~* MERRY CHRISTMAS *~

Wishing everyone a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

~* MOST FAQ *~

Anytime I tell people that I sell on eBay, the first question they ask is "What do you Sell? Which I reply "EVERYTHING!!" Immediately following my reply is, "Where do you find your Inventory?" and of course I say, "EVERYWHERE!!" Not because I am trying to be elusive, but simple put; it really is the truth.

I get Free items from Friends, Family, Craiglist and Freecycle. I find Discounted items at Big Lots, Dollar stores, Walmart, Target, Drug stores, Grocery stores, and Flea markets. I also shop Garage Sales, Consignment stores and Thrift Stores.

Recently a topic came up about a Discounted Hot List that is being Sold on the web and eBay. I have heard many complaints from people that have spent their hard earned money on this list. Why? The number one complainant is it is OUTDATED!! I am apart of eBay Underground (EBUG)on Facebook, we too have a Discounted Hot List that we offer our members for FREE!! This is a CURRENT list of things you can find right now! Many of the eBay groups have "LISTS" that they are willing to share with their Members, there is no need to spend your hard earn money. Another good way to find items is with Terapeak. They have a HOT RESEARCH option, that enables you to look up the Current Hot Auctions on eBay. The key really is Research!

~* POWERSELLER ACTIVATE *~

Last night I signed into my eBay account and was greeted with this picture:

I was really Surprised and EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!  I have been working really hard to become a Powerseller and it finally paid off!  Whoo hooo

There are Benefits to being a Powerseller.  Some of them include:

• Top-rated seller eligibility
• Discounts on Final Value Fees
• Customer Support
• Unpaid Item Protection
• UPS rate discounts
• Health insurance solutions
• Powerful Giving Program
• PowerUp print and email newsletters
• PowerSeller Discussion Boards
• Logo Merchandise
• PowerSeller templates for marketing 

My next goal is to become a Top Rated Seller! UPDATE!!!  As of 10/20/2010 I am NOW a TOP RATED SELLER!!  WHOO HOO!

I hope you will help me reach my goal by shopping in my eBay Store for your upcoming Holiday Shopping!

~* eCommerce *~

eCommerce is an up and coming way to do business. I have really been keeping up with listing in my eBay Store. This has generated some good income for me. I was thinking of other ways to get my store and products out there. Here are a few that I am using....

Addoway
Addoway allows sellers to import their eBay listings quickly and easily, which could be a huge draw to eBay sellers looking to expand their reach and integrate other sales channels into their business plans. Addoway doesn't charge any fees to list and sell items on their website.  And with the integration of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, sellers are able to provide a much greater amount of information about themselves, as well as establish possible connections with buyers and other sellers based on their relationships on Facebook and other social networking sites, designed ideally to increase the level of trust between buyers and sellers.

BigCrumbs.com
Get cash back when shopping online. Refer your friends and earn even more. It's easy, fast and FREE! Link up your eBay Store, your Etsy Shop or your Amazon Marketplace!



PayPal
This is how I get my $$. By now, everyone has heard of Paypal, which is owned by eBay. This is the best and safest way to pay for Online Transactions.

Stamps.com
I use Stamps.com for my International Shipping needs and you should try it out.  Use this code to sign up, C-94HZ-QMB, and you will get a $100 offer which includes a digital scale and $45 in postage. Saves me time and gas money, because I can request them to come pick up the packages! They even have a free account for eBay sellers.

SwagBucks
I use my SwagBucks for Gift Cards. Simply using their search engine before another can get me SwagBucks several times a day.  I have over 6500 SwagBucks right now, I am saving up for my daughter's Graduation in June. 

Listia.com
It's a new members-only site where everything is free and you can get some cool stuff without spending any money. You give away the things you no longer need (I list my eBay duds), and get things you want for free.

It's all done using free credits instead of real money. Most people start with 100 credits, but this invitation gives you 150  to get more when you start. I'm already in and you can get started by clicking this special link: http://www.listia.com/signup/201890

I really love the site and hope you do too! Become a Fan and I will return the favor.

All of these sites link back to my Social Networking Sites:

KV Creative Designs on Facebook

KV Creative Designs on Twitter

Being apart of different Groups on Facebook, such as the eBay Underground Group (EBUG) also allows for more exposure to listings as well as help from fellow sellers. It is Awesome having a Support Group that I can check in anytime and always feel Welcomed.

How are you building your business?  Are you using eCommerce sites? I would love to hear about your adventures too!

~* Learning from Mistakes *~

As most of you know, I shop stores to find treasures to sell on eBay. Lately I have been really off my game. I bought a Tommy Bahama Silk Shirt. I knew it would sell making me a good profit. I had put it away for a bit.

Recently, I pulled out the box that had this and several other upscale items in it. My daughter had done a Fantastic job of taking the pics.  I realize I probably should have ironed it but, oh well.  As, I was in the process of listing it, I uploaded the pictures, got the description all written and was ready to launch. I always Preview my auctions before actually uploading to eBay. That is when I saw this....

My daughter caught it, but didn't say a thing. Ugh.

Today, I was looking for a SOLD item in one of my bins when I noticed that this NWT Beautiful Cashmere/Silk Sweater has a Blue stay on the inside of the hem. It almost looks like Koolaid. How did I miss that?

Over the weekend when I was out Thrifting at an Upscale Shop, I came across a Hermes Bag. I was in love and wanted it. The store was having a 35% sale, so I indulged on something for myself. I was in a hurry and really didn't look over the bag too well. The store is usually really good about either catching things or at least putting "AS IS" on the tag, but lately I have found alot of there items either are stained, have a hole or something is missing.  So what is wrong with the bag you ask?

This is not my bag, but one like it. Mine is a Beautiful Burgundy color See where the lock is?  See the medal part that goes over the lock to lock the purse?  One of them is missing. It was unlocked when I bought it and hiding under those flaps. Sigh  I am debating on taking it back, but I am almost positive they will not refund me my money.  I am sooo sad  :(

However, this is a lesson learned.  I will be far more careful about my purchases now. I can't afford to be out the money. And sometimes these lessons are expensive.

~* Friends Helping Friends *~

Last month when my Soxy was diagnosed with Feline Diabetes, I needed insulin for him but could not afford it. A woman that I had known from High School stepped up and offered some Insulin to me, after I had posted on Facebook. I offered her compensation, something from my eBay store, or make her jewelry. She didn't want anything in return. Thanks to her, my Soxy is on the mend! Thank YOU Allison!

Now it is my turn to Pay It Forward. I am apart of a Facebook Group called eBay Underground. The group is for eBay Sellers, we share secrets to selling and more! It is a wonderful group!! Recently, we learned of a friend that is in jeopardy of losing her home to Foreclosure. We all wanted to help and brainstormed on how we could help her. She has put up an auction and we are Supporting her 100%! I hope you will take a look, bid if you can. Perhaps let others know by Tweeting, posting on your Social Network pages or your Blog.

If you would like to just bid and not wait for the Auction to end. Here is the lising: Rare Puget Sound Beach Rocks

If you thrive on the competitive nature of true Auctioning then this is the Auction for you: Save the Mortgage Beach Rocks

Even if you can not afford to bid yourself, perhaps you could pass the info along in an way! Thank you!

Hello? Hello? Anyone there?

Knock Knock? Anyone home? Probably not! lol It has been so long since I blog. No excuse really other than not having the urge to do so. But today, it struck, the urge to Blog! So here I am trying to get on the Blogging boat again.

A lot has happened in the past few months. I started selling on eBay again. Here is my Store: KV Creative Designs I have been having great success with this so far. As long as I keep at it, it should be Awesome! My daughter started her Senior year, this is really hard for me. I am incredibly Proud of her and she is doing a wonderful job. However, it is very sad for me as well. She is my only child and I know soon she will leave the nest. We also found out one of my Cats has Diabetes. There was about 2 weeks there that we did not know if he was going to make it. He is doing so much better, you would never know he was sick!

I am looking forward to blogging again and sharing my eBay success with you all!

Here is a site that you can purchase things from and get Cash Back!! You can also list your eBay, Amazon and Etsy stores for free!!! The site is BigCrumbs! I hope you will check it out and use it for your holiday shopping! Get some Cash Back on your purchases!!

~* I Swag, Do you? *~

I SWAG, do you?? Swagbucks is a search engine much like Google, except you earn Swagbucks to redeem for Prizes! I often search Swagbucks first, even for Google. I have not redeemed my Swagbucks yet, but I know it will be for something good! I have over 5,000 Swagbucks right now! Click the widget below and join to start receiving YOUR Swagbucks!

~* Making More Money *~

I am sure we are all looking for more ways to make money. I KNOW I am! I have joined Affiliate programs to help me bring in some income.



One is an eBay Learning Program by Skip McGrath.
His Blog is Great too!!!

The other is an Artist Affiliate Program by SARK!




Free gift from SARK!  Get three free days of SARK's Awesome Anytime Adventure, her new eProgram which includes all-new colorfull daily adventures, interactive journaling, downloadable SARK goodies, and inspiring daily audio messages from SARK, herself!



Here is SARK's Blog!

SARK and Marney Makridakis for our FREE teleclass on Thursday June 3, 2010, at 9:00pm Eastern (8:00pm Central, 7:00pm Mountain, 6:00pm Pacific).

I have met SARK in person, she is so wonderful and inspiring! If you ever get a chance to be apart of one of her seminars, I strongly encourage you to do so! You will not regret it.

Check em out! They are very helpful and informative!

~* Back to eBay *~

As much as I sometimes Hate don't like eBay, I have decided to start selling again. I am selling off my Interior Design Staging stuff and other random finds around my house and beyond. Take a look, there is something for EVERYONE! Really!

~* Girly Swap *~

I know if has been 3 months since I Blogged. I am getting back into the swing of things. What better way than to participate in a Girl Summer Swap??



Wanna join?

~* Artistic Mother *~

I am an Artistic Mother! I have been doing Art as long as I can remember. I have incorporated doing Art in the upbringing of my daughter and it has come in handy for those last minute projects that our kids conveniently forget to tell us about. Over on "An Artful Life" Shona is giving away her book "the Artistic Mother"! I would really love to win this book!

Here is what North Light Craft Books has to say, "Get inspired and get creating! Trudy Callan is organizing a group to go together through the 12-week art course in Shona Cole's new book The Artistic Mother. Check out her blog and join in the fun for encouragement and camaraderie as Shona guides you through making art an important part of your busy life."

I am joining the group!

~* Still Hangin *~

Here is an update for my Erosion Project. The Bundle is still hangin! Can't wait to see if anything is happened to it!

~* OWOH Winner *~

It was so fun taking the Magic Carpet ride for the OWOH Blog event. This year’s event had 1,088 live links from 40 different countries…..isn’t that AMAZING??? I got to visit some FABULOUS Blogs and look forward to going back over the list and visiting more. I do appreciate all the Travelers that came to visit and left a comment.

One is going to receive my "Love" Painting!! I am so excited to off this. I used Tara's Random Number Generator to pick my winner!




Drum Roll please.........

MELINDA of Melinda's Fabric Fancies!!!

And since I had over 200 entries I decided to pick another winner which I will send a little surprise goody bag to. The winner is....




EVELYN of Evelyn's Wonderland!!


I have emailed my winners and they will have until Feb. 22, 2010 to get me their snail mail addy. Congrats to ALL the Winners!

~* Happy Valentine's Day *~

Here is a picture of the Cards I made for a Swap. I hope everyone enjoyed them. Today my daughter woke me with Coffee and pancakes! Since I was barely awake, I didn't get to snap a picture. But TRUST ME, they looked and tasted soooo YUMMY!! Thank you Tay Tay! I got her a Starbucks card and know it will be gone before the month is over!

She has a boyfriend now and he came over for a bit. He brought her these lovely gifts: a "Happy Valentine's Day balloon, one Red Rose, a box of Conversation hearts and a container of Hershey's Kisses with another small balloon on top. So sweet!



After they spend a few hours here. We went to Michael's to get them matching shirts for the Sadie Hawkins dance next week. The theme is Beauty and the Geek! Taylor asked him by giving him some Nerdy Glasses! Aren't they cute?


After she went to his house for dinner, so I was by myself. No heart shaped Pizza this year. I decided to show myself some love and go out for SUSHI at Sakura Japanese Cuisine in San Ramon!! My fav!





Here is the Dragon Roll that I had them put Sake Salmon instead of Unagi on it. So Delish!







Here is the Valentino Roll with Sake Salmon, Avocado and Tuna on Top. Yum Yum!


I was so full when I left, but I was happy! It was a great day!





OWOH ends tomorrow and I will be picking a winner at midnight...so be sure to check back for that announcement. Plus I have an idea for a fun Swap!

Oh...I almost for got to tell you! I entered a "Surprise Swap"! They are still looking for more Swappers. Care to join in the fun??

~* Gorgeous Giveaways *~

I love Interior Design and I love Giveaways! Check out Patina Soul for this GORGEGOUS Giveaway! They are actually having a bunch of different giveaways! So hurry on over it ends tomorrow the 13th!!!

~* Volunteering for DeafHope's Mosaic Workshop *~

Today my daughter and I will be volunteering for DeafHope's Mosaic Workshop. This is really a WIN WIN situation. Although I volunteer anytime I can for DeafHope, this time we are getting a reward too. We will be able to use the volunteer hours for the Disney Give a Day, Get a Day campaign! So Awesome!


All the Mosaic Hearts that are made will be kept by DeafHope to be auctioned off at their Annual Gala event Glimmer of Hope


I will be sure to take some pictures and share the exciting day with you all tomorrow! Have a wonderful Saturday!