Monday, May 9, 2011

200 members on DaWanda Shoppping Community!

We now have 200 members on the DaWanda Community and here's our 200th http://en.dawanda.com/shop/Periay!

Feel free to pop over to http://dawandashopping.ning.com/ and check out what everyone is up to. More importantly find some great items for your DaWanda shopping!

Sara xx

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Love Hate Relationship



Since Valentine's Day is on it's way! I am choosing awesome love themed items for Favorite Finds. I thought this postcard was hilarious especially sicne I know I have been in one of those love hate relationships. Made by the talented lertsis! So go get one today for that person you love to hate!


Written by Andreanna of Glamasaurus

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Fun and Games on DaWanda!

DaWanda photo competition update - have you seen the fun entries?! Here's the link...


DaWanda says: PRIZES! Every month we will pick 3 winners who may choose one product each up to the value of €100 respectively from the DaWanda catalogue, and 20 winners who will receive a surprise gift package of unique goodies from us.

Here’s how you can take part: Send us in your photo to photo@dawanda.com, making sure to include the seller’s name. You can also attach the picture to your feedback rating when you evaluate the seller on DaWanda.All pictures reaching us till the middle of the ongoing month, will take part in the current contest. Later incoming photos automatically join the next photo-competition - so, nothing get lost!

The winners will be announced on the 3rd March 2008... That's today guys!

And for those of you who are looking to take part elsewhere on DaWanda, well there is something new to smile about!


What colour is?

A group of DaWanda sellers on the German forum started to play a game of 'What colour is?' The competition proved so popular that DaWanda decided to share it with everyone on all three forums.

DaWanda members have decided: March is green! So inspired by gorgeous green, our DaWanda sellers have interpreted the colour in many, green-y ways. It's not only nature that will present itself in a new shade of green, but DaWanda as well!

Here's the link... http://en.dawanda.com/month/3

If you are a seller and want to add your items then you need to find the forum post on your language site.

Enjoy the fun over on DaWanda!
Sara x

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

The Holidays on DaWanda - Blog Carnival

Welcome to the December 17, 2007 edition of DaWanda Seller's Blog Carnival. A celebration of Seller's who blog...

You may have read our call for entries article Blog Carnival - Holidays on DaWanda, back in early November where we asked Sellers to post entries around the idea of the theme 'The Holidays on DaWanda'. Entries could include;

  • Your Christmas pinboard
  • Your DaWanda shop over the holidays
  • Your favourite finds this month on DaWanda
  • Up and coming Craft Fairs this month
  • Your personal craft work this month
  • Your favourite Christmas recipe
  • Your Christmas gift list
  • Want I want for Christmas

Well all entries are now in and we have a wonderful selection of blogs for your to read and find out a little bit about your favourite DaWanda Sellers.

Here are the entries;

Sara's Texture Crafts of DaWanda - Sara's Texture Crafts presents The Diary of a Textile Crafter: The Exhibition - Part 3 posted at her blog Crafts of Texture. This post discusses, "How I will be crafting over Christmas!" and talks about planning for her up-coming exhibition.

Meanwhile Le Bar du Vent of DaWanda - Le Bar du Vent presents A DaWanda Seller's Christmas Holiday posted at her blog Le Bar du Vent. This post discusses how Le Bar du Vent will be spending Christmas and her ideas on new craft experiments.

And finally, Glamasaurus of DaWanda - Glamasaurus presents A Dawandian Christmas posted at Blogasaurus. This post discusses her new products for the New Year.

Do pop over and check out those blogs and why not visit their shops too!

Sara x


That concludes this edition... The next edition will be announced shortly. To submit your blog article to the next edition of DaWanda Seller's Carnival please use our carnival submission form.

If you are new to Blog Carnivals, but would like to be involved in a future edition, then please read this article... What is a Blog Carnival and How do I Join?

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Late entry...

Carolina of SupraMonster presents Overview - You're Tagged! posted at supramonster.wordpress.com/. This is a reflection on the year and a tagging game, which is a fun read.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Craft Business - Joint Ventures.

A joint venture is the collaboration between two different businesses on their way to succeed. By offering a service to business owners you can promote your home business for free – and we makers know free advertising is almost impossible to find nowadays!


Part One: The Experience

My husband met the 'The Old Riga' tea bar owners before their business even started, as he made the electricity installation for the place. We became good friends along the way. A few months after the opening, I needed a place to make a showroom for my hand crafted jewelry and I didn’t want to make it at home, so I asked them if I could borrow a "room" (the bar is a 100 year old house, restored but untouched, so the distribution has rooms) for the jewelry party. They would get more than 20 customers eager to try their delicious tea mixes and I would have a beautiful environment and an easy-to-find location for my exhibition.

They were more than happy to accept. We discussed all the details of the display. I even made sketches of what I wanted and tried to keep space to the minimum. As they are crafty people themselves, they added very helpful suggestions.

Not only they didn’t want a percentage of my earnings (I offered them a 30% of sales) but also gave a wonderful treatment to the party attendants, which spent a little fortune on their exquisite teas and coffees. The party was a complete success for both parts.


The owners gave us this gorgeous painting for the display!

Since then our businesses have made many things together. I had a henna booth every Saturday during the whole summer, made a free Tarot reading session on last year’s Halloween party and most important, we have recommended the other’s business to as many people as we have been able to. Word of mouth is the strongest advertising system of all. We have taken all our friends to the bar and I make many customer appointments there instead of at my house, which is a great alternative when you don’t want to (or don’t have time to) clean! We constantly provide ourselves with flyers and business cards. We discuss better ways to improve our work and share what we have learnt along the way.

Their Halloween party is their biggest hit in the year. Last year more than 200 people passed along the night, and we’re talking of a really small place, on a really small city, and on a country where Halloween is not celebrated almost. This year, since we have re-opened the tattoo studio and have started selling prints of my artwork, what we needed was some promotion, so we are making promo packs for them to give in a free raffle. Every person gets a ticket as they enter and at midnight the raffle will happen. In the promo packs, their flyers and business cards will be included. We will have a small booth for our prints and other little beauties related like buttons, notepads, cards and stickers. Most of the everyday customers there are Goth teenagers so I’m sure a few will find something to buy!

Our henna booth: hard work but oh so beautiful!

Part Two: The Theory

The generosity on both parts is the key to successful joint ventures. On your side, you must be creative and offer different things because what a small business needs is variety. Sometimes it will be more profitable for you; sometimes it will be more profitable for them. You have to learn to give before you learn to earn. The more generous you are, the better karma and luck you will have, and the more opportunities you will find along the way. All long-term artists know very well sales can come from the most unsuspected places and situations, so do as much as you can to help.

It is important to build a respectful and loving relationship between the other business and yours. You have to love what they do too, so they will love what you do. Joint ventures based only on profit rarely ever succeed because both parts have selfish goals. Know the people you work with and care for them.

Do not ask for too much. Remember your "host" business can be very busy too! If you are displaying your work at their shop, keep everything as simple as possible for them. Provide them with a price sheet with their and your percentage so they don’t have to calculate that themselves. Also provide them with simple packaging or bags if needed. Anything that makes the transaction smoother is a must!

Present a good project for your stand or display. Making your own displays or buying pre-made ones, keep in mind the style of decoration the other business has and try to make it look like part of it.

On the other business side, do not accept deals where you have to do all the work by yourself. If you sell crafts, the shop owner must be not only open to your ideas, but willing to add their own.
A shop owner that does not feel passionate about your work won’t make you sell. We are only good at selling what we love, so if you make gothic chokers look for people who love gothic chokers, not teddy bears.

Even if the shop owner is your best friend, keep all terms clear and offer a private contract between both parts for anything that could be regulated. You don’t want to lose a friend!

Part Three: Epilogue

If both parts respect each other, joint ventures are not only a very profitable way for both businesses, but also an amazing personal experience of growth and help. The amount of knowledge you will get from seeing other people work and grow their businesses is one of the most valuable experiences you will have on your way to success, so be creative and think of an idea for your sister-in-law hairdresser salon, your school mate boutique or simply go to that place where you love to shop and offer a fund raising, a face painting party for kids or whatever your creativity suggests you. Only those who dare win!


Written by Carolina of Supra Monster