Just a quick coupon

I just wanted to post a quick coupon for my blog followers! Its for 15% off Designs by Jessie!

Lots of new products have been added this week!

Camera Strap Cover Tutorials

Remember how a while back I mentioned that I was getting out of the Camera Strap Cover business? I'm finally starting to take that plunge. As much as I love the covers, I am ready to put on my big girl panties and start making the real deal!

You can find all of these and many more at Designs by Jessie Measurements:
•Length of strap - 45 inches
•Nylon Strap Length - 6 inches
•Width of fabric strap - 2 inches
•Width of Nylon strap - 1/2 inch

I understand that not everyone is going to want a longer strap, so I do have an alteration option. For only 5 dollars you can opt to have your camera strap altered. Length, width, extra padding etc.

I will also soon have options on the site to build your own strap. You will be able to choose, your length, padding amount, width, fabric, minky, and regular or quick connect ends.

There are several of these loaded in the shop right now, and will be more to come!



So now after you have seen the new item, its a little understandable on why I'm going to give out the secret to the other product. Lets face it. Its not much of a secret. All you have to do is google camera strap cover tutorial, and you will get pages and pages of tutorials. I have decided to narrow that down for you. These are some of my favorite.



Priddy Creations has an awesome tutorial, and what is unique about hers is she also shows you how to line it for a very clean finish. Tutorial~Picture is from Priddy Creations Blog~

This tutorial just came out a bit ago, but its so cute. I found this one on Moda Bake Shop Blog, Its by Brassy Apple. It uses charm packs from Moda. Tutorial ~Picture is from Moda Bake Shop Blog~Ohhh I love this next one. Make It and Love It is one of my favorite blogs for all kinds of sewing inspiration. She is the place I go and think.. I wanna be just like her when I grow up!!! Tutorial ~Picture is from Make it and love it blog~

The Design Sponge uses a handy dandy looping tool. Goodness .. 1000 covers later I wish I had bought one of those!!! Tutorial ~Picture is from design sponge website~

I do still have some camera strap covers available in the store I will be slashing their prices this week to get the last of them gone!

New Fabric!

There is nothing like the feel of products getting ready for shipment! Its a great feeling of accomplishment to see these items bundled up and ready to be mailed. This weekend for the first time in a long time I was completely caught up! What I mean by completely is orders more than 4 days old were packaged and ready to ship!

For me, I'm happy to see these gems on their way to their new home. Sometimes it sad if its a fabric line that I really love and its the end of it, like those brown green and blue dots. I love that fabric!!! It really gives me a feeling of accomplishment and a burst of energy to put my thinking hat on and start coming up with other fabric combinations and new ideas!

It also gives me an excuse to go shopping!!!

I love to shop for fabric. It IS the main reason why I sew. Yes true, I love the things that I make, but I love LOVE the fabric. I love touching it, smelling it. It is truly a love affair.

I will shop anywhere for fabric. Hobby Lobby, Michaels, JoAnnes

I have picked up fabric at local quilt shopsGarage sales and swap meets.

I have even gone so far as to buy an XXXL shirt in a fabric that I adored because I couldn't find the actual fabric.

So stay tuned, as this fabric will be turned shortly into Designs by Jessie products.

Do you have something that you compulsively shop for? Something that you can linger over in the store for hours over?

Im really tired of being fat.

Seriously, No joke. I am so over being fat!

My clothes from last year don't fit right, I have chins where chins shouldn't be! I am not fat enough for surgery, but fat enough that I cant shop in normal shops anymore.

So I'm over it. Something has to give. Jack wants to take everyone to gulf shores for a holiday this summer, and to be honest .. I don't want to fit my flabby abs in a swimming suit. I would even volunteer to go back to the most miserable place on earth before I subjected my excessive flesh to the sun of Florida!

So this week I decided to do a little something about it. In the past I have tried diets, extreme exercising. They didn't work. I'm sure they are all great programs.. but they also have issues..

Extreme exercising .. well after 3 days you are so sore, you have to take a day off.. then it turns into 2.. and before you know it.. you went 3 days and took off a week, and spent all that money for a fantastic gym membership for a 3 day stint!

I have tried Weight Watchers, Nutri System etc.. but lets be honest .. I'm fat because I LIKE FOOD! I like wine, cold beer and fried fish! These diet programs don't work for me, well because I would rather starve then eat the nasty Nutri System food! I am a food snob!

But like all things .. The food solution is easy... What is it they say? You have to eat to loose weight? I'm sure they don't mean a big Denny's fry up for breakfast. I believe they were talking about a cup of granola, a cup of yogurt and probably some fruit or something.

So this week... I will be taking charge.. I going to figure out the food thing. There has to be something somewhere on the "healthy" list that I will like.

So In the mean time I wanted to get down to exercising. I used to be a runner, In a long ago far away dream, I used to be a very good long distance runner. yes I know .. now I cant even run two houses down.. but I did used to run, and I want to get back to it.

So fortified with my new knee braces, lots of antiflamatories I am starting the couch to 10 K program. I have to take the damn dog out to walk anyway.. this program is designed for big fat couch potatoes.. ok .. you can be a skinny couch potato.. It gets you slowly into shape to be able to run 10 K

You can listen to you own music while you keep track of your workout.

It prompts you when to walk and when to jog.

This is an app for my IPhone. You don't have to have an app. You can find this program everywhere online. The App was 3 dollars, so much less of an investment then Nutri System! You can find the App here

Or you can find more information about the program and how to keep track of it here.

Every monday I will update my progress. Hopefully I can loose some weight to get rid of an extra chin! Then I will be able to participate in Krystyns Mommy and Me project!!!

A COUPON!!

Just because its Friday, and well I have neglected my blog..

I did get so much done today.. Orders out.. emails answered.. my friend came over and helped me clean my house..

So after a terrible week fighting this flue, and ending it on a high note with a super productive day I'm giving out this coupon to all Designs by Jessie customers!!

Enjoy 20% off at Designs by Jessie
Now until Midnight Sunday night!

Use Coupon code HAPPYFRIDAY20DBJ

to take 20% off your total order at checkout!

Happy Friday!

Big News!

The cat is out of the bag. I am a Soccer Mom. For everyone that didn't know, they now know. Yes I am that rabid mom on the side line screaming at my child to run and suck it up! Yes that is me.

So recently G had the opportunity to try out for the ODP, The Olympic Development Program. The ODP is a fantastic program for the kids to compete on a national level. They have the state teams, regional teams, then finally the national team. Each state holds their own tryout. There were over a 1000 kids from Elite brackets all over Texas who came for a shot to make the Texas pool. They managed to wheedle the kids down to 56 after a grueling 3 day tryout. They then held 3 more training/tryout events all over Texas and narrowed it down to the final 32.

I am so pleased to say that HE MADE THE 32!!!! He made the Texas State Olympic Development team!

So whats next? Next he is off to camp in Alabama for a week, with a chance to be held over for the regional team. The regional team is made up of southern states.. South of North Carolina, East of Texas. So we are very excited about this, and truly soccer mad here in the house right now!!!

WELL DONE G!!!!

WE WILL BE SUPPORTING YOU ALL THE WAY!!!!
to read more about the Olympic Development Program click here

Fabric Label Tutorial

I'm feeling pretty sick today, and not wanting to snot on any ones order, I decided to work on the computer instead. I want to share the love, but not the deep and meaningful love if you get what I mean!!!

This is a tutorial that I have wanted to write for a while now. You can be a quilter, knitter, etc.. and this will come in handy. No matter what it is that you make in life, you will always want to label it, to make sure future generations know that it came from you. In my case, as my handmade one of a kind items are shipped out to the masses, I want to make sure to have my brand on them!

When I first started out, This was a big conundrum for me. Where to buy labels! So I searched and searched. You can find cheap ones, expensive ones, sew in, iron on, some with premade designs etc. After I ordered several different labels, I really wasn't satisfied with what I was getting.

A. Some reason my brand always looked a little skewered ..

B. The wait time was forever. I'm talking 2 to 3 mos for a pack of 36 labels!

C. The expense. I remember paying 35 dollars for a pack of 36 labels. That is a dollar a label folks.

As a small start up, I really didn't want to have to wait, or pay those huge costs, so I set out to learn how to do this myself!

Things you will need:

1 pack of Ink Jet Colorfast fabric sheets. You can find these everywhere, Hobby Lobby, Michaels, JoAnnes, Hancocks. They are a little pricey. For a pack of 10 it is around 25 dollars, so I always make sure to take a coupon with me. All the stores above usually have a 40% to 50% off coupon in the Sunday paper

A Printer with Ink. You may chuckle at that, but the first time I attempted this I had NO ink!

An Iron

And some sort of scissor or rotary cutter. Step 1. I actually used PSE to do this. But any program really will work. I opened up a 8x10 piece of paper (that is how big your fabric sheet is) design your label, then just copy and paste, copy and paste copy and past until you have filled your whole screen.


As I designed my own logo I had it on hand.

Once your satisfied with what you have, print out a test sheet on regular paper. You want to make sure your font is easy to ready and your spacing is on target.

These are from my old label..


Once you have printed out your labels on fabric paper, let them dry for 30 min. Then run them under cold water.

Lay carefully of paper towels and blot dry
Once they are blotted dry take them over to your ironing board and Iron them dry to set the ink.
Take a rotary cutter, or scissors and cut them out!

After your all cut you should have many labels!!! I usually do a pack of 10, I can get 25 labels on a sheet. That is 250 Labels for less than 20 dollars!!! Compare that to 36 labels @ 35 dollars? That is a big savings!

My new labels are fold. I think they look pretty professional, but I am also able to put my website on the back side

Buy 1 Get 1 Free

Well I hinted at his a while back

It wasn't that I forgot about it, I just couldn't figure out how to do it in the store to get the discount to automatically come off!

Jane worked tirelessly today and came to my rescue. So the Buy 1 Get 1 Free sale is on!!!

Here is how it workes

You go to my store and you put a camera strap cover in your cart, add another to the cart, and then when you get to the checkout, the price of one of the camera straps will be deducted from your total!

There are terms and conditions.... well of course there are!

1. You cannot purchase a CD Visor and get a free Camera Strap .. This sale is only for the straps! But you CAN purchase a CD Visor and a Camera Strap and get another Camera Strap absolutly free:)

2. This sale will end April 5th

3. Custom orders are not included

Goodbye Granny...

This past weekend my Granny passed away. She lived a full life, just the way she wanted. Some of the happiest memories of my childhood were at my Granny's house. My Granny taught me many things that still stay true to this day...White Gravy taste best made in a cast iron skillet made from sausage grease.

If you pan fry a steak in butter and worshisire sauce, before a night of drinking, you won't puke

A fly swatter hurts the ass as much as the fly

Frozen burritos and ketchup is a meal replacement

Bread should always be soft, if you cant afford Wonder don't bother

Sarcasm only sharpens as you get older

Slippers are acceptable footwear for ALL occasions

Keep a nice pair of PJ's as backup, you never know who you will meet in Reno

Yahtzee is timeless, and anyone who sits at your kitchen table will enjoy a game

Laughter cures most everything. If you cant laugh at them, smack em!

Really? Seriously?

There are many tools out there to get the word out about your business. Honestly you can get lost in the blogs, forums, sites. Online networking is a must for anyone to get the word out about your business. Beware, people won't follow you if you only say "come buy my crap"!

You can tweet, facebook, do giveaways, list your products on multiple selling sites (ie ebay, etsy, big cartel) It is all what works for you.

I do some giveaways mostly, and buy some ad space. I do twitter and try and not sound like a twit. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don't.

When you do a giveaway usually there are chances for multiple entry's. Follow on facebook, follow on twitter, RT about the giveaway, Go to said shop and tell about your favorite thing etc. I like to opt for the most exposure so I always encourage the blog that is holding the giveaway to give extra entry's to following my blog, and me on twitter.

This helps in several ways. I can put on my twitter about a new product and people who follow me will get that in their stream. It also means that ... *shock* ... potential or actual customers are reading about what I write on twitter! You can follow people to see what they are doing, or they can follow you. I have been known to tweet about a great bottle of wine, a fantastic giveaway, or how my dog will sit around and fart. It all depends.

The one thing that gets my back up is when other small business tweet about their customers. About problems, payment, emails etc. Do you not get that your customers are reading your tweets? Don't call them names, don't tweet about how "difficult" they are. And please don't tweet about how stressed you are about customer demands when you spend all day tweeting. They see this, and wonder if you have so much time to spend your day on twitter, how come you don't have time to process my purchase. Twitter is a valuable tool for networking, but not used correctly can come back and bite you in the butt. Just saying!

Recently I have been asked to sponsor a few giveaways. Sponsor meaning I donate the Item versus Host meaning I will hold it on my blog. So yes I have sponsored a few.

Right now there is a Giveaway going on the Make Me a Blessing Blog. Courtney the owner is awesome, and did a great job with organizing this. She is so great to work with! The Giveaway is for a 20$ Gift certificate to my store. You can find the post here. This Giveaway is running until March 13th.

The Second Giveaway is on Loving my life reviews blog. Sarah was actually a winner of a giveaway that I did. She won multiple camera strap covers and decided to give one of them away on her blog. You can find the entry here. This entry ends today March 10th at 9pm.
On to some new products..

I have some new products listed in the shop.

Some New CD Visors

I also brought the Iphone Ipod covers back. Was having way to many emails about whether or not I was still carrying them. Before Christmas I couldn't give them away, now they are moving!!!

Remember all New Products are marked down 15% until the Monday after they are listed! All camera strap covers are on sale 30% off until they are gone!