Two fabulous new treasuries

Two of my PeriDot by Duni items made it into these new treasuries on Etsy!

A bright and colourful treasury by  bijouxdellostregato a.k.a. Priscilla, who lives in Rome...

...and a spring fashion forecast by Canadian mixed media artist WhisperingFen

Thank you so much, ladies!

Small/home businesses require business plans too

A few years ago while planning my online selling (ad)venture I sat down at the kitchen table and wrote a business plan - starting with a mission statement. Then, being the neat person that I am, I put the sheets in a colourful file and placed it in my desk drawer rarely to be looked at again! Maybe I should have, and I was reminded of this big time when I came across this blog post on writing a business plan on Etsy recently. Tricia McKellar, the author of this post has even more great tips on her blog and I recommend any aspiring indie seller with an Etsy shop sign up for her free Etsy Shop Tune-Up.
I did, and now I receive essential information in a compact format in my inbox every couple of days, which also serves to remind me to focus on the important stuff and stick with my plan (recently revised I might add)!
I also read the book The Boss of You, which is geared toward women entrepreneurs and written by two lovely and funny ladies who also have a highly informative website. If you're serious about starting your own business I believe there is no such thing as too much information. The important thing is is to weed out the superfluous and retain the relevant; network and don't be shy to ask for help or advice from experienced sellers if you need it! There's no denying that starting your own (small) business and becoming your own boss is hard work and challenging, but I find it's far more rewarding and gives me greater satisfaction than any activity as an employed person. And you know what else? It's fun!

Pretty in Pink

Pink is my favourite colour. It's cheery; it makes me smile; it's such a positive colour and brightens up the dark days of winter, which we (over here in Germany) are currently experiencing. I was delighted when my Pink Pajama Set was included in this gorgeous pink Etsy treasury curated by Anna of Anna's Adornments. This collection is put together beautifully. Thank you Anna!

While I'm waiting for brighter days - no, actually at this point I'll settle for a bright hour or two - in order to take adequate photos, I've been thinking a lot about my blog and the direction it's going. The title seems a bit off now that I've expanded my product line. New visitors will probably be a bit confused! Taking my cue from Erika, who has done an awesome job with hers (I learn so much from her), I will be making a couple changes to this blog in the next few weeks, starting with the blog title. I've been brainstorming a bunch of titles, but my favorite one "Duni Designs" is unfortunately copyrighted by a well-known German napkin supplier! So, I'll have to think a little longer on this one.

until next time,

Twitter and other news

Thanks to Sharla's comment on my previous post I am now a twitterer...tweeter? Whatever. I've joined Twitter. You can find me @PeriDotbyDuni (capital D's) or click the pink Twitter button in the column on the left-hand side of my blog. Fear not!! Except for the occasional whine about the weather I will mostly tweet about blog and shop-related stuff.
Through the Hello Etsy newsletter I've received a bit of exciting news...Etsy is planning a huge event this year: A summit on small business and sustainability. Apart from the topic being of high interest to me, what is really, really amazing is that it is being held right here in Germany! In Berlin. Tickets have not been issued yet, and no word on how much it will cost either - hopefully not over the top - but I have marked my calendar in red. This is just too good an opportunity to pass up!
Plus I get to stay with my mom, who lives about a two-hour train ride away, and maybe even meet up with a couple of old school friends who live there.
As far as I know Etsy is planning similar events all over the world.

In shop news, I have added capri pants. Some say cropped pants or bloomers. Anyway, the one's I made stop at mid-calf, are made from an organic cotton sourced in Denmark, and each pant hem is embellished with romantic pastel pink lace. Curious? Check them out here!

have a great weekend everybody!

For those who love blue

My shop is growing.

In addition to pj's, cosmetic pouches and sleepmasks I now offer large laundry bags as well! As with all my items they are made from designer cottons and have a myriad of uses - not only for dumping your dirty laundry. Think craft bag, fabric scrap bag, balls of wool bag; or like me keep your socks and lingerie stored in it!

The laundry bag with the heart appliquéd on it was recently included in this gorgeous blue collection made by enamel jewelry artist MapremIsha. It is called 'crazy about blue' :)

I figured out how to renew an item. Question to Etsians: does a renewed item show up in the specified category at all? Coz it seems like I'm not getting any new views on it, like I did when I originally listed it.
Just wondering...

And in case you haven't noticed by now, I am really taken with Etsy :) I should've started my shop there much sooner!

My first sale on Etsy

Yes, okay. I'm not exactly new to selling, but I'm so excited to have had my first sale on Etsy (my new selling venue) I just had to share. What a great thing to wake up to on a rainy Monday morning :)

And not to bore you with yet another treasury...but the item I sold was recently featured in this chocolate, lavender and blue treasury curated by bluebirdheaven.

Can you spot my item?

wishing you all a wonderful week ahead!

My Etsy endeavours

Hi all!

first off, I survived the procedure, but I wouldn't recommend doing it without sedation if you are prone to panic. The tube that goes way down to the duodenum is as fat as a man's thumb! Suffice it to say that I'm glad it's over and happy that I don't have a stomach ulcer after all.

Back to business. I've been building PeriDot by Duni steadily, following the advice given in the Etsy Success newsletter that I've subscribed to. I'm also a team member of the Etsy Germany Street Team, soon to be taking on the role of part-time blog administrator. I was interviewed recently by Eleanor of e.m. papers and if you're interested you can read the interview here.
There are about fifty members to this team and I've already connected with a number of them - too bad most live so far away. In fact, I'm the only member residing in Westphalia, the most western part of Germany.

I received the long awaited Tanya Whelan fabrics yesterday, however the popular Darla Rose is out-of-stock. Therefore I will only be offering the pajama pants in Amelie Rose, which is the new collection and just as pretty!
Oh, and with this week being pretty stressy I almost forgot that one of my pajama pants made it into this wonderful treasury by JenSanCandles!

Featured!

My cottage rose cosmetic pouch made it into this lovely treasury curated by victoriasenglishcharm titled 'a gentle start to the week'

Unfortunately, my week will not be as gentle...I need to have a gastroscopy done, and I have chosen to do it without sedation, because apparently recovery is quicker that way. I'll fill you in on how that went, just in case any of you ever need to have one done!

Happy New Year 2011

the stark beauty of the tree outside the bedroom in the dead of winter

I trust you all had a splendid holiday! We had a lovely Christmas and a pretty quiet New Year's Eve - which is the way I (Sammy, the birds and ducks) prefer it. And NO, with this very first post of 2011 I am not going to bore you with a list of resolutions! Besides, I do not make any. Long time ago I decided to just stick to choices that will help me reach my highest potential, and this is an ongoing process. Most important for me is that I keep moving forward and there is a measurable amount of progress and growth each year. Works for me :)

Here's to another year of happy blogging!