Blogging for More Business - BUY NOW

Ok...here's the link to be able to get Camilla Downs' book on Blogging for business purposes. It's a helpful workbook on the literal process, but it's also full of thoughts about the concept of blog marketing. I recommend it and you can Click here to view more details (this is a technical first for me, so if it doesn't work bear with me...I'll get it). It's available in both hardcover and paperback and I THINK you can get either with this link. Please check it out.

C is for Collaboration

The most recent essay I wrote for StartUp Ladies is about collaboration. It is at the heart of what makes a business life worth living for me.

This whole morning has been spent at the computer prepping art for All Dogged Up, sending a press release about our trademark registration, organizing thoughts for the Dogged Up fall season (new products and several TRUNK SHOWS!), TRYING to figure out an affiliate set-up (that will happen this afternoon, I guess) and writing a release for someone who is going to do some modeling of our newer products. I used to spend ALL DAY every day at the drawing board, but now it's only about half.

I do have a large illustration job coming in and then that'll be the only hat I'll wear most work days. I do sometimes wish I could hire out certain jobs, but by the time I've explained what I need I might as well have done it myself.

In the short run I'm just trying to do what needs doing as it comes up. I'm not sure WHAT my business is at the moment...they're all brewing and simmering nicely. It's actually pretty fun if I don't look too far ahead.

STAFF FAVORITE AT VENUSZINE!

I'm smilin' tonight. Anne Brindle, co-publisher of the hippest, most creative magazine on the market right now, has written about the CADDi in her staff favorites of the magazine. Check it out! Thanks Anne!!

Chicky loves it!

I was so thrilled to find this little article about the CADDi.
It's so great to feel the momentum building, one little piece at a time. I'm getting to know some cool people along the way, too!

Too much too new. HELP?

I just wrote an essay about the week's learning curve. I just got a laptop to facilitate having to be gone for a week. It's been WONDERFUL, as I had to spend a lot of time in the airport. The main point, though, was to be able to check e-mail and so far that's not working. I'm so bummed! I created a gmail account, but the forwarded messages are not getting to me. I can't get to earthing messages through earthlink, either, so I'm .....out of luck so far. This is what I get for deciding to go this route at the last minute. No regrets and I can't wait till I've figured it all out. I feel so naked without my e-mail, though. Oh, well. Any tidbits from anyone about what I should be doing and may not be?

CADDi day

Yesterday I was at the market picking up my coffee and saw TWO women using the CADDi. They say they keep them with their market bags and use them every Saturday. It was a great day for me in many ways (got some GORGEOUS flowers at the market) and that was part of it.

Posting from Biggby

You can always count on people to come through. I just got a laptop and have been in the process of getting ready for a trip and NEEDING to be able to access e-mail. For my dry run of WiFi I decided to go to Biggby because it's sortof like home for me. I got stuck right away because I had to find my wireless access and had no clue where that would be on this new machine because I've never had to know. I looked around at the 3 people using laptops here and asked one young woman who had me up an running in less than three minutes. What a relief and cool feeling of freedom to be able to sit here and sip my favorite Biggby's Best/Hazelnut combo and write.

On a little business note, the Gift Therapist has put the CADDi in her top- 20 picks for this year.

Don't leave home without it.

So fun for me. I designed the CADDi with young moms in mind...hang it from the stroller, let your child carry her own drink etc. Just noticed this blog entry at Peekaboo Moms.

Thanks for the support, Jeanne Sager - wherever you are!!

Roller coaster

I just wrote an essay about the roller coaster ride that is entrepreneurialism which'll be out in a few weeks, I'm guessing. Today is a prime example. I came THIS close to getting a juicy order for CADDis, but they had a barter-factor in mind I could not accomodate, so it fell through. The funny thing is that it's fine. It was good for me to go through the quote process and the current numbers, as those changed recently. It may lead to some other level of connection with these people and they are a good group, so I'll wait and see. In the meantime it goes in the experience box.

Giving Back - The Nature Conservancy

Part of the point of doing the CADDi was to have something bringing in enough income that I could give some away. The Nature Conservancy has been my place of choice for years. We protect the land, we do something good for everyone.

I finally got it on the BARBCO site. For every purchase of a single CADDi I'll donate 25¢ to TNC. For every dozen-pack it'll be $1.50.
It's a start. Once I actually start to get out of debt for doing the CADDi I hope to make it much more.

I got smooches

Check this out! I didn't even ASK for this!
Thanks - you're a goddess!!!

Inspiration

Camilla of StartUp Ladies just posted my essay called O is for Om. I've really been working on daily mediation and loving the direction I'm feeling my life go as a result. Of course my leg is still bouncing a mile a minute as I type this, but maybe that will slow down with time, too. I'm not expecting miracles.

Ok - so everyone thinks your beverage caddy is the coolest!

This was the last e-mail I got today and it's from the people at VenusZine, a magazine where I've placed some advertising. I'd like to get messages like this every day.

And here's the painting I was starting earlier this week. Have to decide which breed to do next.
I still have to get more stuff on the Etsy store. I originally thought you could only have 5 images, but apparently you can have a ton. I'll have to wait till next week to get to that.

Etsy

Ok, I've done it and created a shop on Etsy. It's another adventure and if it works it's a really easy way for people to get things, as it's set up for paypal. I'm going to try out a few fairy houses and see what happens and take it from there.
Never a dull moment.
There's some fun stuff on the site.

This fall is filling up with events and I'm going to really have to get productive. It's the old dilemma of not wanting to have it piling up around me, but wanting to have enough to have a decent showing at each event. I'm so glad I have a kiln at home, now, so I can work when I need to.

Off to paint the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

TRADEMARK APPROVED!!!!!

I'm ecstatic to announce that Three Hot Bitches received paperwork from the U.S. Patent and Trademark office that our trademark ALL DOGGED UP has been approved. It was a pain in the patoot doing the application and revisions as most of it was bureaucratic to the max, but we GOT IT, so it was worth it.
We have some VERY fun new items in the works for this fall's shows.

New table-top fairy houses

Just started making some table-top styles. Didn't plan to...they just came out one day. These are a bit larger than the others and feel kindof elegant to me.

ALSO - I'm finding a way of working with the glazes and raku that allows me to get color and imagery on the clay without basically doing a painting. It involves etching the wet clay, then applying glazes to the spaces. The raku smoke supplies the black lines. I have some vessels in the works and am anxious to see how they come out.

These are all on the gallery site.