If you love any of the cards you see here, clicking on the images will take you to Chrissy's Dreamaid shop. In addition, you can see the cards others have bought and get more ideas for designs you might like here on the blog.
Chrissy writes: I am known as Christine or as most people now on the web call me chrissy after my shop chrissys on Dreamaid. I have had this shop now since the middle of May when I was introduced to the site by a lady called Karen (justkjewellery),
I started to make cards about two years ago when I was involved in making all the wedding stationery for my daughter, who was having a medieval wedding, and we could not find anything appropriate. I really enjoyed the whole process of sourcing the materials, making the design and finally producing them. I had found myself a new hobby, little knowing how much it would cost me. Like most hobbies it gradually grew and grew with more bits and pieces added weekly.
I then found that I had too many cards and not enough relations. People kept saying ‘oh, have a craft stall or run a website”. I am fairly shy, so the thought of having a craft stall and having to sell face to face was too scary for me. After much time, I decided to try the idea of a small website. I am not the most ‘technical person’ and it took me about 2 months to acquire a domain name, set up the site, get it running properly. Now, a word of caution here – beware of choosing your domain name. The most popular had already gone, so in the end I chose ‘chriscraftcards’. Simple enough, chris for me, craft for what I do and cards – easy. Oops, oh no. The www big wide web plonked me amongst the boats, chandlers and yachts. Apparently, there is a chriscraft boat model and that was where I would stay. Suffice to say business was almost non-existent and 6 months later I gave it up.
Along came Dreamaid this year and I thought I would try one last time. First, I wandered round the shops and thought ‘If I was buying a card, what sort would I buy’. I have then applied my findings to any card that I now put on my site. For personal cards and family members or commissioned cards I still do something appropriate to that person. I now think that my recent success has been down to providing cards that are not too personal to me, but still unique and being able to adapt them to a customer’s wishes, making a good quality product, providing a quick and efficient service and not too expensive.
At the beginning of June I started a blog and ran a little competition to get people to come and at least look and I gave away some of my stamps to a winner. I think it did get people looking and hopefully then at my site and sideshow. I am on busymitts and have been for about two years and a lot of people have seen my cards on there and asked about them. I re-directed them to Dreamaid. One lady in the last week has bought 12. I've tried facebook, but it doesn't really work for me.
My advice to those waiting for their first sale - maybe try some promotions and free p and p if you can afford to do it for a little while. You need to get people to look and buy and then hopefully they like what you do and will come back. I read somewhere you should have a shop with a few cheaper items to draw people in, and once in, they will look at your other work - it's getting them to look in the first place. It has taken me almost 2 years from the start really to only just, in the past month to actually have a tiny little bit of success - which may not even last. So don't give up, Dreamaid is still pretty new and keep plugging - use the forums more and chat to people
At the beginning of June I started a blog and ran a little competition to get people to come and at least look and I gave away some of my stamps to a winner. I think it did get people looking and hopefully then at my site and sideshow. I am on busymitts and have been for about two years and a lot of people have seen my cards on there and asked about them. I re-directed them to Dreamaid. One lady in the last week has bought 12. I've tried facebook, but it doesn't really work for me.
Lastly, I would like to thank everyone who has bought from me, and especially returning customers. I feel happy that someone, somewhere has a card made just by me. Thank you for helping me donate money to Dreamaid, a wonderful and worthy site and long may it continue.
Thanks Chrissy, for sharing this with us :-)
