Posts
Hosted by Singing Three Little Birds
http://singingthreelittlebirds.blogspot.com/2011/03/creme-magnolia-giveaway.html
There are several other Fine Art Prints in my CremeMagnolia Etsy Store that are currently marked 25% off! Please check them out!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Silent Sunday
Since I am involved in my very first giveaway I thought I would be silent today and give everyone a chance to register for the Limited Addition 16x20 fine art print! The winner will be announced on April 1 -- my wedding anniversary BTW!
Hosted by Singing Three Little Birds
http://singingthreelittlebirds.blogspot.com/2011/03/creme-magnolia-giveaway.html
There are several other Fine Art Prints in my CremeMagnolia Etsy Store that are currently marked 25% off! Please check them out!
Hosted by Singing Three Little Birds
http://singingthreelittlebirds.blogspot.com/2011/03/creme-magnolia-giveaway.html
There are several other Fine Art Prints in my CremeMagnolia Etsy Store that are currently marked 25% off! Please check them out!
Saturday, March 26, 2011
A little Birdie told Me
I couldn't help myself - spring is here and I love all the birdies that are back for the summer. Please enjoy my treasury.
Don't forget to mosey over to Singing Three Little Birds to register for my Fine Art Photography limited addition giveaway!
Don't forget to check out my CremeMagnolia Etsy Store for the last days of my 25% discount on everything (including Photography and Antiques) sale!
Don't forget to mosey over to Singing Three Little Birds to register for my Fine Art Photography limited addition giveaway!
'A little Birdie told Me' by crememagnolia
 Large Abstract modern white ... $85.00 |  Summer Birds Wedding Cake To... $60.00 |  Pretty Birdie Baby Shower Ba... $28.00 |
 Sweet Birds Scallop Tags (se... $2.40 |  Every day bag , adjustable s... $35.00 |  Spring SALE 10% Off The Love... $6.53 |
 Mom's Nest (c) - set of ... $48.00 |  Small Wood Burned Cardinal B... $30.00 |  Exotic Bird Fused Dichroic G... $28.00 |
 15 Birds Nest Muslin tags $3.00 |  Scrabble Tile Pendant - Moth... $6.95 |  Vintage - Peacock Bobby Pin,... $16.50 |
 French Script Pillow Cover B... $32.00 |  Owl in Red Cedar by Donna Ma... $30.00 |  Desert Song: Bracelet of Pol... $30.00 |
 March Madness Sale (5 Dollar... $37.00 |
Treasury tool is sponsored by Lazzia.com A/B image testing.
Don't forget to check out my CremeMagnolia Etsy Store for the last days of my 25% discount on everything (including Photography and Antiques) sale!
Friday, March 25, 2011
Grand Giveaway of the Season
I've never participated in a giveaway so I thought I would make my first venture into this new world with aplomb and in concert with the last days of my March Madness Sale! My friends at Singing Three Little Birds are hosting the giveaway.
I chose one of my Fine Art Photograph Limited Addition Prints to giveaway for this event. The giveaway is called "Spring Peony" and was photographed by myself in 2009. It is printed 16x20 on archival paper and is signed and numbered.
You can enter the giveaway on Singing Three Little Birds blog! Good luck!!
Don't forget to check out my CremeMagnolia Etsy store as the final days of my March Madness 25% discount are coming to an end. I have several fine art photographs and many antique items for sale. My items make will make wonderful Mother's day and Graduation gifts!
I chose one of my Fine Art Photograph Limited Addition Prints to giveaway for this event. The giveaway is called "Spring Peony" and was photographed by myself in 2009. It is printed 16x20 on archival paper and is signed and numbered.
You can enter the giveaway on Singing Three Little Birds blog! Good luck!!
Don't forget to check out my CremeMagnolia Etsy store as the final days of my March Madness 25% discount are coming to an end. I have several fine art photographs and many antique items for sale. My items make will make wonderful Mother's day and Graduation gifts!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Blatant Promotion March Madness!
As March draws to an end (one week left) I thought I would write about the CremeMagnolia Etsy Store March Madness sale going on now. It's not usually in me to blatantly promote, especially in my blog but there are some really great deals, especially fine art photography and antiques. I have created a 25% discount coupon for the entire store!
Before my March Madness sale began, I purposefully marked some items down and with the 25% discount these items are at or below my costs. Why? I've been a seller on Etsy for six months and want to introduce new customers to my store as well as clear some inventory for new summer listings. Repeat business is my goal - and cost or below is the cost of doing good business for me. This is without question my biggest sale of the year!
Some of the best deals are my Antique Calendar Plates and Fine Art Photography (on archival paper or canvas). I also sell hand cut mosaic tiles but to a very specific demographic.
Here are some examples of the best values in my store:
102 Year old Gibson Girl Calendar Plate
Fine Art Photograph 16x20 Magnolia Limited Addition Print
Antique Chintz Sugar Bowl
Monet style, Fine Art Photography 16x20 Limited Addition Print
I've seen a lot of sales on Etsy this month but none as deep as this opportunity! Please take a minute to check out my CremeMagnolia Etsy store and if you want to add a little beauty to your home or will need gifts this summer - now is the time to buy!
I'll announce tomorrow a huge giveaway hosted by my friend Singing Three Little Birds - it's big!! Really BIG!!
Before my March Madness sale began, I purposefully marked some items down and with the 25% discount these items are at or below my costs. Why? I've been a seller on Etsy for six months and want to introduce new customers to my store as well as clear some inventory for new summer listings. Repeat business is my goal - and cost or below is the cost of doing good business for me. This is without question my biggest sale of the year!
Some of the best deals are my Antique Calendar Plates and Fine Art Photography (on archival paper or canvas). I also sell hand cut mosaic tiles but to a very specific demographic.
Here are some examples of the best values in my store:
102 Year old Gibson Girl Calendar Plate
Fine Art Photograph 16x20 Magnolia Limited Addition Print
Antique Chintz Sugar Bowl
Monet style, Fine Art Photography 16x20 Limited Addition Print
I've seen a lot of sales on Etsy this month but none as deep as this opportunity! Please take a minute to check out my CremeMagnolia Etsy store and if you want to add a little beauty to your home or will need gifts this summer - now is the time to buy!
I'll announce tomorrow a huge giveaway hosted by my friend Singing Three Little Birds - it's big!! Really BIG!!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Using Google Analytics to your Advantage Three
It's often asked, "when is the best time to list items in my store?" The simple answer is that Google Analytics will tell you what time you have the most traffic! Knowing the best times to list will save you both time and money but most importantly increase your sales.
To find this information from your GA dashboard, on the right side click on Visitors, then scroll down to Visitor Trending, then Visits. Once you are at the Visits screen in the top right hand side of the screen there (just under the date) is "Graph by" and four little icons.
Click on the first icon which is a little clock. A graph will appear showing you what times you have the most visits to your shop. If you hover over a specific time it will also tell you how many visits! Viola, you now have good information as to when to list new items in your store!
PS..the cool thing is that you can add this report to your dashboard by clicking the icon at the top of the screen (export, email, add to dashboard).
Please don't forget to visit my CremeMagnolia Etsy Store as my March Madness and 25% discount is quickly coming to an end!
To find this information from your GA dashboard, on the right side click on Visitors, then scroll down to Visitor Trending, then Visits. Once you are at the Visits screen in the top right hand side of the screen there (just under the date) is "Graph by" and four little icons.
Click on the first icon which is a little clock. A graph will appear showing you what times you have the most visits to your shop. If you hover over a specific time it will also tell you how many visits! Viola, you now have good information as to when to list new items in your store!
PS..the cool thing is that you can add this report to your dashboard by clicking the icon at the top of the screen (export, email, add to dashboard).
Please don't forget to visit my CremeMagnolia Etsy Store as my March Madness and 25% discount is quickly coming to an end!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
For whatever Ails you
My husband has been sick for the better part of a week and I made honest to goodness Jewish Chicken Soup to help speed his recovery. I was fortunate enough that years ago my mother in law taught me how to make this wonderful soup to cure what ails you. There are some secret ingredients and special methods so I wanted to share the recipe and technique with my blog friends.
Ingredients:
One whole chicken cut into pieces (or 4 large chicken breasts) including skin
One large onion - quartered
One bunch (or bag) of carrots - cut in thirds
One stalk of celery - cut in thirds
One bunch of fresh parsley (tied in a bunch)
*One bunch (or bag) of parsnips - cut in thirds
*One bunch of fresh dill (tied in a bunch)
Salt & Pepper to taste
*the last two ingredients are the secrets to making the perfect soup.
In a large stock pot combine all ingredients and cover with water. Bring to a boil and continue cooking on medium heat for at least 4-6 hours (covered). Make sure to skim the liquid several times during this process (my mother in law used to call this skimming the shum). Continue to add water if the veggies or chicken aren't covered.
Remove veggies and discard (they should now be cooked to death), remove chicken and reserve. What you should have left is a huge pot of stock with nothing floating around.
De-bone and discard the skin. At this point two things can happen. You can either shred the chicken and return to the stock or reserve the chicken for another recipe (which is how I was taught to do it - and I'll share that too).
Add to the stock thin noodles and boil until fully cooked (about 6 minutes).
*However, I was taught to make dumplings (matzo balls) and the meal can be purchased in any large grocery store - it's called Matzo Meal. The recipe to make the dumplings (matzo balls) is on the box. Where the directions call for water, substitute with club soda to make your dumplings light and airy. Cook in salted water per the directions (about 20 minutes). Reserve the dumplings until just before serving (so you'll know how many you will need for dinner) and reheat in the soup. Unused matzo balls can be refrigerated in a tight plastic container for left-overs - not stored in the soup.
*I was taught to make dumplings versus noodles as the latter will tend to make your soup a bit starchy.
____________________________________________________________________________________
What to do with left-over chicken not returned to the stock pot - (what I was taught). Per tradition the chicken soup should be clear with the exception of noodles or matzo balls and I was taught to use the cooked chicken a second time, for another meal.
Place chicken in a oven proof dish (pyrex) and cover with Catalina salad dressing. In a 350 degree oven warm until the dressing is bubbly. Catalina Chicken can be served over noodles or rice for a great second meal.
Enjoy!
Please visit my CremeMagnolia Etsy store to take advantage of my March Madness 25% discount sale!
Ingredients:
One whole chicken cut into pieces (or 4 large chicken breasts) including skin
One large onion - quartered
One bunch (or bag) of carrots - cut in thirds
One stalk of celery - cut in thirds
One bunch of fresh parsley (tied in a bunch)
*One bunch (or bag) of parsnips - cut in thirds
*One bunch of fresh dill (tied in a bunch)
Salt & Pepper to taste
*the last two ingredients are the secrets to making the perfect soup.
In a large stock pot combine all ingredients and cover with water. Bring to a boil and continue cooking on medium heat for at least 4-6 hours (covered). Make sure to skim the liquid several times during this process (my mother in law used to call this skimming the shum). Continue to add water if the veggies or chicken aren't covered.
Remove veggies and discard (they should now be cooked to death), remove chicken and reserve. What you should have left is a huge pot of stock with nothing floating around.
De-bone and discard the skin. At this point two things can happen. You can either shred the chicken and return to the stock or reserve the chicken for another recipe (which is how I was taught to do it - and I'll share that too).
Add to the stock thin noodles and boil until fully cooked (about 6 minutes).
*However, I was taught to make dumplings (matzo balls) and the meal can be purchased in any large grocery store - it's called Matzo Meal. The recipe to make the dumplings (matzo balls) is on the box. Where the directions call for water, substitute with club soda to make your dumplings light and airy. Cook in salted water per the directions (about 20 minutes). Reserve the dumplings until just before serving (so you'll know how many you will need for dinner) and reheat in the soup. Unused matzo balls can be refrigerated in a tight plastic container for left-overs - not stored in the soup.
*I was taught to make dumplings versus noodles as the latter will tend to make your soup a bit starchy.
____________________________________________________________________________________
What to do with left-over chicken not returned to the stock pot - (what I was taught). Per tradition the chicken soup should be clear with the exception of noodles or matzo balls and I was taught to use the cooked chicken a second time, for another meal.
Place chicken in a oven proof dish (pyrex) and cover with Catalina salad dressing. In a 350 degree oven warm until the dressing is bubbly. Catalina Chicken can be served over noodles or rice for a great second meal.
Enjoy!
Please visit my CremeMagnolia Etsy store to take advantage of my March Madness 25% discount sale!
Saturday, March 19, 2011
The season for Color
I have a thing for handbags for every season. I put this treasury together to share the beautiful colors of spring!
Please Visit my CremeMagnolia Etsy Shop as everything is discounted 25%
'Carry your Spring' by crememagnolia
 SALE Gorgeous clutch in purp... $89.00 |  CANDY - two tone pebble leat... $115.00 |  Navy, Blue, Green...Sea and ... $51.50 |
 Summer crochet Tote Bag in r... $75.00 |  Handmade Avocado Knit Bag, C... $40.00 |  Sun Spots in Wine $12.00 |
 Red Rose Reversible Tote Bag... $46.00 |  Lil' Miss Bag - jdore Pa... $25.00 |  cottage garden bag $120.00 |
 KAWAII BALLERINA TOTE DIAPER... $30.00 |  QT Canvas Tote in GOLDEN ROD $42.00 |  Mustache Parlor large "... $65.00 |
 Sweetie Pie Silk Clutch Wall... $112.00 |  Stripe make up bag $10.50 |  Fabric Zippered Pouch, Bag O... $29.00 |
 Grey Taupe Leather and Handw... $230.00 |
Treasury tool is sponsored by Lazzia.com A/B image testing.
Please Visit my CremeMagnolia Etsy Shop as everything is discounted 25%
Friday, March 18, 2011
Using Google Analytics to your Advantage Two
I briefly wrote about using Google Analytics on Wednesday and today I am writing about one of the most powerful analytical tools GA has to offer; Visitors to your blog and what the numbers mean. I will use hypothetical numbers but you will get the picture.
The overview of the "Visitor" tab tells you the total number of visitors over a period of one month, however if you look closer there is so much more to see. Absolute Unique visitors are the total number of first time visits which are calculated as a percentage of the total. In the case of my hypothetical blog there are 733 visits (total) and 344 Unique; this equates to 41.4% new visits for the period. The visitor to this blog spent on average of 3.42 minutes on the site (reading) and 2.19 average page views. What this tells the Blogger is that their subject matter is interesting enough for the visitor to continue beyond the landing page. In this example there are 1608 total page views. The number that is the best indicator over time is the number of Unique Visitors because as that number increases (and bounce rate decreases) it tells the author that their blog is becoming increasingly more popular. If the average minutes on the site increases the bounce rate will decrease correspondingly.
Drilling down under the "Visitor" tab is a segment called "Page Views for All Visitors" and will show how many (both in real numbers and percentage of the total) what days were the most popular (GA will always be a complete day behind in the data provided). In my opinion these numbers give the blogger the best information as to which topic was the most successful and more importantly the ability to plan for future blog topics. As an example; if a blogger posts a treasury or a giveaway promotion and the "Page views for All Visitors" on that particular day is low, it tells the blogger that this may not be the most successful topic for their blog going forward. In my opinion this is the best number to use for planning future blog topics.
It is very important that the Blogger know what the GA numbers are telling them for future planning. To ignore "Page Views for all Visitors" is a common mistake and should not be taken lightly if a Blogger is in it for the long haul and potentially solicit sponsors for the blog. The Blog owner should control the content at all times especially when posting expert, interview or tutorial type posts. Not all content is commensurate with the goal of the Blog which is increased visits, visitor loyalty and low bounce rate. This is what is known as Future Value.
Many Bloggers profess not to look at Bounce Rate but in my opinion this is tantamount to ignoring a credit card balance. The Blogger wants to hold onto their visitors "especially" if they originated from a referring site versus organic visitors from search engines (while search engine visits are important, this is the number that will take the longest to obtain). Scrolling down on the GA opening dashboard will reveal the "Traffic Source Overview" and source of incoming Blog traffic.
To wrap up this tutorial, Google Analytics is a powerful tool that should be examined on a very regular basis, at the very least weekly. Plan for your Blog goals based on these numbers and your Blog will be very successful over the long haul and possibly generate income based on its popularity.
Please don't forget to visit my CremeMagnolia Etsy Store as there is a 25% store wide discount for the entire month of March.
The overview of the "Visitor" tab tells you the total number of visitors over a period of one month, however if you look closer there is so much more to see. Absolute Unique visitors are the total number of first time visits which are calculated as a percentage of the total. In the case of my hypothetical blog there are 733 visits (total) and 344 Unique; this equates to 41.4% new visits for the period. The visitor to this blog spent on average of 3.42 minutes on the site (reading) and 2.19 average page views. What this tells the Blogger is that their subject matter is interesting enough for the visitor to continue beyond the landing page. In this example there are 1608 total page views. The number that is the best indicator over time is the number of Unique Visitors because as that number increases (and bounce rate decreases) it tells the author that their blog is becoming increasingly more popular. If the average minutes on the site increases the bounce rate will decrease correspondingly.
Drilling down under the "Visitor" tab is a segment called "Page Views for All Visitors" and will show how many (both in real numbers and percentage of the total) what days were the most popular (GA will always be a complete day behind in the data provided). In my opinion these numbers give the blogger the best information as to which topic was the most successful and more importantly the ability to plan for future blog topics. As an example; if a blogger posts a treasury or a giveaway promotion and the "Page views for All Visitors" on that particular day is low, it tells the blogger that this may not be the most successful topic for their blog going forward. In my opinion this is the best number to use for planning future blog topics.
It is very important that the Blogger know what the GA numbers are telling them for future planning. To ignore "Page Views for all Visitors" is a common mistake and should not be taken lightly if a Blogger is in it for the long haul and potentially solicit sponsors for the blog. The Blog owner should control the content at all times especially when posting expert, interview or tutorial type posts. Not all content is commensurate with the goal of the Blog which is increased visits, visitor loyalty and low bounce rate. This is what is known as Future Value.
Many Bloggers profess not to look at Bounce Rate but in my opinion this is tantamount to ignoring a credit card balance. The Blogger wants to hold onto their visitors "especially" if they originated from a referring site versus organic visitors from search engines (while search engine visits are important, this is the number that will take the longest to obtain). Scrolling down on the GA opening dashboard will reveal the "Traffic Source Overview" and source of incoming Blog traffic.
To wrap up this tutorial, Google Analytics is a powerful tool that should be examined on a very regular basis, at the very least weekly. Plan for your Blog goals based on these numbers and your Blog will be very successful over the long haul and possibly generate income based on its popularity.
Please don't forget to visit my CremeMagnolia Etsy Store as there is a 25% store wide discount for the entire month of March.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Using Google Analytics to your Advantage
Google Analytics is a great tool if you know how to read what it's telling you. I'm not going to go into great detail this morning but I would like to hit the highlights of what mine are telling me.
The Dashboard gives a plethora of information and from there you can drill down to more in depth information. At the very top right just under the name of your site is a button that says "advanced segments" where you can customize what you want to instantly see and it will appear in graph form.
The information is presented in one month increments. I first look at number of visits and number of page views. This tells me how many of my visitors are drilling down to more than one page. My second most important piece of information is the amount of time my visitor is staying on my site. This is important if you want to know that people are reading or simply landed and left. Everything will show in actual numbers with a corresponding percentage of the total.
An important aspect is the total number of visitors to new visitors. This will give you a feel for how your blog content has performed over a monthly period. You want first time visitors to convert to Visitor Loyalty over a period of time. I also look at non-bounce visits. While some will tell you that your bounce rate is not important, I for one respectfully disagree. If I'm looking at a high bounce rate then I know visitors have landed and instantly moved on to another site. As it happens my bounce rate is down almost 5% in the last month and the time spent is up correspondingly. I'm elated.
The bottom line is Google Analytics is such a powerful tool and should be checked on a very regular basis. I could write a book about the information contained in these reports but ... Google has done the work for me!
Check your reports, keep a log if you wish (I do) and you will know how your work is paying off. The bottom line is not the number of people who "follow" you but how many people are reading (or commenting) on your blog. As I've said many times before; I've seen blogs with hundreds of followers but fewer than a dozen comments during a week.
Please take a few minutes to check my CremeMagnolia Etsy Store!
The Dashboard gives a plethora of information and from there you can drill down to more in depth information. At the very top right just under the name of your site is a button that says "advanced segments" where you can customize what you want to instantly see and it will appear in graph form.
The information is presented in one month increments. I first look at number of visits and number of page views. This tells me how many of my visitors are drilling down to more than one page. My second most important piece of information is the amount of time my visitor is staying on my site. This is important if you want to know that people are reading or simply landed and left. Everything will show in actual numbers with a corresponding percentage of the total.
An important aspect is the total number of visitors to new visitors. This will give you a feel for how your blog content has performed over a monthly period. You want first time visitors to convert to Visitor Loyalty over a period of time. I also look at non-bounce visits. While some will tell you that your bounce rate is not important, I for one respectfully disagree. If I'm looking at a high bounce rate then I know visitors have landed and instantly moved on to another site. As it happens my bounce rate is down almost 5% in the last month and the time spent is up correspondingly. I'm elated.
The bottom line is Google Analytics is such a powerful tool and should be checked on a very regular basis. I could write a book about the information contained in these reports but ... Google has done the work for me!
Check your reports, keep a log if you wish (I do) and you will know how your work is paying off. The bottom line is not the number of people who "follow" you but how many people are reading (or commenting) on your blog. As I've said many times before; I've seen blogs with hundreds of followers but fewer than a dozen comments during a week.
Please take a few minutes to check my CremeMagnolia Etsy Store!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Surprise Supplies
One of the most overlooked items for Treasuries on Etsy are supplies. I've put together my favorites in hopes that you too will find a new craft supplier. Enjoy!
'Surprise Supplies' by crememagnolia
Treasury tool is sponsored by Lazzia.com A/B image testing.
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