Banner Sponsors
For artists and collectors sponsored by Intercal...your mohair supplier and Johnna's Mohair Store
Jazzy RagsI was watching a show on tv called callforhelp it's all about computers the more help i can get the better. anyway have you ladys ever seen photo coaster i thought it was a great idea, you can take a picture of some of your best teddy print them on your computer and slid then inside the coasters and they make great gifts what do you think fran
I think that's a great idea, Fran! I did something similar by having a photo montage of my bears, with my POTBELLY BEARS text logo, imprinted onto mugs.
The hard part is making sure that the custom item you order will pay for itself. Sometimes it costs so much to get the things made up in the quantity you need, that they're just not affordable. I loved my mug idea but sold few at my show because I had to price them too high to cover the cost of having them made and shipped. I didn't even add profit to the price! But who wants to pay $15-20 for a mug? No one, I found out. :doh:
Anyway... I love the idea of using cross promotion to spread the word about bears. If someone buys the coaster and brings it to work, then someone else sees the bears, and a new convert to our mohair-covered cause is in the making.
Thanks for posting on this.
Matilda Huggington-beareYEP!!! I've seen them. They sell the coasters over here in 'THINGS'. I dont know if that is only a WA shop. , But thought about it myself. I liked the idea. 
I haev'nt heard of 'callforhelp'.
matilda :dance:
Past Time BearsI make mousepads with my bears' photos on them and they sell very well at shows. You can buy blank pads very reasonably, then use T-shirt transfer paper printed with your photo and iron it on the pad. Or, you can print off your photos onto blank greeting cards/postcards. I sell those at shows, too. Love to play around with the computer for stuff like that!!
Super ideas, Sue Ann! You can buy blank mousepads?
Some of you may have also seen Michelle Lamb's brilliant calendars (which are exquisite, and I buy one every year) and greetings cards... two more ideas for showcasing and cross-promoting your bears.
Places like Shutterfly.com tend to have many options you can choose from, in terms of creating custom items to market your wares. They make pads of paper, mousepads, coasters, cups, etc.
If anyone is interested in the custom mug company I used, which uses a dye sublimation process to embed the dye into the ceramic at high heat (rather than essentially glueing it on, which scratches easily), I loved the quality of their product, and plan to use them again for personal things like holiday gifts for grandparents, my sons' father on Father's Day, etc.
Check out www.marvelousmugs.com. The gal who owns it is a stay at home mom and incredibly nice, and will answer your emails and questions promptly.
Past Time BearsYes . . . several places have them. Google "blank mouse pads" and you should come up with a wealth of places!
www.desktopsupplies.com is a great place to find all sorts of ways/ideas for using photos!!
Kim-Bee BearsWow gals, thank you for this info!!!
Jazzy RagsI think the mouse pads are a great idea Sue Ann its funny how one thing leads to many things fran
