The Pinque, Inc. Diaries

Free seamless background tile from Cottage Collections.com

Fun, cute and all about spring. Please feel free to use our original, FREE tulip background tile for personal use. We'd appreciate it if you'd give credit to Cottage Collections. http://www.cottagecollections.com If you'd like to use for business use, please contact us.

Right Click and save this seamless tile.

This is what it looks like as a seamless fill. Do not download this image, it will not tile correctly. You must use the image above in order to get this seamless effect.

Ejoy our FREE images, but please give credit and link back to www.cottagecollections.com

 

Do you need access to amazing, and affordable stock images for your newsletters and blog posts? Look no further than Fotolia!

Cottage Collections is a small web and graphic design business that does much of our own graphic work, but even we find ourselves in the market for stock photos, and images to create professional newsletterss, and blog posts. Recently I had an opportunity to try Fotolia, a new service (new to us) that offers millions of stock photos, and graphics. I have to be honest, I had some difficulty at first getting my account activated, and getting to the point that I could download images, but this minor glitch was treated with the utmost importance by Fotolia staff, and I was even awarded additional free time for my trouble.

I find Fotolia to be one of the most comprehesive and affordable service for stock images and photos. In the few short weeks that I have been a member, I've found many useful images that I plan to incorporate into my email campaigns. If you have a topic, they have multiple "perfect" images for your campaign.

Fotolia is an affordable and diverse stock photo house with over 12 million images, vector graphics, and HD videos.  They are the number one choice of designers in Europe and have expanded around the globe. Cottage Collections gives them a definite thumbs up for product, price and customer service. 

Give Fotolia a try today and come back and let us know what you think! 

Our Two Latest Websites

Our latest websites, Quilt Bug Patterns and Tickled Pink Shoppe, are now live and selling their products online. Please visit them, and let us know what you think in the comments. We love hearing your feedback, and we're sure our clients are interested in knowing your opinions as well.

We're all looking forward to a bright new year!

Make Mine Pink Ornament Swap is so much fun!

Hi everyone! My name is Katie. I don't have a blog so I thought I'd use the company blog to list my ornaments. I've never participated in a blog event before, but it was so much fun! I can't wait to share my ornaments with you.

The first ornament is from Carol of Esprit de Joie and Business in The Bag. Isn't it gorgeous?

This next ornament is just beautiful too! The stocking ornament is made from a vintage hankie and looks perfect on my tree of blues! This was handmade by Eileen and Karen of Forgetmenotdreams.com.

My last and final ornament/stocking was handmade by Jen of www.thatssoshabby.com.

The unique and fun burlap stocking was filled with 2 beautiful vintage hankies. Thank so much for your thoughtfulness Jen. I've always enjoyed collecting vintage hankies!

  Happy Holidays friends. I hope that you enjoyed seeing the ornaments that I received.

 

Get Ready for the Ornament Swap Party

It's almost time for our Ornament Swap party on the 29th! If you're participating in the swap, make sure to have your ornaments shipped before Friday.

Here's a list of all of the swap groups so that you can check their blogs on the day of the party to see all of the amazing ornaments they received!

UPDATE: This post has been edited to correctly show Shannon as a member of Group 2 and Sharon as a member of Group 8. We apologize for any misunderstanding.

Group 1
Tina	http://www.shecop1992.blogspot.com/
Karen	N/A
Marcia	http://www.vintagefrenchhen.blogspot.com/
Amanda	http://thatssewmandy.blogspot.com/
Group 2
Donna	N/A
Nancy	http://coeurdalenegifts.blogspot.com/
Brenda	http://www.wiltedmagnolia.blogspot.com/
Shannon	http://shabbyshanscottage.blogspot.com/
Group 3
Mary	http://maryscottagetreasures.blogspot.com/
Meri	http://imagimeris.blogspot.com/
Joanne	N/A
Vera	http://oliviapaiges.blogspot.com/
Group 4
Gail	http://cupcakesandcutestuff.blogspot.com/
Sandra	http://grandmarockton.blogspot.com/
Joyce	http://blog.makeminepink.com/
Group 5
Katie	http://blog.cottagecollections.com/
Eileen	http://forgetmenotdreams.blogspot.com/
Jen	http://thatssoshabby.blogspot.com/
Carol	http://businessinthebag.blogspot.com/
Group 6
Robin	N/A
Sherree	http://chmitlinfamily.blogspot.com/
Kim	http://roseblossomcottage.blogspot.com/
Lisa	http://palepinkandroses.typepad.com/
Group 7
Janet	http://janetscreativepillows.blogspot.com/
Pat	http://patriciarose-apotpourriof.blogspot.com/
Laura	http://laurascreativedesigns-momin3d.blogspot.com/
Celestina	http://larearose.blogspot.com/
Group 8
Jody	N/A
Louise	http://prettyposiesandpapertrails.blogspot.com/
Sharon	http://cest-chouette.blogspot.com/

Websites and Blogs, Fresh from the Strawberry Patch

Strawberry Patches describes their quilt store as a "quilter's paradise." And after looking through the various photos and content that were provided for the creation of their website, I'd say there's a good chance that's true! With a warm, relaxed, and well organized atmosphere, Strawberry Patches makes it easy to get inspired for your next quilt project.

Cottage Collections was asked if we could redesign Strawberry Patches' website and TypePad blog to give them a new and consistent look and feel. Take a look and let us know how we did. If you have a website or blog in need of a facelift, give us a call or send a message. We'll be happy to create the perfect look for you.

The Gates Have Opened at Wooden Gate Quilts

One of our newest websites has just opened its doors—or should we say "gates." As a way of paying tribute to her family, Marby created Wooden Gate Quilts (her maiden name being Gatewood), a quilt shop with incredible variety. Wooden Gate Quilts provides services for beginners and experts alike and has been offering their knowledge and talent for over six years!

We're happy to announce the grand opening of their website, woodengatequilts.com. If you live in the Danville, California area, please drop by and say "hello."

Colors in Web Design: Choosing a right combination for your website

My Programmer Thomas, ran across this article in his recent web travels and shared it with me. I was really excited to see one of our websites ( Make Mine Pink ) mentioned. I appreciate the authors inclusion.

Color is undoubtedly the essential means to touch the emotions of your website visitors. It is a non-verbal communication and creates a physical and emotional reaction of the viewers. Colors are able to set the right tone and carry a necessary message for visitors. Colors can calm or excite, arouse plenty of feelings and stimulate to actions. Color is extremely powerful.

read more via www.1stwebdesigner.com

News and Back To School Sale from Cottage Collections Web Design

We've been really busy lately with new ideas and services, and now we're finally ready to share them. At Cottage Collections, we offer just about anything you can think of related to web and graphic design. If you're interested in a free estimate, send us a message or give us a call at 804-524-0092.

via us1.campaign-archive.com

A New Pre-designed Website Available

We've added a new pre-designed website to our offerings today, The Vintage Hankie. This design comes with everything you need to take your business online: a domain name, a free year of hosting, and all the amazing features that come with all of our websites! Take a peak!

For more information, visit cottagecollections.com.

Updated Design Board Feature

Our websites have offered a design board feature for some time now, but it really didn't get a whole lot of attention, as it required customers to add products to their cart in order to compare them on the board. Well, we've decided to make it a little more prominent by allowing visitors to your website to easily compare products by clicking an "Add to Design Board" link when viewing your items. A link to the design board is also visible at all times to encourage visitors to check it out.

If you're interested in having the design board on your Cottage Collections website updated, or if you don't have one and would like to add it, just let us know!

The Prim Point of No Return.. one of our latest designs at Cottage Collections.

At Cottage Collections, we launch many websites, but we often forget how stressful it can be when taking your business online. There are so many things to consider, such as how to handle inventory, shipping, and customer service policies, to name a few. Once you start selling online, it really feels like a "point of no return."

So, we'd like to take an opportunity to welcome one of our recent websites to the world of e-commerce. Prim Point is now online and offering patterns and fun projects to the masses! Well, they actually launched a few weeks ago — shame on us for not posting sooner. Please stop by and take a look at the holiday-themed and numerous other patterns available for purchase that you can use for decoration, gifts for family, or just for your enjoyment.

As a Cottage Collections client, we wish Prim Point the very best of luck and hope that you will also. If you have a small business and are interested in selling online, we'll be happy to help you take that first step too. Contact us for a free estimate.

4 Tips to Better Manage Your E-mail

E-mail can be one of the biggest time wasters in our modern world, and although this has probably been said a million times before, the fact that it's still a problem today shows that we can't seem to deal with it effectively no matter how many tips we've read and advice we've received. So, we're writing today to share with you some of the things that we do to help organize our mail and get through all the clutter.

1. Gmail
   We use Gmail because it's simple, but offers a lot of features that are really useful. For the longest time, we used e-mail clients like Outlook and Thunderbird, but they all seem to be buggy in some way or another, don't synchronize well with other computers, and require a lot of technical expertise to get the most out of them. With Gmail, you just sign up and use it — no special customization necessary! We also love how Gmail uses labels instead of folders. Sometimes, you'll find yourself with an e-mail that would fit into two or more folders — for example, an e-mail from a client about a project that also contains billing information. With Gmail, you can add a "Project" label and a "Billing" label with no problem, but with the conventional folder method, you'd have to make a copy of the e-mail for each folder that you want to put it in.
   
   We've used Yahoo mail and Hotmail/Live mail before also, and while they're OK, they just don't compare with Gmail in our opinion. Oh, and if you don't want a @gmail.com address, you can use your own domain instead. Our cottagecollections.com e-mail addresses are hosted by Gmail, and it's much more reliable than the service provided by most hosts.
2. Filters
   Most e-mail clients let you apply filters to your incoming mail. What this means is that when you get an e-mail from a specific person or with certain words in the subject or message, you can automatically have the e-mail sent to one of your folders, marked with a star, or many other things depending on your mail client. We have many e-mail accounts, and instead of checking them all individually, use filters to automatically label them when they come in. For example, We regularly receive newsletters from sitepoint.com. With filters, those newsletters — along with many others — are given a "Newsletter" label, regardless of the account they were sent to. E-mails from our Cottage Collections clients also have labels, but of course, we check those right away :)
3. Canned Responses
   We often find ourslves answering similar questions in many e-mails, and it can be a frustrating trying to remember what you told someone else. Luckily, there's a "canned response" feature in Gmail (and other clients as well, I'm sure) that lets you save a response, give it a memorable name, and include it in any future e-mails. Now, when someone asks for instructions on how to clear their browser cookies, a reply just takes a few clicks! The problem is remembering to save the message as a canned response — one of these days remembering will be second nature.
4. Keep Your Inbox Empty
   When filters don't take care of organizing you mail for you, it ends up in the inbox. Most experts tell you to check mail only at specific times during the day and to resist the urge to read mail immediately. Unfortunately, that just isn't possible with some businesses (like ours). Some e-mails need an immediate response, so when they come in, we have to read them. Here's how we handle that.
   
   First, skim over the message to get an idea of what it's about. If it's something that can wait until later, star it, apply a label, and get it out of your inbox. If it has to be addressed right away, address it, reply to it, label it, and get it out of the inbox. You see the part about "getting it out of the inbox?" That's important! Once you start leaving mail in your inbox, you've messed up your whole organizational system. And eventually, you're going to have to go through all of that mail that has stockpiled and figure out what to do with it. It's best to spend the few extra clicks in the beginning than waiting until it has become a monumental task.

Well, that's our advice and how we, personally, choose to handle e-mail. How about you? What tips or "lessons learned" can you share with us?

The Pinque, Inc. Diaries blog provides information for building or improving your Web business.

The Pinque, Inc. Diaries helps compliment our website at cottagecollections.com by offering information as well as tips and advice for building or maintaining your own website or blog. We try to post articles that are helpful for small businesses that are interested in promoting themselves online. This can be through social networks such as Facebook and Twitter or through traditional advertising like magazines and newspapers. We're not all business, though; sometimes we post about interesting or entertaining events in our lives, and hopefully, they'llgive you a little insight into who we are.

We'd really love to grow our blog into a community and encourage conversation and participation among our readers.

We Now Offer Web Hosting

That's right! Cottage Collections now provides competitive hosting services for $12.95/month. We've been looking for new hosts to recommend for some time now, but prices have either skyrocketed or the service has degraded, and because we want to give our clients the very best, that was simply unacceptable. So, we've created a balanced plan that should work for anyone. For more information, visit our website or contact us.

Have you heard that Cottage Collections has a new referral program?

We're now offering a referral program so you can make some extra cash by recommending Cottage Collections to your friends! Here's how it works:

1. Tell your friends about Cottage Collections fabulous web design services
2. If your friend purchases a custom or pre-designed website and mentions that you referred them, we'll pay you! It's as simple as that!

Read more here...

Think Pink! Another New Design for Sale!

We've got another new pre-designed website ready for your business! With a Cottage Collections website, you can add your products and start selling online right away. For more information about this design or any others, visit our website at cottagecollections.com or give us a call at 804-524-0092.

Thank You Lion Brand Yarn for helping us spread the word about the Pink Slipper Project.

We had some really great news from our sister site The Pink Slipper Project, and we wanted to share it with you. 

I received a lovely e-mail last week from Jessica at Lion Brand Yarn, letting me know that they had chosen the Pink Slipper Project to feature in their newsletter this week. I am so thankful for their help spreading the word about our wonderful project.

The newsletter has only been out since Friday, and we have received much interest and many pledges.

So thank you to our new pledgees and to our new friends at Lion Brand! We have big plans for this year and getting the word out is half of the battle! 

Please stop by the Free Pattern Page for patterns from Lion Brands and many others, including our original one seam rag slipper.

Please remember to join the Pink Slipper mailing list for upcoming events! We're having an anniversary bash soon! You won't want to miss it. Also..don't forget to become a fan on Facebook and help us spread the word. We love new friends/fans.

Warmest Thanks,
Joyce Lucas, Founder
The Pink Slipper Project
Cottage Collections.com

Hot Off the Design Board!

 

We've just added a new design for sale at CottageCollections.com called "Simply Gingham." All of our website pre-designs are easy to use, so you can concentrate on your business and not building a website. We'll do all the hard work, and you can add your products and start selling online!

To learn more about us, visit our website or give us a call at 804-524-0092.

All of our pre-designed websites come with the following features:

• Create and edit your own pages
  
• Sell unlimited products organized by categories and subcategories
  
• Products can have options such as size, color, or anything else you want
  
• Sell products in fractional quantities (e.g. ½ yard — great for fabric)
  
• Automatic image resizing (upload one image and thumbnails are created automatically)
• Use PayPal, accept credit cards, or process orders using your store's credit card terminal
• Offer coupons for special discounts
  
• Customers can purchase and use gift certificates
  
• Visitors can create accounts to remember their shipping and billing information for future orders
  
• A wish list or gift registry is available so customers can shop now and buy later
• Automatic product inventory management
  
• Set up your own shipping rates or use rates from USPS and/or UPS
  
• SEO-friendly website
  
• Integrated blog with RSS feed
  
• Free extras such as a Photo Gallery, Links page, and Guest Book
• Contact form (so visitors can reach you without revealing your e-mail address to spammers)
• Simple mailing list for keeping in touch with your website visitors
  
• Free 60-day technical support

Maintain Your Marketing Momentum.

I don't know about you, but I am most productive in the early mornings. I'm finding that it's a really good time for me to do some of my marketing. My mind is clear and I seem to be much more productive when I can think clearly.

When do you find is the best time for you to market your business? How do you keep yourself on task?

According to Chase's Calendar of Events, June is Entrepreneurs "Do It Yourself" Marketing Month. At Make Mine Pink, we've talked a lot about the different ways we can market our businesses by ourselves. You probably are already using some marketing techniques that are working well for you. Read More...

via blog.makeminepink.com

The same wonderful design service but a whole new look at Cottage Collections

As I'm sure that you've noticed, we're spiffing up the place around here at Cottage Collections. We'll be offering the same wonderful design service, but wanted a new look that would encompass all the wonderful design styles that we do. Our focus has changes somewhat over the years and we're now happily designing for more and more fabric and textile industry businesses. The one thing that we've noticed is that fabric artists love color! Our love of PINK remains, but we want all prospective clients to feel welcome. I hope you'll bear with me as we complete all of these changes.

In the meantime, if you'd like to take one of our sites for a test drive, please feel free to visit our retail or wholesale demo site.

 

Vogue Pre-design web site *NEW* at Cottage Collections

Are you thinking about starting a Web business? It's easy! Just click the Buy Now button for this pre-design and it can be yours today! Once we receive notification of your purchase, we'll contact you and let you know what you need to do to get started. With a pre-designed website, you can be up and running in a matter of days. Just add your products and start selling. It's that easy! All that's needed is a PayPal e-mail address so your customers can pay you (no merchant account or payment gateway necessary). We've tried to keep things as simple as possible while still giving you a large amount of control over your website. You can add your favorite links, offer a guest book for visitors to sign, even share your photos for anyone to view. No special software or programming knowledge is needed. The simplicity of this design makes it easy for us to add your logo, customize with your business name and get you up and going fast. If you're interested in buying this design package or have additional questions, please feel free to call us at 804-524-0092 or e-mail us at info@cottagecollections.com.

via www.cottagecollections.com

It's great to have a website, but what's next? How do you promote your business?

Promoting Your Products on the World's Second Most Popular Website

Just recently, Facebook surpassed Yahoo to become the second most popular website on the internet.  http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2010/02/facebook-beats-yahoo.html If you haven't started using Facebook for your business, maybe this is motivation to give it another look.
You probably already know that Facebook lets you share your blog posts, show off photos, connect with old customers and friends, and find new ones. Something else I've been doing on Facebook, though, is setting up fan pages to promote my businesses.  That's something you might want to do to for your business and your products too.
A fan page is like a public profile you can use to share your business and your products with other Facebook users. It promotes your business via word-of-mouth. When your "fans" interact with your page by leaving a comment, sharing a picture, or even by becoming a fan, it shows up in their news feed, which all their friends can see.
You might be wondering how Facebook fans become paying customers. After all, it's nice to be popular, but what we really want if we’re in business, is to build relationships with potential customers. I’d much rather buy from someone I know and trust, than doing a search on Google. I’d much rather give my business to other small businesses like myself and I’m sure others feel the same. This is your opportunity to connect on a personal level, just like any little shop in small town USA.
To make it easy for your fans to buy from you, you'll want to include all the details about your business on your fan page, especially where fans can buy your products. Then use your creativity to come up with ideas to keep fans returning to your page and learning more about your products.
Some ideas you can try are keeping your page updated with fresh photos of projects you're working on right now, holding contests just for your fans, giving away gift certificates for your products, offering weekly specials for fans only. Something that has worked well to keep my fans coming back regularly is genuine interaction. It doesn’t matter how many fans you have if you don’t get to know your fans and let them get to know you.

To set up your fan page, I've found the easiest place to start is http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php . Here you can name your page and choose a category for your business. After you've created your page, you can add a profile picture. Here you have an opportunity to add more than just a small image of yourself. Did you know that Facebook allows you to add a 200 x 600 pixel image? Do you realize just how much information you can get into a 200 x 600 image? Much more than just an image of yourself or your logo. On your page, you can upload as many photos as you want. There is a tab where fans can publish reviews of your products and a discussion board where they can get to know each other.
When your page is set up and ready for company, just click the "Publish this Page" link to share your page with everyone else on Facebook. Remember to become a fan of your own page!  Now it will show up in your profile so your friends can see it and become fans too. You can also "suggest" that your friends become fans of your page by clicking the "Suggest to Friends" link.
One way that has worked to get fans for my pages is to promote the page with a Facebook ad. It's a cost-effective way to advertise your business. You can choose exactly who will see your ad, and you only pay for click-throughs and new fans.

Do you see how easy it can be to promote your products on the second most popular website? As your fans spread the word about how much fun they're having on your page, their numbers will grow and so will your business.

Joyce Lucas, Founder
Cottage Collections
Make Mine Pink

Facebook Pages:
Make Mine Pink
Cottage Collections

Spring Floral Pre-design at Cottage Collections - Unique, Feminine Web Design

With a Cottage Collections pre-designed website, you can be up and running in a matter of days. Just add your products and start selling. Its that easy! All that's needed is a PayPal e-mail address so your customers can pay you (no merchant account or payment gateway necessary).

We've tried to keep things as simple as possible while still giving you a large amount of control over your website. You can add your favorite links, offer a guest book for visitors to sign, even share your photos for anyone to view. No special software or programming knowledge is needed.

The simplicity of this design makes it easy for us to add your logo, customize with your business name and get you up and going fast.

If you're interested in buying this design package or have additional questions, please feel free to call us at 804-524-0092 or e-mail us at info@cottagecollections.com.

via www.cottagecollections.com

Taking a break from work to make my favorite cranberry bread.

Sometimes I have to make myself take a break from work and do something domestic. I used to cook a lot when my girls were small, but that has become a thing of the past. I loved keeping house and cooking and always tried to have something in the oven to surprise the kids when they got home from school. Unfortunately, when the girls left home and I started my own business..domesticity went right out the window! Here is me trying to get a little back!

I hope you enjoy my cranberry bread as much as I enjoyed making it.

 

Cranberry Orange Bread

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon grated orange zest (fresh is the best)
• 1  cup fresh cranberries (increase if you like more berries)
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup orange juice

     Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F

1. Grease and flour loaf pan.
   
2. Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and orange zest and set aside.
   
3. In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugar, and egg. Stir in orange juice.
   
4. Mix in flour mixture - I use a silicone spatula
   
5. Pour into loaf pan.
6. Sprinkle with course sugar
   
7. Bake for  45-50 minutes or until the bread springs back when lightly touched.
   

     Enjoy!

Where to find inspiration for your business blog.

It seems that every internet marketing and business expert I hear these days is telling us that we need to blog more often. Even the publicity experts say that keeping our blogs updated might be more important than sending out press releases. Are you listening to the same voices I am?

So, you probably don't need to be convinced that it's important to blog for your business. But do you know what you should be blogging about? Sometimes it isn't that we don't know what to do; it's that we don't know exactly how to do it that holds us back.
If you aren't blogging yet because you don't know what to say, I've put together a short list of some places you can always look for inspiration and ideas. Even if you are blogging regularly, you might find these suggestions helpful too.
First of all, you can always blog about your business. This is a business blog, after all. But that doesn't mean you have to come across as formal and boring.  To keep your readers interested, you can write about topics like how customers use your most popular products. Or highlight some differences between you and your competitors, and then show why your products are better. Are you showing your products somewhere soon? Blog about it! Let your readers know your business is growing and you're doing exciting things.
Let your workspace inspire a few of your blog posts.  I know I'm not the only one who is fascinated by watching artists at work. It's exciting to watch the creative process in action. Give your blog visitors a peek into your studio to see what really goes on. Show off what you're working on right now. If you're feeling brave, you can even make a video of yourself hard at work, or give a virtual tour of your studio. Don't worry about the mess – it only makes you more approachable.
Spotlight some of your customers in your blog, though you may want to ask their permission first. Answer a commonly asked question or two. Share customers' comments or testimonials about your products and your outstanding customer service. Post a few pictures of how your customers are displaying your products in their homes.
You can give your blog visitors a glimpse of your personal side too. Have you read a good article lately, or one that made you angry? Blogging about it will encourage your visitors to comment and start a conversation with you. Have you achieved something you're really proud of? Even if it's not business-related, brag about it on your blog. Engage your readers and customers by letting them get to know another side of you.
Finally, remember that you don't have to blog all on your own. Go ahead and invite a business colleague to guest blog for you. Maybe you can do the same for her when she's stuck for ideas. Post a video or a photo that made you laugh, just for fun.  Hold a contest or a poll for your blog readers, then blog about the results.

We can all agree that blogging for business is important. But once you discover how easy it is to find new ideas for your blog, I think you'll agree it's enjoyable too.

Happy Blogging!
Joyce Lucas, Founder
Make Mine Pink & Cottage Collections

Cottage Collection's latest web re-design of Bunny Hill Designs.

I've been really horrible at keeping up this blog! I vow to do better in 2010. I just wanted to share our latest website re-design. Of course it helps that it's one of our favorite clients! Bunny Hill designs.

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to redesign your site Anne!

If you're looking for an easy, intuitive web site, please visit us at www.cottagecollections.com.

Happy New Year to all of our Cottage Collections family and friends!

We're looking forward to a bright new year in 2010 and to sharing it with you! Happy New Year from all of us at Cottage Collections! We wish you and yours a very happy and prosperous new year!

May all of your dreams come true in 2010!
Joyce Lucas,
Cottage Collections

Finding the Ultimate Gift at Make Mine Pink has never been easier.

Finding the Ultimate Christmas gift for someone special has never been easier. From lavish baskets filled with all of her favorites, to distinct, ultimate, one-of-a-kind gifts, the boutiques listed above can help you create the Ultimate gift.

via www.makeminepink.com

Christmas is my favorite time of year.

Don't you just love the Holidays? Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year. Back in the "olden days" as my daughters and now grandchildren refer to, we never put our tree up until Thanksgiving night. We didn't even think about Christmas until after Thanksgiving was cleared away. Things are different now. I do what makes me happy and Christmas definitely does that. Here are a few pics of the first tree in the livingroom. Everytime I walk by the door, I see my little white tree and smile.

Sometimes it's the little things that matter the most.

A very sweet Make Mine Pink friend sent something for the keeper of slippers. What a fun pink surprise! Thank you dear friend.

Make Mine Pink "Pink Twilight Sale" every third Saturday.

Please join the girls at Make Mine Pink every 3rd Saturday of the month for the much anticipated PINK TWILIGHT SALE!

via blog.makeminepink.com

A beautiful keepsake just like this could be yours. A Rose Without A Thorn is having a blog giveaway

via arosewithoutathorn.blogspot.com

I spotted this beautiful baby on A Rose Without a Thorn's blog! How do I know this baby? This baby is me! Maureen created a beautiful keepsake for me and now you can win one with your own beautiful baby pic!

Thank you Maureen!

Come See the Pink Slipper Mug on Zazzle!

Pink Slipper Project Mug by PinkSlipperProject View other Pinkslipperproject Mugs

All proceeds will go to supplies and administrative costs to keep as many hearts and toes warm that we can this winter.

Simply Chic | Cottage Collections - Unique, Feminine Web Design

via www.cottagecollections.com

Finally a few new pre- designed websites! We have been so busy at the Pinque, Inc offices that we just haven't had a lot of time to offer you pre-designs. Here is our latest and greatest design. It's called Simply Chic.

Joyce Lucas
Unique and Feminine Web Design for Small Business.

Sometimes you just need a wee little pink surprise!

I just wanted to share a little surprise I received in the mail today from my sweet new friend Rose of Sweet Hummingbird Lane.

I have to tell you that although I have see this wonderful collectors line that Rose carries in her boutique called Wee Forest Folk, I just didn't have any idea how adorable they really are. Unless you hold one of these ultra tiny, unbelievably cute mice in your hands, you can't get the full impact of the hand painted detail and the actual definition of "wee".  These are tiny! Without measuring, I'd say about an inch - and inch and a half. The one thing I can say for sure is they will make you smile. Have a look for yourself.

This cute little piece is called Pedal Pusher "First I'll drive to Gram's house." It was love at first sight for me! I've already spotted the next one for my new collection.

Thank you for your thoughtfulness Rose. My wee surprise was a very big surprise indeed!

Make Mine Pink's Friday Shopping Event | Getting Organized

Please join us for shopping with a twist on Friday August 28, 2009 as we present "Getting Organized"

Getting Organized has taken on a new look! From being strictly functional to being functional and stylish has become the latest and greatest way of getting and staying organized. Pretty and stylish organization means that you no longer have to hide everything away in back room closets and filing cabinets. Instead, old locker baskets painted pink and stylishly chic organizers help you get organized in creative ways.

By using decorative boxes, vintage baskets and embellished magazine organizers, you can carry your decorating theme throughout your home, office, and even your laundry room.

Storage boxes filled with odds and ends,  office supplies or ribbons and trims can fit into the décor in any room.  A repurposed basket or box can beautifully organize your odds and ends while keeping them out of the way.  A vintage metal file box hand painted with pink roses keeps your papers safe while adding romantic charm. Elegant wooden boxes painted with flowers store photos, CDs and letters in plain view.A vintage china plate might hold a stack of favorite napkins on a table or open shelf. A pretty pink basket can store clean dishtowels by the kitchen sink. A white wicker basket keeps guest towels or magazines, or perhaps organizes your craft space.  Vintage nursery jars can hold cotton balls and other necessities while a refinished side table can keep your address book and notepaper handy.

When you need to organize, forget about boring boxes and folders that will keep everything out of sight. Instead, look around you for creative ways to accent your décor and store everything you need within arm's reach.

Joyce Lucas, Founder
Make Mine Pink

Photo Contribution 1:Business in the Bag | Photo Contribution 2: Cozy Cottage Gifts and Decor| Photo Contribution 3: Pale Pink and Roses

New Quilting Websites at Cottage Collections.

It's a warm and muggy morning here in the South, but I've been at the office since 6 am getting ready for a busy week. Cottage Collections just posted 2 new quilting - fabric pre designed websites this weekend. So if you are thinking about moving your business to the web, now would be a great time to talk to us. You need to plan ahead for the holidays and getting your self up and established right now would be the perfect time. Please visit Cottage Collections for more information, or call 804-524-0092.

Joyce Lucas
www.CottageCollections.com

Free CHIC seamless wallpaper tiles from Cottage Collections

Cottage Collections is happy to offer another free background set for your personal use.

Today we're happy to offer 2 oh so chic seamless background tiles This is the 1st set in a series of many to come! We'll be offering new sets each week so please check back often.

These images are not meant for commercial use, but can be used on your personal or business websites, blogs, etc.. with credit back to www.cottagecollections.com.

Please do not include our graphics in any collections you offer free of charge or for sale. Copyright of all images that we share with you belongs Pinque, Inc.

Please visit Cottage Collections to download these and several other free graphic images.

Kindest Regards,
Joyce Lucas

One Day Private Sale - Predesigned Websites.

We haven't done this in a very long time so we thought we'd shake things up a little at Cottage Collections! All pre- designed websites are 50% off for 1 day only! This super sale ends May 19th at mindnight Edt.

What a great opportunitity to get your business up and running at an unbelievable price! All of our predesigns have full functionailty. The only difference is the price.

Sale does not include economy predesigns. You can view the sale websites HERE. Coupon Code: oneday

 

Colorful Follow Me On Twitter Button FREE from Cottage Collections

You asked for color.. color is what you'll get with these cute "Follow Me on Twitter" Buttons. They're absolutely FREE with just a credit given to http://www.cottagecollections.com. Please leave us a comment to let us know where you'll be using our cute birds!

 

 

 

 

Enjoy!

Joyce Lucas

www.cottagecollections.com

Making seamless wallpaper tiles in photoshop.

With so many people blogging and designing their own blog templates, we've had an increase in requests for seamless background tiles or wallpaper. As much as we enjoy your business here at Cottage Collections, we thought we'd teach you to do a seamless tile yourself. Ready?

The first step is to create a new file. I usually use 200 pixels x 200 pixels at 72dpi. (for web) It will look just like this.

Here is your color tile without any pattern. Now comes the fun part. You can design anything right in the center of the tile. Add a new layer and draw - cut and paste - add shapes. You can do just about anything that you want.Your design will look something like this.

Once you've completed your design, you'll need to use your rectangle select tool and select half of the design layer. (vertically) Then right click and CUT the selected area. You'll now have half of a design, the other half will be on your clipboard.

Use the move tool to move the half of design to the right side edge of the tile. If you hold the shift key down while dragging, it will keep it's position and snap into place.

Now that you have the first part in place, paste the second half of the design that you now have on your clipborad back into the image. Drag that over to the left side of the tile while holding down the shift key. That will keep it in-line wth the right side of the design. Your tile will now look like this.

Now you are going to repeat the last two steps but cutting the design horizontally this time.

If you have repeated the same steps for the horizontal divide - you should end up with a tile that looks like this.

Filling the space in the middle is the last step in completing your design tile. So add a new layer and get creative by add something new, even adding a new color to the center. You're not tied to the original design.

You can add different elements and make numerous wallpaper tiles when you get to this step. Remember, since you are using a new layer,if you don't like it..you can delete the layer and try something new.

Or Maybe This? 

Have fun making your own seamless wallpaper tiles. If you enjoyed this tutorial or have any questions, please post a comment in this thread.

Please feel free to right click and save these seamless tiles for your own personal use.

Joyce Lucas | www.cottagecollections.com 

Lavender and Lace for Pink Friday at Make Mine Pink.

Please join us for shopping with a twist on Friday, April 24, 2009 as we present "Lavender and Lace" for our next themed shopping event at Make Mine Pink.

A lavender field in full bloom creates a purple and green landscape and infuses a sweet fragrance into the air. A field of flowers brought to life with the buzzing of bees, decorated with birds and butterflies drawn to its fragrant aroma. The lavender fragrance wafts gently through the air, carrying the memories of flowers, happiness, and sunny days.

Far away, a summer porch, framed by windows with white lace, is surrounded with the scent of lavender. Lavender blooming in window boxes and flower pots, or decorating a flower garden with their purple blossoms. Whether along a country road or on a city street, the lavender scent embraces all indiscriminately.

Too beautiful to remain outdoors, the fragrance of lavender easily enters our homes and daily lives. From a carefully tended flowerbed we pick a tiny bunch and place it in a hand-cut crystal bud vase, where it can brighten a corner as it sits upon a vintage lace doily. Tuck a sprig of the tiny flowers into the lace band of a broad-brimmed summer hat, carrying the beautiful fragrance with us wherever we go. Or perhaps lay it inside a dresser drawer. Tie it with a tiny scrap of lace and hang it upon a wall, set it upon a shelf.
In a drawer or as a lavender bouquet tied with apple-green organdy ribbon, edged with a dainty row of lace, the loveliness of lavender is impossible to contain. An elegant centerpiece set upon an antique table draped with a vintage lace table cloth, it's a feast for more than the eyes as the fragrant aroma declares its presence. Sunlight shining through the lacy curtains warms the room and casts delicate shadows upon the wall. Suddenly, the room seems draped in a lavender landscape and fields of lace.

Joyce Lucas,Founder
www.MakeMinePink.com

photos provided by istock photo

Quilted Twitter Birds..FREE

Cottage Collections has been busy at work making a Twitter Button for our quilting friends! Please feel free to use it on your blog or website, but please leave a comment on our blog with a link to follow you on twitter!

Enjoy!
Joyce Lucas

Free PINK Twitter button from Cottage Collections

Please feel free to use our version of the twitter button. Both images are sized at 125 pixels wide for use in blog and web sidebars.

Just right click and save the image to your hard drive.

Enjoy!

Please just leave a comment when you use our button so that we can follow you on twitter.

www.cottagecollections.com

 

Baby Jack Makes His Debut

If you've been looking for me, I've been away on a very important mission. I've been in Seattle, welcoming my precious new grandson Jack into this wonderful family. I don't know what it is about little boys, but this baby has his Grammy and Papa wrapped around his little finger already! Don't you just want to kiss that little face?

  

A Touch o' Whimsy

Please join us for shopping with a twist on Friday, March 13, 2009 as we present "A Touch o' Whimsy."

Once in a while, it's fun to take a detour from the normal "a place for everything and everything in its place" ritual and include some whimsical touches in our daily routines. Add a few teasing twists to the poised beauty around us with unexpected delights that give us a little flutter.

Tucked away in the corner of a beautifully painted, chic shelf filled with plates covered in hand painted roses, a gossamer-winged fairy, sprinkled with German glass glitter speaks of a side of us that we all let peek out now and again. From a romantic Victorian display made of white vintage wire, a gold garnished teacup and saucer edged with pink and blue buds, spill out another whimsical treat: a tiny bird with a bejewelled beak in a doily nest. The formal tea set with a splash of frivolity reveals a secret sense of silliness we hope to never outgrow. A fairy's magic wand, trussed with a garden pink ribbon and planted in a basket of practicalities, adds an unspoken wish for excitement. Small dashes of dreams make ordinary items extraordinary and diffuse a fine mist of fantasy and fun into everything you do.

Paper cupcakes on a tray, teapots tied with bows, a porcelain doll collection in the corner of your room, fairies dancing on pink cupcakes, lacy vintage doilies and gossamer bows. Whatever causes your whimsical self to feel a little flutter – whether be it owls, the newest (or the oldest) collectible, a small hand blown glass kitten – celebrate your whimsical side and surround yourself with things that make you smile.

Choosing a Web Designer for Your First Website

Maybe you've been working on your business for a little while now. Or perhaps you're still in the initial planning stages of your new business.

You know one thing for sure though – you're going to need a website in order to get your business online and see the success you really want.  It can't be just any website, either. It has to look pretty and function like it should. Hopefully, even better than it should.

Getting the website you need hinges on finding the right website designer. This is especially true if you don't know anything about coding or website design. You have to know you can trust the designer you choose, and feel confident she will do what she says she can.

When you begin looking for a designer for your first website, start by looking for someone who offers references. If the designer you're considering doesn't explicitly offer references, don't be afraid to ask. If she is an experienced professional, she'll be prepared to offer them.

Then follow up with those references and ask questions about their experiences with the designer. Take the time to visit other websites the designer has created and browse through them. Check if everything runs like it should, and see how each page looks.

Before you hire a designer, you also need to find out if she believes in putting the power of managing the website back into your, the business owner's, hands. Does she expect you to wait for her (and pay her) to update your new site every time you need to make a change? Or does she provide a way for you to control your own website? Paying a web master to update your site for every little change is going to waste a lot of your time and money in the long run.

The good news is, finding a designer for your first website isn't as daunting as it used to be. At Cottage Collections (www.cottagecollections.com), most of our clients are just like you. They're women who are in the beginning stages of building a business, or they might be thinking about starting a business. Like you, they realized that choosing the right web designer is an first important step in creating the perfect website for their business needs.

By keeping up with the latest technology and listening to the needs of clients like you, we have been able to offer websites that work with you, not against you. Gone are the days of having to wait for your web master to update your site for you. We've put the all the control back in your hands, where it belonged in the first place.

A well designed and programmed site means you won't have the frustration or the wasted hours spent trying to figure out how to use your site. Instead, you'll have the time you need to devote to building your business.

If you're ready to make the dream of owning your own business a reality, we'd love to talk to you

Joyce Lucas, CEO

http://www.cottagecollections.com

Email: Info@cottagecollections.com

It's a great time to be a small business owner!

Why It's a Great Time to Be a Small Business Owner

Have you been watching all the media coverage about the threat to small business? There's so much of it, it's pretty hard to miss. But, it's also important to remember that the media's job is to sell newspapers and attract viewers.

Despite what they've been telling you, it's a great time to own a small business.

If you're a small business owner, you knew going in that this wasn't going to be easy. If you wanted easy, you wouldn't have listened to that little voice that told you could do something better than what everyone else was doing.

Instead, you believed in your talents and your creativity. You knew you could use them to accomplish something better. And now you can.

This is the opportunity you've been waiting for.

As a small business owner, you don't need to be afraid of getting laid off, or not getting a raise this year. Your position is secure, and how much money you make next year depends only on you.

You're actually in a perfect position to take advantage of this economic downturn. Unlike large companies, you're easily able to adapt to what your target market needs, and make sure you're meeting those needs.

That's right - your target market still needs you. That fact hasn't changed. Exactly what they need from you may be changing, but they still have goals they need your help to reach.

What does your target market need from you right now?

If you're not sure, you need to find out. Start connecting with them in the places where they spend their time and discover what their concerns are right now.

Then come up with ways you can help them solve those problems. You have the flexibility and the creativity to come up with solutions that meet your market's changing needs.

Make sure your market knows how to find you.

If they're in a panic too, your clients and potential clients are probably not going to seek you out. This is why it's more important than ever to make sure your business is visible to them every day, in multiple ways.

Begin connecting with your market on social media sites, if you're not there already. Write articles that solve your readers' problems, and publish them in places where your potential clients will read them. Launch a business blog that helps you establish an ongoing dialogue with your market, so they know you're still there and that you're listening to them.

Strengthen relationships with other small business owners. (This is where MakeMinePink comes in!)

The most powerful thing you have going for you is your relationships with other small business owners. Instead of spending energy lamenting our economic troubles, we need to encourage each other and work together to stay the course.

Have an idea but not sure how to make it work? That's what we're all here here for, to bounce ideas off of and help each other come up with a workable solution. When you're feeling frustrated because nothing seems to be working, your support network can offer a new perspective, and encourage you to try again.

This is a great time to own a small business. It's the opportunity you've been waiting for. Use your brains, your talent and your creativity, and let your business shine.

Please join us as we launch our new series of Webinars by Social Media expert Lena West.

Please click here for webinar schedule and registration!  

Joyce Lucas, Founder
www.makeminepink.com    
www.cottagecollections.com    

Pink October

Our Friends, Our Neighbors, Our Mothers, Our Sisters, Our Daughters, Our Customers, Ourselves…

Breast cancer knows who our friends and family are and still attacks without discretion.
At Make Mine Pink, we honor all of those we know and love who have been affected by this disease. Susan G. Komen for the Cure® is the leader of the global breast cancer movement. For the past few years MMP has participated in Pink October in various ways, this year Make Mine Pink has created a team at “Passionately Pink” to join Susan G Koman’s fundraising efforts.

It's passionate, because the need to end breast cancer is so urgent. It's pink; because that's the unifying color we'll wear to accomplish our goal. Participation is simple. Just wear pink (item of clothing) on Monday, Oct. 6th and make a donation of $5 or more to Susan G. Komen for the Cure®.

Our Passionately Pink Donation Page is activated now, so feel free to donate anytime ... before, on or after Oct. 6^th. In return, we offer our most humble Thank you! Together we can do more to promote Susan G. Komen for the Cure®.

But wait! We can offer more! For each donation of $5 or more, MMP will enter your name into two drawings, each for one most highly coveted swag bags from the recent Make Mine Pink “Getting Down To Business” Retreat. These bags are unlike any SWAG anywhere, each was created with love by your favorite Boutiques at Make Mine Pink. On October 31, MMP will draw two names from all who have donated through our  Passionately Pink” link.