featured: etsy seller handbook

Great Product Photos from Etsy Inc. on Vimeo.

Two days ago, my Wool Cozy Cowl was featured in this post on the Etsy blog as an example of great photography. If you watch the video above, you'll see that I pop up for a second. My Wool Cozy Cowl was also grouped with a bunch of other wonderful items at the bottom of the post. So exciting!

revisited

Over the weekend, Banks and I finally managed to get into a building that I have been itching to photograph/explore for years. While we were there, we took the opportunity to capture some new photos for items that I have been offering in the shop for a year or more now. These items have all done well in the past, but I like to freshen up my listings every now and then. I can't get enough of the peeling paint and gorgeous light in this place, so we will definitely be going back as I have new items to photograph. A few of my favorites from the weekend are posted above. Look for more later this week!

it's in the bag

I recently created these one-of-a-kind knit/crochet bags, inspired by my recent work travels and upcoming beach trip. The purple and yellow bags pictured below were knit with a seamless technique, from an unusual paper yarn that I purchased while in Asheville. They are surprisingly sturdy, soft, and washable. Pretty cool. The coral bag was made with super soft and durable cotton, and is my first piece that combines knit and crochet. All three will be hitting the shop this week...

splash of color

After a long period with no store updates, I finally posted some new and colorful wash cloths to MBG over the last couple of days, with more to come heading into next week. It's always exciting to have fresh listings up -- even if they are mundane things like wash cloths -- and I hope that these colorful little bundles won't stick around long. They are perfect for spring and summer, so head on over and check 'em out!

first giveaway!

Jenn, from the blog The Good. The Bad. And The Internet., is hosting a giveaway for MBGdesigns. The winner will receive a $15 store credit. Get on over there and enter for your chance to win!

ink magazine

I am so excited to announce that some of my knits have been featured in the latest issue of VCU's Ink Magazine! I was contacted by the fashion editor a few months ago when they decided to do a spread on knitwear, and I quickly knitted a few pieces and sent them her way. My fellow VCU Photo alumna, Cassie Mulheron, took the gorgeous photos below. Check them out, and be sure to look at the whole issue here.

Featured items: Extra Thick Cozy Cowl/Circle Scarf, Knit Tank Dress, Unisex Crochet Cowl

fresh

All eight of the new listings are up in the store, and I have to say that I'm very pleased with how fresh it looks. I have more new designs on the way (expect to see them after Valentine's Day) and I'm looking forward to adding the last round of winter accessories to the shop. In March, I hope to lean more towards spring...


Almost forgot! Through Valentine's Day, everyone can take 20% off their entire purchase with code BEMINE. Get excited!

new!

New items, new styles, new pictures, and new listings are all hitting the shop this week! I finally got around to photographing some new inventory and new designs this weekend, and I am so excited to update MBG over the week. About eight new items will be listed soon, and I am particularly excited about the first scarf pictured here. I recently learned to cable knit, and this is my first completed piece using the technique. Best of all, it's made from a super soft cashmere/merino blend. Check it out -- I can't wait for someone to wear it!

mad dash done

Whew! This month has been insane, to say the least. I started a new job (still can't blog about the company, but this time I'm in management) that is way more time consuming/demanding than my last, but also has benefits and can actually pay my bills. Woohoo! On top of that, MBG has exploded, and Christmas is happening in two days. I just finished the last little bit of shopping that I had to do tonight, and I can't wait to exchange gifts with everyone over the weekend. Overall, I would have to say that December has been fun and 2010 is definitely ending on a high note. :) :) :)

I'm proud to report that I received 30 orders this month, and knitted 25 scarves, 11 pairs of mittens, 4 pairs of baby booties, and 2 hats, in addition to some other random small items that will probably make an appearance in the shop soon. My hands and arms are tired, and I couldn't be happier. The picture below was taken on my phone at 2:30 AM on December 20th, and it's just a snapshot of the last handful of Christmas orders that went out that day. It's interesting to see that this picture is totally lacking color - it actually makes me smile to see that my customers are drawn to the same earthtones that I find so appealing in knits...

*victory dance*

I got a new and much better job today, and my store hit (and passed) 100 sales this morning! It's time to celebrate...

black friday/cyber monday

MBGdesigns is having a Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale! I've been working on putting this sale together for a couple of weeks now, and I even worked it out so that my sale is being promoted on the papernstitch blog. November 26-29, customers can enjoy free shipping on all orders and reduced prices on select items. AND, facebook fans and papernstitch readers are being treated to even deeper discounts! Head on over to papernstitch or become a facebook fan here to get the details/coupon codes. Happy shopping!

exciting things are happening...

I'm starting to get excited about all of the attention my store has been grabbing recently. When I was in college, I didn't spend much time on it other than knitting whenever I could, and I was just grateful for the extra money here and there. Now that I'm working (and my work doesn't follow me home like a pile of art projects and textbooks), I have more time to put into networking and promoting my store. The best part? It's paying off. November has been a great month, and my hopes are high for December and the early months of the new year. I'm even keeping my fingers crossed for summer sales volume...

MBGdesigns has become extremely popular in treasuries recently, and I was featured in my first Etsy Finds email today. I took some screenshots to illustrate, of course. ;)

old listings ... revised

I've been meaning to update a couple of listings in the store with new photographs for awhile now, and I finally got around to it this morning. The brick wall in some of the photos I added to the shop in September was really driving me crazy. Turns out, orange-toned bricks are not a flattering backdrop for me. Ha, who knew? Anyway, some of the new photos for my Cowl of Many Colors No. 3 and Fingerless Mittens in Oatmeal are below. On a side note, I'm growing my hair out! It's driving me crazy, but I'm trying to hang in there...

mbg on facebook

I finally took the plunge and made a facebook page for MBGdesigns over the weekend. I found that my personal page was becoming too bogged down with store updates and links to treasuries, so I wanted a separate place to post those things. It has a good handful of fans so far, and I'm happy to know that I'm only bugging people with updates because they want them, not just because they're my fb friends. Feel free to visit and "like" the MBG facebook page here.

machine assisted knits!

I've been kind of keeping it under wraps until I had time to figure out how to use it, but now I'm ready to talk about the knitting machine(!) that I got for my birthday. It's a fairly simple one, but it's capable of making really large items (even blankets!) and creating all kinds of beautiful, complicated stitches. For now, I am mostly interested in making the same kinds of simple items I already love to knit by hand, but with much greater speed. I absolutely love, love, love the machine, and I just posted the first two machine-assisted knit items in my store today.


These Long and Lean Scarves are super long, versatile, and unisex. I asked Banks to help out with the modeling again this time, because he has been getting such a great response from the women on Etsy, and I wanted to make sure these items were pictured on a man and a woman. I'm beyond happy with the pictures, and I'm thrilled at the small amount of time it took to create these beauties. Check them out!

features

It seems as though I've only had time for quick posts about features recently, but I promise to get around to adding lengthier posts about some new things I'm working on in the near future (maybe even later this afternoon)...

For now though, I think it's important to mention these lovely treasury and blog features:

Stephanie mentioned me on Grains of Earth last weekend.

I'm touched to be in this treasury for the cure. Visit and comment here.

See this friendly etsian's gift guide here.

See these great aviation-inspired items here.

On a side note, I love Etsy's new, wider layout for the listing pages. The pictures are bigger, and everything else looks clean and fresh. Check it out in my shop today!

pink for the cure

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer is an issue that has always been close to my heart, and this year I am offering a pink crochet scarf in my store as a way to raise awareness and funds. For each pink scarf sold, I will be donating $5 to Susan G Komen for the Cure. Depending on popularity, I may keep the scarf available year-round. We'll see how it goes.

I also made a treasury featuring other breast cancer awareness items today. I think my favorites are the little girls - one in the tutu and the other in an adorable pink headband. Check it out here.