New Business Cards ~OT~

Very nice! Super classy.

-Kalera

T> Thought I would share my new business card design with you guys. It's

Is that "old" cranberry? How does "new" cranberry compare? I don't have any yet. Do you happen to know if the "new" is 1311? I've worked with that in strips, and it's a nicer glass than 1411, IMHO, possibly because of its high gold content.

-Kalera

T> Oh Amanda!

You make some good points, Barbara... and it's an issue that I myself have struggled with. I ended up with neither my phone number nor my address on my business cards, and I'm debating whether I should include even just my city. I am a bit neurotic about telephone communication, and I don't want people I don't know coming by, nor do I want to lead them to believe they might be able to... yet, people do like to know right away whether they are dealing with a local artist.

-Kalera

Barbara Otters> I know from other posts that you are concerned

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from Kalera Stratton :

]I am a bit neurotic about telephone communication, ]and I don't want people I don't know coming by, nor do I want to lead ]them to believe they might be able to... yet, people do like to know ]right away whether they are dealing with a local artist.

a post office box could solve part of that problem!

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)

(Jewelry) newest creations: ----------- The measure of the menace of a man is not what hardware he carries, but what ideas he believes.-- Jeff Jordan

Ah yes... The "Unfortunate Uninvited Guests" incident...

One snowy Sunday morning, not too many years ago, I threw on my ratty old robe and my Felix the Cat slippers and shuffled my way out to the garage to fill the bird feeders.

As I opened the door, I was suprised to see a late model Ford sitting in my driveway, engine running. I rubbed my eyes, squinted, and could barely make out the shapes of two (if not more) humanoid figures within the car.

Thinking they were lost, I decided to see if I could help. But before I could make a move, two women sprang from the car... Both of them squealing and talking at once. It took me a few minutes to figure out that they were fans of my work and had come from Indianapolis in hopes of meeting me.

Now, I was always careful to not list my home address in any of my ads, but they knew I lived "around Toledo". They had driven in the night before and asked around at the local shops and even called the library. It didn't take them long to find someone who DID know where I lived. AND WHO TOLD THEM!!!!!!

I was somewhat freaked out, but I explained that I was just getting up, and that I appreciated their efforts. I directed them to a nearby mom and pop type restaurant and suggested we meet there after I had time to get my wits about me. We ended up having a nice breakfast, I got to sign some books, and spent a couple of hours with two pleasant women who, to hear them tell it, had never had anything quite so exciting happen to them before.

I'm really a very private person, and I struggle daily to keep my business life separate from my work life. Yeah, I know: As a business owner, you do have to be accessible. But I think the rules can, and MUST, be a bit different for those working out of their homes.

I th>You make some good points, Barbara... and it's an issue that I myself

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from Tinkster :

]As for my address... Never. Well, not until I get a ]storefront. Which may be in my future :-)

that's why PO Boxes come in so handy.

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)

(Jewelry) newest creations: ----------- The measure of the menace of a man is not what hardware he carries, but what ideas he believes.-- Jeff Jordan

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from Tinkster :

]Seems silly at this point when maybe one person out of 100 ]needs it to mail a money order or something. LOL!

so just put THAT address on your card, so if people do feel the need to contact you, they can . . .

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)

(Jewelry) newest creations: ----------- The measure of the menace of a man is not what hardware he carries, but what ideas he believes.-- Jeff Jordan

I'm not sure that's a necessary step; after all, the only way I have for people to *see* my beads is online, and if they're buying them online, they get my address for payment purposes... I want the people who see my card to look at my beads, and they can't do that through the mail anyway!

-Kalera

vj wrote:

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from Kalera Stratton :

]I'm not sure that's a necessary step; after all, the only way I have for ]people to *see* my beads is online, and if they're buying them online, ]they get my address for payment purposes... I want the people who see my ]card to look at my beads, and they can't do that through the mail ]anyway!

yes, i see that. but as someone else stated . . . not everyone has a computer. they might want to know what gallery was showing your work, or to invite you to show your work. i don't know - some people just feel better about seeing an address.

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)

(Jewelry) newest creations: ----------- The measure of the menace of a man is not what hardware he carries, but what ideas he believes.-- Jeff Jordan

My mail box is out on the road, instead of on the house, so I don't want to use that for valuables. I like being able to list an address, yet still retain separation.

Tina

My daughter has been using a prepaid cellphone and loves it. She likes the fact that she can fill it at the local gas station that is open 24 hrs. And she loves the fact that there is no contract and no penalties. Cept if you forget to fill it. LOL

I've got one too. I was washing down walls prior to painting, and doing spring cleaning/moving type work, dressed in sweatpants, a huge old ratty mans' long-underwear shirt, mismatched socks, paint in my hair and a rag and bucket as my fashionable ensemble accessories. The front bell rings, I climb off the ladder and go to greet--- a fan of my work who has seen a magazine article with my address listed, and lives in a nearby town. She's tracked me down, she's a rubberstamper and wants to see my studio and meet me. So, I apologize for being in the middle of cleaning and looking "like someone they woke on the Andrea Doria" (that's a ship even luckier than the Titanic, for you kiddies). Show her around the studio a little bit, smile a lot, schmooze, send her on her way happy...

and we went and got a PO box the next day. I like meeting interesting people, I love talking about my work, and about art materials in general...but I want my privacy too. I like controlling WHEN I'm "on stage". Sarajane

Sarajane's Polymer Clay Gallery

one thing to call (like calling a certain person's brother yesterday, and asking him to deliver the message for me...cuz I had never spoke to her before, and wanted to deliver the news in "person" to my favorite "aunt")...and another thing to just pop in on their life.

I do feel guilty to call someone, but for the lesser of two evils, I think someone would prefer the call, that they could say "you can see me at such and such gallery/show/whatever in public" or "I don't do public appearances" or "sure, come by"...

But then again, I am no where near "famous". And I have always been very open. Privacy? What's that? LOL...:-)

Mary

'Zactly.

As for folks be>and we went and got a PO box the next day. I like meeting interesting people, I

I currently have everything on my card. I plan to change that in the future to just city and phone number with the notation "by appt. only". That way they know they can see what's new, but at my discretion. Barbara Dream Master

If you want to make God laugh, tell him your future plans. Woody Allen

There is, unfortunately, no way for anyone without a computer to buy my beads, and I wouldn't want to disappoint anyone by making them think they could! I may simply put Portland, OR on my cards, to give people a sense of physical location.

-Kalera

vj wrote:

OH MY GOD Tink, that would be my worst nightmare!!! EEEEEEK!

I do have a cell phone, which is theoretically for emergency calls regarding my kids, but I suppose it could double as a business phone... I dunno. I guess it would be better if it didn't, because I have such a strong phone aversion and I fear that it might cause me to resent my business.

-Kalera

T> Ah yes... The "Unfortunate Uninvited Guests" incident...

I would love to someday have a presentable studio/gallery, and when that happens, I think I'll go ahead and put my address on my cards... until then, I think I'll just consider my cards promotion for my website. That really is the only way I'm accessible to the general public right now, and it will probably stay that way for several years. I have an infant...

-Kalera

Barbara Otters I currently have everything on my card. I plan to