how much she loved it as well as the packaging presentation. I still don't believe I would like to have her as a future customer but I am thankful everything ended well.</i>BeBe Babieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16496544754397176523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074572809631057830.post-51609080078826428842015-01-29T19:15:00.004-08:002015-01-29T19:16:59.354-08:00Traditional Mexican Textile Pillow Project<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoSO_2vQcUeGlVYNOUHwslrIMdqdbcaWykTZANyW8mRvLxrRMpbFtVgQisUNgLj5685wcT1kKdrjbKKhdk9n75FGNNRlZaST9JigmlUeORJNIyzOp5cdA952BjSRcqmzDHjVo1Sra9pGVz/s1600/IMG_1060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoSO_2vQcUeGlVYNOUHwslrIMdqdbcaWykTZANyW8mRvLxrRMpbFtVgQisUNgLj5685wcT1kKdrjbKKhdk9n75FGNNRlZaST9JigmlUeORJNIyzOp5cdA952BjSRcqmzDHjVo1Sra9pGVz/s1600/IMG_1060.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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There are a lot of changes going on around here at BeBe Babies, and because of that, I just haven't found the time to sit down and write. I am hoping as things are settling down, to be able to start writing again more regularly. But before I can go into all that, I need to get a few more things in order. So today I would like to share with you a project I am finally getting around to starting.<br />
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As you know I have another shop on Etsy called <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/Mexicanfabricfashion?ref=hdr_shop_menu" target="_blank">Mexican Fabric and Fashion</a>. It is really starting to pick up speed and I'm hopeful that the <a href="http://bebebabies.blogspot.mx/2014/04/my-other-passion-and-life-in-mexico.html" target="_blank">original vision for the shop</a> will be reality very soon. However, I'm still finding it challenging to manage two completely different shops. I don't make anything really for the fabric shop, so the issue really isn't finding time to make things, but I do do all the advertising and internet "stuff". I have tried to teach my boyfriend how to do some of this but what I've realized is that the knowledge I have acquired over the last 10 or so years is not something you can teach overnight. So for now the advertising is left up to me.<br />
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This week I finished up a couple big BeBe Baby wholesale orders and decided it was time to work on a project I that has been sidelined for quite some time.<br />
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Mexico is a vibrant place full of colors and textiles that will delight any fabric lover or crafter. I adore vibrant colors and absolutely love the textiles here (which is why Mexican Fabric and Fashion was born in the first place). Recently, while searching for supplies for the fabric shop, I found a couple pieces that I wanted to keep for myself to make pillows out of.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7ubzZdo7h4Q48tCHTzS9dw3xK_3RNcm0ABqi5KmkoxKBm6kI8G67sO4h3L2_S5KlLq4BTJ1u3632QSah2zgpiWw4gJJc8sKWJDXQ6o_MEJqgMFZs-Rp5klnlESjgrDWaEKKWGDCrk07X/s1600/IMG_1033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7ubzZdo7h4Q48tCHTzS9dw3xK_3RNcm0ABqi5KmkoxKBm6kI8G67sO4h3L2_S5KlLq4BTJ1u3632QSah2zgpiWw4gJJc8sKWJDXQ6o_MEJqgMFZs-Rp5klnlESjgrDWaEKKWGDCrk07X/s1600/IMG_1033.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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The one on the left is a traditional embroidered textile by the native people in the state of Oaxaca. I was able to find it in a little market closer to where I live. I hope to someday soon make a trip to Oaxaca to buy more of these for the shop. I just love them. <br />
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The one on the right was made by a native lady in my town. I love the bright colors, they are almost neon. I bought coordinating colors of Cambaya fabric, like those we sell in our shop, to be the backs.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgyfny-ivYEzHJMF7Ep9j8lYge9nA2LLTa3H1xkRkr91OUnE5ey79kXHjL9CMPp-zWnlz8iAXuAFAigQO0xO4StkI4fZLQh9tZFpY_6_VjSS-9uDlMV7M90Aa444Sz9ChocTKYEWJ88v5K/s1600/IMG_1034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgyfny-ivYEzHJMF7Ep9j8lYge9nA2LLTa3H1xkRkr91OUnE5ey79kXHjL9CMPp-zWnlz8iAXuAFAigQO0xO4StkI4fZLQh9tZFpY_6_VjSS-9uDlMV7M90Aa444Sz9ChocTKYEWJ88v5K/s1600/IMG_1034.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_nZGzAn40SXpZRHaSViIlZAEkiX_u3E2YupymEGkTtK80nCjlGE9jQL63G5O0-9nIQKOqWc0e0GO1DOGdSUxo6siW6JuvdI8EOTgMK6hP3uxVr_Afr5lZfKr1_qH6kncByR2T79_Zs635/s1600/IMG_1035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_nZGzAn40SXpZRHaSViIlZAEkiX_u3E2YupymEGkTtK80nCjlGE9jQL63G5O0-9nIQKOqWc0e0GO1DOGdSUxo6siW6JuvdI8EOTgMK6hP3uxVr_Afr5lZfKr1_qH6kncByR2T79_Zs635/s1600/IMG_1035.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Now the first thing you need to know about Cambaya is that it is a woven fabric, and it frays very easily. The first pillows I ever made were coming apart after very little use. Here is one of them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvQENDdbCcaJwUztLD7mi4oxq_itmfoTafgPPgjsR2zAPniWU0A7AS_Z49YDH3yJ9JtdxMF-6A3BQbFfSuyeTDNGVXCpleo5HmnlFlo5aaUX5IcgVMa864DO58eGmeZUzObmNO0cnPGMM1/s1600/IMG_1050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvQENDdbCcaJwUztLD7mi4oxq_itmfoTafgPPgjsR2zAPniWU0A7AS_Z49YDH3yJ9JtdxMF-6A3BQbFfSuyeTDNGVXCpleo5HmnlFlo5aaUX5IcgVMa864DO58eGmeZUzObmNO0cnPGMM1/s1600/IMG_1050.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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You must use an iron-on fusible backing in order to protect the fabric from fraying. The type that I use here in Mexico is sold by the meter. There is a rough side of the fabric and a smooth side. The rough side is the "glue" side. You put that against the fabric and iron the smooth side. The glue adheres to all the fibers making the fabric permanently fused together. Since using this method all my projects with Cambaya haven't shown any fraying even with vigorous use.<br />
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Here is how my fabric looks after ironing on the fusible fabric.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSSw9C0XPCEjKvGCNcGjIsOMGDJPI4R8XfLzE0MJNe7yednJ65hAvzejm982XDsxeOnW7ZnUL2_w-_-K4AQoA2Yhw05-V4Alt7r8STUd4OsXgVbMRFZq7Da4Tf_fNIrLSrGm0TM1T9Vi9U/s1600/IMG_1039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSSw9C0XPCEjKvGCNcGjIsOMGDJPI4R8XfLzE0MJNe7yednJ65hAvzejm982XDsxeOnW7ZnUL2_w-_-K4AQoA2Yhw05-V4Alt7r8STUd4OsXgVbMRFZq7Da4Tf_fNIrLSrGm0TM1T9Vi9U/s1600/IMG_1039.JPG" height="199" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHbWCpYkVvQw9ftQGMKMcgY1YV14fMmVmfQvz4jRYURZhcs5pVdr_1P3aJHQL5A-JtQxMBv5ku_yoXw2PhJWx2ZVy3rn4kj3nzpz9aPZCdVzr2S2fP4y79n96fiIr_T6PhU6VMDxFA8Ih0/s1600/IMG_1040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHbWCpYkVvQw9ftQGMKMcgY1YV14fMmVmfQvz4jRYURZhcs5pVdr_1P3aJHQL5A-JtQxMBv5ku_yoXw2PhJWx2ZVy3rn4kj3nzpz9aPZCdVzr2S2fP4y79n96fiIr_T6PhU6VMDxFA8Ih0/s1600/IMG_1040.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX_in8DzElfp_qYeRQVBJ03ylyhqIyqrvqhFs2BSzXP0zhyphenhyphen04o_m1t3sWdVFPNr-gqQIz3ioU0xNBzu7vmQJVg75XimDubVWsWpvZ7hk-Mee4QTZtgfpYTBMZSgm50n9uZIUEYTBL9yAwB/s1600/IMG_1041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX_in8DzElfp_qYeRQVBJ03ylyhqIyqrvqhFs2BSzXP0zhyphenhyphen04o_m1t3sWdVFPNr-gqQIz3ioU0xNBzu7vmQJVg75XimDubVWsWpvZ7hk-Mee4QTZtgfpYTBMZSgm50n9uZIUEYTBL9yAwB/s1600/IMG_1041.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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I decided to start with the piece from Oaxaca because I like it so much. Now, because these pieces are handmade, they are not always perfectly square. Because of this I decided to sew the piece to the Cambaya to form a perfectly square border.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83F2g2ybaNbKno3seoWQtI18rGoeHR_fZjD6qoFQsm-ZYqD-h9cjzWqiG8OEbrerjOvaMjVwOQMmhtJRP7iukyYzDHHsuZAp7ZTpGM-RlDqc8kmV5b_y6k8ajmjEHRe6NI0sFUZMXQc0d/s1600/IMG_1036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83F2g2ybaNbKno3seoWQtI18rGoeHR_fZjD6qoFQsm-ZYqD-h9cjzWqiG8OEbrerjOvaMjVwOQMmhtJRP7iukyYzDHHsuZAp7ZTpGM-RlDqc8kmV5b_y6k8ajmjEHRe6NI0sFUZMXQc0d/s1600/IMG_1036.jpg" height="320" width="189" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrTlmE0tS4JFZBQumJgqoeDZvNC5zrkoljcEgl9bb7m3ZX2h736O4K7DLCDRYGIJsJUaYz1kHRg4sP8vpjA0aW7TV_A3iHdzIXrFMDlqGuzLwKH-ua1q7UWrlLmAydFJLbDnd8Tq-Aa8RO/s1600/IMG_1037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrTlmE0tS4JFZBQumJgqoeDZvNC5zrkoljcEgl9bb7m3ZX2h736O4K7DLCDRYGIJsJUaYz1kHRg4sP8vpjA0aW7TV_A3iHdzIXrFMDlqGuzLwKH-ua1q7UWrlLmAydFJLbDnd8Tq-Aa8RO/s1600/IMG_1037.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here the Cambaya has been trimmed into a straight border.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYl7P3p1KIaLVdO7THR7glXdInJAkiEhmdh8801fuoG2N3iiPj56HHoT2bmOhUCUAS81NTJ_VkW3xFvRa6CxjCXZY1SJZsBQUBYedrSd9ujzMTz5TEu8jfIcVlxDepbtudPC4qgQu4tFbu/s1600/IMG_1044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYl7P3p1KIaLVdO7THR7glXdInJAkiEhmdh8801fuoG2N3iiPj56HHoT2bmOhUCUAS81NTJ_VkW3xFvRa6CxjCXZY1SJZsBQUBYedrSd9ujzMTz5TEu8jfIcVlxDepbtudPC4qgQu4tFbu/s1600/IMG_1044.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Now you just have to sew it to another piece of Cambaya that has also been backed with the fusible lining. Don't worry about the wrikles, they won't effect the final product.</div>
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I use about a half inch seam allowance.</div>
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Leave an opening for stuffing that is big enough to get your hand in, because it makes life so much easier. Then turn and stuff your pillow!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUAGsIL4gUTZ_EAurGNkSZa7aAowwqLw8ObMB018DqLdXGgsC0uVqW_L66mZw7MABlUWEhSXp2yzuQJXdSEXXCQufpJKayMZWIL8_w4-7svJHOn6B-GrXzVi2aWZk1Tayj0-Cs613YAKeO/s1600/IMG_1049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUAGsIL4gUTZ_EAurGNkSZa7aAowwqLw8ObMB018DqLdXGgsC0uVqW_L66mZw7MABlUWEhSXp2yzuQJXdSEXXCQufpJKayMZWIL8_w4-7svJHOn6B-GrXzVi2aWZk1Tayj0-Cs613YAKeO/s1600/IMG_1049.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Close with a ladder stitch.</div>
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And you're done! You can always make these into pillow covers as well. I don't think it's necessary for throw pillows, so I do it this way because it's faster. Just remember to gently spot clean with a mild detergent.</div>
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Now I will be doing the other one! I'll be sure to show you how that one comes out too. If you are interested in making your own pillows from our textiles, visit our <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/Mexicanfabricfashion?ref=search_shop_redirect" target="_blank">Etsy shop</a>. We have a few similar pieces available and more coming soon. Or you can even buy them as finished cushion covers which were made by my boyfriend's Mom. Check them out!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSa1PYHXWnpH61xRTcJsvSJB9ITV6sYY7V6JtVJYeTYZDwF97QoZyRKvfAysA-JHgAUmKmkNxVEZYQr7-uzrYwpcfqlY9tNGd_C2mQNtW-pQvtf4S8ylZLrn4FE2SERMcHXHfYC4P6ogRe/s1600/il_570xN.673232860_fxpm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSa1PYHXWnpH61xRTcJsvSJB9ITV6sYY7V6JtVJYeTYZDwF97QoZyRKvfAysA-JHgAUmKmkNxVEZYQr7-uzrYwpcfqlY9tNGd_C2mQNtW-pQvtf4S8ylZLrn4FE2SERMcHXHfYC4P6ogRe/s1600/il_570xN.673232860_fxpm.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/208742710/hand-embroidered-purple-and-red-mexican?ref=shop_home_active_9" target="_blank">Pink and purple</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-WgewBofAu6Ox6ahOUYB-DJIXilxWqaJAfjHgTOKd9priXUb6FQaz30bb1d9faW1MZ0c9UKTkxASvMMqU4q_-6UEU7R-xkBMB39vsbg4UoDIC41A-7k2GtltEmjAc-Vm8bhbp0aAM3jrF/s1600/il_570xN.673333551_6c4h.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-WgewBofAu6Ox6ahOUYB-DJIXilxWqaJAfjHgTOKd9priXUb6FQaz30bb1d9faW1MZ0c9UKTkxASvMMqU4q_-6UEU7R-xkBMB39vsbg4UoDIC41A-7k2GtltEmjAc-Vm8bhbp0aAM3jrF/s1600/il_570xN.673333551_6c4h.jpg" height="296" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/208749499/hand-embroidered-native-mexican-textile?ref=shop_home_active_11" target="_blank">Flowers</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoAe_5IsxuDq3qzdq9s_m9gmBZ_v2hkpkrPEBjPcWF_cwC1YJ3gBQdxOT6thVzp2zaRr5olLfwmw79ADmkm3W7WH2kVG1UVc2iUyXnkA4sAiXx7AKPg_3uYTs39A-TOiTQkHG0XZVFBpDz/s1600/il_570xN.680359549_l8vg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoAe_5IsxuDq3qzdq9s_m9gmBZ_v2hkpkrPEBjPcWF_cwC1YJ3gBQdxOT6thVzp2zaRr5olLfwmw79ADmkm3W7WH2kVG1UVc2iUyXnkA4sAiXx7AKPg_3uYTs39A-TOiTQkHG0XZVFBpDz/s1600/il_570xN.680359549_l8vg.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/210581824/mexican-fabric-pillow-or-cushion-cover?ref=shop_home_active_5" target="_blank">Cushion Cover</a></div>
<br />BeBe Babieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16496544754397176523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074572809631057830.post-4406644794833628292014-12-25T14:18:00.002-08:002014-12-25T14:18:52.225-08:00Merry BeBe Christmas! The Winners Are....The photo contest winner is #2 BeBe in a Manger. Congratulations to the winner! She will receive a free BeBe of my choosing or 50% off her next BeBe Etsy order.<br />
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The winner of the other drawing (for BeBe fans who do not have a BeBe yet) is Michele Traugutt! She will win a free BeBe Baby of my choice.<br />
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As always if you want to get in on the fun please join the BeBe Baby fan club <a href="https://www.flickr.com/groups/bebebabiesfanclub/" target="_blank">here</a>. Or "like" <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/BeBe-Babies-and-Friends/205477992801561?ref=hl" target="_blank">BeBe Babies on Facebook</a> to stay up-to-date on new dolls, contests and giveaways! Thank you everyone. Have a very Merry Christmas! <br />
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I am off to contact the winners...BeBe Babieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16496544754397176523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074572809631057830.post-67265860787774212302014-12-21T10:06:00.000-08:002014-12-21T10:07:35.455-08:00BeBe Babies and Friends Christmas Photo ContestHappy holidays and Merry Christmas everyone! This year got so busy with Etsy wholesale that I was unable to complete a Christmas series, so I decided to do another fan photo contest in order to have some holiday BeBe fun. As always if you want to participate in these fun events and contests you can join the BeBe Baby fan club <a href="https://www.flickr.com/groups/bebebabiesfanclub/" target="_blank">here</a>. Or like BeBe Babies and Friends on Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/BeBe-Babies-and-Friends/205477992801561?ref=hl" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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The winner of the photo contest will win a free BeBe Baby or 50% off their next order! <br />
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Now how to vote... Choose the photo that you like the best and please email me at bebebabiescom@yahoo.com with your vote. Tell me the number and title of the photo. This will prevent possible confusions which have happened in the past. OR comment on this post with your vote. You can vote once a day until Christmas December 25. <br />
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Also this contest is still open for BeBe fans who have not adopted their first BeBe Baby yet. I will be holding a separate drawing for a free BeBe Baby of my choice. Please email me your name to participate in that drawing. But remember it is only open to fans without BeBes.<br />
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Be sure to share this post with your friends and family!<br />
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Now on to the photos...<br />
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#1 BeBe Santa</div>
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#2- BeBe in a manger</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilNLTYFAy9tuvKVWRcw8YDpWqWnZcBLm71vCwqQt1nYsiaS1f3R38kUa9yAPSlTHvmih6zUGUI0RYghS_2Rsxq8oA1yhjaNVL9d5trYr797veADuk76hloYjHljrOUyGI_ViX6UPCeasfk/s1600/10859526_10152950558042206_1622801189_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilNLTYFAy9tuvKVWRcw8YDpWqWnZcBLm71vCwqQt1nYsiaS1f3R38kUa9yAPSlTHvmih6zUGUI0RYghS_2Rsxq8oA1yhjaNVL9d5trYr797veADuk76hloYjHljrOUyGI_ViX6UPCeasfk/s1600/10859526_10152950558042206_1622801189_n.jpg" height="400" width="276" /></a></div>
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#3- Waiting for presents</div>
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#4- Visions of BeBes danced in their heads</div>
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#5- Nathan waiting for Santa</div>
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BeBe Babieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16496544754397176523noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074572809631057830.post-76051706138143729592014-12-15T13:30:00.002-08:002014-12-15T13:30:37.499-08:00Sometimes It Just Ain't Fair: Snooki's Etsy Shop<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I saw on the front page of <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/diy/snooki-opens-her-own-etsy-craft-store-and-it-seems-104937046085.html" target="_blank">Yahoo that Snooki opened an Etsy shop</a> I had to see exactly what she might be making. Now I've never watched the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jersey_Shore_%28TV_series%29" target="_blank">Jersey Shore</a>, or any of Snooki's other exploits, but I'm aware of who she is. When I saw that she immediately sold out of everything in her shop I wasn't surprised. I also wasn't surprised to find that the items she is making and selling are nothing special. I was more excited to read the comments because I knew exactly what everyone would be saying. <br />
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The comments would range from fair:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.1499996185303px;">"Looks like something an elementary school kids would make for Mother's day."</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.1499996185303px;">"Not someone I would ever want, but I applaud her entrepreneurial efforts."</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.1499996185303px;">"Really? You took a #$%$ sharpie and wrote on a mug. Congratulations on passing preschool art class."</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.1499996185303px;">"Well, as a fellow Etsy seller, at least it's drawing more attention to the site, and possibly to other people's shops. I may not be a fan of hers, but maybe more people will know about Etsy, and all the other wonderful shops it has to offer."</span><br />
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To angry:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.1499996185303px;">"Only an idiot would by this BS ! Reality TV is not real TV and these so-called TV stars are nothing but low-life televised idiots!"</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.1499996185303px;">"More useless, tasteless #$%$ from the high queen of famous for nothing. Congratulations, you idiots continue to make her filthy rich for doing nothing."</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.1499996185303px;">"No home is complete without an illiterate slogan written by this ignorant hosebag on your coffee mug. How stupid must one be to buy this #$%$?"</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.1499996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This one really took the cake on anger:</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.1499996185303px;">"these worthless #$%$ should be beaten until they are a blood pile of worthless fake #$%$ guts and bones they get everything handed to the for being a drunk whore on tv and now get to make even more money selling ccraptastic pieces of #$%$ on the web while real people get nothing they tell the poor </span><span class="message-continued" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.1499996185303px;">and homeless work harder dont be lazy but when we put items up for sale no one even sees them because we cant afford the advertizing this system is so #$%$ stupid its beyond bearable death to all this #$%$ from the bottom of my heart"</span><br />
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But my favorite part was the conflict between these two comments:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.1499996185303px;">"Snooker is a genius... The public is stupid for making her popular"</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.1499996185303px;">"It is confirmed that she is indeed an idiot."</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.1499996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So is she an idiot or a genius? I suppose both might be true. What can <i>you</i> learn from this?</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.1499996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">1. Look on the bright side</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.1499996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">As the commenter above mentioned, when celebrities bring attention to a site like Etsy we all win. Now maybe you've been in the Etsy game for a while and you can't imagine that someone doesn't know about Etsy, but let me give you an example. Nearly all of my Mexican students know what Ebay is but almost none of them even know what Amazon is, let alone Etsy. Maybe Mexico isn't your market, but I remember similar reactions in the US only a couple years ago. There are still many many potential customers around the world that still don't know about Etsy.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.1499996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">2. Use what you have</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 20.1499996185303px;">Snooki is not waiting for fancy equipment to begin making her stuff. Yeah maybe it's just a Sharpie and some ready-made blank mugs, but that's ok. She is using what she has, including catch phrases that are unique or representative of her personality. She obviously has fans and she's giving them what they want. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.1499996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">3. Start!</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.1499996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Now I agree that the stuff Snooki is making isn't that great, however we all started somewhere. She's getting a lot of crap for her crap because she's famous, but who knows, maybe in a year or two she will be making something amazing. I have to give props to her for going ahead and starting. Many people hold back because they are afraid to put something out there that is not perfect. If we all did that we would never begin. When I think of the first dolls I sold I laugh. They were so simple and rudimentary. But I have sold every single doll I have ever made and have continued to improve over the years. So take a cue here and if you are someone who hasn't even started a shop yet, do it!</span></span><br />
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I know it can be frustrating when a celebrity or other person comes onto the scene and has seemingly overnight success. Of course it strikes at the heart of those of us that have worked tirelessly for years to build our businesses. However there is no reason to let it get you down. You can't measure their success against yours. Just keep working hard and laugh at all the nonsense! BeBe Babieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16496544754397176523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074572809631057830.post-5115187557033471482014-12-02T18:15:00.001-08:002014-12-02T18:17:39.772-08:00The Consequences of Freedom Of Speech on Your BusinessI have remained quiet on the Ferguson issue for a couple of reasons. The main reason is because I refuse to judge either side as I was not there and did not see what occurred with my own two eyes. However I realize that this issue isn't only about the events of that day. And a young boy is dead. There is now arguing with that. Also there are some scary things going on in the US which I believe are <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUdHIatS36A" target="_blank">highlighted in this video</a>.<br />
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I also read <a href="http://qz.com/250701/12-things-white-people-can-do-now-because-ferguson/" target="_blank">this article</a> which I found to express some of the reasons I'm not commenting on Ferguson but on other points it missed the mark for me personally. This is exactly why I reserve judgement. I don't believe either side, in any story, is completely true and without fault. I believe every one's experience on this planet is different and unique. What is right for you may not be right for me. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gina-crosleycorcoran/explaining-white-privilege-to-a-broke-white-person_b_5269255.html" target="_blank">This article</a> highlights my point. People struggle no matter what color they are and when we start making it a black or white issue people want to defend their own experience.<br />
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Amongst the arguments and comments I've seen a lot of interesting, disturbing, and sometimes moving posts and articles on Facebook. However where I draw the line in the dialog came a few days ago, and because it related to business, I thought I would comment.<br />
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Some years ago in my state of Oregon there was a news story about how a bakery refused to make a wedding cake for a lesbian couple because it was against the owner's religious beliefs. They might have felt they were standing up for their values, and while they received a lot of support from their side, the ultimate result was they <a href="http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/09/30/christian-baker-who-lost-her-shop-following-refusal-to-bake-lesbian-couples-wedding-cake-reveals-the-two-huge-lies-she-says-our-culture-has-embraced/" target="_blank">lost their business.</a> Whether you agree or not that was the final result.<br />
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A person in my Facebook friends made a post that bothered me so much I was forced to take an action. Now this person is not someone that I know personally. In fact I don't recognize her at all, except that she has a handmade teddy bear as her profile picture, so I assume she is an artisan. I don't know if I friended her or she friended me, and I also don't know if she is a customer of mine.<br />
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I had noticed her posting articles that were heavily leaning on the side of the police officer who killed Michael Brown. I have no problem with opinions, because like I said, I don't know what happened, and I don't think any of us really do, except those who were involved. And I won't call myself open-minded while also refusing to listen to both sides. I decided to click on the comments of one of her posts and was blown away by the argument going on between her and one of her friends. She made comments like "They (black people) need to get over it. It has been 200 years since slavery", "The first slave owner was black", and "if they (black people) don't like it they should go back to Africa".<br />
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I can't tell you how disgusting and irrelevant I find these arguments. I'm sure someone can respond intelligently to this nonsense, but I prefer not to argue with people who use unintelligent comments to inflame a situation. If you find yourself in the same situation read <a href="http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2014/08/how_to_deal_with_friends_racist_reactions_to_ferguson.html" target="_blank">this article</a>. It expresses my point perfectly.<br />
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Well before I get off track, and do exactly what I'm warning you against, let me tell you how this relates to business: I deleted her immediately. My personal Facebook page is not a place I want to be confronted with this garbage. It's not a place I want to see videos of child abuse either (which incidentally I also found on her page when I was trying to see who she was). Now, she is welcome to like my business page, but my <i>personal</i> page is in my control, and I chose to keep this type of thing out of my personal space as much as I possibly can.<br />
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This brings me back to the reason for my silence on most issues I see posted to Facebook. I normally refuse to comment on religion, politics or other hot-button issues because I am not going to try to alienate or provoke my customers. Remember, everyone on your personal page and business page is a potential customer. Let's face it, my personal Facebook page should be a place to express myself, but we all need to get real and realize it is absolutely not. If you feel the self-righteous need to post controversial topics that you know will potentially upset people, then you must realize that the consequences could be a loss of business. Maybe you don't care. Maybe you tell yourself that you are standing up for what's right, or what you believe, and that might be true, but realize that broadcasting your personal opinion affects your business.<br />
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You need to decide if what you have to say is worth the loss of business. In my opinion it is not. Keep your personal life and your business life separate. Most businesses are just not a platform for this type of commentary.BeBe Babieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16496544754397176523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074572809631057830.post-23095711886529833782014-11-30T12:23:00.002-08:002014-11-30T12:25:58.415-08:00Why Marketing is Most Important During the HolidaysWhether you have a lot of sales during the Christmas holidays or none at all, marketing during the holidays might be the most important time of the year for you to advertise your business. I know I'm a little late getting this post up, but I would like to give you some holiday marketing tips that you can apply this year, or save for next year.<br />
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Marketing during the holidays is important because the amount of people shopping and browsing during this time is significantly higher than other times of the year. However it isn't only the Christmas holiday that is important. Depending on your business, other holidays might be even more important, for example; Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Halloween, etc. Identify which holidays bring in the most customers for you and target your marketing for that time. Just remember to prepare your strategy 3-4 months before the holiday to ensure the maximum benefit.<br />
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As I said, whether you have sales or not, it is very important to have a marketing plan for the holidays because your potential views are much higher. Someone might be browsing for a gift and ultimately decide not to purchase yours, but they might save your shop and make a future purchase. Because of that it is very important to be visible.<br />
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For me I receive most of my sales for the year during Christmas so here are some of the things I do around this time to advertise BeBe Babies.<br />
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1. Plan Ahead<br />
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The number one, most important thing for holiday marketing is planning ahead. Make a list of all the holidays throughout the year and make notes on how you will market during that time, what you plan to make, what discounts you will offer, and important dates/deadlines. I have to admit I'm not the best at this. I usually make a plan for the year and then get so busy I have to improvise and just do what I can. That's ok too, but having a plan will help you maximize your success.<br />
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2. Cyber Monday<br />
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Black Friday is for shopping in brick and mortar shops, and Cyber Monday is for on-line shopping. Many on-line shops participate in Cyber Monday by offering discounts or free shipping. This year Cyber Monday is tomorrow and I will be offering free shipping in my shop all day. Be sure to add an announcement in your shop and create a coupon code on Etsy. Then spread the word through social media, newsletters and your blog.<br />
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My announcement looks like this: ****Cyber Monday is December 1 and BeBe Babies is offering FREE worldwide shipping on everything in the shop!!! Use coupon code CYBERMONDAY2014 to receive free shipping via the regular post office. Ask about the price to upgrade to Fedex in order to receive you order by Christmas. (Discount is not available on custom orders).****<br />
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Also add the tag "cyber monday" to your listings so that customers searching for Cyber Monday deals will find your shop.<br />
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3. Gift Guides<br />
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Many blogs and websites offer holiday gift guides for their shoppers/readers. Most well-known gift guides charge you a fee to participate but it's usually not a very large expense, and well worth it. This year I'm not participating in any but you can search "holiday gift guide" or "handmade holiday gift guide" on Google to find possibilities. However you usually need to do this 3-4 months before the holiday in order to participate.<br />
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4. Stock your Shop<br />
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Make sure you have a wide array of items in your shop well before the holiday rush. Having a large selection will give you more content to share on social media sites as well as provide a great selection for those browsing for gifts. Remember to stock items of varying prices and sizes. Someone looking for a stocking stuffer will need something small like my <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/197210585/the-bundle-bebe-baby-doll-by-bebe-babies?" target="_blank">Bundle BeBes</a> while someone looking for a larger toy will like my <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/191458535/the-soft-heart-baby-doll-by-bebe-babies?" target="_blank">Soft Heart BeBe</a>s.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Zz0qJqO-rP2FiFs4ZORcbtTEQn0sqi6bFHxP_p28tcEedAKACQ9JgqPrUdQKNll3Mx4tLVHEDj0uTiV9C2DgEMcNaRQG89BXt-A1tEwBfjPD0axANxE4ftdiJMSo2sI2zTyCwMkb3g8_/s1600/il_570xN.584090848_50mi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Zz0qJqO-rP2FiFs4ZORcbtTEQn0sqi6bFHxP_p28tcEedAKACQ9JgqPrUdQKNll3Mx4tLVHEDj0uTiV9C2DgEMcNaRQG89BXt-A1tEwBfjPD0axANxE4ftdiJMSo2sI2zTyCwMkb3g8_/s1600/il_570xN.584090848_50mi.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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5. Tags<br />
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Make sure you are using holiday related tags on your listings. Here are some examples; cyber Monday, Christmas, gift, stocking stuffer, holiday, etc. Tags are very important because they are used to direct people to the item they are looking for. If you are using Etsy make sure to use all 13 tags. If you are having a hard time thinking of 13 tags, look for items similar to yours and see what tags they are using to get ideas. Remember to tag colors as many people actually search for specific colors.<br />
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Now I would love to tell you I'm going to have an awesome holiday series this year but unfortunately I'm swamped with wholesale orders and all my plans have flown out the window. So the last thing I would like to remind you is that you can only do as much as you can do. Sometimes you just have to let go of the plans and do what you can.BeBe Babieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16496544754397176523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074572809631057830.post-36518486872353324852014-11-23T18:18:00.001-08:002014-11-23T18:22:13.450-08:00Etsy Wholesale Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy68_rRVA02VsgmlHks9P0NXq2J3z1qHuR419gWdTuL2Dglb2WaJg-vBp2fJZH4EoKDrGIdZcE11P5MRFh0TDRtJyHDNHVUmTRZf8e_WOFURzq_0GjvhW-I3uVQis_iVIcErVXGzyQ6q_k/s1600/EtsyWholesale+Sign.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy68_rRVA02VsgmlHks9P0NXq2J3z1qHuR419gWdTuL2Dglb2WaJg-vBp2fJZH4EoKDrGIdZcE11P5MRFh0TDRtJyHDNHVUmTRZf8e_WOFURzq_0GjvhW-I3uVQis_iVIcErVXGzyQ6q_k/s1600/EtsyWholesale+Sign.png" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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Remember my <a href="http://bebebabies.blogspot.mx/2014/10/the-key-to-owning-your-own-business-is.html" target="_blank">post about applying for Etsy Wholesale</a>? Well I wanted to give you a little update and review of the program now that I've been in it for almost a month. <br />
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When I was doing research about Etsy Wholesale I couldn't find much information about how it was working for people. I found a lot of articles talking about how it functioned, and it's potential, but not a lot of reviews of actual people using it (and I don't count the ones on Etsy's own site because you have no idea if those are "real people" if you know what I mean). On the Etsy blog for wholesale sellers, there also didn't seem to be much information about success. It appeared people were making sales, but I really had no idea how BeBe Babies would do. I'm hoping that this post will help others who are considering taking the leap and applying.<br />
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Let me first say that the reason I have been slow writing blog posts, and haven't been sharing much on Facebook lately, is because Etsy Wholesale has been what I consider a giant success for me. Since starting about a month ago I have completed 4 wholesale orders. I am averaging about one a week. This is huge for me because <a href="http://bebebabies.blogspot.mx/2014/06/testing-testing-is-this-thing-on.html" target="_blank">as you know</a> I have been searching high and low for wholesale accounts and have had 0 success until Etsy Wholesale. <br />
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I also mentioned that I was going to try to start doing trade shows, but due to the success I am having on Etsy, I have decided to hold off on that. Trade shows are very expensive and a nightmare logistically for me, so I am really hoping the success I'm having on Etsy Wholesale continues. I really believe this is the future for small businesses who are not ready to put down the money to attend a trade show. I believe that Etsy Wholesale is a great stepping stone to a larger market. I really think shows will be a thing of the past as more people use the convenience of online buying. I'm happy to be a part of the movement.<br />
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A typical trade show can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000 or more to attend when you calculate travel expenses, etc. Etsy Wholesale costs $100 to join and an additional 3.5% transaction fee on the order. The $100 is a one time charge and when you really compare the cost to doing a trade show it is more than worth the price. In one sale I paid for the cost to join. Also one thing I didn't know before signing up is that listing products in your Etsy Wholesale line sheet doesn't cost anything. This makes it possible to list all of my dolls and color combinations without paying more. You also can list things on your line sheet that are not listed in your Etsy shop, which helps to make it look fuller and more exciting.<br />
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I am anxious to see if these sales continue, decrease, or increase after the holidays. My guess is that it will be slower after December but I really have no idea. Brick and mortar stores need products all year round so my prediction might be completely wrong, and my wholesale business will continue to grow. I'm also excited to see how my current wholesale orders are received by the store owners and their customers. All of it makes me very anxious.<br />
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At the moment I'm focusing on improving the look of my wholesale shop by listing every doll option I have available, getting my sewing studio better organized for photos, and building my fabric stock. The first snag I fell into was not having enough of the fabric on hand to fulfill the order. For instance, one store ordered 4 <a href="https://www.etsy.com/transaction/240942650" target="_blank">Blankie BeBes</a> in pink but I only had enough fabric here to make 2 of them. It is a good thing that it is winter in Mexico and the fabric stores here are stocked with that type of fabric. It will probably take me a while to know what, and how much, of each doll style I need to have on hand in order to offer them at wholesale. <br />
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Now I have Blankie BeBes in this pink color.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHgMc7zV-5OhEawVzabcIleVwW5m-qEox2UMHxnxA0FaQmdR2b2MUGq4YtBrQyPcMhKvbnCDOU5w86nSgzl3oZUS4Jr4ccRVLmrHUyGBO3K-TZ5yo0YZ6WJTFIxzbC0k3UI-kHc4o-sxIX/s1600/IMG_0668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHgMc7zV-5OhEawVzabcIleVwW5m-qEox2UMHxnxA0FaQmdR2b2MUGq4YtBrQyPcMhKvbnCDOU5w86nSgzl3oZUS4Jr4ccRVLmrHUyGBO3K-TZ5yo0YZ6WJTFIxzbC0k3UI-kHc4o-sxIX/s1600/IMG_0668.JPG" height="297" width="400" /></a></div>
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Another problem I'm encountering is having enough time to do everything and complete these orders. I am completing the orders in a timely manner, but am finding that means I am not working on anything for my retail shop, not writing blog posts, not working on videos, not doing contests, not working on holiday series, not resting, etc. Obviously I don't see this as a major problem as it means I am making money and growing my business, but I won't be able to sustain it long without help. Which means I will be taking the plunge into hiring sewing help very soon or going part-time at my day job. This makes me <i>very</i> <i>very</i> anxious but that's a whole 'nother blog post.<br />
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This is definitely a learning process for me, but it's an exciting one I hope to share with you all as you work to grow your businesses as well. Look for updates as I continue on this journey and feel free to comment or email me with questions.BeBe Babieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16496544754397176523noreply@blogger.com12