October 30, 2018

Moving to Shopify



I have started the big move to Shopify.
I figured arther than spending 30 Euro each  month on renevwing on Etsy, I'd rather spend that money somewhere else.
The new shop still needs a lot of work as Shopify is not very intuitive...not as complex as Magento but defintely not as smooth as Etsy.
Still have no idea why tags create new section in your shop, for exemple...and it's hard to find where things are...but I'm getting there.
The pin and patch are already up and you can now buy them there ;)
Here's the temporary link to the shop https://dina-fragola.myshopify.com/  but it will be soon link to my own domain.








October 24, 2018

Pookie, movie star

So the other night I was watching Despicable me 2 on TV. Cats usually ignore the TV but that night Pookie seemed really interested.
Pookie watching Despicable me 2.

Turns out he had a cameo in the movie...that cat has so many secrets ;D

© Universal pictures                                                                                  Pookie

October 21, 2018

Bye Etsy

Last product photo for Etsy
So I had been spending hours each day editing, one more time, my product photos for Etsy. I had been re-writing my tags , one more time. I had just reached 1300 sales in my Dina Fragola Etsy shop, which sounds good but which is not as I should have reached that number during Christmas season LAST YEAR...when it hit me like a brick in the face...I was wasting my time...in a big way.
Etsy telling you that your shop is not working because YOU'RE not doing the right things, not putting enough work into it is total BS.
Their website is not good for little shops, it got even worse recently.
The idea had been in the back of my mind for a while but it suddenly became real. I needed to let those shops go. I was not doing myself any good keeping them.
 I am tired of being told everything is my fault, that  I am not doing the right things (not just on Etsy, but also by the unemployment agency...that is zero help)
It's such a relief in a way. It has only been a few days and I've already read 2 books in my new free time.
I am not closing them cold, I'll just let the listings expire which means my Captain Cosmos shop will be gone by February 17, 2019 and my Dina Fragola Etsy shop will be history on May 1 (because I still have over 8000 free listings I have to use up by December 31 and plan to relist my whole shop in one go on New Year's Eve).
I have not yet decided if I'll reopen them somewhere else.
I'll probably have another site for my pins and patches in a near future.

And don't forget there's 15% off any orders of 10 EUR + in my two shops until November 30, 2018 with code NOEL18
Dina Fragola, kawaii jewelry shop
The Captain Cosmos, quirky plugs, gauges, jewelry and cuff links.

October 19, 2018

October reading list


Not read yet:
Driving blind by Ray Bradbury. 
Could't bring myself to start this one.
The hand by Henning Mankell. 
Another Walldander story.
The unexpected blessing by Yoko Ogawa. 
Just took it from the library without even reading the summary. Favorite writer, blind faith ;)

Partly read:
The smiling man by Henning Mankell.
Still reading it. I like it but I am having a reading block here.

Après (After) by Stéphane Allix. 
Read pretty much everything by that writer. I met him last year. He is specialized in unexplained phenomenons, but, well, he is kind of pushing it this time (as in the previous one). Still a fun and fast read, even if you don't really believe him. 

Read:
Mysterious creatures 
Oddly thorough on some topics and oddly undocumented on others..weird book about world mysteries.
Joyland  by Stephen King. 
A really fun read. Not too scary but still very enjoyable. A perfect October read. Highly recommanded. 

Have you read anything good lately? I am always on the lookout for new stuff to read.

October 11, 2018

My Alice in Wonderland collection- Masquerade Alice


Masquerade Alice figurine by Enesco.
The details on this one are insane as you can see. A beautiful piece.










October 08, 2018

Of patch and pin and whether pigs have wings...


Taking photos of my pin and patch all over the place...
I have postponed the next designs as the lack of sales is not very encouraging. 

 Buy them there:

Cute rainbow cat patch
Cute paw pins
 
Chloé was thrilled to model the pin and patch...

October 03, 2018

My Alice in Wonderland collection



My shops are dead, I am out of ideas on how to promote. I haven't even managed to sell a ***** pin yet and only sold one patch (to a friend...). Morale is low.
Let's focus on some new pieces from my Alice in Wonderland collection.
Not surprisingly this exquisite music box is from the Japanese Disney Store (thanks, Tomoko, for sending me the coolest things). It has a rocking-horsefly and most importantly a Dinah kitten ^_^









Even the packaging is delightful and the music box actually plays Alice in Wonderland music! 


October 01, 2018

Shop early for Christmas! Gift ideas for presents and stocking stuffers!

Christmas is just around the corners so here's some ideas for original OOAK presents.
 The three pink bears bracelet
 The 5 robots geek necklace
 The Alice in Wonderland locket watch
 The cutlery necklace

And if you're looking for Christmas stocking stuffers, what about...
a cute rainbow cat patch
  and a cute paw pins!
All my items are sent wrapped or in giftbox, ready to give to your loved ones!
And don't forget there's 15% off any orders of 10 EUR + in my two shops until November 30, 2018 with code NOEL18
Dina Fragola, kawaii jewelry shop
The Captain Cosmos, quirky plugs, gauges, jewelry and cuff links.