Mishaps of Mommy

From Blank Slate to Creative Overdrive! A journey from journal to mixed fiber and stitch Fashion scarf

2011-11-14T00:15:00.001-08:00

Have you ever reached a point in which you feel that you have explored every angle of your art? That you have nothing new to add to your art? Find yourself descending into boredom with your work? I have been in that slump for the past two months. For as long as I can remember, there has not been a day that has passed in which I did not have either a hook in hand, been hypnotized by the hum of my sewing machine, or spread out a mixture of beads and baubles in front of me with a wire spool on my wrist.... at least that has been my routine until the past few months- Bam! out of nowhere came a blank board in the place my creative thoughts once were... If you have found yourself in that same place then you know how depressing it is. I felt completely listless- directionless- absent. What does one do when they find themselves in this slump?

First I scanned the web trying to find something that would throw a spark at me and maybe I could fan the flame. The spark did not come in the manner I expected, instead it came in an entirely new aspect of the creative process. I happened to stumble upon a few incredibly interesting blog that showcased art journals and altered books. I have dabbled a little with a journal or two, but can never get "into" the process- In retrospect, I think maybe I wasn't "ready". I have adhered to a very specific method of creating. I normally come across the trigger, maybe a skein of great yarn, a cool pendant, a great bead... and then I build around that ingredient. I spend a lot of my free time reading books and articles by talented artists who share their techniques. I have historically focused on the technique instead of the process of inspiration.

Well, I wasn't creating anyway, so why not open myself to a new method? I can not stress to you enough how amazingly freeing and invigorating it is to create carelessly! To let each item, scrap, piece, word, thread, etc. lead to the next- and how exciting it is to look at the completed page and wonder to yourself, "how did I end up here when I started there?" I have had so much fun with this- In fact, I am in a non stop creative state.... I can not seem to walk away from the journals once I start them. Every little trinket or scrap I come across throughout my day puts me into an anxious frenzy until I get home and can explore how it can be added- what meaning this little item can add to my page- or how this unique tidbit can take the page into an entirely new direction. This has been a journey, and each encounter gives me a new adventure. I am not "journaling" every day with my thoughts or feelings- I am not keeping within a true theme throughout the pages- instead I have been letting each page determine the idea for the next page- but, that is what is so cool about this process, there are no rules- there are not specific procedures- you can do whatever your creativity leads you to do....

And this desperately sought after spark has led to a bon fire! One of my pages focused on tree's, leaves, and my love of hiking the woods near our family rents a cabin each fall- This page opened up some gorgeous color mixtures for me and reminded me of the many different textures and layers that we encounter on our long walks in the thick woods- A blend of wines, burgundy, sage's, green's, tans, honey, browns, and more- the mixture of plants and growth made me think of blending multiple stitches and fabrics in my crochet work-

Here is what I have developed..... A mix of varied fabrics, including organza- a blend of fibers such as eyelash yarn in a sage and brown blend- these were all crocheted into a scarf utilizing 4 variations of stitches. Once I thought I was done, I realized it still needed that "pop" so I embellished the entire scarf in the scraps from the fabric strips- it is full, soft, and allows for a unique textural adventure!

What do you think?

Well, I have shared my creative adventure with you- but, now I would love to hear how you turn that spark into a flame- how do you become inspired? What brings your muse to the forefront? Have some prompts to get us in the artistic mode? Well, share them here....

Thanks for sharing your time with me today- and please feel free to comment- I look forward to your input and help in my attempt to grow and find my creative voice! Share your thoughts and experiences- we learn when we share with one another...

Please take a moment and visit my website at http://www.mommytyme.com - if you would like to link your blog or website to my site's friends page, just email me through the website. Just for visiting, you can grab the coupon code and nab an extra 10% off at my Etsy shop!

http://www.mommytyme.com
http://wwww.MommyTyme.etsy.com
http://mommysreviewsyoucanuse.blogspot.com
http://wwww.artfire.com/users/MommyTyme

Making a purse from an old book- First altered book project!

2011-08-12T04:35:00.000-07:00

And here is what I have been working on lately.... An altered book that turned into a purse... I decided to focus myself on creating for the purpose of creating with this piece instead of attempting to direct my work towards a visualized end result, and the outcome was fantastic (I think). I had so much fun with this project and the processes involved actually engulfed me. I had a difficult time waiting for stages to dry, as I was so involved with the techniques and methods while working on this. I did not set out with an expectation of what I would create, instead I just let myself create without pressure or stress. What I started with was a Readers Digest hardback condensed book, and I new I wanted to take a stab at trying to alter it- but, I did not intend on creating a purse. Mishaps became blessings in the process and when one avenue did not work, I just allowed the work to head down a different path. I did photograph each of the steps and plan to make a tutorial in the upcoming week. I hope you like this as much as I do. I used the butterflies on the front to symbolize the flight and freedom of the project, and the bicycle represented moving forward on the path. The purse has a fabric lining and the entire exterior has been lacquered to preserve the design elements. A mixed medly of techniques and applications were used including collage, image transfers, sewing, painting, stamping and embossing (to name a few).

I hope you take a few minutes to explore the wonderful creations of others presented at the parties I plan to participate in with my purse- find them at the following:

Have you visited the Mommy Tyme Gifts blog lately? http://mommytymegifts.blogspot.com Hope to see you there- eventually my goal is to have this blog moved to that spot, and put all my ideas, thoughts, marketing goals, etc. in one place to share but I have not made that leap yet! Oh, and stop by the new website at http://www.mommytyme.com and see the latest from Mommy Tyme including tutorials, new jewelry ideas, fashions, and fun gifts!

Jewelry, Accessories, Gifts

2010-09-22T06:27:00.000-07:00

Link

Tons of new listings! Come check them out! Crochet wire fall colors jewelry and fun fashion trendy scarves and cowls!

Mommy Tyme Bath and Gifts: I'm Back!

2010-08-06T17:26:00.000-07:00

Mommy Tyme Bath and Gifts: I'm Back!: "Wow- so,it has been a few weeks since my last post! I have really missed my weekly posting and have a ton of things I cant wait to share- I..."

Promote yourself!

2010-07-28T10:21:00.000-07:00

I am always trying to find the great resources out there that will help you excel in your endeavors! Well, if you are looking for a fun way to get your items seen... just pop over to Creations with a Heart! Every week she showcases some awesome items from fellow artisans! The collections are just wonderful! And if you want to grab her eye with one of your creative pieces, simply comment on the showcase she currently has up! That easy! Once your comment is posted, Creations with a Heart will explore your shop and find an exciting item to share with the world! So, stop by and take a peek... Just click the button below- and remember to tell them Mommy Tyme sent you!

Mommy Tyme Bath and Gifts: I'm Back!

2010-07-28T10:20:00.000-07:00

Mommy Tyme Bath and Gifts: I'm Back!: "Wow- so,it has been a few weeks since my last post! I have really missed my weekly posting and have a ton of things I cant wait to share- I..."

Tweeting and POH

2010-05-17T04:31:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all the entries!
Wow! We will have a gorgeous May full of beautiful works for the Pursuit of Handmade! I have been tweeting and posting your links! I hope you will all help with this, too! just do a search for #POH and you can retweet the posts of your fellow artisans! Or grab the URL's from the comments and share share share!

Hop over to Mommys Review and see our first Participant! Wow! Gorgeous! http://mommysreviewsyoucanuse.blogspot.com

Enter the May Pursuit HERE!

2010-05-06T04:26:00.000-07:00

I think I may have been confusing everyone with my change of venue with the blog! So sorry! I would like participants to the May Pursuit of Handmade to Enter here with a comment! Just comment with your URL to the item or place where I can find it! If you want to share a little something about your item, that would give it a little more "juice" when it is featured, that would be fantastic! So, comment below!

Remember- the Tweet along- just tweet or share others and yourself, add the hash tag "#POH" at the end, and I will find you, Retweet you, and share! You can do a simple search and do the same.

May's Theme- "Something for Someone Special" Any item that one could give to that someone special in their life- The theme is in appreciation for all those special people who help us along in life that may not fit under the Mothers Day umbrella!

So, come on, post post post

Tweet A Long!

2010-05-02T06:49:00.000-07:00

Want to participate? Have your items retweeted over and over? Well, this is a two way street, buddy! You have to help, too! (just kidding!). Here is how it works-

Comment and add your link to your item you have entered into the Pursuit of Handmade

Others will click on your link and then SHARE it with a share button or you can copy and cut the URL and add it to your twitter

Before you post, add #POH at the end of the tweet

Whenever you or others go to twitter, they can do a search for #POH and then all of the other posts that related to Pursuit of Handmade will come up! Just click the retweet link! Simple, easy, and helps one another, right? Well, get busy then!

May's Pursuit of Handmade

2010-05-02T06:47:00.000-07:00

Announcing May's Pursuit of Handmade-

For some Mother's Day is a wonderful moment of sharing and appreciating your family- for other's it can be a painful, lonely day... Families are blended and full of so many different caregivers, that Mothers and Fathers day may not apply in the Hallmark meaning, but in so many other ways that are just as meaningful! So, I wanted to go beyond Mother's Day for May and find "To give someone you love..." That is pretty open, and can mean anything you want it to! So, list your item link here by commenting! Than hop over to Mishaps of Mommy at http://mishapsofmommy.blogspot.com and sign up for the Pursuit of Handmade Tweet Along- share your link again, and if you want- a story of inspiration about the item, about you, or what this theme means to you! We will show you and your fab. item off here!

Add your link, a story about your item, and then start sharing everyone else's entries! Just click on the links in the comments and then Share, Share, Share!
Remember, whenever you post your Pursuit of Handmade item, or another person's who is participating here- add #POH at the end so we can all just search and Retweet!

I am so glad you came to join in the fun! Dont forget to add yourself to the Tweet Along, too!

Take A New Turn

2010-05-02T06:22:00.000-07:00

Well, I have decided to make some changes with this blog... Unfortunately there just are not enough hours in the day to do everything I want to... I have spent the last year sharing ways to grab traffic, promote your biz, etc. here at Mishaps! Now, I am going to focus on promoting, uniting, and working together with other sellers or biz's who are to break into the world...

With that in mind, hop over to Mommy's Reviews at http://mommysreviewsyoucanuse.blogspot.com This will be the blog for promoting and exposing all of my new friends, and future friends! This blog, however, will focus on the information, nuts and bolts of getting ourselves out there and noticed! Everyone is moving into the handmade arena (which is fantastic!) but, sometimes we get lost in the crowd! Often, we don't have a sale for a while, we started doubting ourselves, and we lean towards throwing in the crochet hook! Don't do it! You just need a pick me up, and here is where you will get it!

Every month I try to do a "Pursuit of Handmade" which exposes or shows off sellers who create products in a chosen theme line... Well, I am going to broaden those themes, and then do a little publicity for one another when we participate!

Here are the things I think we could do to help each other-

1. Participate in the announced Pursuit of Handmade (that is the anchor to the entire operation!)

2. List your link at Mommy's Reviews (http://mommysreviewsyoucanuse.blogspot.com), thus you get immediate linkback and exposure- no waiting for you to be featured! You just add your link to the item that you think meets the theme.

3. Here (Mishaps of Mommy http://mishapsofmommy.blogspot.com) again list your link to the item in the comments section, AND share a little something about the item, the inspiration, the theme, whatever... I will expose each participant individually on the blog

4. Whomever is being featured that particular day, share it! We need to share each other on twitter, facebook, digg, all the social networks and sites. It is very easy, just go to the upper left corner of the blog and hit share or you can use the share button I have added to the bottom of the postings at http://mommysreviewsyoucanuse.blogspot.com

5. Click on all the links to the items under the comments and share them with twitter, facebook, etc. For example, if it links to an Etsy item, just click the share button to the bottom right of the page and you can share it with twitter, digg, facebook, all of the great sites! Share your items, share others items. It is all about promoting and exposing one another- A team effort, so to speak!

6. Finally, I will have a post below the pursuit for that month here at Mishaps of Mommy http://mishapsofmommy.blogspot.com You can add your link to the "Tweet A Long" We will all tweet each other followed by the hash mark #POH which stands for Pursuit of Handmade. This will increase exposure and seems to be a great tool many groups and teams are using! Whenever you are on twitter you can do a quick search for #POH and all the tweets will pop up, then just click "re tweet" and we can promote each other some more! It is a group effort, a combined force!

Make sense? We will just work on it as we go along... if you have ideas- share them and we can promote, expose, show off, and learn from one another-

The jist of the entire post is, this blog will focus on ideas, sharing and helping one another, while the Mommy's Review blog will focus on finding new customers, linking customers with sellers, and getting our names/products out there!

So, are your ready? See the above two posts for the Tweet along and the Pursuit of Handmade announcement for May!

Good luck and happy sharing!

A few opportunities you might find interesting....

2010-04-12T11:08:00.000-07:00

All Marketing Content

PLR Running Article Bundle

reBlog from Mommy Tyme: Mommy Tyme Bath and Gifts

2010-04-12T10:39:00.001-07:00

I found this fascinating quote today:

With all of this in mind, I decided to take some time and evaluate my ingredients, procedures, and purposes of some of my products. I have revamped and create some new items I am excited to show off in the next few weeks- I have been working on these for a while and have a ton of ideas for more... but, I wanted to have a few items to introduce along with Earth Day. I have created this blog to focus on How To's, ideas, products and ways that we can continue to focus on tomorrow by our actions today- I hope you will stop by and offer a comment or thought at http://mommytymegifts.blogspot.com (bookmark it or add it to your favorites!) To really kick off the new blog, I will be offering some freebies, prizes, and give aways! Make sure to follow the blog, comment with your contact info. and enter, enter, enter....Mommy Tyme, Mommy Tyme Bath and Gifts, Apr 2010

You should read the whole article.

My favorite Traffic Exchange so far...

2010-04-11T07:49:00.000-07:00

I've just joined Traffic Ad Bar which is a brand new FREE way to generate website traffic for your websites.

Unlike many other services, Traffic Ad Bar uses a level ladder which generates hits for members by using the "Daily Update Email".

But the reason that I joined more than any other was that I can use the Traffic Ad Bar to advertise my website completely FREE, AND reach almost everyone on the internet!

Click below to find more.

http://trafficadbar.com/mommytyme

Mommy's Reviews you can Use: Contest at Mommy Tyme Bath and Gifts~

2010-04-11T07:44:00.000-07:00

Mommy's Reviews you can Use: Contest at Mommy Tyme Bath and Gifts~

Come check out the giveaway going on! One week left! Easy entry!

2010-04-11T07:08:00.000-07:00

A fun way to get your items or products noticed is by entering contests and showing yourself off! One great place to really compete with some interesting themes is the Inspiration Avenue Blog-

Check it out here...

Biggest Put Offs For Etsy Shoppers – Part 1

2010-04-09T05:43:00.000-07:00

If you sell on Etsy or any of the handmade marketplaces, you do not want to miss this article! Well written with insight from shoppers on what they look for in a shop! Check it out, then come back here and leave a comment!

Biggest Put Offs For Etsy Shoppers – Part 1

Cool Ads that grab your reader? Slide Ups?

2010-04-06T02:53:00.000-07:00

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Here's the URL again in case you missed it:
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so your ad gets noticed without distracting the visitor.
I've been getting lots of emails from my other subscribers
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Not bad for a free service, is it?

Plus, if you join and recommend a friend, you'll get 100%
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Give it a try now at http://www.SlideUpAds.com/4326
- you have nothing to lose!

Try this one, then let me know what you think...

2010-04-03T14:57:00.000-07:00

Check this great opportunity out....

2010-04-01T14:53:00.000-07:00

http://www.traffic-splash.com/splashiala.html?referer=Mommytyme

Do you have a raging torrent of targeted traffic flooding
your site?

Or are your visitors trickling in?

I've just discovered a site that's owned and run by Paul Kinder
who is apparently one of the top traffic specialists in the
world today.

Traffic-Splash is a very high-profile program and it is well
worth getting in.

Now, you can either upgrade straight away at half price,
earning 50% on all your referrals and any random referrals
that Paul generates for you, or you can join for free.

Whichever way you go Traffic-Splash, brings in a river of
referrals so it will be great exposure for your business,
helping you to:

* advertise your web business
* grow your opt-in list
* build your affiliate program
* provide resources to improve your advertising

Traffic-Splash is one of the best quality traffic exchanges
on the net and I think it's a must have advertising resource.

Turn your Splashes into Floods of Traffic
=> http://www.traffic-splash.com?referer=Mommytyme

Happy Splashing!

=> http://www.traffic-splash.com?referer=Mommytyme

Another Great way to find traffic and get the customers you seek....

2010-03-29T14:51:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the new Dragon Surf?

It was already one of the most popular and successful
traffic exchanges on the net, but it just relaunched with
an awesome new design and some cool new features.

See the new Dragon Surf here:
=> http://dragonsurf.biz/?rid=53927

Get hoardes of new visitors to your sites while earning
a ton of free advertising in the brand new Dragon Surf
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Dragon Surf also offers cash commissions on some of
the best converting offers in the traffic exchange industry.

Over 44,305 members have already joined Dragon Surf...
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=> http://dragonsurf.biz/?rid=53927

Thanks,
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P.S. When you join Dragon Surf you should pay special
attention to the one time offer. You will get a chance
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value so don't miss it.

=> http://dragonsurf.biz/?rid=53927

Mommy's Reviews you can Use: Contest at Mommy Tyme Bath and Gifts~

2010-03-26T04:03:00.000-07:00

Mommy's Reviews you can Use: Contest at Mommy Tyme Bath and Gifts~

Motivate yourself and move forward

2010-03-25T04:06:00.000-07:00

Using Positive Self-Talk to Conquer Any Goal

Do you feel like you are always talking yourself out of success? As soon as you start to set goals for yourself, do you suddenly have nagging thoughts about how you aren't up to the task or how you simply aren't qualified to carry it through?

If you have ever experienced either situation, you need to change the way you respond to your inner dialogue. Instead of obeying your negative commands, you can use positive self-talk to counter the negativity and overcome nearly all anxious thoughts.

Setting Goals and Sticking to Them with Positive Self-Talk

Are you initially filled with excitement when you first set goals for yourself? Are these thoughts then followed by self-doubt and self-defeating thoughts that stop you in your tracks before you even get started?

It can be difficult to make the most of your life when you are constantly talking yourself out of being a success. It can be frustrating and discouraging to have these thoughts constantly plaguing you. Many of us, in fact, don't even realize we have them! All we know is that we don't have the confidence to stick to our plans and reach our goals.

But there's another way!

Positive self-talk is an effective way to set goals and ensure that you stick to them, even if you have never been able to do this before. The way this works is that you decide what goal is important to you, and then you plan the logistics of how you are going to attain this goal. When self-doubt starts kicking in, you will respond with affirmations that prove your success without surrendering to the negative pressure. Since you're reading this article, it's clear that you're no quitter and you're certainly not a failure, so start believing in yourself!

Re-Programming Your Mind

Affirmations are essentially positive statements that re-program your mind for the positive. The moment you have a self-defeating thought you'd be able to counter the negative with a motivating statement. An example of a positive affirmation is: "I am worthy of great success," or "I see myself in the winner's circle." What this does is replace negativity with thoughts that will help you move toward your goals instead of further away from them.

Positive self-talk is easier to implement than you might think. You may not be aware of the severity of the negative dialogue currently within your mind. However, once you begin with positive self-talk, you will suddenly realize that you are self-sabotaging the goals you set for yourself from the minute that you make them. This process can open your eyes to exactly how much this inner conversation has been interfering with your life. You'll feel hopeful that you can now set goals and surpass them.

Through positive self-talk you will be able easily set long and short-term goals for yourself. And when you use affirmations, you'll have accessible tools to help you push yourself further than ever before. Learning to quiet negativity with positive thoughts is a great move toward setting and attaining future goals with ease.

How to PLR Free Email Course

2010-03-23T04:10:00.000-07:00

Get 50 free emails promoting your biz, that you write- each week! Super easy! Then you also can earn money by reading others! It is up to you how you make this system work- but give it a try, then share your thoughts!

Q2: What Are Your Content Marketing Goals? Accountability & Help Is Here

2010-03-23T04:00:00.000-07:00

Q2: What Are Your Content Marketing Goals? Accountability & Help Is Here

I came across this blog and wanted to share it with all of you trying to scrape your way through the trials and tribulations of selling online! Wow, it is tough, right? Well, here are a few tips to keep you moving forward- Positively! IT is a great read, and well worth a few minutes to motivate you!

Gifts & Accessories

2010-03-22T07:11:00.000-07:00

Gifts & Accessories

Enter to win! No purchase Necessary! click on the link for contest details!

Moving Ahead effortlessly....

2010-03-12T05:21:00.000-08:00

Well, the past few weeks I have been pretty busy with trying to get my new products created, packaged, and ready to sell so I have not spent a lot of time on marketing. However, somehow I have managed to continue to make sales and increase hits to my site and my shops- Hmmmm... The only answer I can think of is that the marketing efforts I put in place prior to my "vacation" from daily marketing- are finally paying off! I was really happy to see that my squidoo page continued to receive hits, my web site (even though it is under construction) received hits and even some link outs to my store- so, it has to be the marketing and traffic services I have been utilizing are still redirecting traffic to my sites without my efforts! I am always assuming my traffic comes from my participation on facebook and the Nings... but, maybe I have been underestimating my traffic referral sources-

So, I played catch up this morning by linking and viewing several other websites that are required when you join a traffic service. It is not that time consuming- one of my favorites is Traffic Ad Bar. They send you a daily email with a web site link- link to the site, wait 10 seconds, then you can link out. Eventually your website will be the one in that email for everyone to see. In the meantime, you site or address is rotated through the other addresses that people view each day. It only takes ten seconds per view, and you earn 3-5 credits each view (on most, some are less)- Oh, did I mention this is free?

Another one I just tried today is Trafficsword- it is also free. I just linked in and signed up today so I really can not tell you too much right now. The link is below, I have not received mass emails, so your email address appears to be safe! Check it out, what do you think? Share your thoughts on the traffic rotators-

We are ranked #1 on TrafficSword.com!
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reBlog from Mommy Tyme: Mommy's Reviews you can Use

2010-03-08T05:54:00.001-08:00

I found this fascinating quote today:

We all use soap. In the old days, most people made their own. Today, we are much more likely to buy it from the store. There are lots of brands to choose from, and each brand has various formulations and scents.Mommy Tyme, Mommy's Reviews you can Use, Feb 2010

You should read the whole article.

2010-03-03T03:26:00.000-08:00

Fishing for traffic? Try this one...

2010-02-26T03:30:00.000-08:00

If you were fishing for Barracuda you wouldnï¿½t go to the Arctic, would you?

And you wouldnï¿½t try to find many Killer Whales on the Equator either, would you?

So, if youï¿½re marketing your site to other Marketers and Opportunity Seekers where do you think you should advertise?

Where is the place youï¿½re likely to get best response?

Yep, youï¿½re right! Youï¿½d go wherever other marketers are advertising and viewing websites. Wouldnï¿½t you?

So, Iï¿½ve found this new site that delivers a torrent of targeted traffic for online marketers. Itï¿½s called Traffic-Splash and they also provide promotional tools to help you build your business.

You can join for free and this gives you the ability to generate up to 250 hits an hour to your sites or you can upgrade and generate up to 750 hits an hour.

They have a special half-price offer for now, where you can upgrade at half-price ($4.98 a month), earning 50% on all your referrals and any random referrals that the owners generate for you too.

The traffic is all well targeted, Iï¿½ve not found any cold barracuda yet, so Iï¿½m very pleased with the results so far!

I think youï¿½ll be pleased too. Check it out.
http://traffic-splash.com/index.php?referer=Mommytyme

Happy Fishing!

Warm Regards
Valerie

PS Whatï¿½s warm and wet and puts floods of eyeballs on your site? Only way youï¿½re gonna find out is by checking out the promotional tools at http://traffic-splash.com/index.php?referer=Mommytyme

Mommy's Reviews you can Use: Pursuit of Handmade!

2010-02-17T11:59:00.000-08:00

Mommy's Reviews you can Use: Pursuit of Handmade!

5 Keys to Selling Success...

2010-02-17T11:29:00.000-08:00

5 Keys to Creating Websites that Sell

Your business website is essentially your storefront, business card and most significant marketing piece all rolled into one. How it affects your visitors and customers is then essential to your success. Provide a memorable experience and customers are sure to return time and time again. Let’s take a look at five keys to creating a website that sells.

Key #1 Make your website interactive.

As the internet continues to grow and evolve it’s becoming more important to create a community around your business. To accomplish this you want to engage your visitors and customers. This can be accomplished a number of ways. You can:

* Provide a forum
* Post surveys or polls
* Enable visitors and customers to review or rank items. For example a “How valuable was this article?” question and a scale of 1 to 5 stars or a ranking from 1-10.
* Offer a blog and inspire comments and feedback
* Host contests and sweepstakes
* Publish video and audio content as well as written content. This gives users another way to access you and your personality.

Key #2 Make sure your website provides value.

People go online for a number of reasons. They go online to research a potential purchase, to seek solutions for a problem they’re having and to be entertained. If your website provides all three; products, information, and entertainment then you’re in tip top shape. The good news is your content can provide both the information and the entertainment and when written well, can also inspire purchases. Here are a few ideas to provide value for your customers and prospects:

* How to articles, videos, and audio
* Tips articles, videos, and audio
* Case studies
* Workbooks and reports
* Interviews with experts
* Product reviews

Key #3 Make sure your website is easy to navigate.

It takes a visitor about 20 seconds to make a decision about whether they’re going to stay on your website or click away. If your site is laid out nicely, with products and services, information, prices, FAQs, and content easy to find then people are more likely to hang out – the longer they stay on your site the more likely they are to make a purchase or to return again.

To make your site easy to navigate consider:
* Keeping your site simple.
* Keep your pages uniform with the same options and appearance.
* If you have a lot of content, great! Use drop down menus and organize your content by topic for easier access.
* Offer a search function where users can search for products, services, or content topics quickly and easily.
* Provide a way for users to easily go back to previous pages. A back key is an option however if every page has the same options and drop down menus, including the ability to quickly return to the home page, a visitor will always be able to find what they need.
* Test your website’s appearance on different browsers to make sure every visitor has a good experience.
Key #4 Make your website easy on the eyes.

Ever visit a website and the text was so small or the colors so incompatible that you couldn’t read a word? Readability is critical to a selling website. Make sure:

* Your colors are easy on the eyes,
* Your graphics aren’t distracting
* And keep formatting like underlining, bold and italics to a minimum.
* Spacing between sentences and paragraphs is adequate
* Font size is large enough for people to read and font is easy to read

Key #5 Give them a soft sell.

People expect to be sold to and they’re looking for it – they’re wary. Instead of hitting website visitors with a hard sell, provide information, solve their problems and show them the benefits of your products or services. They’ll be much more receptive and appreciative.

Creating a website that sells requires a structured approach and a desire to create the best experience possible for your visitors. Once you’ve created your website, consider testing it and asking associates, friends and family for their opinion.

Now that you have read this... What do you think? Do you agree? What are some tips you can offer your fellow handmade vendors? Feel free to share! Do you have a blog that promotes and helps other Etsy, Zibbet, Winkelf, Artfire, etc. Sellers? Well, post it here! The more information we all have, the better equipped we are to take on the challenge of making it in our own biz...

reBlog from Mommy Tyme: Mommy's Reviews you can Use

2010-02-17T05:48:00.001-08:00

I found this fascinating quote today:

Do you create any of these items? Do you create something that can benefit these items? Do you create the supplies used to Make these items? if so, post your comment describing why your items are special along with the URL to your shop! I will show you off for our Purses Page!Mommy Tyme, Mommy's Reviews you can Use, Feb 2010

You should read the whole article.

How to Earn Slide up Ads? Do they work?

2010-02-05T04:24:00.000-08:00

Over the years, we've all been taught that the best way to grow a sizeable mailing list is to give our visitors a great offer they can't say no to. And the most common way to attract more traffic and readers is to pay or trade with another marketer to have a popup window or hover ad on their site with your offer and hope that the visitors will be intrigued enough to sign up.

But more recently, we're learning that popup ads, hover ads and all those other gimmicks are simply driving visitors AWAY and leaving us with no sales and an unresponsive list.

Until now, there wasn't a sure-fire way to get your ad noticed without getting on people's nerves. One ad network is looking to change that - and do it all for free.

It's called SlideUpAds - http://www.SlideUpAds.com/4326

SlideUpAds is a unique, eye-catching way to advertise your site across an entire network without having to resort to distracting popups or banners.

With SlideUpAds, your ad appears at the bottom frame of the user's screen, so they can still scroll on the web page without being interrupted on whatever they're viewing. Since your ad slides up from the bottom gradually (and quickly), it's more likely to get noticed without being distracting and abruptly closed.

SlideUpAds costs nothing to join and there's no charge for any advertising. You simply fill out a short form and get the details of your account, then upload your ad and you're ready to go! It's simple and straightforward and most ads can be online within a few minutes.

For a limited time, SlideUpAds is also opening the doors to what they call a
"Viral Marketing Avalanche". If you refer a friend and THEY join, you get 100% of that person's credits. If your friend refers a friend, you get 100% of THEIR credits too! Of course, your friends still get to keep their credits, but it's like getting double or even triple the exposure without doing any extra work!

Many people are reporting terrific success with SlideUpAds, particularly where popups and hover ads simply haven't performed well in the past. Consider testing your current opt-in form with SlideUpAds and gauge the response for yourself - you may be pleasantly surprised at the results!

To learn more, visit http://www.SlideUpAds.com/4326 - it's free to join and there's no membership fee.

http://www.SlideUpAds.com/4326

Free advertising? Email marketing? Leads to your shop?

2010-02-04T03:20:00.001-08:00

One of the reasons I created this blog was to review and discuss all the many advertising, promotional and marketing services available. As you know, there are thousands- and the process of trying to find the right fit for you can be overwhelming! I have learned by trial and error which ones work, and which ones are a con!

One that I have been pretty pleased with is Advertyze! You receive 50 free email marketing ads each week- as a free member. You can increase these with upgrade to your membership, but for a small biz... 50 may be just the right amount for you! I had signed up several months ago, but did not have time to really explore Advertyze until now. It is really easy to use, no tricky sign ups, no forced affiliate marketing, and no email inbox overload! In fact, the same day I signed up I had access to my first week's advertisement. So, it is quick, easy, no strings, and really worth a moment of your time!

Have you tried Advertyze? If so, love to hear your thoughts. I will give you an update in a week or two of how it has helped, if it helps, my website and sales! For now, if you would like to give it a try... here is the link

http://www.advertyze.com/members/go.php?r=12736

reBlog from Mommy Tyme: Mommy's Reviews you can Use

2010-01-29T06:05:00.001-08:00

I found this fascinating quote today:

Want a fun and easy way to promote yourself? How about your blog- you can actually add a feed to your lens! Or your Etsy mini? Sell on ebay? You can pull your items from ebay and promote them here, too! There are so many things you can do with squidoo! If you don't have one, get one! They are totally free. Plus, you can actually earn money simply by allowing Amazon and other top name vendors to advertise on your lens! It is really easy to set one up. Use it to sell, promote, talk about your hot new items.Mommy Tyme, Mommy's Reviews you can Use, Jan 2010

You should read the whole article.

reBlog from Mommy Tyme: Mommy's Reviews you can Use

2010-01-26T04:18:00.001-08:00

I found this fascinating quote today:

Made it Myself is one of those great venues where you can sell your handmade items, yet, somehow I missed the boat on this one! I am kicking myself now. Initially, I had posted 5-6 items on there, and then just sat back. Other than joining the Made it Myself on Ning site, I did little to no marketing for this venue. Ugh! Now, I checked it out today just to see if there had been changes, improvements, etc. AND WOW! There really has! Here are just a few of the benefits I see of MIM- 1. Its free! Really free. 2. You can list unlimited items 3. there is a huge image of your banner at your individualized URL, 4. you can add the badge that links directly to YOUR shop, not the marketplace in general 5. Recently listed items are posted on the FRONT page- so you can stay up there until the amount of new items listed by others pushes you off - but, depending upon your listing time, this could be a few days and so you are getting FRONT page exposure for free! 6. For a super low fee of .49 you can have your item listed on the front page for the duration of your listing - that seems like a fair investment if you consider Etsy charges 7.00 for their Showcase! 7. Now here is something truly unique- you can set your listing as Negotiable, and buyers can make offers, you can wheel and deal, make trades, etc. And all of this is tracked, goes through your payment service, so there is a record of your agreement. You can even issue a coupon. How is that for customer relations? 8. You can "link" with Made it Myself by adding their banner to your blog, site, etc. and in return they will post a small banner of yours. Now this appears to be a first come first serve, and it is not a neverending time frame that your banner is posted. I assume that you are posted for a short duration (week- month) which has its benefits. The reason this is a positive is because when a shopper checks out the link page, they are not overwhelmed with thousands of banners. Instead there are about 12, so that is appealing and functional for a shopper. When you are lost in a crowd of 100, what are the real chances someone is going to pick you link? 9. finally, the community and forums is great! These are not pages and pages of entries that you muddle through like on some of the bigger marketplaces- You can go to the forum that posts the topic you need (sales, marketing, glitches, etc) and see your post immediately. Because it is not thousands of entries, others respond back really quick. I found the forum and community page the easiest to use of any of the marketplaces thus far!Mommy Tyme, Mommy's Reviews you can Use, Jan 2010

You should read the whole article.

New way to Promote your Etsy shop

2010-01-26T04:10:00.000-08:00

I was emailed this link to a great little blog that is all about promoting your Etsy shop on Twitter! Brilliant idea, actually... Here is how it goes...
Everyone uses the hashtag WWes and then post your link, etsy shop, sale, etc! Other followers of the blog will do a search each day for WWes and Retweet all the items that pop up! So your tweet may be retweeted a dozen or so times to a various other group of followers! Great idea, eh?

If you would like to check it out for yourself, here is the link-

http://worldwideetsysellers.blogspot.com/

Create Banners for Free! Peel Away ads, buttons, all that jazz...

2010-01-22T11:32:00.000-08:00

I found an awesome program the other day! Yes, its free! Yes, I tried it! And yes, it really works. A little tricky at first, but you need to just mess around with it until you get a feel for it! This cool program lets you create Peel Away Ads, banners, flash banners, ... all that cool stuff you are probably paying someone else to do for you! Now, I am no expert, but it really was not too much- just add your text, choose your colors, and there you go....

Here's a link if you want to give it a go... Now, I think the catch is you have to muddle through some advertisements. But, it only takes 30 seconds to get through that, then you are ready to create! also, it saves your graphics, so if you upload pictures to the program- you won't have to continue to do that; they will be accessible the next time you create! Come back and let me know what you think...

http://instantbannercreator.com/?rid=45575

Mommy Tyme handmade bath and body, gifts, jewelry, and fashions

2010-01-22T03:53:00.000-08:00

Mommy Tyme handmade bath and body, gifts, jewelry, and fashions

Advertise for free right now! Openings available with $.0 for beginning bid through Project Wonderful. Click on the page, look to the right and you will see the Project wonderful bid boxes. Currently there are no bids, so you can get these spots for free for however long they remain open without bids! perfect for anyone with a shop... Who can beat FREE advertising?

First Ever Facebook Contest! Sweetest Sweet for your Sweety!

2010-01-20T04:20:00.000-08:00

I am having my first ever facebook fan page contest! I enter them all the time, but rarely host them! But, as many of you know, facebook can be a fantastic source for promoting and showing off your latest works!

So, hit the link and check it out! Sweetest Sweets for Your Sweety contest! Post the sweetest gift idea you have created with your shop, link, url and avatar (if you have one!) I will show your work off on facebook pages, blogs, twitter, my site, Mulitply, and everywhere I can find that will let me post! You have to fan the page, and you have to enter by 2/1! Oh, and obviously it has to be YOUR creation...

So, come check it out and get started!

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=262297993679

Oh, PS- I always fan or follow my newbies back! So this is one more linkback to build your biz....

Find the facebook fan page at:
http://www.facebook.com/business/dashboard/?ref=sb#/pages/Mommy-Tyme-Bath-and-Unique-Gifts/87968482686

Mommy Tyme Bath and Unique Gifts on Facebook

Exploring the Claims of Traffic services, Referral Packages, Profit Machines, Etc.

2010-01-19T09:02:00.000-08:00

I signed up for this new program to help me with traffic to my website and web stores. You never really know if the claims are true or not, until you try it. Since it is free, what the heck? right? Well, here is the promo for the service... Scroll down and I will tell you a little more about what I learned!

http://www.50000FreeVisitors.com/?id=5144247

You get EVERYTHING you need for success...

tools, training, traffic and the complete worldwide Monitor network.

We have created a powerful LIVE video system that will
build ANY business in a matter of days.

After you join and ATTEND our LIVE webcast YOU will get access to our report that shows
you how to get 50,000 Home Based Visits To Your Site.

Details Click Here --> http://worldprofitassociates.com/t20.cfm?id=5144247

Sounds great, right? Well, I signed up, logged in and boom... There is a live chat type window open. You are asked to write a message to announce your presence, then watch a live stream video. The video takes about 20 minutes- and basically, it focuses on you PURCHASING an upgrade and from that you can SELL the products that they are offering- books, programs, etc to help build your traffic.
I scoured all the pages and unfortunately, I never did see an opportunity for the FREE visitors or the FREE traffic to my site. It was really confusing, and when I left the site I actually felt I had better check my pay pal account to ensure I had not been charged for anything (I wasn't).

Just an FYI and MY opinion of the program. Is there something I am missing? Maybe. Is there really a way to receive all the free traffic? Probably- but, I could not find it! So, if you are looking for a simple program to boost your web site, this is not the one. If you are a guru on the web and have plenty of time to check it all out... This could have some potential!

I had posted a few weeks ago that I was going to begin a review and exploration of all the traffic services, link exchange programs, etc out there that make big promises! I am going to share with you which ones successfully improve my stats, and which ones fall flat (in my opinion!) So, keep coming back and lets muddle through this together.

Do you have a service you really like? SErvice that you want to share? Post your link and we will check it out!

At this point, I would still recommend Traffic Swarm as one of my favorites! It is easy to use, there is no catch. You browse ads, then they post yours for others. Simple concept! And free! Here is my link if you want to check it out:

http://www.trafficswarm.com/go.cgi?922223

Affiliate, Traffic, shopping, earn money from home... All in one? Really?

2010-01-17T13:58:00.000-08:00

Ok, here we are reviewing another affiliate/traffic rotation program. This one I will give a thumbs up, though! It actually works. Super easy, you view sites, you earn credits or money (your choice), then you can cash that money in for your site being posted. Does it work? yes. Can you really cash the money in for CASH? Yes. There is a minimum withdrawl amount you have to reach before you can actually have the money transferred, though. It is about a penny a click, so it will take a while. But, you can do like I do, view a few sites, take those credits and convert them into your own advertisements.

There are a ton of other services on there, too. There are shopping sites and discounts, contests, and more... Check it out! Then come back and tell me what you think...

http://www.clixsense.com/?2762243

Reduce Footprints: Change The World Wednesday

2010-01-16T16:47:00.000-08:00

Reduce Footprints: Change The World Wednesday

If you have not checked it out, you should! Stop by and see some fantastic ideas on how to reduce and reuse!

Continue to find storage space and Organize! Not just in the craft room, but everywhere...

2010-01-16T11:09:00.000-08:00

Since I have been focusing on de-clutter, organize, systemize, etc. etc. in my craft/workspace, I decided to scout some tips from the experts.... Here is a fantastic article that seems to be in step with my thoughts on getting your items into their correct place:

Home Organization 101: Easy Steps to a Clutter Free Home

When you first move into your home it seems like you have so much space. As the years pass, you might find yourself becoming a pack rat. What are you going to do with all the stuff you have accumulated? Perhaps it’s time to weed out the unnecessary items and organize your home.

Home organization is a step-by-step process. It will take more than a day or even a week to get everything to a manageable level, but once you do staying organized is an easier task. If you have a family, enlist their help. They can pitch in and learn a thing or two about controlling clutter in their life.

1. Start with the high traffic areas. The living room and kitchen are usually the two most used rooms in the house. Everything gets dropped on a counter or the couch in these two places. Concentrate on getting everything set up the way that you like it before moving on to another room.

2. Use storage containers. Over the years, the style of storage containers has upgraded to be pretty as well as functional. Instead of storing containers in stacks in the garage, purchase ones that match your décor in each room and integrate them so that no one would even notice they were being used for storage.

3. Divide items into categories. You can use heavy duty trash bags for this part. Everything that you find can go into a pile: KEEP, THROW AWAY, GIVE AWAY, and RELOCATE. Items that will stay in that room are to keep. Things that you don’t need or are broken can be thrown away. Clothes or furniture still in great condition can be donated and scheduled for pickup by the Veteran’s association or Goodwill. Anything that definitely belongs in another room can be labeled for relocation when you get to that room.

4. Remove everything from drawers and cabinets. This is a time-consuming process but it is easier to start with an empty space and fill it instead of simply pushing things around. If you line things up on the counter, someone else can help by putting the items in some type of order.

5. Make use of all of your available space. In the kitchen, for example, appliances or extra containers can be stored on top of the cabinets provided they don’t extend all the way to the ceiling. That’s extra storage space without benefit of a storage container. Also use the top of the refrigerator for cereal boxes and breakfast food like boxes of instant oatmeal or grits. In the bedroom, shoes and winter clothes can go into flat storage bins that slide easily under the bed or the dresser.

6. Label your containers. Use tape and a permanent marker to identify the contents of your storage containers. Avoid writing on the actual container in case they are reused and the contents are changed. Labeling also makes for easy identification if you decide to sell or give away a container of books or something. You won’t have to open each container to locate them.

Organizing your entire house takes time. But, once it is done, returning everything you use to its proper place will maintain that same level of organization.

Finance & Credit Article Bundle

Home Decor Article Bundle

2010-01-15T09:31:00.000-08:00

Here are some great You Tube Videos to help you with your attempt to Organize! I love these tips! Check them out, try some of the tips, then come share with us! Did they work? How is it going?

Organization for Creativity Part 2- Keeping it cheap!

2010-01-13T05:26:00.000-08:00

Organizing for creativity - Next Step

So, now that you have sorted and seperated all the areas of your room, you are ready to organize and set up the room in a way that is functional for YOU. When I divided all the items in my room and sectioned off the areas I found I had more needs than space! I needed a place to study, a place to do the household finances, etc, a need for an area to work on jewelry making/scrapbooking/wreaths, etc. and a place to store my crochet tools/patterns. My room just simply is not big enough for all of that! Realism struck! This is not going to work!

So, I decided to work it out on paper- I sectioned off the room and created a hypothetical area for the desk, a theoretical place for the table- I had to leave room for walking and manuevering. Next I decided what I MUST have handy, and what can be stored. I will only work on wreaths for a few weeks out of the year, so those supplies can be stored. In a tote they went, labeled, and moved to the attic. I went through some of my other items- like jars, bottles, etc. that I have been saving to create something (what? I don't know yet, it hasn't come to me- But, it will!) Those type items I boxed up in a tote, labeled and stored. This continued for a while...

I still had a ton of projects and items that needed space! So, I tackled one task at a time. First was to set up the study area. I rearranged the desk, went through old files, boxed up everything before 2009- labeled and in the attic they went (I literally have receipts from 1997!- is that nuts?) I had to make room for the desktop, a file cabinet, and my laptop. I came up with a system, it may not be the greatest, but it saves space and is functional. The laptop goes with me everywhere, so it has to be somewhere I can grab it and go. So, I purchased a few desktop organizers from the Dollar Tree for a buck, then put rollers on the bottom of the file cabinet (it was wood- so not to tough a job. You can purchase rollers at Walmart, the hardware store, etc for under 5.00! I was fortunate and had an extra set that had come with an entertainment center we purchased a while back!) WaLa- Instant space!

Then I moved to my jewelry making supplies... This was a little tougher. There are so many embellishments, findings, beads, crystals, tools, etc. Before I simply kept everything on the table and worked- but it was crowded, time consuming to find what I needed, and things easily got lost (remember, I have a 4 year old boy!). So, I thought about what type of components would best serve as storage for all of this.

We have all seen the little clear divided boxes for beads, right? Those are a great idea, but small. So, I thought I needed the same concept, but bigger. I hit the hardware store! There, I found some great storage ideas- drawers and boxes for nails/screws/washers are PERFECT for beads. The fronts can be labeled, the drawers slide easily but have a lip so if it gets knocked over the drawers do not come out! How fantastic is that? If your a mom, you know exactly why I was so excited! Another great idea for tools, wire, etc. are the mini 2-3 drawer plastic chests. All of your tools fit in there, they are small enough to sit on your desk, they are clear so you can see what is in there- all around a great idea AND I got mine at Dollar General for 2.00! yes, that is right- 2.00!

Here is a few photos of what I am talking about--

These were a tremendous help once I got them filled with individual findings and beads. I am sure there are all types of storage ideas at the hardware store, much cheaper than what you may find in office supply shops!

Well, stay tuned as we move to the nightmare I call "Yarn Supply"! I will post more progress next week!

Have organization ideas? On the cheap? share them with us!

2010-01-12T10:07:00.000-08:00

I did not forget about the organizing for creativity series.... I will post phase 2 this week! Storage and organization ideas for your smaller items and how to get to the next step once you have sorted into piles! sorry for the delay! Look for the post on Thursday!

Promote your shop for free with Mommy Tyme! No catch!

2010-01-12T10:05:00.000-08:00

A great way to promote your shop/business is with widgets or mini stores! Many of the marketplaces have them- Etsy, Winkelf, Artfire, etc...

(if you know of more, please comment and let me know... I am not sure of all of the venues out there!)

anyway, I am hoping to create a featured section on my blog- Mommys Reviews- and post a variety of artists mini shops for either a week/or a month at a time- (I dont have all the details under control yet...)

so, here is an excerpt from my blog- Mommys Reviews at http://mommysreviewsyoucanuse.blogspot.com - If you are interested in participating (Yes, it's free!) then you can comment here with the information, or you can go to Mommy's Reviews and post the information there! I really hope to get the Mommys Mini Marketplace off the ground in the next two weeks! So, hurry and post! Plus, this will really be added promotion for your shop- I will feed it to twitter on a 6 hour interval, also post all new mini shops each week on Facebook, and it has a feed running to my website! Plus, I subscribe to multiple traffic exchanges and services for both My Mommys Reviews Blog and my website. All of this benefits you- so, join in the fun!

Here's the details from http://mommysreviewsyoucanuse.blogspot.com

"...As we have talked about previously, the Share the Love Series will be ongoing and updated weekly. As will the pursuit of handmade series which is my weekly blog entry! The Mommy's Mini Market contains all of my shops- but, my new FEATURE is Mommy's Mini Marketplace- which I hope to have up and running in the next week or so... Here is the deal for this: If you are a handmade artisan and you want to promote your items/shops- you can do so here! I would like to feature 3-4 mini shops (or widgets) each week (or month)! All you have to do is- sign up! Just leave me a comment with your shop URL, name, and email. I will choose 3-4 shops for this first feature, then contact the shop owners. The shop owners will send me the code for their mini shops I will post the mini marketplace. One catch, however, is that the online shops must have a mini/window, etc. I know that etsy, winkelf, artfire, and fuzz b offer this free service- but, as for other marketplaces, I am not sure! You will just have to ensure that your venue does offer this service.

My readers get a fantastic opportunity to browse a variety of shops with multiple modes of talent! Readers can shop directly from the blog or they can link to your shop and see all of your great products! This will give readers a chance to see all the fantastic items out there in the handmade marketplaces- not just the few items I may choose to feature! And this provides you (the shop owner) with one more link back, one more promotional tool, one more place where your name and products is being shouted out! You have to do absolutely nothing! I will tweet your shop's presence here, post it on my website, let my facebook followers know, etc!

I honestly believe in promoting and preserving the great talents out there! One of my biggest fears is that by the time my child is an adult, there were only be cheap, mass marketed products for him to enjoy. I want the future of handmade and artisan work to grow- I pray that individuals continue to express themselves and their creativity and that there continue to be a market that openly appreciates and receives these creations. So, I feel an ultimate obligation to do my part and shout to the world - Hey check these artists out! So, Mommys Mini Marketplace is just one more way I can do that! Problem is .... I need participants (you, the shop owner!)

So, if you are interested, comment with the needed information- and I hope to have this feature section up and running sometime next week!..."

If you have questions, ideas, or thoughts on how to get this up and moving, streamlined, or easier for the readers, let me know! Hope you join in and participate!

reBlog from Mommy Tyme: Mommy's Reviews you can Use

2010-01-09T05:40:00.001-08:00

I found this fascinating quote today:

I am currently scouting some treasures to present for Valentines Day- Sweets for your Sweety! Anything that would make a great gift for someone special. Personally, I do not care if people feel Valentines Day is a money making gimmick for Hallmark! I love it and want to be spoiled on February 14! I think most overworked moms do! So, lets find some great items that we would love to receive! then you can conspicuously email the link to your hubby!Mommy Tyme, Mommy's Reviews you can Use, Jan 2010

You should read the whole article.

Free Marketing? Header and Slide up Ads? How do I get this service to work for me?

2010-01-09T03:18:00.000-08:00

Organizing for Creativity

2010-01-05T05:47:00.000-08:00

When attempting to create you need a space that you can work in- one that is quiet, organized, and easily accessible. If you pack all of your needed items in hard to reach places, the enthusiasm or creativity when it strikes, will quickly diminish upon being faced with the task of having to locate and gather all of your supplies. I have been struggling with this for some time now. As a full time mom, full time student, working full time I find I have a very limited time to work on my passion- creating! So, when I get those times, I want to get busy- not waste a ton of time trying to find this piece, that skein of yarn, these embellishments, etc. In fact, I have been so frustrated lately, that I simply grab what is accessible and attempt to use it first- but, I know there is that perfect bracket, focal bead, or fragrance hiding in my totes somewhere that would really make the item I am working on Perfect! I just don't have the energy or time to search for it.....

So, I decided this year I was going to make my crafting/study/home office area ACCESSIBLE and FUNCTIONAL! Now, this was a task. I have a small room that is about 12 x 9 to do all of the household budgeting and record keeping, my class work and studying, plus my crafting. Oh, did I forget to mention this room also houses my clothes closet and storage for my shoes? So, you can imagine how I was dreading this task... But, it was my New Years Resolution, and I only had 3 days to do it.

The first day I drew out a plan on paper. I just broke the room down into areas (like a kindergarten classroom) and decided which area would be for what. I needed a table and a desk. I also needed storage- and a lot of it. I make jewelry, crochet, scrapbook and make soap/bath products. So, once I broke the room down into quadrants and lined it out on paper, I went shopping for storage. I saw tons of great storage ideas on the web and in magazines, but I just did not have time to create and decorate all these things in 3 days. Instead I opted for cheap and functional thinking as time allows me later I can decorate a great photo box, or embellish a coffee can for tools.

Once I had all my new containers in tow... I just dug in. I pulled out all of my supplies, totes, etc. and just moved it all into the center of the room. I started going through each and every item (this took a day in itself). I threw out things I knew I would never use (Wow! that was hard!) I divided everything into big totes or piles- scrapbook supplies, jewelry, bath and body, school necessities, household stuff, and my personal wardrobe items. Once it was all sectioned off, I was exhausted!I will tell you- one great investment for organizing is a label maker. It will undoubtedly help you with the process of separating and organizing, but also help KEEP you organized when done!

I am posting some pictures of the process! I will go through the next stages of my reorganization and show my finished room later this week!

Do you have organization or storage ideas you would like to share? How about telling us about your work area? How did you set it up for functionality and creativity? Is it a shared space? Dish, readers! Share your thoughts and ideas with us!

I moved everything into the center of the room and just started going through all of it! Each tote, container, etc. I ended up with 3 garbage bags when I was done!

It took an entire day to go through all of my items. I ended up with 6 large totes of yarn, alone!

I just opened it all up and started going through it- seperating, labeling, and sectioning off!

2010-01-04T12:17:00.000-08:00

Downline builders can be a great way to start
generating traffic and promoting your programs.
The problem comes when your programs don't match
the owners agenda.

Everyone needs traffic and to bring people into
their sphere of influence but you hate to have the
owner decide the agenda for building your business.

Well that has now changed. Jon Olson and Paul Kinder
have put together a new downline builder and you
decide what to promote.

http://affiliatefunnel.com/?rid=46748

They help you to bring people into YOUR sphere of
influence and deliver traffic to YOUR programs not
theirs. YOU decide what to promote to YOUR downlines.

They have also included tips and tricks for building
your traffic but let you build YOUR business.

http://affiliatefunnel.com/?rid=46748

Check them out today and start filling YOUR funnel.

P.S. Stop letting others control YOUR business and
take control today.

http://affiliatefunnel.com/?rid=46748

Make sure to check back this week.... I am going to list the best of the best, easiest to use- FREE- traffic building, rotating, and banner/site exposure services I can find... I am diligently scouring and surfing to determine what are the best services for people like you and me to use! Those of us with small businesses, home businesses, WAHMS, bloggers, and more... We cant afford those big rotators, nor can we spend hours on the web surfing for credits! So keep up with the programs I have tried for you- then share your experiences with them.

Do you have a program or service you would like me to try? Are you an affiliate with a traffic program? Link services? Swap? Just comment and list your affiliate link/splash page! I would be happy to try it out and pass it on to my readers!

Trend Alert: Feathered Hair Accessories

2009-12-28T05:03:00.000-08:00

Trend Alert: Feathered Hair Accessories

Keep up to date with the latest styles, trends and ideas with services like Hipster! These allow you to know what to expect from the market and be able to meet the needs of your customers. Check out some of the recent services I have used, share and blog about all of it!

Bath and Body

2009-12-28T03:16:00.000-08:00

Bath and Body

See what is new in the News section of the site! Have something to offer? Want to publish your thoughts on selling, resources, links, tools that promote? come visit the pages and email me with your article! If I publish it, you will receive one month free advertising on the site!

Home

2009-12-27T02:33:00.000-08:00

Link

Click the link! Go to the AJD spotlight contest! Vote for the Holiday themed winner this month! Share with your friends and family! Voting is at the bottom of the page!

The Pricing Dilemma for Your Handmade Items...

2009-12-24T04:07:00.000-08:00

Selling handmade items: the pricing dilemma

Selling handmade items: the pricing dilemma by Bobby Buys

For a craftsman, pricing is often the most difficult part of the process of preparing items for sale. The best way to find your way around is research. Check the price tags of similar products in local stores, craft markets and - most importantly - on the online marketplace where you intend to display your wares. If it is obvious that the items you make have a quality that makes them superior, do not shy away from pricing them in higher brackets.

When you sell via an online marketplace, your overheads are minimal. Since you will be working from home, you need not worry about the cost of renting office space and similar expenses. However, there are overheads that are often overlooked. Even a small cross stitch project, for example, may entail overhead expenses like a fraction of your electricity bill if you work at night. Nor should you forget to include a portion of your Internet bill for the time it takes you to upload the item online and to email your customers. Then, you must take into account the site's selling commission (usually about five percent of the selling price).

Overheads are only one of the elements that you need to bear in mind when pricing your items for selling online. Setting the price at the right level is vitally important. Set it too low - and you will be out of your pocket. Set it too high - and, as a result, you will find no takers.

Other than the overheads, which are marginal when selling through an online marketplace, there are several basic elements that you need to consider when working out the price for your sewing, knitting or needlework.

Materials: Note down exactly what you had to spend in order to start making your item. For example, if you are making a quilt to sell, you will add up the cost of the fabric, batting, and so on; if you are making purses then consider the cost of handles, bag frames, ornaments, etc.

Equipment: If you use a sewing machine or any other tool, be aware of maintenance and replacement costs and weave them into the price of your end product - over one year, or over five years, for example. If you rent any specialised equipment, you need to calculate the fee into the price of your products.

Labour: Include the cost of your time into the final product. The cost of your labour is the hourly wage you pay yourself, or your employees, if you hire them.

Market considerations: Take into consideration what the market is willing to pay for the items you make. Although they may be ready to splash out on really unique items, buyers at online marketplaces are usually looking for bargains. It is a good idea to at least offer several low priced items, and to always emphasise in the description why the more expensive ones deserve the price tag they bear. If your customer base values the style and uniqueness of your products, they will not be deterred by higher prices. In any case, keep an eye on what the competition is doing, especially price-wise.

Your goals: This is an important feature of working out your pricing. Have an idea about what you want to achieve from the sale of your work from the very start: just a few rands to help you fund your hobby, or a supplementary stream of income?

And, every now and then, it might be a good idea to place your artifacts on auction and let the play of market forces determine their final price.

bidorbuy.co.za is South Africa's largest online marketplace. Buyers and sellers come to bidorbuy to buy and sell virtually anything in auction format or at fixed prices. Contact details: bidorbuy Marketing Department; email promotion@bidorbuy.co.za, web site www.bidorbuy.co.za

Article Source: ArticleSnatch Free Article Directory

Grow your followers by blogging | twitterfriends.org

2009-12-23T08:29:00.000-08:00

Grow your followers by blogging | twitterfriends.org

Are you using twitter to promote your handmade? Are you making new friends, finding followers, sharing your links? If so, then you know Twitter can be a powerful tool to promote and advertise your items! But, it can also be a lot of work. You have to scour and search for the right kind of followers, make posts that use the keywords your potential customers can find, and you have to search for the right type of people to follow. I personally have done a broad search on a keyword like "women" or "fashion" attempting to find tweeters who have an interest in women's fashion. What did I get? PORN! So, it is a little more tricky than you might think... It took me two days to delete all the followers and DM's I had from "adult themed tweeters"! However Twitter Friends does a lot of the work for you... and you can sign up for the free service to check it out. If you really want to grow your Twitter Base, you can, for only pennies a day.... What could be easier? Check it out and see what they can offer you and your business, then come back here and share it with us!

http://twitterfriends.org/Follow.aspx

reBlog from Mommy Tyme: Mommy's Reviews you can Use

2009-12-23T03:53:00.001-08:00

I found this fascinating quote today:

You can win one of my new butter bath bars ... Choose from Honey almond, Sweet Pea or Lavender Butter bath bars! Here is all you have to do:Mommy Tyme, Mommy's Reviews you can Use, Dec 2009

You should read the whole article.

Great Finds by Made for Me by Oaklie

2009-12-23T03:46:00.000-08:00

Another Great Finds Holiday Contest is up and running! Once again, I took the plunge and entered! I have posted a red suede scarf/neckwarmer with tie closure and frill! I would be honored if you could take a moment and give me a vote. Get to the Great Finds contest by clicking below on the link, then simply look to the left- all of the entrants are listed!

Take a moment and check out all the fantastic items listed for the Holiday! Next week begins a New Years Bling contest! See the details on the page on how to enter your own item...

Great Finds by Made for Me by Oaklie

Orange Blossom and Mango Shampoo with essential oils by MommyTyme

2009-12-23T00:16:00.000-08:00

Link

New listing of luscious rich lather Orange Blossom and Mango shampoo! Super deal!

New Additions to Mommy Tyme Shop Dryer Sachets http://www.MommyTyme.etsy.com

2009-12-22T10:35:00.001-08:00

Myspace Glitter Graphics

A Swarm of Traffic To Your Site

2009-12-22T04:23:00.000-08:00

A Swarm of Traffic To Your Site

A little humor to lighten your day- Excuses for getting out of work....

2009-12-21T04:01:00.001-08:00

Top 10 Excuses For Getting Out of Work

Top 10 Excuses For Getting Out of Work by Ben Welch

We've all been there: it's a beautiful day and you can't bear the thought of going into work. So you call in with the lame-old excuse about feeling ill even though you know your boss doesn't buy it. Besides, "feeling ill" is at best only a short-term solution that won't win you any fans at the office. That's why if you're going to play hooky, you need an excuse that will help you save face as well as your sanity. Here are some ideas.

1. (For women) "I have really bad cramps." Now before you dismiss this one, think about it: Who can argue? It's such an embarrassing topic that nobody will ever challenge you. It's one of those things that men honestly have no clue about and women can sympathize with.

2. (For men) "I have horrible diarrhea." Again, before you dismiss this one, remember that it's such an embarrassing topic - especially for a man - nobody will doubt your sincerity. Plus, it's simple. You don't need an elaborate back story because no one wants to hear the details. If anything, your boss and co-workers will admire you for your honesty.

3. "I'm having an allergic reaction to _______, and I need a day to recover." This excuse requires a few details about when and where it happened as well as the details of your food allergy, but Google should give you everything you need. The upside of this excuse is that you can use it more than once. The downside is that it requires a good memory and some vigilance: for instance, you can't claim a peanut allergy and then gorge yourself on Thai food at the next company junket.

4. "My grandmother's/grandfather's memorial service is today." This excuse works for two reasons: first, because elderly people die everyday no one is going to think your excuse is unlikely; second, no one is going to question (or resent) a death in your family for fear of offending you. If you play your cards right, this excuse is good for four free days - one for each grandparent - with each new job.

5. "My wife/husband is extremely ill and I need to stay home and take care of them." The excuse is a gem not only because you get a day off, but also because it makes you seem sensitive. The only drawback is that it requires an accomplice - namely, your spouse. As such, you may want to save this excuse for a special occasion when the two of you can organize a special three-day weekend.

6. "One of my children locked themselves in the basement. I couldn't get them out myself so we had to call the fire department." This is only one of a multitude of excuses you can use with mischievous children. Just recycle the same formula - child gets in trouble, child needs help, parent to the rescue. This works with children of all ages, from children traumatized by irresponsible day-care workers to playground fights to errant teenagers. (Hey, this is one of the perks of having kids - they torment us 364 days of the year and we get 1 day off. Fair trade.)

7. "I took some work home last night and will be going through it today from home." Whoever invented telecommuting should be sainted. Just remember that in order to sell the "working from home" excuse you need to email or call the office a couple times throughout the day to maintain the ruse that you're working. The best time to do this is at lunch - that way you get credit for the call but you don't have to answer too many questions.

8. "My next door neighbor's house caught on fire last night and damaged a small part of our roof. So I'll have to spend the day with the insurance company and the assessors." Again, this is a formula: something happened to a neighbor (fire, flood, nuclear fallout), and you are involved through no fault of your own. The important thing is to keep it small. Make it more of an annoyance than a disaster. The idea is to convince your boss and co-workers that you are the unlucky one. "Trust me," you say, "I would much rather be at work."

9. "I got pulled over for speeding on my way to work the other day and I have to go to traffic school." The idea here is that you had minor trouble with the law (emphasis on minor) and you have to pay your dues. A variation on this would be letting your license expire - or at least claiming it did - which means you had to go to the DMV and take a written test as well as a driving test, which could easily take a full day. After all, the DMV has its reputation for a reason.

And finally...

10. "My accountant made some clerical errors on my taxes and I'm being audited." In the wake of the Enron scandal and the demise of Arthur Andersen, this excuse is a sure-thing. The important thing is to make the accountant look like the bad guy - you just need to be there to make sure he doesn't do anything shady. Once again, the key to this excuse is to make everyone feel sorry for you, not envy you.

Benjamin Welch has been a college instructor in writing and composition for nearly six years. When he's not teaching or playing golf, he offers advice for students seeking information about online education and adult education.

Article Source: ArticleSnatch Free Article Directory

COUPONS

2009-12-20T08:38:00.001-08:00

COUPONS & GIFT CERTIFICATES! - Coming soon…

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reBlog from Mommy Tyme: Mommy's Reviews you can Use

2009-12-20T08:00:00.001-08:00

I found this fascinating quote today:

I am literally awestruck when I see their work- It is really a treat for a crafter like myself to come across someone's work and instead of saying to myself, "I think I can make that", I say, "Wow! I gotta have that!". I say this because there is no way I can begin to touch on the artistic expression they have compiled in their shop on etsy and at their blog! Truly, take a moment, grab a cup of coffee, and just browse. Really look at the pieces they have for sale.Mommy Tyme, Mommy's Reviews you can Use, Dec 2009

You should read the whole article.

reBlog from Mommy Tyme: Mommy's Reviews you can Use

2009-12-20T07:09:00.001-08:00

I found this fascinating quote today:

Also, stay tuned this weekend! I will be announcing the last few chances to enter the great Butter bar giveaway and then it is back to our last few days of Pursuit of the Perfect Handmade Holiday! We have a few more links to explore- One is One A Day by Art 1st and Small Footprints! I cant wait to share the fantastic jewelry, and so interesting artwork! If you are looking to express yourself, these are the artisans to help you find the inner soul you want to explore... Really, I saved them for just before Xmas because I knew everyone would be scrambling for those last minute items- But, these are really items you want to spoil yourself with. I actually get lost when looking at their blog- just amazed! I really can't find the right adjective but I am so anxious to hear what you all think! So make sure you check back on Sunday! Then we have a few more great shops to explore next week! So keep checking us out here!Mommy Tyme, Mommy's Reviews you can Use, Dec 2009

You should read the whole article.

Artisan Spotlight Contest

2009-12-20T07:06:00.000-08:00

See More of Artisan Spotlight at : http://artisanjewelrydesigners.ning.com/group/ArtisanSpotlight

Keep on the lookout for the next contest/slideshow that will be open for voting at http://www.mommytyme.org/events.html

Congratulations to Jeannie on the Artisans Jewelry Designers Ltd. Ning Network. Each month a fun contest is posted in the group, Artisan Spotlight, where contestants enter their artwork to be voted on by members of AJD and visitors to the Mommy Tyme Web site! November's theme was, Let Them Eat Cake! Wow, there were some fantastic entries! Jeannie, however, pulled to the front with 80% of the votes with her gorgeous Victorian style Necklace above! Congratulations! Visit Jeannie at : http://www.jkdjewelry.com/

See more of these exciting and beautiful works at the Artisan Jewelry Designers Ltd. Ning Site!
Click on the link below!

Visit Artisans/Jewelry Designers Ltd.

Mommy Tyme Bath and Gifts

2009-12-20T04:49:00.001-08:00

Mommy Tyme Bath and Gifts

Posted using ShareThis

One Time Template Special

2009-12-18T15:31:00.001-08:00

One Time Template Special

Posted using ShareThis

reBlog from Mommy Tyme: Mommy's Reviews you can Use

2009-12-18T15:25:00.001-08:00

I found this fascinating quote today:

After a LOT of technical difficulties, the new Mommy Tyme Web site is finally up! My site crashed 2 weeks ago (Hacker?!- what a nice present from someone I don't know just before the holidays, right?) But, it motivated me to change it up some! I would love to hear your comments, thoughts, ideas and more....http://www.mommytyme.orgMommy Tyme, Mommy's Reviews you can Use, Dec 2009

You should read the whole article.

Sellers Resources

2009-12-17T04:22:00.000-08:00

Sellers Resources

Looking for ideas, tips, traffic rotators, links, articles on promoting and marketing? Look no further.... Check out the new Sellers Resources page on Mommy's Tyme website! I have added a collection of growing resources for handmade artisans, crafters, etc. to utilize in helping them share their craft with the world! We all know how tough it is to be "seen" on the marketplaces like Etsy! Here are some ideas to help you move to the front of the line! Share your thoughts, too! I have added a virtual chat where you can leave comments, your links, even post your shop URL for visitors to see! Come check it out.

http://www.mommytyme.org/Sellers-Resources.html

More visitors? Few more ways to reel them in....

2009-12-17T03:19:00.000-08:00

I found this great blog today that listed several traffic exchange services that have the highest rankings, best traffic exchange, ease of use, and are FREE. I joined a few and wanted to share them with you... Let's see how they go! Please come back here and share with everyone your experiences if you join any of these!

Increase Website Traffic

http://www.clickthru.net/ref/695023

Squeezing A Call To Action In Your Description

2009-12-13T11:38:00.000-08:00

Squeezing A Call To Action In Your Description

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Lets talk about setting up shop! How to actually make a profit! Do sales on Etsy work?

2009-12-13T06:16:00.000-08:00

Ok, so you have a product and now you want to set up shop! where to go? We have talked about the cost of selling, and it is getting tougher and tougher. Over this past weekend, I held a 10% sale on some of my products. Well, if I sell a bar of soap for 1.50, then 10% off- then set the shipping at 1.45 (which it turned out the bar was 5 ounces and because it was being shipped to the other side of the country, shipping was 1.76) then etsy takes it's cut, pay pal takes it's cut, and don't forget the .20 listing fee at etsy... I ended up losing money! How many times has this happened to you? I literally paid someone to use my soap! That is crazy.

But, what are the choices? Everyone wants a cut, and you have to use pay pal unless you are going to hold products and wait for checks to clear (word of advice- Never send the product until you know the check has cleared! I have been down that road a time or two!).

I did not even factor in the time when I calculated all the above...and that is enourmous when you have a four year old, work full time, and go to school! For me, every second counts (and counts big!).

Well, I have to step back and look at this in a positivie way- It's not really a loss! The people I sold to this weekend will hopefully come back again and again. So, the first thing I did was add their email addresses and home addresses to my customer list for future flyers.

To adjust the shipping error, I went into my etsy shop and did a batch edit. I think to even it out the best way to handle the situation is to add .10 to all shipping orders. Then in the future if I have to pay a little for shipping it will even out with the shipping costs that I was over a little on estimating. Make sense?

Now, there is really nothing I can do about the cut that pay pal takes. I am stuck with that. But, I can utilize all the services they have to offer so as to make that cut not so bad. One of the greatest resources on pay pal is the shipping. You can print your shipping labels directly from pay pal. For me, this is great. I leave for work before the post office opens, and get off after they are closed. With the ability to pay and print from home, I can have my car loaded with my packages and ship at 5am if I need to. You can also schedule a pick up from your home. so, that is one benefit. A second benefit is you know your money is secure. Pay pal tracks all your transactions, and if there is anything funny on your account, they let you know. That is peace of mind for me.

As for the Etsy fees, I really don't see how you can get those back without passing them on to the customer- which I do not want to do. However, I have to be positive and look at it like this: for the items like my soap, .20 is a cut- but for my bigger ticket items such as my jewelry, hats, scarves and more- it really is not that much of a cut. Materials for my bath and body line are costly, but for my other items, the materials are relatively low (they are just enormously time consuming)- so view it as yin and yang. One balances out the other.

However, there are a lot of other options out there besides etsy that you may not know about. So, lets spend some time over the next few weeks exploring these. I would like to introduce you to the Fuzz B next week, and the great marketplaces I have found there. But, before I get too far ahead of myself, I want to make sure I know where all the "bugs" are!

So, come back next week and lets start exploring the selling venues and marketplaces!

For more tips, ideas, etc on selling visit http://www.mommytyme.org/services.html

Do you have an etsy story to share? Ideas how to increase your profits? Share them here! Post a link back to your blog, site, etc and increase your traffic, too!

Keyword Research

2009-12-12T11:42:00.000-08:00

Keyword Research

Posted using ShareThis

2009-12-11T03:43:00.000-08:00

Something that was good - has now
just gotten a WHOLE lot better!

Have you heard of Daily Niche Idea?
==>> http://www.dailynicheidea.com/?rid=30346

It's a rare thing to find someone
ready to give away something of
value ... like, totally giving
it away, but Cindy Battye is!

Daily Niche Idea is the perfect
resource that lets you cut and
paste your way to create your own
niche marketing empire.

And the better bit?

Cindy has just released a concise
22 page report that allows you to
get started and achieve your goals,
easily - efficiently in a step-by-step
manner.

===============================
What Is Daily Niche Idea All
About?
===============================

Well let me just start by spending
a second just thinking over your
last few internet purchases.

Does this sound scarily familiar?

# You spend heaps of money on the latest
'guru' offering.

# Give it a go for a bit, maybe make a
couple of dollars back... but get bored.

# Feel like a bit of a failure because you
were told all of these other 'noobies' were
doing it much better than you....

So you drop it and move on to the next thing...

Believe me when I say that you are not alone
in this frustrating cycle! Day after day
people just like you are losing hope, lacking
inspiration and getting ready to throw the
towel in.

Maybe this might even sound more familiar:

# You start a project

# You work hard to build it, make it
look great and then....

# For some reason, nobody is visiting it...

It turns out that your website has an enormous
amount of competition, against people who have
multi-million dollar budgets - lets face it,
not many of us can compete with that! What
you need is a niche.

=================================
What if I am not creative enough?
=================================

It's ok! This site, which is completely
f'ree - is the perfect option for you.

==>> http://www.dailynicheidea.com/?rid=30346

You will be given a niche suggestion
for each day of the week - so you can
never let your lack of creativity limit
your desire to achieve!

You will also get the statistics about
how many people have searched for your
niche - giving you a good idea of your
target audience.

Each week you will also receive a
package with a fully created product -
that relates specifically to the niches
for that week. You can use these products
to create your own blogs, websites, or
anything :)

We also show you how to monetize your
site - by providing a high converting
affiliate product relating to each topic
- so you can put the information all
together with the website builder tools,
in next to no time!

It's all about giving you the ideas, tools
and tips to help you on the road to
financial freedom!

==>> http://www.dailynicheidea.com/?rid=30346

P.S. Go and grab the report now, while
it's still a freebie!

New Traffic Rotator with follow up! See your stats and find out, "is it really working?"

2009-12-10T03:40:00.000-08:00

You will hear it a lot when you start using the traffic
exchanges daily. You need to be tracking your stats,
you need to be branding yourself and you need to be
using a splash page...

Funny thing is, until today, you had to go to two or
maybe even three different programs to get each tool
you needed for the task at hand.

How's this for a perfect situation?

Find three guys who absolutely live, breath and love
the traffic exchanges.Get them to scratch heads and
create the ultimate tool package for your traffic
exchange advertising.

=> http://www.tetoolbox.com/index.php?referer=mommytyme
TE Toolbox gives you EVERYTHING and trust me
, I mean everything you need to blow
away the competition in your traffic exchange advertising.

- A powerhouse ad tracker

- In house banner rotator

- A powerful web site rotator

- A splash page maker

And the exclusive 'Branding Tracker'... (You've got to
check this out, it's the missing piece of the T.E.
advertising puzzle)

All for free, all for you by joining TE Toolbox right now;

=> http://www.tetoolbox.com/index.php?referer=mommytyme
Yours in traffic exchange success,

P.S. Remember, these tools were created BY traffic
exchange users FOR traffic exchange users. This is
what Tim Linden, Paul Kinder and Jon Olson use each
and every day in their businesses, they've packaged it
up and created the first MUST HAVE traffic exchange
service ever!

=> http://www.tetoolbox.com/index.php?referer=mommytyme

For more great services, resources and ideas... Visit the web site and find all the many sources I have been using and tried! I only promote the programs that I actually use and have been satisfied with.
http://www.mommytyme.org/services.html

Oh, and here is one more you may want to try- easy, free, and high rates of traffic exchange! http://www.clickthru.net/ref/695023

Get free leads and promote your business!

2009-12-09T09:47:00.000-08:00

Get an automatic 50 free leads, email marketing, and advertisements! sign up for this free service and receive leads today!

http://www.advertyze.com/go.php?r=11319

2009-12-09T04:07:00.000-08:00

Do you have a raging torrent of targeted traffic flooding your site?

Or are your visitors trickling in?

I’ve just discovered a site that’s owned and run by Paul Kinder and apparently, Jon Olson took Paul under his wing and helped him develop the business.

You may not have not have heard of Paul yet, but I expect you’ve heard of Jon. Have you? Jon is known as The Traffic Exchange Guy, and if he thinks Paul is worth helping then I know that his program is a winner!

Traffic-Splash is going to be a high-profile program and it is well worth getting in early.

Now, you can either upgrade straight away at half price, earning 50% on all your referrals and any random referrals that Paul generates for you, or you can join for free.

Whichever way you go Traffic-Splash, is aiming to bring in a river of referrals so it will be great exposure for your business, helping you to:

• advertise your web business
• grow your opt-in list
• build your affiliate program
• provide resources to improve your advertising

I am certain that Traffic-Splash will quickly become one of the best quality traffic exchanges on the net and I think it‘s a must have advertising resource.

Turn your Splashes into Floods of Traffic
http://traffic-splash.com/index.php?referer=Mommytyme

Happy Splashing!

PS Don’t forget that Paul is offering a half-price upgrade right now. 500 targeted hits and a river of random referrals for just $4.98 a month. http://traffic-splash.com/index.php?referer=Mommytyme

Promote your Biz

2009-12-08T03:44:00.000-08:00

Promote your Biz

Find articles, advice, tips, resources and more! Free traffic exchange services, help with your blog, secrets from the experts and more... All free! Take advantage of these services and resources! Promote your biz, your blog, whatever! Make the most of your time on the net and get the most traffic you can for the amount you want to spend- Even free!

Promote your Biz

2009-12-07T09:32:00.000-08:00

Promote your Biz Find tips, articles and more! Learn how to promote your blog, your shop, URL and so much more! Really great articles from various sources. Free resources, services and ideas on how to get the traffic you need! Stop by and sign up for one of the URL rotators or traffic exchange services! FREE!

reBlog from Mommy Tyme: Mommy's Reviews you can Use

2009-12-07T05:13:00.001-08:00

I found this fascinating quote today:

You can win one of my new butter bath bars ... Choose from Honey almond, Sweet Pea or Lavender Butter bath bars! Here is all you have to do:Mommy Tyme, Mommy's Reviews you can Use, Dec 2009

You should read the whole article.

2009-12-07T04:00:00.000-08:00

When you are looking for ways to increase your traffic flow, the first thing you may try is paid services or paid exchanges. Those are fine, but if you are not getting the results you want, you may want to scour some of the free services first! If you like them, you can always upgrade to a paid program later that actually can double your traffic in a matter of days. A few I have tried lately are:

http://www.startxchange.com/?referer=mommytyme

http://www.startxchange.com/newuser.php?referer=mommytyme

http://www.traffic-splash.com/splashial.html?referer=Mommytyme

2009-12-05T05:08:00.000-08:00

How to Start a Blog for Profit

An online presence is important these days for whatever enterprise you engage in. to connect with a wide variety of people there is no bigger forum than the Internet. If you are looking for a way to show off your expertise and also make a little money while doing it, consider starting a blog.

What is a Blog?

A blog is actually an online journal of sorts. With a blog you can upload daily posts about anything that you want. Some people create personal blogs as a way to keep in touch with family members. Pictures, videos and other information are uploaded so your loved ones are current with what is going on with you.

Here we are going to talk about business blogs. This is a blog that you begin to attract traffic in order to sell products or services. To be interesting to others, your blog will need to:

• Have updated content for visitors
• Be marketed to draw traffic
• Register with search engines so it can be found in the rankings

How to Start

If you are new to blogging, use a free blogging platform to get your feet wet. Sites like Blogger.com, Wordpress.org, Blogspot.com and others offer free blogs to users. Depending on the site you choose, the themes and plug-ins (added features) will vary. Most will walk you through the process step by step so that you can be up and running in no time.

Before you start posting, decide what will be the theme, or niche of your blog. A jack-of-all-trades type of blog doesn’t do as well as one that is geared towards a certain niche. If you like crafts, that can be your niche. Create posts that talk about how to craft, what to craft, how to make crafting profitable and so on. Once you have decided on a path, it is time to create that great content.

How to Make Money

In order to make money with your blog, you need to have people visiting it. That is where marketing comes in. to draw traffic you have to get the word out about your blog. Tell all of your friends and family members that you are online with your blog for a start.

Any money-making venture will take place once you have built your readership with interesting posts. Then you can put into play a number of profitable additions:

• Google AdSense
• Selling Advertising
• Affiliate Marketing
• EBook Marketing

The simplest one to pursue is Google AdSense. You are using targeted advertisements to create revenue for your blog. You are paid per clicks on the ads.

There are other options where you can get paid when someone makes a sale on that website. That is more likely to happen when you join an affiliate program. Join affiliate program that work well with your website niche.

EBooks are short downloadable electronic books that you can create yourself and sell on your website. They can be on a variety of subjects but in order for them to sell, you must be able to offer new information to your customers.

Blogs can be used to build revenue. Start with your chosen niche and market your blog to find the traffic you need. Then, utilize these ideas to turn a profit.

Remember, you have to get the readers TO the Blog to use it effectively...

Try some of these resources:

http://tweetspinner.com/70912307

reBlog from Mommy Tyme: Mommy's Reviews you can Use

2009-12-05T03:34:00.001-08:00

I found this fascinating quote today:

That really does not tell you ALL she has to offer! Wow! She has a gorgeous Retro apron that would make a great gift for anyone on your list! She has a "green theme" with eco scrubbies, bag savers, and a ton of other fantastic items! Again, these are all handcrafted, handmade, high quality products that you CAN NOT find at Walmart! Oh, don't forget the so cute jewelry items listed! Look for the blue flower earrings (definitely my favorite!)Mommy Tyme, Mommy's Reviews you can Use, Dec 2009

You should read the whole article.

Promote your Biz

2009-12-04T08:47:00.000-08:00

Promote your Biz

Check out the new page for ideas, services, links, tips, tricks, articles and more to help you promote your handmade, your shop, your URL and more... Tons of services are available, for free, you just have to know where to look! I have searched the web, did research, and put together a pretty nice collection of places you can get help! Find some of the best resources, free services and more! Check it out!

http://www.mommytyme.org/services.html

Fool-Proof Way to Increase Your Twitter Followers

2009-12-04T06:31:00.000-08:00

Fool-Proof Way to Increase Your Twitter Followers

Mommy Tyme Bath and Gifts

2009-11-30T09:53:00.002-08:00

Mommy Tyme Bath and Gifts

Posted using ShareThis

Mommy Tyme Bath and Gifts

2009-11-30T09:53:00.001-08:00

Mommy Tyme Bath and Gifts

Posted using ShareThis

Mommy Tyme Bath and Gifts

2009-11-30T03:44:00.001-08:00

Mommy Tyme Bath and Gifts

Posted using ShareThis

Vote for the New Artisan Spotlight winner at http://www.mommytyme.org/contact.html

2009-11-29T07:18:00.001-08:00

2009-11-29T04:39:00.000-08:00

Want to increase traffic to your blog? How about trying some niche marketing? Or using article submissions from other writers that have the content and material you want to share? Try this on for size... And it is free!

Have you tried affiliate and list marketing without success? Do the systems seem too complex, like you have to know all of the tricks to get anywhere?!?!

Finally, someone has made a system the is simple to use and easy to e'arn with.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Get cheques, not knowing where they came from?
= = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Have you heard some internet marketers saying things like 'I keep getting random cheques and paypal payments but don't remember selling anything'.

That can be YOU with this easy to use system!

== Get i'ncome from multiple affiliate networks by advertising a single link.

== Earn both instan't payouts and residual in'come.

== Get access to the tools to help you set up your own virtual empire.

== Create a system that lets you find the beautiful balance between successfully prom'oting affiliate products (by promoting a single link) and prom.oting YOU!

== Don't be stuck building everyone else's business - use this to build something for you and YOUR future!

== Use the simple 4 st.ep plan to get yourself some ca'sh to do what you want to do!

It's seriously that cool - and did I mention that it's F*R*E*E!

Get started today

==> http://www.dailynicheidea.com/?rid=30346

P.S. Don't let this pass you by - spend the time now, or you will be exactly in this same position a few months from now...

http://www.dailynicheidea.com/splash/splash1.php?rid=30346

Free Promotional materials....marketing materials and more!

2009-11-28T09:05:00.000-08:00

As you know, I always keep my eyes peeled for PLR deals for
you. I know it’s not always easy to get quality and value in
one place, so I consider it my job to filter the good from
the not so good.

Well, when notice of this came across my computer screen, I
was really surprised. And very PLEASANTLY surprised. Alice
Seba, a long-time favorite online business teacher of mine
and quality PLR provider since 2006, has put together a
great package that you absolutely cannot pass up.

And no, it’s not a bunch of ghostwritten stuff...it’s the
REAL deal.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with ghostwritten work, but
when you can get your hands on content written by a well-
known teacher and expert -you’ve got to get on board.

Alice Seba, with the help of her business partner, Mila
Sidman, have made it possible for you to get private label
rights to her highly-acclaimed Press Release Profits course.
It’s a proven course...it sells AND it produces results for
its buyers.

But FAIR WARNING: Only 150 PLR licenses will be sold.

This is not simply an ebook. It’s a complete course with
software, that allows your buyers to start their next
publicity or link building campaign with press releases.
You get:

- A study guide with accompanying audio recording: Edit, add
your affiliate links...whatever you’d like.

- Press release template and samples.

- Press release formatting software that you can brand with
your logo and company name.

- Bonus guides on affiliate marketing, niche marketing and
search engine optimization...all with press releases.

- Product graphics, including the .psd files, so you can
make any edits you’d like.

- Complete sales page and download page.

- Opt-in page and thank you page.

- 15 autoresponder emails to promote your product.

...all from a proven product that was on the market and
consistently updated for 5 years.

All the details are right here:
http://allprivatelabelcontent.com/amember/go.php?r=5537&i=l89

Get yourself a license while they’re still available.

To your success

WAHM Article Bundle

Free Advertising- Header Ads, Pop ups, etc? How can I get these?

2009-11-28T04:33:00.000-08:00

A lot of people have been emailing me asking for the referral link and URL for the Header Ads program! I thought I would just repost the entire article! Really, Header Ads are fun, this program is free, so why not try it? Go ahead and give it a go....

Re Publish:

I know your ads aren't working.

How do I know this?

Because I'm betting that you're probably getting a pathetically
low click-through rate and an almost non-existent conversion
rate out of those ads.

Let me explain.

The truth is, banner ads and link exchanges just don't work
anymore. People just ignore them completely.

Google and other major companies that get the bulk of their
profits from advertising have tried to counteract this
'banner blindness' by making ads different sizes
- which worked ... for awhile.

You can be the best graphic designer or copywriter in the
world - and it doesn't make one bit of difference. Your ads
still have a horrible conversion rate.

Want to know which kind of ads people don't ignore?
==> Header Ads.

The header is the area at the very top of a web page. It
usually includes the product name, maybe a photo of the
creator and a graphic of a software box or book cover.

It's also the very first thing people notice on a website,
and the very first graphic to load.

Now what if you could take this same header area from
someone else's site and put YOUR ads on it?

Can you see just how much more targeted that would be?
The site visitors can't help but notice it - which means
you get more click-thrus and more eager buyers coming
to YOUR site!

See what I mean at http://www.HeaderAds.com/11075

It's like getting someone else to do all the marketing
for you. All you do is sit back and watch as the customers
pour in!

And best of all - if you go to http://www.HeaderAds.com/11075
- you'll find out exactly how much this advertising costs:

Nothing!

But I should warn you. As soon as the big marketing
pros hear about this - their servers are going to fill up
fast. And once the space fills up, they might have to
start charging.

Get in now before it's too late - http://www.HeaderAds.com/11075

2009-11-27T03:50:00.000-08:00

Traffic! Traffic! Traffic!

Getting people to your site is the key, right? Once there, your product is great, so if they are truly interested, a sale is no problem! But getting them there is a problem! Take a minute and type in something like "jewelry" to the search box. What happens? Pages and pages and pages (and thena few more) of sites related to Jewelry are listed. Where is yours? Lost somewhere in that crowd? What are the chances someone is going to choose to click on yours? It's a tough system out there!

One of the best ways to get people to your site is through traffic building and exchange systems. These are typically free, but some do cost! One of the best that i have found is Traffic Swarm- Not only is it free, you can refer traffic to more than one link or URL. You have a lot of options as far as earning the credits it "costs" to post your site, too. You can browse other sites (and there are tons of great sites associated with this program, not just business and marketing sites- there are blogs, family sites, children, health, and so much more. There is even Handmade!) You can also refer others to the program to earn credits or add search box's, links, or pop up windows to your sites. All of these earn you credits which you then cash in for traffic. Sounds easy, right?

It is easy! Check out my link below and you will be referred to the sign up and information page about Traffic Swarm. It is free. You can upgrade to Pro for a small fee, but that is up to you. I have ONLY discussed the free services here today.
http://www.trafficswarm.com/go.cgi?922223

So, if you try it, let me know... Talk about it here and share your experience.

2009-11-26T04:50:00.000-08:00

5 Powerful Mind Success Strategies

Building a business is a fantastic and challenging experience. You can wake up exhilarated to begin your day and go to bed feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. The key to success is to maintain a positive, yes you can do it, mindset.

Easier said than done, right? Here are 5 keys to help you create and sustain a positive mindset so you attain the success you desire.

1. Surround yourself with successful and positive people. The influence people have over our own personal energy is amazing. Moods and attitudes are so easily spread – think about how much of a difference a simple smile from a stranger can make for your day and then magnify it 1000 times to demonstrate the power of positive and successful friends, family and associates. When you have people around you who inspire you, believe in you and want you to succeed, there’s no room for doubts and even when they creep up, they’re quickly swept away.

2. Create a mantra or an affirmation. Repeating positive affirmations has been shown to get people through tough times and to actually help them truly believe what they’re saying.

For example, “I am building a powerful and profitable business.” Many of the most esteemed business professionals have used the same affirmation strategy to attain their success. To find the right affirmations for you, consider writing a quick list of your doubts, insecurities and complaints. These can then be quickly turned into affirmations.

For example, if you write that you’re always feeling disorganized then your affirmation would be, “I am organized and in control.” Repeat your affirmations several times a day and feel the power of positive thinking.

3. Capture negative thoughts. We all have negative thoughts from time to time, however, negative thoughts and emotions can derail us and prevent us from achieving all we desire. Of course catching those negative thoughts takes practice and persistence. When you find yourself thinking negative thoughts or having negative emotions, find a trigger to turn them around. The affirmations mentioned above are a great way to turn the negative into the positive. You can also find quick pick me ups like a favorite song, a walk outside in the fresh air, or some exercise to help improve your mood.

4. Set goals/intentions and then be willing to let it go. The law of attraction says that we attract what we focus on the most. However, desperation, needing your business to be a success, sends mixed messages and a lot of negativity into the universe. Set your goals and intentions and then let them go. A certain amount of faith in yourself and in the power of attraction is necessary. Give it a try.

5. Be grateful. Gratitude is perhaps the single most powerful and positive tool for success. When you’re grateful for all of the wonderful things and people in your life the challenges you face seem significantly less important and are more easily dealt with.

Consider keeping a gratitude journal and make a practice of entering into it daily. That way, when you’re facing challenges a quick peek at all the amazing things in your life will make you feel as if you can tackle anything. Additionally, an attitude of gratitude helps you maintain a positive perspective and to face challenges as opportunities rather than obstacles.

Success is within your reach and with the right attitude you can accomplish anything you set your sights on. Embrace these five powerful mind success strategies and you’ll build a better business and live a happier, more satisfying life.

Keep yourself inspired! Keep promoting and sharing your ideas, your biz, etc. with everyone you know... Visit http://www.mommytyme.org for great ideas, articles and ways to help build your business! Check out this months features, and sign up yourself!

Use twitter and gain more customers! Find followers, announce your sales, your thoughts, promote new items and ideas! Easy and free! Wow! You can get a free pro trial for 5 days, too! Why not try it? http://tweetspinner.com/70912307

Follow my Pursuit of the Perfect Handmade Holidays! List your shop! List your products, announce yourself at http://mommysreviewsyoucanuse.blogspot.com

SEO's and Blog traffic! Ideas, tips and tricks

2009-11-26T03:58:00.000-08:00

5 Quick Tips To Get Website Traffic Fast!

Online, one of the most significant keys to success is getting website traffic. The more visitors you have, the better your sales and profits. Presumably you have a niche and you know your keywords, and regularly conduct keyword research to stay on top of what’s popular. Based on those assumptions here are five quick and easy tips to get website traffic fast!

Tip #1 Make sure you’re actually tagging your keywords.

Do you spend a lot of time optimizing your content and then neglect to tag them on your webpage? Tags are where search engines look and if there are no tags they’ll pass right by your web pages. Here’s a quick brief on tags.

There are a number of tag types including,

* Title tags. Title tags are quite possibly the most important place to situate your keywords. Here’s what they look like - Primary keyword phrase here.

Your title tag is where you place your primary keyword or keyword phrase. The sentence will describe your business in less than 90 characters.

* Header Tags. Header tags are next in order of importance to search engines. They’re ranked in order of importance and look like this -

Primary and/or Secondary keywords here

The “1” designates this header as the most important header on the page.

* Meta Tags. Meta tags provide the small descriptive text found underneath the title tag on the search engine results page. Like title tags these should be kept brief, informative and up to date.

* Alt Tags. Alt tags are used to provide a text description of a graphic. Each graphic on your site should have a description and an alt tag.

Tip #2 Add content to your site daily

Content is essential for traffic and a top search engine ranking. Content is what search engine spiders look for and index - without it there’s nothing to index or rank. Give visitors and search engines a reason to visit and index your site. Make a commitment to provide daily, optimized content and your traffic will soar.

Tip #3 Procure valuable and relevant incoming links

The more websites which link to your webpages the more valuable search engines perceive you to be, though not all links are created equal. Search engines give more leverage to links from sites which are popular and credible and from sites which are relevant to your website topic.

There are different types of links.

- A direct link looks like a basic website address, for example, www.yourwebsite.com

- A text link occurs when the webpage address is embedded in the text. Readers simply click on the link and are redirected to a new website page.

- If the link is to an internal web page, for example an article published on a website, rather than the home page, it is called a “deep link.”

You can encourage linking to your website by:

* Adding content to your site.
* Submitting to article directories.
* Publishing press releases.
* Blogging and participating in social networking forums, chat rooms and social networking sites.

Tip #4 Be Social!

Now more than ever before, internet marketing is about building a community. Whether you offer a forum on your website or you participate in social networking sites, social networking is a valuable traffic generating tactic. Sites like Facebook and Twitter can be powerful tools for generating links and traffic to your site – create a profile and then post comments, links to your site and ideas which generate conversation.

Get involved - many chat rooms and forums are industry specific, find those which cater to your industry, and begin participating. Speak to and connect with a highly targeted audience.

Tip #5 Advertise for more exposure and traffic

Advertising, when handled strategically, can be used to promote your content and products or services. PPC advertising is often the tool of choice because you control the advertising budget on a daily basis and have the tools to test and track your advertising efforts. Once you’ve honed your PPC ads the return on investment can be phenomenal in terms of traffic and purchases.

For maximum results, create a traffic and SEO strategy. Outline your plan and your goals and then take the necessary action. Take advantage of these five traffic and search engine tips to boost your business.

A couple of options I wanted to add to the above article are :

Comment on other's blogs. Not only is this polite and resourceful, but others read YOUR comments and click on YOUR icon which takes them back to your blog. That is FREE Publicity and advertising for your blog!

Occassionally type in the words Contest, Free Drawings Blogs, and similar search words. Enter contests on others blogs, and again, you are getting linkbacks to your blogs! Not to mention the fantastic prizes you may win!

Join Blog Roll programs, blogs groups, etc. on Ning sites. Often people will list their blog and you list yours! Take turns subscribing to the blogs that interest you and then post a little note that you are following these blogs in the Ning group. Usually blog owners will go back and follow you, too. If you have a banner you can put it in the group and this will get you those few people who may not normally visit your blog to take a second look. If you link others blogs to your site, make sure you get a linkback or that the content is something you really promote. This adds credibility to your site.

Anyone else have some ideas to add here? Feel free to comment and post your ideas!

reBlog from Mommy Tyme: Mommy's Reviews you can Use

2009-11-25T09:36:00.001-08:00

I found this fascinating quote today:

http://stores.ansak.com/House-to-Home/detail/10073671 Wow! I absolutely adore this wind chime- and what a steal! Under 7.00, are your kidding me?Mommy Tyme, Mommy's Reviews you can Use, Nov 2009

You should read the whole article.

reBlog from Mommy Tyme: Mommy's Reviews you can Use

2009-11-24T03:25:00.001-08:00

I found this fascinating quote today:

Do you have a Fuzz B shop? Zibbet? MIM? Where do you sell? List them here! Starting December 1st I am going to begin my reviews from my browsing!Mommy Tyme, Mommy's Reviews you can Use, Nov 2009

You should read the whole article.