Hey gang! Ok, so I started this blog and then proceeded to pretty much abandon it. Sorry, I GOT BUSY! What has been going on since the last post, HMMMM, let's think. Well the last post was back in July (WHAT SERIOUSLY!) Geez, well we survived the holiday season. Found out that craft shows are NOT for us anymore. Became totally automated in our motif production (WHOO HOO!!!!) We still hand set some of our motifs, but not much. Got in a 24 in vinyl cutter. Ok, let me just tell you, I freaking LOVE that thing. It is so much fun. What else . . . I have been working, working and working some more. Did take some time off between Christmas and New Year (I read 5 novels in those 6 days). My husband and I started really watching what we eat and we exercise regularly. I have lost 25 pounds and E has lost probably at least 30 (and he FINALLY QUIT SMOKING!). I am a yoga devotee! What else. Got a new tattoo, my daughter's name. Speaking of, my baby turned 5. (How the hell did that happen?) I have become a blog addict. I love reading other people's blogs. Especially, woman small business owned, food related, saving money related or craft related. So that would be about it, in a nutshell (yes, I am a nut and my name is Shell LOL!)
So, for those who have not visited the website in a while, I have updated the vinyl page (did I tell you how much I LOVE THAT STUFF!) here is the direct link http://www.sparklesbyshell.com/Vinylc.html It is so much fun. It is (usually) a less expensive way to sparkle. Comes in a TON of colors and I can make a matching design in the matte vinyl (which looks like screen print, but MUCH more durable, it will out last the shirt!) for the guys!
We have also been doing a lot of car stickers and wall stickers. When I get time (yeah right) I am going to make a sticker for the wall in my shop that says :
There is no path to happiness. Happiness is the path. I LOVE THAT and it is so true.
Ok, enough of me babbling. If there is anyone out there that is still following this blog, please post a comment (be nice!). I will be posting the link to Facebook and Twitter too so if you have landed here from there, please drop me a comment and let me know that!
KEEP ON SPARKLING!
SHELL
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Where did the summer go!
Ok, seriously, how is it past the middle of July! Things are crazy here as usual. I have been reminded by someone who shall remain nameless that I have not posted in a while. We are getting ready for the upcoming insanity know as fall and christmas season! I am working on bibs for our biggest show of the year which is Covered Bridge, here in Pennsylvania. Also you all need to start thinking about the upcoming fall sports season. Football mom, cheer mom, hockey mom shirts are all available in all your school colors. And remember, I don't charge a design fee for rhinestones or embroidery. OOOO WAIT! I FORGOT TO TELL YOU ALL. We added vinyl to our company. I LOVE THIS STUFF!!!! We have both hot fix that goes on your clothes, koozies, bags and such, but we also have the sticker vinyl for your cars, windows, walls. Apparently wall monograms are HUGE! I love the hot fix stuff. We have it both in flat colors and we have SPARKLE TOO. Of course, how could I not.
We are under construction here so I can't get any really good pictures, but I am working on some items for a local school and when that order is finished, I am getting pictures of the stuff. One is a jacket with embroidery, stones AND vinyl! That will be awesome I am sure.
Thanks for stopping by!
Keep on SPARKLIN!
Shell
We are under construction here so I can't get any really good pictures, but I am working on some items for a local school and when that order is finished, I am getting pictures of the stuff. One is a jacket with embroidery, stones AND vinyl! That will be awesome I am sure.
Thanks for stopping by!
Keep on SPARKLIN!
Shell
Friday, May 2, 2008
What a week!
Wow, what a different 5 days makes. Some of you know me personally, some don't. I will be 35 years old this May 20. I have been working this business for 4 years now and I have always dreamed that I could stay home with Queen Paige (my 4 year old daughter) and no no and bad dog (Izzy, my German Shepard and Sam my beagle) and do this full time. Well, this week, everything finally fell into place. I have been a legal secretary/paralegal doing Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation law for over 14 years now. While, my boss John, is a wonderful person (I know hard to believe that an attorney could be. . . ) but he is. I had to make the decision this week to either quit the day job or close my business. Yeah, like there was a choice. Although, the firm I work at is like Hotel California - you can check out anytime you like, BUT YOU CAN NEVER LEAVE! I already agreed to return at the end of the month to cover some vacation for someone else.
BUT - this business will now be my primary focus. No more 3 AM nights (Lord I hope not).
As exciting as that is - the article that I referred to in my last post has now been published on line. I have not received the actual magazine yet, but an waiting with baited breath!
Click on the line to read more about Sparkles by Shell, me, my husband Eric and wonderful world of rhinestone motifs, embroidery and the path I hope to take someday.
OK, that's it for now. Talk to you all soon!
*SHELL*
BUT - this business will now be my primary focus. No more 3 AM nights (Lord I hope not).
As exciting as that is - the article that I referred to in my last post has now been published on line. I have not received the actual magazine yet, but an waiting with baited breath!
Click on the line to read more about Sparkles by Shell, me, my husband Eric and wonderful world of rhinestone motifs, embroidery and the path I hope to take someday.
OK, that's it for now. Talk to you all soon!
*SHELL*
Friday, March 21, 2008
Exciting Sparkling News!!!!
OOO, I am so excited I could just explode! Stitches Magazine (some of you know this magazine as a magazine directed toward professional embroiderers) contacted me right around Christmas (three days before to be exact), they wanted to do a business spotlight on Sparkles by Shell. I was so excited I could have exploded. Well after much going back and forth, questions, answers, business review by their panel, again with back and forth. Now, I come to find out that a photographer will be here on Wednesday to get pictures for the article! Time to panic clean! And get my hair colored seeing as how I had to cancel my appointment because I came down with the flu! Boy it is awful here. I was bedridden for two days!
Ok, enough babbling. Be sure to check us out in Stitches Magazine set for May 2008!
Keep on sparklin!
Shell
Ok, enough babbling. Be sure to check us out in Stitches Magazine set for May 2008!
Keep on sparklin!
Shell
Sunday, March 16, 2008
A sparkling way to communicate!
Hi all! We have stepped in the "blogosphere" with our sparkling news. Here I will be able to communicate better with you all, my customers and the reason I am where I am today.
So where do I start, well at the beginning of course.
I am Shell, the owner and now President of Sparkles by Shell, Inc. http://www.sparklesbyshell.com/
A few years ago I was looking for some sparkling attire for my favorite sports team. I found exactly what I wanted on eBay for $45! Now I don't know about you, but I will not pay $45 for a t shirt. So I said to my husband, Eric, I can make that, he rolled his eyes and walked away. See Eric has lived through my many years of craft addiction. I have done everything from floral arranging, to painting to crochet to sewing. I think the only craft I have not tried is scrapbooking, but I have all the supplies for it in my storeroom. Anyway, I search around for the supplies to make my shirt and sure enough found everything I needed and I made my first shirt. Wore it to work the next day (I am a paralegal, by day, sparkling fool by night) and immediately got orders for 5 shirts. That lead me to eBay and my own online store. By May of that year, I had moved into a shop that is a craft show year round. Sparkles by Shell was taking off. I stayed at the retail store for 2 years, but when my law firm moved into downtown Pittsburgh, it became too hard to keep the store stocked, so I moved out. I did move into a local store here in Monongahela, but unfortunately that store only last 9 months. So I was on my own. I began doing local craft shows and kept up with eBay and through word of mouth got bigger and bigger. Soon I began to see a pattern, people wanting to get matching shirts for their groups, the problem was I had nothing to offer the men (most to do not want to sparkle) so I moved into the embroidery world. This was the first time we had to take out a loan for business equipment. SUPER SCARY. But I am glad we did it. I could now offer both stones and embroidery. Soon, the school accounts followed and the dance schools and the corporate logos. But something was missing. Around the end of 2007 I closed my eBay store as it was not doing well (pretty much because I did not have time to post things) and I was growing tired of the constant fee increases and other stuff that goes on, on eBay. As I look at my business today, I realize that I have lost my retail customer. Right now, my biggest customers are schools, dance companies and corporate logos. I do miss the regular retail customer. Which has lead me to create my own blog. While I send out a newsletter (not nearly as often as I should), I feel that this will be an excellent opportunity for me to communicate with you my customer.
So here we go, feel free to comment on this post, ask me questions, whatever. I do think that the eBay store will have to reopen as that I get my best bang for the buck there. So watch for that announcement.
Take care, and keep on sparklin'!
Shell
So where do I start, well at the beginning of course.
I am Shell, the owner and now President of Sparkles by Shell, Inc. http://www.sparklesbyshell.com/
A few years ago I was looking for some sparkling attire for my favorite sports team. I found exactly what I wanted on eBay for $45! Now I don't know about you, but I will not pay $45 for a t shirt. So I said to my husband, Eric, I can make that, he rolled his eyes and walked away. See Eric has lived through my many years of craft addiction. I have done everything from floral arranging, to painting to crochet to sewing. I think the only craft I have not tried is scrapbooking, but I have all the supplies for it in my storeroom. Anyway, I search around for the supplies to make my shirt and sure enough found everything I needed and I made my first shirt. Wore it to work the next day (I am a paralegal, by day, sparkling fool by night) and immediately got orders for 5 shirts. That lead me to eBay and my own online store. By May of that year, I had moved into a shop that is a craft show year round. Sparkles by Shell was taking off. I stayed at the retail store for 2 years, but when my law firm moved into downtown Pittsburgh, it became too hard to keep the store stocked, so I moved out. I did move into a local store here in Monongahela, but unfortunately that store only last 9 months. So I was on my own. I began doing local craft shows and kept up with eBay and through word of mouth got bigger and bigger. Soon I began to see a pattern, people wanting to get matching shirts for their groups, the problem was I had nothing to offer the men (most to do not want to sparkle) so I moved into the embroidery world. This was the first time we had to take out a loan for business equipment. SUPER SCARY. But I am glad we did it. I could now offer both stones and embroidery. Soon, the school accounts followed and the dance schools and the corporate logos. But something was missing. Around the end of 2007 I closed my eBay store as it was not doing well (pretty much because I did not have time to post things) and I was growing tired of the constant fee increases and other stuff that goes on, on eBay. As I look at my business today, I realize that I have lost my retail customer. Right now, my biggest customers are schools, dance companies and corporate logos. I do miss the regular retail customer. Which has lead me to create my own blog. While I send out a newsletter (not nearly as often as I should), I feel that this will be an excellent opportunity for me to communicate with you my customer.
So here we go, feel free to comment on this post, ask me questions, whatever. I do think that the eBay store will have to reopen as that I get my best bang for the buck there. So watch for that announcement.
Take care, and keep on sparklin'!
Shell
What do you want me to Sparkle or Embroider?
Ok, so now you know a little more about the woman behind the sparkle. Now I want to know more about all of you. Please post a comment with who you are, and what you would like to see me create next? Ready, set, sparkle!
Shell :)
Shell :)
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