Did you know Happy Cactus Designs can create custom personalized stationery using any of our patterns?
Here's an example of a recent design we did for Christina using our "Zinnias" pattern.
These flat note cards for Victoria used the "Corazon" print on the back.
Any pattern or floral design you see here on the website can be used to create a flat or folded note card. We have so many fun and beautiful fonts to work with, and also offer custom hand lettering. Check out more custom projects here. And don't forget, we're always happy to work with you on an entirely custom and unique project. Email us at hello{at}happycactusdesigns.com for more details on custom and personalized stationery.
I'm very excited to share a new product that I've had in the works for awhile - melamine plates! These 10-inch plates are BPA-free and dishwasher safe. They are perfect for parties, mealtime, or delivering holiday baked goods! If you are interested in pre-ordering, please email us at hello{at}happycactusdesigns.com. Orders typically ship 3 weeks after placed and are available in four styles: holiday lights, holly, Southwestern zigzag, and pink flowers.
Pricing for plates - $18.00 each; 4 plates - $68.00; 6 plates - $99.00; 10 plates - $160.00; 12 plates - $186.00 (does not include shipping or sales tax)
Fall is finally in the air here in Austin! I'm excited for the crisper weather and the changing leaves. Here's a little doodle to celebrate.
This week's card of the week is a design that has been flying off of the shelves lately - "Welcome Little One" with baby ducks. We nearly sold out of this one at the Dallas Flea a few weeks ago.
This perfect card for a new little baby is gender neutral and features hand drawn little ducks set against a very pale yellow background.
You can pick it up in the shop here! Remember - free shipping on all orders through October 15 (no code necessary)!
Last week, I wrote about how important it is to have a website up and running when you launch your company and shared a little background on what I was looking for when I created my website. This week, I wanted to share what I believe are the essential components of any successful website.
Consistent Branding: The look and feel of your website should be consistent across the board. Use the same suite of fonts and color scheme on each and every page. Make sure your logo/company name is prominently featured and is the same branding you use on your business card, signage, and other collateral.
Easy-to-Find Contact Information: Is it easy and intuitive for someone visiting your site to get in touch with you? I have my company email address displayed on multiple pages and also have a contact form that can be filled out. I can't tell you how invaluable it is to have that contact form! Many customers and retailers get in touch with me for the first time through that form.
Links to Social Media Sites: As I mentioned in past posts, using Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Pinterest are great ways to increase your exposure and connect with fans and colleagues. Make sure you have links to these sites on your website! I have widgets that run at the bottom of each page that link directly to my social media pages.
About Us: What's the story behind your business? What do you want potential and existing customers to know about your work? Visitors want to know that there's a human face behind the brand. Highlight your company's mission and any other essential facts you want visitors to know about you.
Good Product Photography: For someone like me, having great photographs of my stationery is essential to selling my product. I spend a lot of time working to have the best product photography possible that showcase my designs.
Clear Product Listings: Along with good photography, it's a wise idea to have well-written and clear descriptions alongside each product. Include information about size, how the product comes packaged, color choices, and any other essential information. Remember, people aren't able to touch the product they see online, so the more descriptive you can be, the better!
Fall is officially here! Fall in Austin is a little different from the falls I experienced on the East Coast...highs in the low 90's still?! But I'm eager for the weather to cool down, the leaves to turn, and the sweaters to come out of storage. This week I worked on a pattern using different colored leaves and acorns to celebrate.
This week's card, Thank You Zinnias, features a detailed hand drawn design of tiny buds reminiscent of zinnias with "Thank You" in turquoise green. All of the tiny "petals" were meticulously hand-drawn by yours truly. The inspiration for this design came from memories of the zinnias that my grandmother planted outside her house annually. The huge blooms would line the fence along the edge of her property and people passing by would always stop to admire the gorgeous flowers. It took a lot of patience to work on this piece, but I was so happy with the outcome.
A client recently asked to use this design for personalized note cards. Did you know any pattern you see on this site can be customized? I love how they turned out!
This month, I'm celebrating Happy Cactus Designs' one year anniversary. It's hard to believe it was just one year ago that I formally launched my small business! People often ask about the steps I took to get off the ground and running. Having quality products with appealing designs was at the top of my list, of course, but I also knew that I needed a website for my company. These days, it's next to impossible to have a company and not have a website.
The first step I took was to purchase the domain for my website - www.happycactusdesigns.com. The last thing you want is to spend a lot of time building up your company and deciding on a company name and then come to find that there isn't a related domain available. After securing the domain, I spent a lot of time researching my options when it came to creating a website and weighing the pros and cons of different platforms. I did not have the technical prowess to create my own site from scratch, so I was hoping to find an e-commerce provider that allowed for some customization and made my products the stars of the page.
Many artists first launch their products on Etsy, an online marketplace for all things handmade and vintage. While Etsy is a great place for many, I ultimately opted not to launch Happy Cactus there for a few reasons. All of your products are listed on your own Etsy shop page, but it's not branded for your company, it's branded as Etsy. It was important for me to have a site that was fully branded as Happy Cactus Designs. Also, I found that Etsy is so oversaturated these days and felt that my products would get lost among thousands and thousands of other products.
Eventually, I chose Big Cartel, a site that caters to artists wanting to sell their products. It was simple, well-priced, and customizable. As my company grew and I decided I needed more functionality to my site, I switched to Shopify. Using a custom template, I was able to add different pages to my site, components that competitors didn't offer. I've been happy with the service so far and have found it really easy to create product listings, update this blog, etc. I've received many compliments about how easy it is to navigate my site and how cleanly everything is laid out. Down the road, I would love to have my own snazzy site with even more features!
When it comes to designing your site, think about what you want your visitors to do there. Do you want them to be able to buy your products? Do you want to share information about your services? Is it important for you to have a blog or a portfolio to showcase? This will help you pinpoint what platforms meet your needs. Then think about navigation. The biggest turn-off for a potential customer is having a site that's hard to figure out. Is it easy to list your products? Can you upload multiple product photos? Can customers easily find their shopping cart and check out without problems? Can they contact you if they have issues with shopping the site? Before you publicly launch your site, have friends and family members test out your site and make purchases. Get feedback from them and make changes accordingly.
Next week, I'll be sharing the essential components you need for a successful website!
Happy Cactus Designs is celebrating its one year anniversary this month, so what better doodle to celebrate than a fun birthday cake! I fell in love with a cake I saw on Pinterest and used it as inspiration for this little celebratory doodle!
Happy Cactus is celebrating its one year anniversary this month and I thought the perfect card of the week this week would be one of the first designs I ever did - the Garden Blues floral patterned note card. Before I ever thought of actually launching a paper goods company, I spent a lot of time doodling and drawing, making cards for friends and family members. A lot of my doodling gravitated to florals. I was thrilled with how this particular design turned out - from the whimsical flowers to the array of blues. It will always be one of my favorites.
One of the newest social media platforms to hit the scene, Pinterest has been growing by leaps and bounds since it launched a little over two years ago. Pinterest lets you create virtual pinboards for anything you come across on the web. It can also be a great place to share your work and find inspiration.
I use Pinterest as a way to replace bookmarking websites and saving images to my computer. I have pinboards for things like "Color Combos" that I come across and can refer to later. I've also started a board for "Small Business Resources" so I'm no longer having to remember good articles or sites I've discovered.
Don't be afraid to pin your own work, but don't go overboard. From time to time, I pin images of my own products, well aware that it would be annoying for people who follow my boards to only see images my own work or to pin it all at once. I make sure to use a descriptive caption that includes what the product is and my company name. The best part about Pinterest is that when you click-through on any pinned image it sends you to the original source, so if someone likes what they see, they'll be redirected to my site.
Post high quality images. What makes you re-pin someone else's pinned image? Usually it's because a) you like it and b) it's a great, clear image! People typically only see thumbnail-sized images on Pinterest before they click on them, so if you are going to pin your own work, pick great images where your product is front and center.
Do a little research. Want to know if other people are pinning directly from your website? Here's a trick - go to the URL http://pinterest.com/source/happycactusdesigns.com (enter your web address at the end in place of mine) and you can see who is pinning what. It's an interesting way to see what people are attracted to and what boards they are pinning your products to.
