Romance is in the Air

Some of the newest items at Amra Designs have a wonderful, romantic feel. And just in time for Valentines Day. Although, it doesn't need to be Valentines Day to want to feel loved.

Use coupon code LOVEME10 for 10% off your order! Keep it for yourself or give to a loved one :)

TGIF!

Ok, so Fridays really don't mean much to me seeing as my "Day Job" is stay at home mom. There's no such thing as a day off. And my husband is in the restaurant business so again, weekends mean long hours. But for the rest of you, Happy Friday!! Here's a nice collection of "relaxing weekend" finds. :) Make sure to check them out and Enjoy!

Keep it Casual

Getting Ready for a Show

The countdown is on! The other half of Amra Designs and I are participating in our first "real" craft show. Eek! I'm so excited and anxious. It's going to be the 3 days before Valentines Day, in a mall back in my hometown. It should be a good turn out don't you think? I mean, 3 days before Valentines Day! Woo hoo!

Romantic, Vintage Inspired Earrings

But the reality is setting in. Now I really have to get to work! There's the actual inventory, set up and display, how are we going to take payments, what kind of promotional material are we going to give out {that won't be thrown away as soon as they get home or lost in the bottom of a purse}, how are we going to package our items, and so on! There is more to be thought of than just, "Here's my stuff, you buy it now." But, this has been a thrilling process so far! Like I said earlier, I'm excited! :-D I think we have most of it under control. {Ask me again a week before and my answer might be different} Building inventory is easy, that's the fun part, the reason I'm doing this all. My partner in crime is an Interior Designer so I'm kinda leaving the display to her. As far as taking credit cards, Pay-Pal has a "Virtual Terminal" that allows you to accept payments on the go.

Playing around with display options

Now the hard part, marketing. It's though thinking of {cost} effective ways to promote you business that will stand out in a crowd. We have thought of magnets, flyers, pinwheels, business cards {of course}, and a variety of other ideas that we tossed around for hours. But not much says "memorable." Although, I like the ideas of little pinwheels with our info on the "petals." You'd remember that, right?!? Oh, I guess we'll be brain storming over that one for a while.

I'd love to hear from those of you that have done shows and venues! Have any tips, tricks, suggestions? Send 'em my way! ;) And, for those who haven't, I'll try to give you an inside look at how {prep for} our first show goes.

Later!
~Rachel

Coupon Monday!

Hi guys.

Another {snowy} Monday is here in Chicago. On the up side, it's a holiday. Happy Martin Luther King Day, BTW. Another upside? I've declared Mondays "Coupon Monday!" I am offering 15% off with coupon code FUNDAY15 on your order from My Shop. Here are some awesome finds, all from shops that are offering a discount! 

coupon code YEARONE to receive 11% off

40% Off Sale

20% OFF Coupon Code: SSO20O

20% coupon code: BEMYVALENTINE2011.

Also offering discounts:

• TuscanRoad Effective thru February 14....All items in my shop with pink or red in it qualifies for a 25% discount. Discount given through PayPal after checkout.
• shellseye Buy one, get one 50% off' sale. Discount through PayPal, after checkout 
• BarrelOfMonkeys 6 Buttons for $5.00, 12 Buttons for $10.00, 23 Buttons for $20.00 with FREE shipping
• samsstuff  20% discount to Handmadeology readers: just use the coupon code HNDMDOL20 

This was kind of {ok totally} a last minute idea so hopefully I will be back next Monday with more coupons and discounts! 

Thanks for stopping by and if you are offering a coupon or discount please leave it in the comments! 

~Rachel

Our New Banner!

Da da da daaa!! Introducing, our new banner! I'm so excited to have this new look for the shop. Beautiful, isn't it? Well let me tell you all about the amazing designer. This was done by TheWinglessDesigns. Heather was an absolute delight to work with. She got in touch with me very quickly after purchasing, and was so polite and professional. She finished my design so quickly! Isn't she good?! The avatars she also provided are just as beautiful.

So, if you have a need for any graphic design work, please visit Heather at TheWinglessDesign. Really, you gotta check her out! ;)

Ps. Her work is not blury. If it looks blury that's MY fault uploading them on to here! FYI!!

Just Some Awesome New Treasuries

I absolutely LOVE making treasuries! You find such amazing things by amazing artisans. I could probably make them all day if I didn't have any kids, a husband, house to look after... but then life would be, well, sad. So, anyways, here are some great finds!

I Heart You

Who's Ready for Spring

You Never Cease to Amaze Me

Thanks for looking guys :) 

~Rachel

Who Used My Towel??

So, I don't know if this is a problem in your house but, it is in mine. With four people in our family, we don't always keep track of who used what towel. We already had an over-the-door hanger but remembering what color towel we got out seemed to be a problem. My solution? I assigned hooks with little wooden letters that I decoupaged with some pretty scrapbook paper and glued to the rack.

Supplies, plus you'll need scissors, and/or and exacto knife and glue

Trace the wooden letters and cut out

Finished Rack! 

My Son's Hook

In my family we have two "R" names and two "J" names. So before putting the top coat of Mod-Podge on, I wrote our names with a small Sharpie down the sides of our letters. I could have used "D" for "Dad" and "M" for "Mom" but honestly, I didn't think of that until after I had bought the letters. Go figure.
This would be a fun project if your kids are old enough and could decorate their letter.

Another solution would be to use wall mounted hooks if your door isn't within reach of the bathtub. Hobby Lobby has a huge selection of hooks and letters.

I would love to hear from you with your organizational tips and tricks! Comment below!

~Rachel