Membership Program

I am very excited to be offering my fans a Membership program. For a small fee of only $7 per year you will get the following incentives: 

• Free shipping the ENTIRE year on any and all orders
• Monthly discounts and bonuses
• Special Birthday discounts
• Access to free patterns

Each month a newsletter will go out to our members with new discounts and savings ON TOP of the free shipping that you receive for the ENTIRE year. This membership program is a great way to earn discounts and save money! If you have any questions or would like more information please feel free to email me at ittybitty_designs@yahoo.com

Holiday Items

As an added bonus to those who plan ahead for the Holiday seasons (Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's Day, etc.) I will always drop the price of a Holiday item after the Holiday has passed. For example...all of my Christmas Elf Hats ranged from $17-$19 before shipping. They are now currently listed at $14-$17 before shipping. This also include the Perfect Lil' Pumpkin Beanie and Pumpkin Patch set that I was selling during the Fall Season. After a Holiday item is listed it will be sold for REGULAR price during that Holiday season. Once the Holiday has passed those items will drop in price. The prices WILL go back up once the Holiday season circles back around. So to save money...Plan ahead and get your items while they are still on sale :) 

Turn Around Times

I want to let everyone know that all turn around times are an estimate and never guaranteed. It can be shorter or (unfortunately) longer than quoted. If you ever have a question where your order stands on my to do list please email me at ittybitty_designs@yahoo.com or reference my list here. I try my best to get everyone's order out in a timely fashion but am only one person. 

Grab Bags....The Rules & Policies

If you are a long time fan you know exactly what I mean when I say GRAB BAGS and I hope that you get just as excited as I do. If you have not been around long enough to experience the joy of a random Grab Bag night I promise you wont be disappointed. 


How to play: I will announce that I am going to be doing Grab Bags that night. I will then post the pictures of each Grab Bag, what sizes the Grab Bag is available in, how much it retails, how many I have available, and what the Grab Bag is going for. Once all of the pictures are posted I will leave all of the Grab Bags open for one hour. If you would like to enter for that Grab Bag you will need to leave your Paypal email and size of the item that you would like. At the end of the hour I will choose the winners via Random.Org and announce them under each Grab Bag. 


Winning the item: If you are the winner of the Grab Bag I will send you an invoice via Paypal the same night. Once the invoice is sent you are required to pay the invoice within 48 hours. If the invoice remains unpaid after 48 hours the invoice will be cancel and the Grab Bag will go into the next set of Grab Bags a different night. 


Once the invoice has been paid, the Grab Bag item is added to the bottom of my ongoing order list and will be sent out within 3 weeks of the invoice being paid. 


GRAB BAG POLICIES:


ALL GRAB BAG SALES ARE FINAL! Grab Bags cannot be returned or exchanged for other items.


All invoices must be paid within 48 hours or the item is no longer available at the discounted price and the invoice will be canceled. 


You MUST have a Paypal account to play. 


Please let me know if you have any other questions! 

Coupon Codes

If you currently have a coupon code to our Etsy shop that you have not had the chance to use, please do so before December 31st, 2011. After this date all coupon codes will become inactive and you will have missed out on an awesome discount. So hurry hurry! 

Tis the Season...FOR PUMPKIN

Fall is becoming one of my favorite season's ever! Being a work from home mom gives your the opportunity to bake, bake, bake on your lunch hour. And that is just what this Momma has been doing. Today I made something I think you all will love....

PUMPKIN CREAM CHEESE MUFFINS

Photo Courtesy of: The Girl Who Ate Everything

UM YUM! That's all that I can say. These are soooooo worth making! I used the recipe from The Girl Who Ate Everything. Make sure to check out her blog, she has some AMAZING recipes. And amazing is an understatement. The only thing that I changed about her recipe was that I did not add the clove, and instead of pumpkin pie spice I used all spice and only 3/4 TBSP. Also, when you make the cream cheese mixture, I suggest just putting it in a bowl in the freezer and scooping out the mixture instead of what she did, I feel like my way is easier, you can decide :o)

If you try these, let me know! I would love to see what you thought :o)

Upcoming Changes to Itty Bitty Designs

Last week I asked everyone their thoughts and feelings on custom items versus ready to ship items. What I head from you was that you love the option to customize your items but would love the option to have ready to ship as well. 


Starting January 1st, 2012 I will only be selling ready to ship items and accepting 5 custom orders a month. I am hoping this will cut the wait time for items in half and give me more time to create new products. How custom orders will work is on the 1st day of each month I will have a sign up sheet for custom orders, once all 5 slots are filled that is it for that month. 


I am also looking into a website that is easier to purchase from, instead of Etsy, if you do not have an account with them. 


With all of that being said...I will NOT be accepting any orders during the month of December. This way I can get a bunch of ready to ship items gathered to start of my new shop, as well as finish up Holiday orders in a timely manner. If you ever have any questions please do not hesitate to email me at ittybitty_designs@yahoo.com

Changes to the "All About Gracyn" Auction

As you all know I will be holding an Auction where 100% of the proceeds were going to be going to Gracyn's upcoming surgery. The surgery was to repair an umbilical hernia that she has had since birth. We were just going off of what the Pediatrician had said, and about a week and a half ago we went to see the Surgeon who would be in charge of her surgery. The Surgeon poked around and said that she didn't feel comfortable doing the surgery yet. She wants to hold off until Gracyn is about 3 y.o., she is currently 15 mo. 


As some of you may know...My little one didn't have a very easy go of it the first few months of her life. When she was 3 months old we spent countless trips to the ER and finally 4 days admitted into the hospital for a brain bleed. To this day they STILL cannot tell me what caused the brain bleed. After months of going to the Neuro-Surgeon and Hematologist and too many tests to count, she was given the clear to only come back once a year for follow up appointments. AND PRAISE THE LORD she has not had a brain bleed since :) Lucky for me, my insurance covered 100% of the costs, AFTER my $3000 deductible. 


Get to the point right? :) My point is...100% of the proceeds will be going towards the medical bills that I am still paying off monthly. As a single mother it is a HUGE financial burden every month to have to pay out and I would love to get them down as much as humanly possible. I am going to postpone the start of the Auction until I have a few more items to offer everyone since I do not need the proceeds right away since she does not need the surgery yet (THANK YOU LORD!).


If you have any questions PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE email me and I would love to answer them! Thank you all for being so understanding and always sticking with me through thick and thin!! I have the best fans out there!! 

Snowy Days...Bring on the Baking

The forecast here in Colorado is 8-12 inches of snow...JUST TODAY! So what does that mean? BAKING....Who doesn't love to stay inside when its FREEZING out and bake some amazing cookies. Recently Pinterest has been my go to spot for recipes. If you haven't become addicted to Pinterest yet...GO, GO NOW! It is the most amazing place ever! Last night I baked White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies...WOW! That's all I can say. They are absolutely delicious. 

Picture by: Baked Perfection

Here is the link to the White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies. You must try them and tell me what you think. Personally I am not a fan of white chocolate, but in these cookies, you can't even tell! ENJOY!!!

Changes for Current Photographers

Due to some recent changes I will be changing my policy for photographers. My NEW policy that will be effective IMMEDIATELY is as follows. 

• All photographers wanting to work directly with Itty Bitty Designs in exchange for a 30% discount will need to purchase the items at full price. Once the pictures of the items have been received by Itty Bitty Designs within the 4 week time frame a 30% discount will then be sent to you via Paypal for the items that you purchased. 
• All 30% discounts will be based off of the price before shipping. 
• In order to receive the 30% discount, NO OTHER coupon codes can be used at time of purchase or 30% discount will not be applicable on that purchase. 
• If photos are not received within 4 weeks of the items being shipped, the 30% discount will not be given. 

Currently all active photographer coupon codes have been discontinued. If you have any questions or concerns PLEASE email me at IttyBitty_Designs@yahoo.com. Thank you ALL in advance for understanding. 

Breast Cancer Donation & Auction Results

All of the invoices have been paid and all of the donations have been received!! First I want to say THANK YOU from the very bottom of my heart! I am so blessed to have so many people wanting to support such a great cause that has touched so many of our lives. After all is said and done we raised over $675!!!!!! How amazing is that? I want this to be a yearly thing for Itty Bitty Designs. Something we participate in every year, and I know with the help of others we can easily earn more than our previous years. 

Photographer Contracts

ATTENTION PHOTOGRAPHERS...I am still offering my 30% discount to any photographer who is interested in sharing the pictures that you take using Itty Bitty items. If you are a photographer interested in working together I would be honored. Just fill out this Photographer Contract and a code will be sent to you :) 

1K Fan Giveaway Winners

The winners have been posted on my Facebook page. Check under each photo to see if you are a winner. If you are a winner you have 48 hours to contact me so that I can put you in touch with your vendor. Please email me at ittybitty_designs@yahoo.com

Why the Wait?

I have had a lot of inquiries lately on why my wait time is so long...so I figured it would be best to inform you of what affects my wait time and why it is what it is. I am a single mother to a WONDERFUL 14 month old little girl. As you can imagine she occupies almost every ounce of my time. On top of that I work full time from home for a mortgage company, so Itty Bitty Designs is not my main focus during the day as I wish it was. Because of that I only have nights and nap times to crochet and if I get a lot of orders at once I tend to get a little bit backed up. I try my hardest to get everyone's orders out in a timely manner. I only go to the Post Office once a week so as long as I finish your order before my postal run it will get sent that week. If not it will wait until the next postal run. If you ever have any questions about what my ship time is it is ALWAYS announced in my shop announcement's on my Etsy shop. I hope this gives you a little more insight into my wait times for products. I promise they are well worth it :) 

Breast Cancer Donations

The auction will be live soon and you are thinking to yourself...well I am not interested in bidding on any of the items but I want to help...How can I do that? WELL HERE IS HOW....

DONATE

You can make your own, PRIVATE, donation to help support our cause. 100% of the proceeds from donations and the auction items will go directly to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Please let me know if you ever have ANY questions! 

Itty Bitty Designs New Logo

Logo

I am so happy to show you my NEW LOGO! EEEEK! I absolutely love it and am so thankful to Traci at Traci Ryant Photographer for working with me and designing my new logo and Etsy banner. Aren't they gorgeous? Such talent Traci has and not just in photography! THANK YOU TRACI! 

Etsy Banner

September Photographer of the Month

With the beginning of a new month I am so happy to bring to you our September Photographer of the Month. She is a GREAT friend of mine and a great example of someone I aspire to be like. 

*MELISSA YOCUM*

I am so blessed to have such an amazing woman in my life like Melissa. She has such a giant heart and an even bigger talent at her passion for photography. Melissa is my personal family photographer and she always captures the images that I never knew could be captured. Her pictures always tell a story and that is one of the best things anyone can capture when photographing. Here is my interview with Melissa from Sugar Bowl Photography...

1. When did you become interest in photography and what got you started?  I've loved photography for as long as I can remember but never really felt like it was something that I could do myself. When our oldest son was born, I did what every new mom does and took him for a photo session, but where we lived, I didn't know anyone I could use as a photographer, so I went to a chain studio, and well...I hated them...every single picture...I thought maybe it was just one of those days, so I took him again in a few months, and same thing...I didn't even hang them in our home. I remember thinking...I could do better than this and I don't even know anything about my camera. That is probably what sparked my interest. The next Christmas, my husband gave me a really nice Nikon to use for our family, and that was it. I did everything I could to learn how to use my camera to produce pictures I love and could be proud of. Soon after, friends of ours asked if I would take pictures of their first baby, so I did, and then their friends and family started asking them how much their "photographer" charged. LOL!! That really got me to thinking...could I really make something of this and live out a dream, do a good job at something I love and help our family at the same time? After that I dove in head first and haven't looked back! I feel blessed every single time I get the honor to capture a moment for others that they will cherish forever. 

2. What is your favorite thing to photograph? I think I have two favorites...newborns, because really, how could you not love getting to cuddle a sweet squishy 7 day old and make the parents ooh and aah at the same time. And emotion...not any emotion specifically, just true, raw emotion...Which is probably why I really love images of people laughing or sharing a moment together as is no one else were around.

3. How long have you been photographing? Officially, I've been in business since May of 2009, so just two years now...and I've loved every minute of it!!

4. Three fun facts about yourself... Let's see...fun facts...I am a mom of four boys ages 6 and under...yep...you read that correctly. :)It's crazy at our house, but always entertaining! I have a loud obnoxious laugh that I don't bother to contain...because, really, if you're going to laugh, you might as well do it with your whole heart. :) And...my husband and I recently resigned our position as Worship Pastors at our church here and will be moving cross country (business and all!) to Semmes, AL (just outside Mobile, AL) to be on staff at a church there. Big changes coming our way, but we are so very excited about what God has in store for our family! Be watching my blog for more info on our upcoming move if your're in that area. :)

Thank you so much Melissa for letting me interview you! I am so blessed to call you my friend and am SO SAD to see you leaving me for Alabama! God has big things in store for you and your family and I can't wait to see them all unfold. 

SugarBowl Photography

SugarBowl Photography on Facebook

Breast Cancer Auction Sponsors

October is national Breast Cancer Awareness month. Like every year I will be participating in the Susan G. Komen "Race for the Cure" Breast Cancer walk/run here in Denver. This year I want to hold an auction where ALL of the proceeds go to the cause. I think that there are so many out there that have been affected, or know someone that has been affected by this terrible disease and I would love to show our support. I am looking for sponsors for this auction. I would LOVE it if all of the items that are donated are in PINK seeing as the is the color for breast cancer awareness. If you are interested in donating an item to the auction please contact me at ittybitty_designs@yahoo.com for more information. I look forward to a big turn out for this event and fighting for the cause with everyone!! 

1K Fan Giveaway

Here is it everyone. The 1K Fan Giveaway you have all been waiting for. I cannot believe that I have reached 1,000+ fans. I am so blessed to have the opportunity to do what I love doing and have everyone else get joy from my products! That being said I have received a ton of response from some REALLY awesome vendors for this big giveaway. I will show you the prizes and after that we will get on with the rules :o) 

Splash of Color

$30 gift certificate (shipping not included)

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Gigi Stitches

1 set of Lavender Wings 

(Free US Shipping, Extra charge for International)

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Xtina Photography

Custom Photo Editing

(5 pictures)

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Ashley's Em'spiration

25% off your order & free Iron-on Tie or Number Applique

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Marki's Bows

Custom Tutu

Hair Bow Set

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Jady Baby's

Bootie, Shoe or Flats Order 

(Winner chooses style, fabric & gender)

(Shipping $2.50 CAN, $3.50 US)

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Wild Child Bowtique

Any Three Sheets of Digital Bottle Cap Images

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Bebe Bee Couture

Striped Beanie 

(Winners choice of size and color)

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Bows Oh So Cute

30% off your order PLUS free shipping

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Stephie's Designs

Cotton Candy Pom-Pom Hat (3-6 mo)

(Shipping $2 US)

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Butter Beans & Chic Peas

Card Wallet Sewing PDF Pattern OR Premade Card Wallet

(Shipping in the US ONLY)

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The Sewing Loft

Collection of DIY Sewing Patterns

*Fabric Flower Headband

*Zipper Flower Pouch

*Fabric Flower Brooch

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Tejederas

$20 gift certificate (shipping not included)

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Beauty Within

Simply Cotton Lotion & Fragrance

(Shipping $5 US)

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Picture Perfect Photography

1 Free photo session (Virginia Beach, Virginia)

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Amazing prizes right? I am so lucky to have such great vendors helping me out! I will also draw one person at Random to receive a little something extra from Itty Bitty Designs...ITS A SURPRISE :o)

Here is how to enter...There are going to be three possible entries per person.

Entry 1: You MUST like every FB page that is shown above. If you are not a fan, you cannot win any of their prizes. This entry is mandatory. 

Entry 2: Once you have liked the above pages please leave them a comment showing that Itty Bitty Designs has sent you and thank them for their great prizes in the 1K Giveaway. Make sure that you put @ before typing Itty Bitty Designs so that it tags my Facebook page. If I do not see it as being tagged, it does not count. 

Entry 3: Last but not least, simply become a follower of my blog by clicking the Join The Site button in the right hand column... If I do not see you as a follower there, it does not count. 

That's right everyone, you get not one chance to win a prize but THREE. What more could you want? Please make sure to leave a comment on the blog letting me know which entry steps you have completed so that I will know how many entries there are per person. If I can not validate your entry, it doesn't count. 

Please understand that by entering this giveaway you are entering to win ANY of the prizes, not just a specific prize. If you do not want the prize that you are drawn for please let me know and I will draw a new winner for that prize

**THE CONTEST WILL BEGIN TONIGHT AUGUST 24 AND GO UNTIL WEDNESDAY SEPT 14** 

MAKE SURE TO GET ALL OF YOUR ENTRIES IN. WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED THURSDAY SEPT 15 ON BOTH FB & THIS BLOG. WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN AT RANDOM VIA RANDOM.ORG 

Let me know if you have any questions! ENJOY & PLEASE HAVE FUN!!!!!

1K Fan Giveaway Sponsors

I am trying to put together a giveaway for reaching such a milestone as this....1000 FANS!!! I am currently still looking for sponsors so if you would like to sponsor please send me an email at ittybitty_designs@yahoo.com with a photo of what you would like to donate, a description of the product, and what the shipping charges will be to the winner, if any, and where you are willing to ship to! Thank you all so much, I can't do this without you :)

Over 100 Sales on Etsy

I can't believe that I have reached over 100 sales on my Etsy site. When I first started Itty Bitty Designs in June of last year I was 8 months pregnant and hoping to have a hobby on the side. Now it has turned into a full blown business that I could not be more proud of. And who do I have to thank? Each and every one of you. Thank you all so much for helping me achieve what I have today. I am so very blessed to be able to do the things that I love that in turn put a smile on other's faces. 

What Was For Dinner?

Thank you to my newest addiction, Pinterest, I have seen so many AMAZING recipes that I just had to try. Here are some of the things that we had for dinner last week....

AMAZING Mac and Cheese courtesy of The Pioneer Woman

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos courtesy of Smart Bottom Enterprises

Baked Oven Fries courtesy of Annie's Eats

I highly recommend all of these recipes. They were absolutely fantastic and I can't wait to share more with you! Enjoy!! 

My Newest Addiction

So if you haven't heard of Pinterest, you NEED to go check it out. It is honestly the most amazing, addictive, WONDERFUL website out there to date. I have gotten so many new ideas, recipes, kids activities, etc. from this website. Plus it helps to keep everything organized. Please...do yourself a favor and look at it and sign up. It will be the best thing you have done in a long time!! 

August Photographer of the Month

Alright everyone...I am so excited to introduce to you our 1st Photographer of the Month....

*TRACI RYANT*

I have had the EXTREME pleasure of working with Traci on a lot of my products and she never fails to give me the most incredible pictures. She is absolutely amazing to work with, and on top of her obvious skill as a photographer she has the same great personality to match it. Here is my interview with Traci...

1. When did you become interested in photography and what got you started? Photography has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember! When I was little if you asked me what I wanted to be, I would say a photographer for National Geographic, hehe. I saved allowance and babysitting money just to buy disposable cameras all the time so that I could "practice" at my local park. As an adult, though I still love to take photos, I had long given up on the thought that I could make a career out of this childhood passion of mine. After welcoming my 2nd baby boy into the world, and going into my 2nd year of being a SAHM, I decided I had waited long enough. I love being "Mommy" more than anything in the world, but I felt as though I needed something to be passionate about outside of my family life. I wanted to be really good at something other than one-handed diaper changes and grocery shopping when you have 2 kids in the cart! And so it began... saving every penny to buy that DSLR and get started!

2. What is your favorite thing to photograph? 

If I could only concentrate on one age to photograph for the rest of my career, it would be newborns... Swoon. I love to work with kids of all ages, but lets face it, as soon as they start walking and talking they want nothing to do with that strange lady with the big camera that keeps telling them to smile! There is nothing better than a brand new squishy, sleepy baby that lets me mold them into the cutest most cuddly poses, and even better is the genuine and endless gratitude from the parents for capturing those oh-so-special first portraits of their little ones.

3. How long have you been photographing?

I have been a photographer at heart since childhood... though I started my professional photography journey in April of this year, 2011. I am still a newbie with lots to learn and so much love for every opportunity I get to do so. (Can I please just add that for a newbie, she takes some of the most incredible photo's I have ever received from a photographer)

4. Three fun facts about yourself....

I am a mother to 2 boys AJ-3.5, and Brody-9 months, and they, along with my fabulous hubby are my entire world. I LOVE country music and often crank it up while in serious photo-editing mode! And Fall is my favorite season! The leaves, wearing hoodies, pumpkin spice ANYTHING, football, apple cider, Halloween.... Sigh... I just love Fall!

I cannot wait for more chances to work with Traci. If you are ever in the Cleveland, OH area please make sure to look her up. Her photo's and personality are a rare find!! 

http://www.traciryantphotography.com

https://www.facebook.com/TRyantPhotography

Auction Sponsors

I am looking for sponsors to donate items to auction off for the tornado victims that have been affected by the recent tragedies all over the US. I am still pinpointing down all of the small details, but I can guarantee that 100% off the proceeds from this auction will be donated to an amazing charity that will do amazing things with them. If you are interested in sponsoring and donating an item for auction please email me at ittybitty_designs@yahoo.com for more information. 

Photographer Specials

I am always looking for great pictures to help promote my items on my blog as well as my Facebook page, and Etsy shop. If you are a photographer who is interested in being a part of that I am always offering 30% off to any photographer. I will set you up with your own custom code to my shop. I just require that I receive the images showing my items being used in return for giving you the discount. And of course, I always give credit where credit is due and will always reference you and your website as the photographer. If you are interested please email me at ittybitty_designs@yahoo.com to obtain your personal discount code.