I hope to become the fish on the left.

 

Even we in the handmade community have to deal with business concerns.  It seems that my mind is now turning to these subject matters as Spring turns into Summer.

In the Spring, Lucia Carrill bloomed into a pretty little shop absolutely full of cool items.  Now it's time for it to shine in the Summer sun!  With the planning that goes into being featured at The Little Black Box for June, I've thrown in some serious plotting about the future of the company.  Where I want her to go, how I want her to grow.  I think that if I'm going to make this here venture into a true career, it's time to roll up the sleeves and get to work.

You'll see more of this over the next coming month, especially over at the kickstarter.com website.  I've got plans.  Groovy plans.  And, yes, I said groovy.  

As well, it's also time to look at viadellaRosa and see where she wants to go as well.  She has evolved from a rinky-dink hobby to a beautiful online venue, and I believe I'm ready to take her to the next level.  Once I figure out what that next level is.  Again, more of that in the months to come.

I haven't been listing any new products for the past few days, but, don't worry, there will be much more coming in Summer, including some new additions to both product lines.  

So, while I turn these bright visions into reality, I hope you'll follow this blog and come on this crazy ride with me.  

Till later!

What's New @ Lucia Carrill - May 14, 2012

After chilling out from the day job working on a new product I'm hoping to launch during the summer, I thought I would let you take a look at the new offering at Lucia Carrill for the day:

Let's Go Sightseeing!

I've got the keys to your dreams!

A new addition to the True Colors Collection in Basic Black

Prom-Ready Dangle Earrings!

Take a peek at these chandeliers!

Only a few more days until I get my new sewing machine table so I can get to serious work on another (yes, another) new product line.  Yay!

Till Later!

New from Lucia Carrill - May 4, 2012

The Limited Edition Scrabble Tile pendants continue to make their debut:

Flowers for Elephants

Gothic Butterfly








Along with these beauties:

Grand Duchess Olga Romanova

Rama, the 7th avatar of Vishnu

Draupadi, heroine of the Mahabharata







I'm also working a new product to offer in both of my stores; stay tuned for more details.

Till later!

See Photo Below...

I've not been very motivated these past couple of days.  Probably it's because I'm dealing with a sick teenaged boy.  Suddenly, my baby's 8 years old again and needs his mommy to make tea for his sore throat.

I know, I'm loving every minute of it.

Anyhoot, viadellaRosa has been feeling a bit neglected as of late.  I check in every day, but I haven't done much in the way of prettifying it as I should.

So I go check in and what do I find?  I've been featured in a collection on Artfire:

Cross Your Heart

Curated By: BusyFingers

ArtFire.com

Fine Art Photography

That's me over there, second from left on the bottom row.  One of my glass tile pendants.  I had to smile and thank the curator for including me.  And look at the beautiful company I'm in!  I especially love the little cross that's first in the collection -- I might have to add it to my hotlist before I head off to bed.

 

Now all of this has inspired me to tell you all about my Rose Club.  As a member of the vdR Rose Club, you get a few perks that others don't.  First off, you get free shipping on everything you purchase in the store.  Join, get your code and you're ready to go.

 

You also get your own personal Patron Saint Pendant.  All I need to know is your birthday (or a birthday of a loved one) and you'll get your little pretty in the mail.  This alone is worth more than the whole membership, but it's a great way to get to know my glass tile pendants up close and personal.

Lastly, but certainly not leastly, you get once-monthly emails giving you an inside peek of viadellaRosa and getting exclusive savings on all of the cool things coming down the pike for the holiday season and beyond.  And when I say monthly, I indeed mean monthly -- I personaly enjoy quality over quantity, so I'm not one to bombard the email boxes of my loyal customers with all kinds of stuff.

And the cool thing is, you get this all for NINE bucks!  The pendant alone costs $12.  And since I always love to throw a surprise in every shipment, the good Lord knows what other goodies you'll get too.

Even if you're not ready to make any big purchases right now, go ahead and invest in a shot of free shipping, just for the holiday season.

Mommies Unite!

Being a mom of 2 crazy/cool kids, I love almost all websites that have to do with the little 'uns.  When I became an Avon rep this year, I learned about a new site that Avon launched dedicated to all things baby and mommy.

Tiny Tillia is the coolest, freshest site I've seen.  I just spent a few moments playing around and drooling all over the cute baby products and mommy-pampering goodies.  It has a registry, and signing up for it is too easy for words.

It has everything from bathtime to accessories for baby, from Calming Lavender Shampoo and Conditioner to the Plush Playhouse (which is on sale for 50% off when you make a $40 purchase).  

This baby swaddler is my favorite so far.  It's perfect for all new babies, who simply adore swaddling.  It's a cuddly, made of that great microfleece material and comes in pink and yellow.  It's only $12.

Ready to go?  Just click this link and search for your representative.  Of course, if you don't have a rep, you can always put in my information.  Right above to the search bar at the top right, it says search for your representative.  Click there and then put in the following:  ALVARADO and MA (for Massachusetts).  I'm on the second page.  Just click my link (Myrna Alvarado) and you're ready to shop!

And it doesn't just have goodies for the little peanuts; mommy can also get pampered too!

 

This 3-Piece kit will take care of that new mommy;  it comes with soft-citrus scented body wash, lotion and a hand cream. It's a $20 value, all for $18.  Add it to your favorite mommy-to-be's registry and get ready for that baby shower now.

So go!  Sign up and have fun!  And contact me if you have any questions about the site!

viadellaRosa - New Directions

I've been in a kind of slump lately when it comes to my baby, viadellaRosa.  I have to keep reminding myself that it's a niche shop, and I won't be drawing all people at all times.  So, I've been taking a deep look at where I want to direct this business for 2012.

While the handmade aspect of viadellaRosa is never going to go away -- simply because I truly enjoy creating and crafting rosaries and other spiritual goodies -- I do intend to broaden my inventory with other items.

With that in mind, I'm working on developing a stand-alone website for vdR that will work in conjunction with the Artfire site.  Over there, you'll be able to find other products such as:

• prayer cards
• literature
• gift sets
• SOME rosaries and chaplets that I will be offering as a "starter" piece, for those brand new to the rosary or to the Catholic Church.  Sometimes the investment in an heirloom piece is not quite in the budget, but I still want sacramentals and devotional pieces to be attainable.

I'm looking at January 2012 for the launching of this website.  It's going to continue to have the same flair and modern style that you've come to look for at viadellaRosa, the product line will just be a little more diverse.

So keep an eye out!  I hope you'll enjoy the new look!