Being multiracial comes with many benefits, especially when it comes to design. I was talking to my aunt this morning and I had told her all about my new Etsy business. The first thing she says "it's cute" and then "but......it's too Chinese." She inspired me to navigate through my Persian heritage to design something. This weekend is Persian New Year - otherwise known as Happy Nowruz!
There are many different symbols for Nowruz such as
So with inspiration from my aunt and the twin dumplings - I thought - hey! garlic is a similar shape to dumplings! ;). So with celebration for Persian New Year I create this digital downloadable graphic. The flowers are hyacinth representing new beginnings and the garlic represents good health! Happy Nowruz to all! You can find the graphic on my Etsy shop for purchase and instant download! Etsy Link: Happy Nowrouz Digital Download - https://www.etsy.com/listing/1425340378/persian-new-year-png-download-instant?ref=listings_manager_grid Thanks Auntie Mitra for the inspiration!
0 Comments
Recap (in case you're new here to my blog)
Now that I've finished my 3-card series for Mother's Day - it's now time to introduce myself. Mother's Day Cards:
Who Am I? Well for starters - I'm a follower of Christ, a mom, a wife, a sister, a friend, and someone who cares a lot about the people around me. I'm a mom of four children. My oldest son is 4, my daughter is 3, and my twins are 3 months old. I'm a mom of a #toddlerboy #toddlergirl and #twins. I'm off on maternity leave right now and have been ridiculously bored from the normal routine of cleaning, cooking, and taking care of babies every day. Besides being on maternity leave my career at the moment is a project manager - I get to tell people what to do and when to get it done by and it seems to work out pretty well I would say :). I love the people I work with and I love the type of work I do - it keeps me busy and my mind sane! Opening an Etsy Shop - My Inspiration
My Etsy Shop: DesignsbyK2911 I started on this Etsy journey because well first, my twins inspired me! I was out shopping for ideas for my sons 5th birthday party in June and I landed on Etsy where I noticed this huge trend around digital party invitations. I told myself that I could make his invitation myself - I did - and wahlah I birthed my Etsy shop. I initially just wanted to do digital downloads, but then I came up with the idea of "Twin Dumplings." After I drew them using Adobe Illustrator, I loved it so much I wanted to do more with it. So then came the greeting cards. How is it going - opening an etsy shop? Starting a business - or in my case a side hustle is extremely hard work! I have deep respect for people that own a business now. Creating the products is easy - its the advertising and constant social media output that's a little bit draining - but MUST happen. I opened my etsy shop on February 28th (about 3ish weeks now) and here are some quick stats:
I have a mix of emotions - excited because I love drawing and getting creative with the designs. Afraid because the sales are not flying - with every new product I say "I hope this is the one to make the graph sky rocket." With every new product - the views on my site increase - but the visits do not convert into sales. I'm pondering, wondering, where will this go, will it be successful, do I keep going? I think it's too early to tell, honestly. Over time it may work, how much time - I am unsure, but I believe right now the key is patience and perseverance. I should keep doing what i'm doing - keep posting daily on social media and just keep getting those dumplings circling the internet across different "#." So with this - for those opening an Etsy shop and feeling discouraged - don't give up and don't stop trying. Keep doing what you're doing and keep following me on my journey - let's see where this goes - who knows! 'Til next time! -K As Mother's Day approaches and I ponder upon what kind of Mother's Day card to create - my co-lead (dearsaladdays) was the first person I thought of. For her, Mother's Day is no longer a day to celebrate, but a day to mourn. In 2019 she lost her mom due to cancer, and as for me, the friend by her side, I was without words. I dropped everything I was doing, took a day off from work to help her plan the funeral. You can read more about my story in an article I wrote back in 2022 (These Ordinary Moments of Grief). As I sit back and wonder what kind of card would be appropriate - I go back and forth with her on design. Together we release the Remembered Card for Mother's Day. To all the friends who want to write a message of comfort to their friends who have lost a mother and can no longer celebrate this day. To all those who have lost their mom, you are not alone. The card features a dumpling who is mourning loss. Loss is represented by the flower losing its petals. Comfort is represented by the dumpling to the left. Inside the card writes "By your side, as you remember mom." Also in collaboration of this Mother's Day with dearsaladdays, I'd like to take a moment to share with you her story which you can read about in this book: These Ordinary Moments of Grief: A Collection of Memories, Musings, and Introspection. Her book brings a new perspective to life, especially for those who do not understand what a grieving person goes through. Dearsaladdays expresses how "grief doesn’t go away, neither is grief something you move on from, rather it is something you have to live with."
So, in remembrance of her mother, in comfort for my friend who now celebrates this day in grief, I dedicate this card to her. I hope that for as many days we are alive together, I can be by her side on Mother's Day comforting her and praying with her. I love you dearsaladdays. With two recent events that I've been experiencing lately - I thought of two new cards to share with you. One is about reconnecting and the other is sympathy. I've been a bit more intentional about reaching out to people lately. Whether it's been trying to meet up with a cousin I haven't seen in many years. Develop a new friendship with a mom at my kids school. Or connect with old friends that I haven't seen or talked to in a while. Since leaving college or even living through a pandemic - creating connections or maintaining connections seemed to be at a lost. The pandemic has created isolation and fear - and I've witness it affect my ability to be more intentional with the people around me. When 2023 started (or even late 2022) I made a promise to myself to be more intentional with family and friends new and old. That meant I had family and friends over for dinner, playdates for my kids, and much more. I am filled with joy as I reconnect with friends, host them, serve them, and just laugh with them. Tonight I reached out to an old coworker of mine from UCSF. She was somewhat of a mentor and friend to me while I was there. I told her about my Etsy shop - let alone she thinks I'm crazy for opening one up with four kids. So I asked her to let me send her a card so she could display it on her desk for people to see and ask about :). By the way - if you have a desk job and a lot of people visit you at your desk - let me know - I will send you a card for free - as long as you display my card at your desk. :). So with this I created the "Hey, it's been awhile" card. A card that is blank inside for you to write a personal message to reconnect and be more intentional with friends and family around you - especially those you haven't seen or talked to in a while. Reconnecting with people and maintaining those connections is important. People are important. Etsy Link: "Hey, It's Been a While": https://www.etsy.com/listing/1421918312/friendship-card-greeting-cards?ref=listings_manager_grid Another situation that I've been through lately is when someone loses someone close to them. This past week my neighbor lost his wife - she was battling cancer for the past 3 years. A friend of mine lost her mother-in-law. I'm always at a lost for words when I hear that someone close to me has lost someone close to them. It's probably because I haven't lost someone close to me yet (in case my parents read this - I don't plan to lose them anytime soon). When I read or hear about a friend losing someone, my immediate reaction is to give a hug. However my friend lives about 150 miles away from me and a hug is not possible. My second reaction is to pray. I pray the Lord will comfort the aching heart and fill their minds with joyful memories.
So with this I created the "Hugs & Prayers" card. A card that is blank inside for you to write a personal message that helps the person receiving it feel that warm and tight hug you want to give. The hug that tells them you are there for them and are mourning with them. The sympathy card - loss is represented by the flower losing its petals, and while the dumpling is blowing the flower - the other dumpling is giving the "hug" and comfort in this time. 'Til Next Time -K Etsy Link: "Hugs & Prayers" card: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1421916454/sympathy-card-greeting-cards-sympathy?ref=listings_manager_grid OK, I'm not going to lie - I woke up Monday morning and said "What did I get myself into - opening an Etsy shop?" I've had my two older kids at home these past two days (the oldest one is sick, and the second one would not go to school by herself). I've been a little bit drained trying to keep up with the social media aspects of this. These kids are going back to school tomorrow (yes, I love them, but I need my space) - being full time mom and playing puzzles and rescue bots all day makes my mind go a little crazy. Despite waking up Monday feeling a bit like giving up, later in the day my Instagram account surpassed 100 followers - what a milestone.... It's been about three weeks now since I've opened my Etsy Shop for greeting cards and digital downloads for party invitations and room decor. Recap (in case you're new here to my blog) Surpassing 100 Followers on Instagram For the past three weeks, I've been non-stop trying to promote my content in posts and stories across four different social media channels (Facebook / Meta, Instagram, Pinterest, and Wix). I've been joining various Facebook groups for Etsy shop owners, Women Entrepreneurs, and Small Businesses sharing my site. I've also started physically advertising my shop more with some of my coworkers and neighbors. Hoping that will also help increase visibility into my work. I'm tired - haha! However the work is not going waste! Small Wins:
I've partnered with a church friend to help make his branding materials for communications What's Next? I've launched the Twin Dumplings Greeting Cards series with four different themes
I have a new series of greeting cards ready for release but I'm waiting for my Twin Dumplings Greeting Cards give away to end on Thursday of this week before do more. I'm waiting for my sister to finish a drawing so I can create another digital party invitation soon.
Stay tuned and plugged in on Instagram for the next following events:
Thank you all! -K I was playing with the twins today, specifically their feet. I remembered when they were in my tummy how much they kicked me. The twins continue to grow so fast every day, I can barely keep up, yet their feet still remain cute and stinky. I took a picture of Amadeus feet - a few different ones - and thought of the theme "little feet." There is no doubt that baby feet are super cute, soft, and powerful! Tonight I launch a new digital party invitation - Little Feet Baby Shower Invites & Thank You Cards What's included?
- Party Invitation 5x7 (4 different colors available: blue, pink, yellow, & green) - Thank you Card Pair these with the Little Feet Greeting Card (also available in my Etsy Shop) Celebrate the birth of new babies and their little feet to come with friends and family all over the world today! Visit my Etsy Shop to order now! #babyshower #baby #babies #babyboy #babygirl #littlefeet #etsy #etsyshop It's been about three weeks now since I've launched my Etsy shop (designsbyk2911). Read about why I opened an Etsy Shop in my previous Blog: (My First Week: Opening an Etsy Shop) and how I launched physical products (From Digital to Physical). #etsy #etsyshop Where is the Time? You're probably wondering, where do I find time to do this with four kids (including two 3-month old twins)? Well I spend a lot of time sitting down and nursing the twins many hours of the day. After a while my mind starts to go a little wild. I somewhat miss being at my work where I can use my creative mind to do project management. I'll be on maternity leave until the end of July, and I plan to keep adding new content to my Etsy Shop until then. #momofmultiples #twinmom #toddlermom #twins #momoffourkids #kids #toddlers #momlife I'm very grateful to my co-lead (dearsaladdays) for giving me her time while I pinged her nearly every minute as I finalized designs for the greeting cards. (By the way dearsaladdays has a book, check it out here: These Ordinary Moments of Grief: A Collection of Memories, Musings, and Introspection). #grief #grieving I'm grateful to my husband whose been very supportive - although he probably thinks i'm a little crazy for doing this. I've been telling him everyday "I had no idea trying to start a business is so much work - especially a virtual one." (^.^) It's been an incredible journey. I've been learning so much about product development, product management, social media, and so much more. I've been having so much fun creating the designs and just trying to imagine what consumers would like to see as well as develop stories with them - making each product personal. #product #productdevelopment #socialmedia #diy The Challenges Despite having my content shared across many different social media platforms (Facebook / Meta, Instagram, Pinterest, and Wix) it's still very difficult to get my product to show up in the Etsy store upon search of the key words, but I believe it will get there over time. #google The Statistics With being three weeks live, the statistics are not bad at all. People are seeing my posts, visiting my site, and "filling my hearts" everywhere. The # of visits has now surpassed double digits and I received one order. #statistics #dashboard My First Order I was driving when I saw the notification that an order had been placed. Not only had an order been placed but my order went "out of stock" - the person bought all five of my cards. I still remember the feeling as I packaged up my first order. I printed all five cards, I wrote a thank you note, put everything into a clear cellophane bag and into a bubble poly-mailer. I dropped it off to the mailman, turned around and smiled. Later on that day I found out who the mystery person was behind the order - my hopes were a little bummed - but going through that process of getting the order, packaging the order, and shipping the order was a lessons learned opportunity (realized my shipping cost was insane) but the mystery person paid for it anyways. The volume of views has increased on Instagram over the past three weeks - thank you to everyone whose been following me on this #etsyjourney #firstorder #outofstock The Twin Dumplings Greeting Card Series Earlier this week I launched the Twin Dumplings Greeting Card Series. This series has four theme of cards, three of which have been released. #twindumplings The cards are blank on the inside for anyone to write a customized and personalized message to the recipient. The Themes:
Thank You To All Of You! With three weeks into being open, I can say that I am so thankful to everyone whose been so supportive in this journey with me. The statistics I believe are remarkable at three weeks in. It's been so much fun learning new skills, sharing my designs, connecting with old friends, new friends, and getting "likes" from people I've never met. I hope that the number of people I've never met continues to grow over time. I believe it's going to take time. There is no rush, it is not a race, its an opportunity to engage and have fun! So with this - and sending a HUGE #thankyou to EVERYONE whose been so supportive of me through this Etsy journey - I launch the final card in the Twin Dumplings series - Thank you card Introducing our heartfelt thank you card, the perfect way to express your gratitude and appreciation to someone special. This beautifully crafted card is made with high-quality materials, ensuring a lasting impression on the recipient. Whether you're looking to thank a friend, family member, colleague, or anyone else who has made a positive impact on your life, this thank you card is the perfect way to do so. It's versatile enough to be used for a wide range of occasions, from saying thanks for a kind gesture to expressing gratitude for someone's unwavering support. #thank #you #appreciate #appreciation #grateful #engagement It wasn't until college when I really started making an effort to celebrate birthdays for my friends. I hung out with mostly introverts so celebrating their birthday or throwing any sort of surprise - was a difficult experience for them >.< - but I always did it anyways - planned the parties, picked up the cake, organized the people - that was the deal. When I had kids, doing birthday parties or just small birthday celebrations with family because one of the most exciting things for me. I absolutely loved finding a cake maker to make fabulous cakes for my kids. I loved shopping for the birthday decorations. My son will be turning the big "5" this upcoming June. 5 is a big number because he's going to transition into kindergarten and his clothing size no longer has a "T" in it. He's growing up, and way too fast. In June I've got something real special planned for him this year and I've been planning and thinking about it since December :). I made my own party invitation (which you can get access to in my Etsy shop to personalize yourself), and theres more DIY Party Decor I'm planning in the next few months. (#transformers, #birthdayinvitations). Birthdays will be special, they will always be meaningful, and there will always be a reason to celebrate them big or small.
Today as part of the TWIN DUMPLING (#twindumplings) series, I launch the Happy Birthday cards! (#happybirthday). There are two versions of the cards (I could not decide if they should be hats on or hats off) so both are available. (Twin dumplings easter card was the first in the series) The cards come in a set of 3 - with three different colors (blue, purple, and green). Get your set today! PRODUCT LINK: Happy Birthday Twin Dumplings Hats On
Life undoubtedly will take you through many low moments. However, we should never have to feel like we're suffering alone. With Jesus, with family, and with friends, those low moments in life are bearable. Sometimes it seems as though it may be impossible to get through it, but you will be comforted, always. You just need to trust and believe that you are not alone.
Do you have a friend who needs comfort or a "cheering up?" Send them a card! PRODUCT LINK: Encouragement Card "It's OK to fall apart, dumplings do too" You Will Be Found - Natalie Grant ft. Cory Asbury #nataliegrant https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHC7P4YJ9KY It's almost dinner time. That chicken you had last week was quick, easy and delicious, what recipe was it again? Which website was it on? Google: quick and easy chicken recipe Me: scroll....scroll.....scroll...can't find it.... I often find myself looking for recipes last minute with whatever food I had available in my fridge. However there are very few recipes I keep hand-written because they don't exist on the internet, but they are amazing. The recipes I keep hand-written have meaning, purpose, and connection. It's not just a recipe, it's a memory. Food that makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside deserves a hand-written recipe. One of my favorite hand-written recipes comes from a dear friend of mine. She makes the best (seriously - ask anyone) peach cobbler. Sometimes she would top it off with her homemade ice cream and that was just out of this world. She is amazing. It's the recipe we pass back and forth between my girl circle (the three musketeers) and a recipe that fills us up with so much joy. It's a recipe that brings memories, connections, reconnections, and fellowship. It's a recipe that is hand-written, stored safely, yet within arms reach in my kitchen. Anytime I miss my friend, I make this recipe to remind me of the times I had with her. So with this I launch the digital download recipe index card. This is a digital download, keep forever and print anytime. Print in advance, have cards handy so you can pull one out and write that recipe down. Add the memory it brings so that every time you make that recipe, you can relive the memories it gave you. PRODUCT LINK: Printable Recipe Card |
Archives
May 2023
Categories
All
|