I'm BAAAACK!!!

Wow what a busy month it has been! My Heartsy deal went fabulously well and I want to thank all those who took advantage of the opportunity and bought a voucher. Unfortunately with the Canada Post lockout many parcels are still sitting here waiting to make their way to their new owners but everyone has been extremely patient and understanding. I have my fingers crossed that we will all be sending and receiving mail early next week. If you missed the Heartsy deal you can currently stop by my Etsy shop to receive 30% off your order by entering coupon code THANKYOU30 at checkout. New products to come in the next week or so include more giraffe charm necklaces in both silver and brass, sewing charm necklaces, baking charm necklaces, fabulous fire polished earrings, and some more additions to the bargain bin.

My Heartsy Experience

If you haven't had the chance be sure to stop by Heartsy for your chance to snatch up some fabulous daily deals on handmade items. My feature day was June 11th, with my deal available to VIP's on June 10th. I used my Artfire Studio which has its own pro's and con's which I will list later. Here is the number breakdown for those of you who are contemplating submitting to Heartsy for your own shop:

DEAL: $9 for $22 worth of store credit, VIP's got $32 credit

Studio Views pre-Heartsy: 6,352
Studio Views as of Today: 12,376
Item Views pre-Heartsy: 11,274
Item Views as of Today: 12,649
Sales pre-Heartsy: 26
Sales as of Today:166

Vouchers sold: 66 total
                        49 VIP
                        17  REGULAR
Redeemed to date: 36
Non Heartsy Sales during June: 3

Many people redeemed their vouchers immediately and one of the pro's to using my Artfire Studio was that I was able to list quantities and didn't have to worry about relisting (in case I decided to grab a couple hours sleep!) Buyers, however, are less familiar with Artfire and not as comfortable shopping there so I wonder if I would have sold more vouchers had I used my Etsy shop.  I hope that I brought some extra exposure to Artfire since there are so many talented artisans there as well. I love both Etsy and Artfire and each site has its pro's and con's. Each artisan needs to decide for themselves if a venue like Heartsy is right for their business. For me it gave me some immediate cash flow to reinvest into new supplies, brought extra exposure to my studio that I may not have been able to generate on my own (at least so quickly) and it gave me a feel for what items people were interested in. My #1 seller The Owl Charm Necklace. Would I do it again? Absolutely! If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact me. I would be happy to help!

Saturday is my Heartsy feature day!

I am thrilled to announce that I will be offering a deal on Heartsy on Saturday June 11th! If you haven't already signed up please feel free to use my referral link here:
http://heartsy.me/users/78615/referral?c=plink
If you sign up using this link we both get $5 to spend!!!

My Deal:
When you purchase a Heartsy voucher for Kawartha Beads you will be paying $9 but receive a $22 store credit, or $32 store credit if you are a VIP member. If you are a VIP you will also have access to this amazing deal on Friday. You will have 6 months to redeem your voucher and you don't have to spend it all in one shot (you can pick up a treat for yourself for summer and then come back later and stock up on goodies for Christmas). Your voucher will be good only in my Artfire Studio.

I'm thrilled not only to be able to offer a fabulous deal to existing customers but this is an amazing opportunity to gain some extra exposure that I may not have otherwise been able to acheive on my own. Additionally, I think it is a great way to introduce new buyers to Artfire and its wonderful marketplace. I hope you will stop by and take a peek and don't forget to sign up using the link above to get $5 to spend at Heartsy!

Since I'll be busy preparing for this weekend I'll be taking a blogging break. I'll share the whirlwind with you next week when I can breathe again!

Tons of Coupon Shopping Fun ($43.86 in savings!)

From Walmart:
Nestle Good Start Formula: Regular Price: $24.-$10 coupon from Nestle Welcome Package
Windex&Scrubbing Bubbles: used Buy One Get One Free from May Smart Source Insert Saved approx $6
*Not shown in photo*
 Oasis Junior Juice Boxes  Regular price $1.33- used $1 coupon from apple juice can
3x Gillette Shave Foam @ $1.46 each = $4.38 – $5.00 WUB3 coupon from coupon insert in the newspaper (Brandsaver – June 1, 2011) = +$0.62 (saved = approx. $8.00)
Iams Dry Dog Food (trial size) $ $1.73 -used $2.00 coupon from coupon insert in the newspaper (Brandsaver – June 1, 2011) = +.27
Taster's Choice Individual Coffee's- Regular Price $1.88 FREE with cereal box coupon

From Foodland:
Ice Cream- Regular Price $4.99- FREE with coupon from cereal box
Beef Burgers- Regular Price $10.99- used $5.00 off coupon from newspaper
Taco Kit- On sale for $3.99 (there is a coupon in the box for a FREE jar of salsa with next taco kit purchase)
Ol El Paso Salsa-Regular Price $3.99 FREE with coupon from previous taco kit purchase
Royale Bath Tissue- On sale for $4.97 used $1.00 coupon from here

Total Savings this week: approx.$43.86
Total Savings to date: approx $116.93

Artfire Top Sellers List Update

 The Artfire Top Sellers List is by no means an official list, it is merely put together by yours truly through browsing the wonderful shops of Artfire and with some starter help from the AF forums. I will try and update it once a week and would love to eventually have the top sellers for each handmade category. If you would like to have your Artfire shop added please contact me through my Artfire Studio. You may have your name removed from the list at any time if you so wish, just let me know.

HANDMADE:
1) mayleesgarden (1929)
2) mysticknotwork (1639)
3)soapsmith (1430)
4) spoiledbratzwear (1165)
5) thyme2dream (648)
6) normasbathandbody (582)
7) libertydoll (551)
8) bakidagain (321)
9) paperstreet (304)
10) kibbles (279)
11) jscjewelry (266)
12) katsallthat (242)
13) canadianrockiesart (167)
14) sandrahealy (163)
15) LAjewelrydesigns (110)

SUPPLIES:
1) lululalaland (16186)
2) susansscrapbookshack (6392)
3) miabellacollection (6159)
4) cupcakesocial (4592)
5) royalmetals (1985)
6) bobbi beads (1546)
7) bopper (1274)
8) tantalizingstitches (1248)
9) rougeriverbeads (871)
10) beadcomber (834)
11) susansheehan (606)
12) bakidagain2 (438)
13) silvermoongalleria (354)
14) beadsbytlc (245)

Are you on the Artfire Top Sellers list? I would love to interview you and share your journey. Contact me through my Artfire studio if you are interested.

Canadian Couponers: Watch for it....

Have you stopped by P&G Brandsaver today to pick up your new coupons? With over $105 in savings there is plenty to choose from, however I was greatly disappointed not to see any for diapers or baby wipes:( There are some available in the insert that will be in this weekends paper. Take a sneak peek here.

Watch for your newest Redplum insert in your June 4th paper. Curious what wonderful deals await? Head over to smartcanucks.ca for a sneak peek!

Coupon Question... For other Canadian couponers who have Baby Ray's BBQ sauce coupons where do you pick yours up? I know many people have lucked out at Walmart but my store hasn't had any the last few times I've been in and so I'm looking for an alternative.