LindaGJ aka LindaGJ

Hi everyone, Katie here.
Yes, I became an IndieKitty awhile back when Linda GJ wrote an article about Cat Blogs. Well, since I have my very own blog : http://glogirly.blogspot.com/ I have been elected with becoming the new Mascot for Indiesmiles, which I am not at all surprised, since I am well known for my sharp tongue and sarcastic wit. A floofy, sweet lap cat, I am not. I am so right for this job because I soooo… fit the meaning of Indie.
‘INDIE’
The Urban Dictionary defines Indie as “Cooler than Emo.” Now I don’t know who this Emo guy is, but I’m going to assume he’s very cool. The Urban Dictionary goes on to note that Indie is an informal version of Independent. Here’s where it gets even cooler: Indie has come to symbolize originality and forward-thinking.
So as an Indie Kitty, I am an independent, original, forward-thinking, cooler than emo CAT. Now how cooler than emo is THAT!!
Just call me Indie’s Mascot Kitty Katie.
You all also will have to go visit my blog which is all about me.
Here is the movie I was featured in with the article that 1st introduced me here on Indiesmiles. I am the star and it all about me… naturally!

My name is Lauren and I’m a Professional flutist by night, Etsy seller by day, I love to create jewelry and meditation malas inspired by yoga, the earth and my dreams.

I am a conservatory trained musician with a love for performing both classical and experimental chamber music. Only last summer I was inspired to create my own malas for my meditation practice, which then led to also creating jewelry and eventually opening an Etsy shop. It is a wonderful outlet for me, as I have always loved art and receive great satisfaction from creating with my hands.

I am also an avid blogger, free spirit, aspiring yogini and lover of the indie lifestyle! Presently, I live in New Jersey with my husband and my dog

Visit Jewels of Saraswati

H A P P Y G I V E A W A Y S

By Susan Rosen, Publisher

Funny, that when you are involved in online selling these days, you find that Contests or Giveaways are the hottest thing going! While thinking of ways to get your name out, you must provide your prospective customers a sure fire way to visit your shop. Most of the giveaways that I’ve been involved in and have entered usually ask you to visit their shop and then leave a comment on their blog with your favorite item. This is when the customer starts to dream about owning one of your items!

So what happens next? You’ve now devolped a repore with the customers that have visited your shop, they have have left a heart or two and you never know….they may have found an item to purchase. If anything the shop holder now has some added views.

You may also find that the contest holder will provide more entries to their customers by asking them to Twitter about their giveaway, post in in Facebook and even do a post on their blog. Some of these postings can result in 5 or mor extra entries! Plus it now gives you as the contest holder more visibilty!

Since giveaways have been growing within the Indie community, Indiesmiles has just started their new section “Happy Giveaways” it’s a place for all of us to find the recent giveaways that are out there! So, when you stop by to read an article or to peruse the advertisers…you can also check out the “Happy Giveaways”. And most certainly if you have a giveaway that is going on in your online shop just purchase a listing for $1.00. We enjoy providing advertising for $1.00, after all the online craft business has taken a beating with a slow economy; so we at Indiesmiles want to make it easy on you and your budget!

Lets take a look at some current contests!

What a clever method to present a contest! Pinareis is amazing. You have got to, got to check out her video contest! It is AWESOME, along with her prizes! She is giving out 4 different designs to 4 different winners! So take a minute or two, watch her video and join in her fantastic contest…and the chance to win one of her fabulous prizes. I adore the scarves, they are incredible!

I spoke to the gal who runs Pinareis by email, she was so sweet and so appreciative of the “Happy Giveaways” listings!

Another fun contest is Adelle’s Resin Bangles! Her blog is so colorful and so are her Bangles, infact to win one of her bright and fun bangles you need to let Adelle know which color is your fav. Join in the fun here!

In the happy world of giveaways, you will also find that bloggers enjoy hosting giveaways for other artists! So is the case for Amazing Mae as she hosts the giveaways for “Grace Hester’s” Family prints. Now this also an awesome giveaway!

There are several other current “Happy Giveaways” and I do wish I could mention them all, but the fun is in the winning…so off I go to Twitter about one, Facebook post about another and don’t forget…comment…comment…comment!

Stop back often to see the new giveaways, there are always contests being posted in Indiesmiles…so don’t miss out!
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by Susan Rosen
THE EXCITEMENT?
As one of the founders of Indiesmiles I cannot tell you how my soul has been warmed recently due to the excitement surrounding the Etsy Black Friday Extravaganza! I will be filling you in on what’s happening with this huge SALE, but first a little bit about the birth of Indiesmiles and the coupon directory history.

THE PAST INDIE COUPONS
When El and myself headed up a project for EFA “Etsy for Animal’s” Birthday bash there were over 180 shops participating in a very successful Discount Coupon Program. We had set-up a directory in the EFA blog so that customers could purchase from a one stop shopping place and find discounts in all of those wonderful shops. Needless to say, if you have ever ran a program this large you can imagine the record keeping nightmares of how work intensive the blog posting can be in regards to running this type of huge sale!

THE BIRTH OF INDIESMILES
After this successful Coupon Sale, El and I decided to start Indiesmiles with the Coupon Directory in mind. We thought that if shops were having a sale how would they normally be noticed unless you happened to stumble upon their shop announcement, a forums post, or a “sale” avatar. The hopes of getting the word out is almost futile! At the same time Artfire was in the midst of developing their coupon system and if you run a sale in Artfire your sale can get listed within, but we thought to ourselves, if you are not part of Artfire…how would someone find your sale?

SHOPPERS?
The main thought was “How can SHOPPERS find discounts offered in the endless amount of shops on Etsy, Artfire, websites and blogs! “

GET A SMALL TASTE:

SOLVING THE PROBLEM!
El and I sought to solve this problem by creating a portal where as you could submit your own text ad, so to speak, and then announce the details of your sale, using an online format. Then by advertising the portal in Google, Facebook , Project Wonderful as well as handmade blogs and other venues. We wanted to get the word out to SHOPPERS! Just as commercial shops are able to advertise their coupon codes in Coupon Directories, we wanted to have an Indie presence in regard to discounts! October of last year, the Coupon Directory and Indiesmiles was born.

WHAT DO THEY HAVE TO SAY?
Read what some bloggers have said about Indiesmiles:
From Tailortaste

Finally! Someone out there gets it. Indiesmiles is a one-stop-webshop for all things indie – meaning: emerging + unique talent.

And from:
Gifted Designs
We’re also lucky to have Sue, head honcho at Indiesmiles.com, support us in our site-wide effort at promoting handmade by offering us directory listings in her super fun Coupon Directory!

Indiesmiles has also been featured in Killer Startups
and our Twitter Background is featured in the Twitter Gallery:

SUE GOES SOLO
Coming from two different academic backgrounds, El with a technical background and myself with a marketing background the partnership was a good meld. We had many days of brainstorming and developing Indiesmiles together and it was a blast! But in time, sadly El found that hosting Indiesmiles as well as going to Med school full time was just too much for her schedule. Since I’m in home sales and business is slow in my “day job” I decided to keep Indiesmiles up and running on my own. I invited on wonderful Contributing Columnists with vast knowledge of running handmade shops or craft sales!

THE BLACK FRIDAY SALE EMERGES!
Now lets get to the bread and butter of this article! Deon of Poocheze had a thought. In the Book Titled the “The Greatest Secret” by Earl Nightingale, he speaks of all great things occurring with just one thought! Poocheze’s thought was to start an Etsy Black Friday sale and she began by getting the word out in the Etsy forums. With the Law of Attraction always putting the wheels in motion, many shops jumped on board. Several shops offered to help in any way that they could, one shop in particular, gifted designs, took on the big job of designed the all the images and another shop, Zeba, offered to design a blog. A Facebook Fan Page was also started so that ideas and deals could be announced.

THE COUPON DIRECTORY REVISTED!
Indiesmiles and Poocheze put their heads together and talked about Indiesmiles supporting the sale. After all, the coupon format was already in place. But it just didn’t seem right to charge everyone to join this endeavor, the coupon text submission usually runs $2.00 (which doesn’t break the bank) but since we were inviting a group to be part of the Coupon Directory, I offered the listings out for free!

VISIT THE SHOPS!
Presently we have approx 80 shops in the directory and it’s growing daily. Shoppers will be able to peruse all of the handmade and vintage shops and find their holiday shopping, at a bargain, all in one convenient directory!

WHEN???
The sale will run from Nov 27th (Black Friday) through Nov 30th (Cyber Monday) and the deals are tremendous. With so many shops participating it should be able to cover most of your shopping list, if not all!

CARTOON CONTEST!
Soon we will be announcing an exciting cartoon contest that will be open to both buyers and sellers of the extravaganza. So stop back and be sure to join in the fun of the contest. The winner will receive handmade items from some of the participating shops whom are donating these items out of the kindness of their hearts! I can’t wait to tell you about them all. If you want to be notified of the contest, please email me (provided below) and I’ll make sure you get all the details!

LET’s SHOP!!
In the meantime, take a look at the lovely items from shops that gave a kick-start to the Coupon Directory in regards to this fun sale! Be sure to visit these shops as well as the many shops that are listed in the directory, we hope to see you all there!

HOW TO GET LISTED FOR FREE!
HOW TO CONTACT SUE!
GET NOTIFIED ABOUT THE CONTEST!
Should you want to know more about listing your Etsy Black Firday sale for FREE in the Coupon directory, if you would like to hear about upcoming events via email, would like to help out with the contest or just have questions please feel free to email me at:
indiesmiles@gmail.com.

Hope you enjoy perusing the shops and also shopping the fantastic deals as much as I do!

We are looking for contributing columnists to assist with our front page content. You don’t have to be a professional writer! If you have marketing ideas, business tips or crafting how to’s ideas then Indiesmiles wants you!
All you need to do is contact me at:
sue@indiesmiles.com
let me know you want to be a writer and send a short blurb about yourself.
Once you are accepted then we will ask you to provide articles when you can, for each article that you submit you will receive a free 125×125 ad for 2 weeks, located on our sidebar. This is a 12.00 value!
You will not have deadlines, you will not have any pressure! All we ask is that the content is Indie related and original work.
So, contact us today!

Now at iCraft.ca, enjoy the handmade experience while iCraft members participate in bootcamp – the rigorous 28 day program to teach habits of effective and consistent marketing. iCraft.ca is a Canadian based website but enjoys worldwide attention.

Please take a look at what each indie shop has to offer and take note of their special coupon offer with coupon code. For information on how to redeem the IndieSmiles coupon, please see this post.

o u r f e a t u r e d s t o r e s

Wow! Thanks to El’s hardwork you can now easily sign-up for our advertising programs right here on Indiesmiles! So whether you would like to be listed in our Coupon Program (now only $4.00), or our Showboat Feature (only $20.00) you can click on Advertising and choose the program that fits your needs!

Our next coupon program is “Spring for a Deal” and begins April 16th, so don’t miss out. Get the word out to shoppers about YOUR sale…yes,  choose your own sale program.  All for ONLY $4.0o!!! Receive the users guide with free graphics to advertise your sale in your shop, blog, etc. ! All Indie shops are invited. Where else can you get this type of exposure for such a low cost!

Join the SMILE program NOW!

Most of the stores are offering 10% off with coupon code 10SMILES so try them out (please read the exact discount of each store. This information is place directly underneath their listing)! All art or handmade work are direct from the maker.

For information on how to redeem the IndieSmiles coupon, please see this post.

A Hot Pink Petticoat: wedding maps and more

Whimsical wedding maps created to represent you and your perfect events.

Check out A Hot Pink Petticoat’s Showboat feature!
Save 15% from February 15-28 with code “10SMILES”!

HempLady4u: handmade macrame jewelry

Handmade hemp necklaces, braclets, anklets, earrings and more made with nothing but the best fine waxed hemp twine available on the market.

Save 10% from February 15-28 with code “10SMILES”!

Sea Star Dreams Designs: Beach Relics from faraway seas for your jewelry collection!

Each shell (or other beach relic) has been handpicked off a beach that I have traveled to or visited!
Save 20% from February 15-28 with code “10SMILES”!

Check out Sea Star Dream Design’s Showboat feature!

Tantalizing Stitches: DIY Supplies for Bags

Get your supply fix at Tantalizing Stitches! You can find large lobster clips, magnetic snaps, poly bags, knitting needles, and more.

Save 10% from February 15-28 with code “10SMILES”!

TackyBackinTime . . . the fun way to go vintage!

Check out TackyBackinTime’s Showboat feature!

Fun vintage and non-vintage craft supplies and gifts!

20% off from February 15-28 with code “10SMILES”!

Do you spend endless amounts of time promoting your online shop? Are you tired of running a sale and hoping someone will stumble upon the bargain? Imagine hundreds of customers finding your products and your deals while you spend your precious time creating.

 At IndieSmiles, you can leave the marketing and advertising to us so that you can create and delve into the artistic side of your business. By creating a happy and informative atmosphere filled with great deals, IndieSmiles will provide your store with the exposure you desire.

How? By offering deals to potential clients at one central portal and advertising on key websites throughout the internet highway, IndieSmiles is your matchmaker to indie-minded clients looking for a great bargain! Once your new clients experience first hand the quality and artistic value of your product, they are sure to come back.

Check out our low cost advertising. Get in the coupon Directory.

As low as $7.95!!

Our services at Indiesmiles are both simple and economical. Starting at just $7.95 (see our promotional rate below) for a 1/2 month period, all levels of service offer exceptional advertising, attractive graphics for your promotion, and step by step instructions to provide you with a professionally advertised sale.

Furthermore, by allowing you to add onto our Smiles Program, you can find the perfect level of service for your business.

Quite simply, all of the programs below will enroll you in our coupon directory for the time span that you choose! The Big Smiles and the Showboat programs afford you more exposure. Review the features of our 3 smile programs:

Our Smiles Program ($7.95) provides directory submission, an attractive coupon, and graphics for your shop and blog to be used during the two-week duration. For $9.95, you receive a the Smiles Program for a four-week duration.

Our Big Smiles Ad ($8.00): Add-on our Big Smiles Ad Space to your sales campaign for $8.00 spotlights your indie store on a 125px x 125px advertisement, first come…first serve, on Indiesmiles.com in addition to the Smiles Program. Our Big Smiles Program can be extended to a four-week duration for $11.00 add-on. So for a very low price, you can accept the coupon for your shop and advertise your shop on our front page!

Our Showboat Smiles Program (reg $24.95), you will have your store featured in our feature stores section during the 1/2 month duration in addition to the Smiles Program and can be extended to a full month duration (reg $30.95) for a full month’s feature.

Get your shop noticed with the optimum exposure. We will publish your feature on the front page, with a rotating feature…sure to get you noticed!