Happy Holidays

Here's hoping everyone had a very Merry Christmas and was able to spend time with your loving families.

I haven't been in here much lately, mainly because not much is happening on the design front. I received my ABN on the 17th December and now I need to work out what to do with BAS statements, etc. I might have to email my accountant uncle to see what I need to do regarding this.

I did get some paperwork/pamphlets with the certificate and will have to go onto the ATO website as well for more information.

4 days before Christmas I was asked to do a corporate Christmas Greetings E-card, on the same day I received an email from my cousin with the photos of his baby for the birth announcement I was doing for them. So I had a busy day that day! I think M was in daycare then so I was able to get them both done in the one day.

I have now been asked if I can do someone's wedding invite, just a digital one so they can print it out. The wedding is 9 months away and they've already got the venues and everything worked out!!!! Now that's what I call being organised.

About 18 months ago (March 2008) I had another idea for a business, after going to my BIL & SIL's wedding in Brisbane. It was something that they had at their wedding and SIL suggested that I should do something like that as it is something I am interested in. When we flew back to Perth I searched high and low for the equipment needed. I could not find it anywhere. Anyhow, fast forward to last week and Mum, Dad & I were looking for printers for mum in Dick Smith. Guess what I found? Yep, you guessed it... the size printer I needed 18 months ago!!! Mum suggested putting in some money as a Christmas present for me so I could buy it. I thought about it and decided not to get it because I have gone down a different path with my business. I may talk it over with Ben and see what he thinks, it would add another dimension to what I am doing. And at least now I know where to get the printer from.

I hope everyone has a very happy New Year... Please stay safe xx

PS - How's this heat?

My new flyer

Does anyone know how I can make this (or something similar) my welcome page on my fanpage on Facebook? I can't seem to find where I can add the Welcome Tab.

Today I sat at my computer...

...and had a busy day. Well maybe not quite busy, more productive I think. I worked out how to turn my logo into a Photoshop Brush - sometimes reading the help section really works!

I also designed quite a few more templates. I have a couple of interstate friends whose wives/girlfriends are almost due to have their babies so I sat down today and designed some baby shower invitations as well as a couple of baby announcements. Hopefully I can talk them into using my services :)

I can't believe how many I did. It helps when there's someone else home to help look after Miss M.

Please welcome "Berry Digital Designs"

I received my Certificate of the Registration of a Business Name today in the post, so it's official now. I'm glad my first name preference was approved because I really, really like my logo and didn't really want to have to design another one for a different name.

I haven't gone anywhere

Wow, it's been a while since I've last blogged! I guess I haven't had much to say really.

I'm still trying to get some templates done, it's not going very fast. Hubby's been home for a few weeks so any spare time I've had hasn't been spent on the computer. He's back at work now so hopefully I'll get them pumping out.

I bought some of those Christmas Baubles from Harvey Norman last week - you know, the ones where you can print out photos and insert them into the bauble and hang them on your tree? Well I've done some of them for family members who have passed away. In each bauble I have a photo on one side and on the other I've printed "In loving memory of" then their full name and underneath that I've put in their date of birth and date of death. I'm very happy with the result. I was showing my neighbour and now she's paying me to do one for herself and one for her mum, of her step-dad who passed this February.

I um'd and aar'd over whether to buy another bauble and do one up for Grandma's tree of Grandad. Mum thought it was a really great idea so yesterday I went back to Harvey Norman (they have 4 baubles for the price of 3 at the moment if anyone's interested). I posted the parcel to Grandma today. It's wrapped up as a Christmas present but I'm unsure if I should just tell her to open it so it can go on her tree before Christmas Day. I would have really loved to hand it to her personally and maybe I should have thought of making her one before we last went down to visit, but a little thing called procrastination always gets in my way. I think I'll be asking Mum if I should just tell Grandma to open it when she receives the parcel.

I'm so excited...

I just had a phone call from my mum and I may have a big job on my hands!

 Some of those who read this know I did the CD cover/label/etc for mum and dad when they recorded a country album.

Front Cover

Inside Cover

CD Label

Back Cover

Well their friend who has a recording studio (that helped them with their album) contacted them yesterday asking for my phone number and details because he has a client that wants a CD cover done and he thought I might be interested!!!

I wonder when I'll get that telephone call.

First order

I realised the baby announcement that was ordered was one of the ones that I hadn't re-done when my computer decided to delete my templates :(

It's all re-done now though, just waiting for the photos to be emailed through and then i can finish it.

Hopefully my application for the business name won't take much longer. I have to now work out excel so I can sort out receipts. Or maybe I might find a copy of MYOB somewhere.

Woohoo

I've got my first real customer. It may just be my cousin's wife but it's still a proper paying customer :)   Just waiting for an email of the photos and baby C's details and off we go....

I finally finished my Christmas cards last Thursday and took them into Harvey Norman to get printed before we went down south Friday morning. They had maintenance happening on their photo printer but said the photos would be printed by about 4.00pm. I almost forgot to go and pick them up and when I arrived just after 5.00pm the maintenance guy was still doing their thing on the printer. The new sign said photos would be ready the next day, grrrr. Luckily before I was able to ask someone about the photos the maintenance guy left and photos could be printed out. My order was one of the first printed as I had placed the order just after 9.00am. I was able to give out my cards to family while we were away which saved on postage!

Another grrr - the cards don't fit in the envelopes that I had bought. So off to the shops to get the correct sized ones and to post off my business name application.

Deleted

I've decided to delete the PayPal links on my older posts. I have no idea if they work properly and I'm not sure I'm ready to have it on my page anyway. I saw someone else have it on theirs so I just had to have a play.

I've had no more clicks on my OZtion listings. One runs out on 1/12 so i will see if I get any bites as the date gets closer.

I have not had much time to play around with signatures or invitations in the last couple of weeks... It doesn't help that I've got into the blogging business either! Blogging takes up a bit of my time because I can't decide what to write and I go back and re-read things about 5 times before posting! I'm terrible!

I attempted to take photos of Miss M in her Christmas shirt and hat again tonight. She was not happy and I only got 2 photos, none of which look any good. Then tea was ready and she fell asleep while I was feeding her - she's not a very good eater so I have to force her help her out a little. Before 7pm too - so now I have a free night to try and do our cards and fiddle with a photo to look like a Christmas one!

It didn't take me long....

...to get organised and start a more personal blog. You can find my first post here.

I've been quite busy the last couple of days and still haven't got around to finishing my templates. I have however half completed the labels I need for the Sand Art Brownies and Christmas Cookies gifts that I will be giving to some family members this Christmas.

I still have a couple of signatures to create and our own Christmas card to do.... I need more hours in the day I think.

Good ol' EB

I have the wonderful world of EB and nassie_gal78 to thank for all my new followers (and followees - which isn't even a word, lol).

So today, rather than finish re-doing my templates, I've been reading everyone's blogs. They're all so great. I wish I had the talent for writing, but  then again if I had that I may not have the talent I have for other things.

I tell a lie, I haven't spent ALL day reading blogs, I have also watched 3 more episodes of Gossip Girl. I can't get enough of that show. And of course there's the washing, dishes, making hubby lunch, getting dinner organised.... can't forget about all those things. And the best part about Mondays and Miss M being at daycare - blaring out the neighbours with the new Bon Jovi album "The Circle". Oops, sorry neighbours... I will convert you all, **insert evil laugh here**

I've been inspired by some of you to create a more personal blog too, so maybe one day I might get my act into gear and start one.

Well off to the shops and then to pick up Miss M. Enjoy your evening.

Where has the weekend gone?

I can't believe Sunday is almost over already.

Well Sam's Christmas card is on the go, and also a nice little design card that would be great to give her daughter for Christmas.

I'm currently in the process of designing a calendar, baby shower invites, baby thank you cards, kitchen tea invites, hens night invites and a logo for a friend who is currently starting up a photography business.

Update on losing my templates: I sat down last night and redid 14 of the invites, and I was right, it didn't take as long to do them the second time around. Luckily I had a hard copy of some of them that I could copy from. Daycare for Miss M tomorrow so I have a free day to finish it all.

I really want to get my Christmas cards out before the weekend but trying to get Miss M into a nice outfit to get a nice photo just isn't happening. I even bought her a Christmas shirt and put it on her today. But what did she do? Fell asleep, lol.

That's it from me. Have a berry nice night.

CRAP! CRAP! CRAP!

I was just re-arranging folders on my computer and moving the invite templates around. The "Cut & Paste" wasn't working properly (asking for Admin stuff) and now I have lost ALL of my invite templates that weren't character related.

All the age birthday ones that I had done (that are listed on OZtion) are no longer...

Looks like I'm going to be busy now re-doing all the templates, grrr. Lucky I have them listed on OZtion so I know what they look like and can copy them.

One good thing.... It doesn't take as long the second time around :P

Giveaway

I decided to reward the first member to my facebook page with a free invite/card, so congratulations Sam your Christmas card should be in your inbox very soon :)   Having some sort of competition each month may be something to think about too. What type of competitions to run though?

Sam has also asked me if I do personalised calendars (one photo with a 12 month calendar underneath). I have made calendars in the past so I might have to add these to my services. I just have to figure out a  price. How much would you expect to pay for something like this?

I also had a query about doing wedding invites. That's pretty exciting. Once again I need to figure out a price though. The invites would have to probably be done the old fashioned way (lol) so place cards etc can be done too.

I've had a couple of clicks on my listings on OZtion, which means people are looking. No bites yet though.

I still have no idea if my PayPal link on here works and I probably won't know until someone decides to purchase an invite.... hmmm, maybe one day ;-)  

Have a berry lovely evening.

Girls Invites Currently Available

Here is some information if you are interested in my designs.

I create an invite for you as a 6"x4" (15cm x 10cm). It is then emailed to you as a hi-resolution (300dpi) JPG image. It can then be taken to a photo lab to be printed out as a standard photo.

If you require any further information don't hesitate to email me BerryDigitalDesigns@westnet.com.au

Boys invites currently available

Here is some information if you are interested in my designs.

I create an invite for you as a 6"x4" (15cm x 10cm). It is then emailed to you as a hi-resolution (300dpi) JPG image. It can then be taken to a photo lab to be printed out as a standard photo.

If you require any further information don't hesitate to email me BerryDigitalDesigns@westnet.com.au

A few more examples

After seeing some Disney and other character invitations being sold on Ebay I thought I'd have a go at doing some as well.

FOR BOYS:

FOR GIRLS:

 

 

I am still yet to work out how to organise PayPal etc for this site. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated :)

BDD welcomes you all to my blog

Hi everybody and welcome to my blog.

I thought it was about time to start getting organised. I'm applying for a business name and have listed some invitations etc on www.OZtion.com.au. Hopefully I sell some soon.

Below is some samples of invitations etc that I have recently done.

 

I think that's enough for now. I have a lot more but will save them for later posts. Feel free to contact me if you are interested in purchasing some invitations (I hope I'm allowed to do it this way, it's all new to me). I can create to your specifications too.

Have a Berry nice night