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

 

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!

Get more Sales- Series 4

Linkbacks-

If you have been following the "get more sales" series, by this time you should have your store chosen, and have become a member of a few social network sites. If you have not done those tasks, refer back in the archive for great leads on these...

Now we need to focus on getting your store or selling venue found when a potential customer types in a search of products you may have...

It really is not as easy as just submitting your site to web site submission sites. That is a start, however. You also need to focus on linkbacks- the more linkbacks, the higher your site climbs in the ranking. So, how does a linkback work? What is a linkback? I will provide you with some resources, but explain it in "Mommy Terms"-

A linkback is a means or method in which other sites will link back to your site. You will submit your site, and that site will have your URL registered along with theirs (and other submissions). Generally sites allow a description or keywords to be attached to your URL. Make sure you choose these carefully. Many request a banner or avatar (which you should have now if you have been following the series, if you do not, scan the archives and find the post titled Banners or Free Banners)

The first places you will want to provide your linkbacks is your selling sites and your social networks you have joined. Check under banners, links to our stores, or another similarly worded tab at your selling venues. Made it Myself has this on their last page of the site. It is titled Member Stores. Grab the code for the MIM banner and place it on your selling site, your blog, your social network, etc. You will then submit to Made it Myself (per their instructions on the page), your banner and link and the link where their banner can be found. Simple as that. Check all of your selling venues for these opportunities.

As for the social networks, when you register, typically the network requests your website or selling venues as part of the application process. Enter the page of your site you want members to see (it does not have to be the first page of your website, you may want to direct people to a mid page where there is more of attention grabbing detail). Once a member of the network, there are a variety of places you can add your linkback. You should have already added your RSS, so that provides one link back. You can also join groups for banner exchanges, post your stores, etc. In those groups, members post their banners or avatars, other members pick them up and place them on their sites, in exchange you place their banner on yours. This can be for blogs, shops, and more. Join as many of these groups as you can, and link back as many sites as you can fit. This constantly raises your rank. The network may also have a place where members post a business directory, a member store page, etc. You can submit your information in these pages, also.

A good starting goal for the next two weeks would be to submit at least 20 linkbacks. If you have difficulty with this, check my site and see the linkbacks at the bottom of the following page http://www.mommytyme.org/contact.html if you would like to link back to this page, simply follow the submission guidelines provided higher on that page. If you have problems, feel free to comment here at the blog and I will help you.

Once you have submitted some of your link backs, share the places where you linked here! We can help each other find great link back sites to help expand each of our linkbacks and rankings! Post them in the comments, and remember, every comment increases your chances to win free Mommy Tyme products! See http://www.mommytyme.org for more details on the free drawings!

Please Vote on this web page --

Here is a great link for submitting your site to various search engines. You can scroll to the bottom of the page and submit to over 20 search engines all at one time. Also a variety of link back and search engine banner opportunities available.

http://www.freewebsubmission.com/

Here is another free selling venue you might be interested in:

http://www.wigix.com/index.php/myprofile/orders/8415862/8

Get your banner! Get your Avatar!

I had once been told by a great marketing genius (From Marketing Mama's 101, Jackie Ladner), that you should have a consistent banner and graphics to depict your shop/store. Well, I didn't believe her and I wanted different graphics for each of my stores- Hmm.... I think she was right! I have found that it is difficult to keep the banners straight- I get confused on what goes where, etc. Also, my customers do not recognize this as the same company. So, She was right, I was wrong! I have looked at all my banners and Just can't decide- I have been creating mine through a free banner service (Banner Maker)- if you check the archives you will find the post that discusses how to use and create your own banners.

Now that my business is starting to take off- I think I need one, select banner to represent the store. However, I will use a different banner for each of my blogs- thus, to keep those straight and not confuse my readers. Each of the blogs is so different, - one is for marketing, one is for personal wellness/life change, and one is for family friendly and reviews of products...

However, in searching for the perfect banner to represent my company, I want to ensure that it is something I will keep forever. It is not good to change your look constantly. I have finally figured out my best packaging of my product strategy, so it is time to find the perfect representation. I have scoured several different banner sites, shops, etc. One that I think you could all try, be happy with, and is completely affordable is Heartland Graphics- see the link below. Give it a try, browse, let me know what your think. I still haven't made the official CHOICE for mine yet- but when I do, I will let you all know.

In the meantime, check the graphics out... If you sell handmade, I think you will find the underlying theme they have at Heartland will go well with your products!