Wednesday, December 21, 2005

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Kitsch Klothing wishes Love, Laughter and Life to you and yours throughout this holiday season.

And, as a special holiday bonus, Check out:

FREE DESKTOPS for your computer in our new EXTRAS section

This season's TRENDS AND TIPS on the latest fashion ideas

A BRIEF BACKGROUND ON KITSCH and how we came to fruition, in the ABOUT section

Watch out for more extras, more ideas and definitely new products coming early in the new year!!

Wednesday, December 07, 2005

The Joy of Christmas Cards
By Sarita Mehra

One of the many memories I have of Christmas as a child, was of our standing card tree. We moved many times during my childhood, and wherever we ended up celebrating Christmas, you could be sure that golden card tree would be featured somewhere in view.

Christmas cards have played an intricate part in everyone's Christmas. I don't think there is a person out there that is not yet received one in their lifetime, and millions upon million of them make their way through the world's postal services every year, but have you ever wondered what started the tradition? Who does Hallmark have to thank?

~ Papery Whims ~

It was December 1843, and Sir Henry Cole, a British aristocrat wanted to do something different for Christmas. Rather than his usual boring old Christmas letter to his family and friends, he decided to commission a painting for the cover of a card. John Clacott Horsley's design of a family toasting the season became the color-lithographed design of the first ever Christmas card, that was sold by the publisher for 1shilling (roughly 10cents nowadays).

Initially they did not sell very well, with only a thousand copies sold, but the idea soon took flight and by the 1900s, the Christmas card business had grown to such levels, that the Post Office sometimes had trouble handling all the mail.

~ Early Birds Get Their Cards ~

In response to the early popularity of Christmas cards, and the eagerness to have one's card be delivered on Christmas, the postal service devised a method to entice people to mail their cards early.

A special postmark was issued:

POSTED IN ADVANCE
FOR DELIVERY ON
CHRISTMAS DAY


This ensured that all Christmas deliveries would be 'held back' for special delivery on Christmas Eve, or Day.

~ Tradition vs. E-Cards ~

With the Internet entering households across the world, a new trend has emerged: Electronic Greeting Cards, or E-Cards.

It's convenient and fast. They have been life-savers for many a relative's birthday, and a triumph on the Boss's wife's birthday. There's no postage, no handling, and usually no charge for a decent e-card that arrives a moment after you click 'submit'.

Most popular card companies have recognized the trend and now offer E-cards in their online selections as well as free cards for all occasions. There are many great e-card companies online, and I have to admit, I consider www.bluemountain.com, to be one of the best. With a huge selection for almost every holiday imaginable, their Christmas collection is humorous, sentimental and well-crafted.

I still send Christmas cards the old fashioned way, mainly to my immediate family. Albeit so my younger sister can experience the card tree. It's lost a little of it's golden hue, and some of the slots have been taped together a few times, but it's still a very special part of our Christmas.

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I think that little article shows a nice history of how cards have come along, and why it is still so important to use the reminiscing spirit that comes along with Christmas as an excuse to send out cards to friends, loved ones and those whom we may have lost touch with, but have not forgotten.

Send out a card this year and put a smile on someone's face! Check out our small (but growing) collection of festive and cheerful Christmas Cards and Postcards at Kitsch Klothing, in the Christmas Section of the Holiday Specials!

Thursday, December 01, 2005

HI guys. I'm in a bit of a pickle, but I guess the general public will benefit from it a bit!I signed up for the Toronto Gift show Months ago and was supposed to do two different weekend sales..the first one of which is supposed to take place this weekend. Instead of that happening, they have apparently cancelled all upcoming show dates for this year which leaves me majorly bummed, and with a large amount of handmade shirts, journals, buttons, gift bags, etc that I have no one to sell to!!

So I have posted some pictures (many pictures) to show you what it is I have available..

Gift Bags....


These are $6.00 each and come with an assorted button on each of them. Some buttons are one of a kind!! (Like the green lightning bolt in the photo).
If you want one with a specific design that you see below in the button section, I can probably do that. I have quite a few.


T-Shirts....

All of the below T-shirts are $20 dollars each..(They were to go for 25 at the show.) They are all nice quality white T-shirts with Transfer designs on them. The transfers are trimmed and applied correctly, so they do not look "home made" or crappy in any way! Each shirt comes with a tag with care instructions. ;) And also a way to contact me if you have Questions. I have about 7-9 of each design..


Argyle Cranky Bunny pattern..Three little bunnies in a row with purple "stitching" - Argyle Style!
Comes in Small, medium, Large.


Bedhead pattern...Very retro funky chick with crazy wild hair. Text reads "Bed Head" in a cool retro font underneath.
Comes in Small, Medium, large


"Eat the rich - the poor are tough and chewy" design. 'Nuff said.
Comes in Medium ,large, XL


"Evil Makes Me Sad" Dragon. Little blue dragon with a tear in his eye, and very cute writing underneath with the phrase "Evil Makes Me Sad". HE makes an AWESOME gift! Everyone seems to love this one, guys and girls.
Comes in Small, Medium, Large,


"Flake" design. Give it to someone who is a real flake..or at least someone who likes snow ;)
Comes in Medium, Large, XL


"This Shall Be My Greatest Performance" design. Awesome for theatre fans, shakespeare fans, and the very dramatic at-large.
Available in Medium, Large, XL

(The next three are kiddie's shirts)


Moo Dat?! A Very confused cow is featured here.
Available in Sizes 2/4 and 6/8


Poo On You Bear...well..this one is just too cute to be offensive. I'm not sure the poor teddy agrees though!
Available in sizes 2/4 and 6/8


"Evil Keeps me Young" puppy.
This little (determinedly evil) puppy totally looks like he will take over the world! Discustingly cute as well.
Available in 2/4 and 6/8

Journals...

I have only a very few of these journals. pretty much one or two of each - as I actually was going to make them tonight, but got the call that the show was cancelled. These are all made by hand and very sturdy. They are not lined paper. They'd make awesome doodle books or sketch pads as the paper is nice and thick and very bright white. If someone wants one and I am out, I can always make one up in a day or two as well. Journals are $10 each.


Candy!


Eat The Rich


Evil Keeps Me Young


Evil Makes Me Sad


Heaven


Moo Dat!?

BUTTONS

Wow, if you made it this far down I applaud you.
I'm not sure how to sell these buttons except mabye as a random grab bag.
If you see one in the photo you like I can send that..or you can just request a random one!

(sorry about the bad photo) Mini 1" buttons. $3 each or 4 for $10.


Larger 2" buttons. $4 each or 4 for $12

If you want a bunch more than that of either kind of button I'll cut you a deal.
Same with Shirts or journals.

I WILL PAY TO MAIL THIS TO YOU IN CANADA!!!

Or I can get you a Discounted rate on a courier like UPS...or just send it by normal mail.

Anyone with Questions, post here or email me at mauig@hotmail.com and THANKS!!


I have dumped a lot of my savings into these darn craft shows only to have all my plans foiled!! There goes my christmas money. All of these things are my own design/illustrations. I'm pretty proud of it all, and its all very colourful and funky. Give an item a good home this christmas!!

Thursday, November 24, 2005

Hey again. The world of T-shirt design is scattered with many pitfalls. The nice people at cafepress make things relatively easy to set up shop on-line, but really, when it comes time to branch out into the real world, things are a bit more murky. (hello, run on sentence!)

I have been working on creating a small fleet of my designs to sell at craft shows this holiday season. I have two craft shows coming up, as previoulsy mentioned. I want to bring 100 shirts, and I've been trying to get them made for two months now. My supplier said "No problem! IT'll only be a week. I'll bring you the samples!" A month later, he brought the samples, none of which would work with my preferred printing method (IRon on transfers. You cannot use these on ribbed shirts, even Baby-rib shirts. Remember that when making your shirts at home!). Soooo new examples had to be found (actually, they just had to cough up samples of the original shirts I ordered.) and brought in...Now Yesterday, I got a call and basically got told they could not honour the price they quoted me, my transfers do not work and they were bringing me a sample of a pressed on transfer to show me how much I suck and how it was my fault.

"Bring it on!" I cried, "I know what I'm doing. I'm wondering what YOU have done to screw this up, mister I've-been-doing-this-for-30 years."

Sure enough, again (AGAIN!) they had used a baby-Rib T-shirt to apply the transfer onto.

In light of this craziness, I have had to change shirts, Am quite stressed out and very close to my deadline, still with no shirts. I have been assured that I will have a beautiful sample tomorrow. WE'll see.

I wanted to put together a little reference for those of you who have found yourself in similar situations. So let's start off...

CUSTOM T-SHIRT CREATION GOLDEN RULES

Rule #1 - Always use a 50/50 (or as close to that as you can get) cotton/polyester JERSEY KNIT T-shirt to apply your designs to. This goes for Silkscreen, Iron on transfers, and even Stitching.

Rule #2 - Always remember, If your design includes type, you must REVERSE THE IMAGE for your iron-on Transfer.

Rule #2 - Don't be like me. Put in your orders well in advance if going to a supplier, and make sure they make you a sample before they run all your transfers.

Rule #3 - When buying your blank T-shirts from someone who will give you a deal..always make them write down, and sign a piece of paper with the price they quoted you, what their name is and the date. These people are used to haggling, and are not afraid to jerk you around if they think they can.

Those are the cardinal rules I have learned.

I have been travelling the web in search of some good suppliers of T-shirts. Not all are good. But, be aware that many many people who Silkscreen T-shirts, are also willing to sell you blank T-shirts at a better price than you might find at old navy or walmart. (Generally you have to order quite a few though. I am ordering a cool even 100, and this is still considered a very small order.)

Here are a few of what I have found thus far...

General T-shirt Suppliers


Screen Printers

There are tons more. Google it. That's what I have done. Find one whose style/Price/Process appeals to you. If you find some awesome ones, pass on the link. Also, I am looking for information on any clubs or blogs that deal with T-shirt design or the T-shirt community! There are many of us out there..Where are we?! WHO Are we?! I think we have a lot to learn from eachother! I have found one interesting blog I'd like to pass on..

  • T-Shirt Casserole ...Just a blog that highlights random T-shirts from cafepress that they like, but I think it's a great Idea!

Pass me on more links as well. I am very interested in getting involved in the T-shirt industry. I'm only at the beginning of this journey! I will try and help out where possible. Let's grow this community together!

Peace, love, and jersey knit Shirts.

~Anne

Tuesday, November 15, 2005


CHRISTMAS CRAFT SALE ANNOUNCEMENT!

Kitsch Klothing will be at the Toronto Gift Show this year! We will be selling T-shirts, Journals, Chocolates, 2" and 1" buttons. Some of these designs are special edition, not available online! Don't miss out. We will be at the December 3rd &4th Weekend Location, as well as the 17th & 18th location. Even if you can't buy, come to say hi!!

Saturday, November 12, 2005

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat! (And so is uncle Albert..)
With Christmas, comes Christmas cards, cookies, happiness and joy. It also brings the feeling of "What the heck do I get all these people?! What can I get for my special someone? And oh god..What about Mom? She's so hard to buy for!!"
Not to worry. Kitsch Klothing is here, to help you out. If Kitsch doesn't make something perfect for your special someone, check out the Trends and tips page, and the News Blog for alternate gift ideas, gift combo ideas and links to other cool shops and sites.

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UPCOMING SALES!

I have to draw special attention to this section, because there is a great sale going on right now, and there is a great sale coming up!
November 1st to 14th - $2 off Ornaments, Wall Calendars and Greeting Cards!
Punch in the code when checking out, to cash in on this deal. Hurry though, it's done on Monday!
Coupon Code: Holiday2

NOVEMBER 15th to DECEMBER 6th...FREE SHIPPING!
Anne is pretty excited about this one. This is when she too, will do her Kitsch Shopping. FREE SUPER SAVER SHIPPING on orders over $50.00
Coupon: FREESHIP

Because this Newsletter goes out once a month, you may want to keep a watch on the main page of the site, as that is where additional sales banners will appear to let you know about the rotating sales going on, on any given day! There are always good opportunities to be found. Check them out!

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NEW DESIGNS

In the last month, quite a few new designs have made an appearance - most importantly, a few extra cool Christmas designs!

Snowman Greetings- Let these merry snowmen help you wish your friends season's greetings and celebrate your winter wonderland! Funny Snowmen in hats and scarves are always at the height of Seasonal Style!

Mooey ChrisMoose - Mooey Christmas to you! Every holiday is instantly made more festive with cows. And Roosters. And Moose (mooses?) and Sheep. You can't lose with this winning combination! It's so A-MOO-Sing!

Flake - Let this wintry image get you and your friends in the holiday season spirit! Or, Send it to an especially Flakey Friend (or ex?) and have yourself a little private holiday giggle.

As well, in the originals Section, we have a new design as well..perfect for any funky soul who wants to let their hair down... BED HEAD!

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UPCOMING APPEARANCES

Designer Anne will be taking her Kitsch Klothing to a few Christmas Crafty shows in Toronto, Ontario this season. Check her out at the Toronto Gift Show, December 3&4 and December 17 & 18th. For additional details on location, times and admission(It's free!) click HERE

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JOKE OF THE MONTH

A New Twist on an Old Tradition

One particular Christmas season a long time ago, Santa was getting ready for his annual trip ... but there were problems everywhere. Four of his elves got sick, and the trainee elves did not produce the toys as fast as the regular ones so Santa was beginning to feel the pressure of being behind schedule. Then Mrs. Claus told Santa that her mom was coming to visit. This stressed Santa even more. When he went to harness the reindeer, he found that three of them were about to give birth and two had jumped the fence and were out, heaven knows where. More stress. Then when he began to load the sleigh one of the boards cracked and the toy bag fell to the ground and scattered the toys. Needless to say Santa wasn't in the best mood. Just then the doorbell rang and Santa went to the door expecting another problem. He opened the door and there was a little angel with a great big Christmas tree there just to cheer Santa up. The angel said, very cheerfully, "Merry Christmas Santa. Isn't it just a lovely day? I have a beautiful tree for you. Isn't it just a lovely tree? Where would you like me to stick it?" Thus began the tradition of the little angel on top of the Christmas tree.


HAHAHAAA!...Happy Holidays, no matter what you celebrate...
From Anne at KITSCH KLOTHING!!

Monday, November 07, 2005

Two New Designs!

So, this week I have added two new designs. One is called Flake. Let this wintry image get you and your friends in the holiday season spirit! Or, Send it to an especially Flakey Friend (or ex?) and have yourself a little private holiday giggle!

The other is called Mooey Christmas! Every holiday is instantly made more festive with cows. And Roosters. And Moose (mooses?) and Sheep. You can't lose with this winning combination! It's so A-MOO-Sing!

I hope to get a few more products up this week for Christmas, as well as get ready for the Toronto Gift Show. Huzzah! Changes, they are a happenin'.

Speaking of cows, (Which I love) here is a great gift idea...Animal accessories are hot this year, from purses to backpacks to hats! Check out this Cow Purse which is huggeably soft and awesome for Christmas for anyone. I guess I should get back to pimping my own wares, but I thought this was very cute!! ;) Couple this with one of my Greeting cards, or the Moo Dat?! T-shirt design, and you'll really knock 'em dead!

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

Hmph!

I am not happy with the Kitsch Klothing statistics counter...it keeps telling me that I have had no visitors, new or otherwise..for the past few weeks, despite the fact that I have made SALES. Since people bought stuff, it would suggest they were actually visiting the site!

If anyone has a better counter that they know of (Free, please) I'd be much obliged. ;)

Friday, October 28, 2005

Updated Products!

So tonight I got some sort of semi creative bug and spent the evening in front of illustrator again. (This is becoming a really bad habit these days...)

I updated a few important things on the site. First off, there is a brand new design for the Heaven mug, as I had not fully taken advantage of the space with the old one. (It was a first shot. oh well.)

The second addition is more for my own peace of mind. The Evil Makes Me Sad design has been sort of..slightly re-coloured. I had done different bits of him different colours on purpose to show a bit of depth, but I'm wondering if people will think it's a screw up. So, I made him all nicely uniform. It still kicks much dragon butt.

If anyone has ordered this and doesn't like the different colours, I guess you can return him and re-order again...or complain and get them to send you a new one! Ah, the joy of cafepress' returns department. They seem to cooperate quite nicely ^_^

Sorry for any problems this may have caused! ^_^;;

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

NEW SALES!

Hey again. I am very happy to announce that Kitsch has had it's first rash of sales. I'm so happy! Already the site's best seller is the EVIL MAKES ME SAD design.

A little tidbit: The dragon featured on that shirt is named Arno, and he is a very mild-mannered dutch dragon who is constantly telling me to mend my wicked ways.

There are no sales going on this week. Boo hoo.

I am however, gearing up for some craft sales that I will be visiting this winter. More details to follow.
I am also trying to add new features to cafepress, but I seem to have to fight against their code..and I am a few years out of date on HTML..it all seems to be complicated now. Or, rather, MORE complicated! Sheesh! I'm 23, and already out of date!

Oh well. Have a happy Tuesday, everyone!

Monday, October 24, 2005

Greatest Performance Continues!!

Well. What a way to start a blog. I just found the perfect compliment to my Greatest Performance design.

It's a SKULL SCARF!!!
This is so very neat. I have never seen anything quite like this scarf, but it is perfect for punky types, drama types, and unique individuals the world over! Knitting is such a craze these days that's I'm sure you can find some obscessive (obscessive is a good thing! I swear) knitty friend to bamboozle into making you one. If not,here is a great list of knitting blogsthat could lead to new friends and new ideas.

So, check out the greatest performance T-shirt today...or a mug, which would be an awesome christmas present filled with kisses, or halloween present, filled wiht those little chocolate pumpkin heads!!

Ciao for now, ;)