A Whole New Look!

Well after a very intense week of going back and forth through e-mails....the Enchanted Pathways Faerie Nursery has a new look.

A massive thank you goes out to Schonee with Sirens Designs Fantasy Art Sirens Designs at Etsy for all of her patience and fantastic artistic ability.

I have now managed to update my e-commerce and other internet sites Etsy, ArtFire, Zaybia, Zibbet, Storenvy, Craft Cafe, Facebook and hopefully today....this page :)

This new design will also become all of my printed matter as well including magnets, banners, business cards, sticky notes...you name it :)

Art in the Park

Well this will be my first official showing since deciding to go from a home crafter of Enchanted Pathways to making a go of it as an actual business.

With the new name change to The Enchanted Pathways Faerie Nursery (legal registered for GST purposes is still Enchanted Pathways); a brand new website; Facebook business page; Etsy store front; a Twitter account; banner and faerie and introducing my new icon.

This icon was a concept of mine that Alyssa brought to life. A true artistic blend of beauty, practicality and simplicity. Everything a memorable icon requires. This icon will become the symbol of the Faerie Nursery. It will be included on everything from business cards, labels, web buttons, letterhead all the way to banners.

As this icon is actually one of my Seed Pod Babies it only seemed appropriate that she represent me, represent the company as a whole. She is the beginning. She is what each faerie starts out as, a flower petal baby.

I hope you like her  :)

Time for Expansion

Over the past few days the workshop has taken on some major transformations. The workshop has a new table, shelving units, a full wall and 7 hanging rods. It has been a lot of work with a lot of sorting out of little bags that I seems to have stuffed into every nook and cranny. Thankfully there is lots of hanging room and most of these 'lost' treasures are now out in the open and ready to be used.

I have placed another order for flower petals of the 'jewel' tone hues. They seem to be my favourite lately and it is fun playing with such an abundance of rainbow colours.

The new business cards, return address labels and stickers came in, along with the 4x4x4 corrugated cardboard shipping boxes (to keep the wee faeries safe while traveling).

The website is coming along wonderfully. My developer has worked in conjunction with my banner designer to come up with a superb looking site. There will be a Google map that will show all of the new homes my faeries travel to. The Flickr site is now up and running and each faerie has been named and has a little write up about her as well. The website will have two Flickr galleries attached to it.

I am hoping that my writer will have a draft ready by the end of the week detailing the story of the company. I am so excited and I can't wait to see it in print.

The Esty page is ready to have faeries added it to. I have worked out all of the shipping details and prices. I hope to have the site ready to open this week.

I have been updated Facebook (which automatically Tweets) little snippets of what I have been up to. This blog will be the space that completes the picture with all sites linking one another.

I am hoping to have my web designer update this blog as well with the new colour scheme, banner and logos :)

E-mail address: enchanted.pathways@amma-emm.com
Facebook: enchanted pathways (Fort Smith)
Etsy: enchanted pathways by Emmanuelle Nixon
Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/enchantedpathways/

I have 18 new little faeries that are waiting so patiently to have magic faerie dust sprinkled on them so they can be adopted into new homes. This is when the creativity and fun begins.

Wow!

This has been quite the week.

I guess I should have keep the blog updated so everything didn't have to be written all at the same the time. But time allows what it does.

1. I now have hired someone to do my website. A big thank you goes out to Shawn who has taught me the difference between a blog and a website (remember, I'm the one that still thinks that there is a magic combination of keys that if pressed my whole damn computer will blow up). He has be wonderfully patient with me and has guided me through this whole process. He has been up for changes and insertions and deletions :) I couldn't ask for anything or anyone better to represent Enchanted Pathways for me.

2. I have purchased a design. I now own the exclusive rights to a great banner, background and avatar. I would like to thank Erin and her shop "swiekysiggies' on Esty (http://www.etsy.com/shop/swiekysiggies). I have been a major pain the backside for her but she has been great. She is now working hand-in-hand with Shawn to make sure the image is on both my Esty store front and on the website. I am now using her faerie design on my Facebook and Flickr as avatars. When I seen her work and especially this design, I knew I had found what I imagined and hoped would represent what I thought Enchanted Pathways meant to me. I hope you like it as well.

3. My Esty store front is almost ready to be open. I am just finalizing the last details for postage. Now unfortunately there will be no sneak peeks at the new banner as Esty keeps you on vacation mode until you actually add listings for sale. But you can find the link at www.esty.com/shop/EmmanuelleNixon.

4. I have set up a new Flickr account that will be specifically for Enchanted Pathways. Currently all of my available faeries have had their photos retaken, they are named and have a bit of background posted. You can check them out at http://www.flickr.com/photos/enchantedpathways/

5. Out of the blue, I happened to see that there were new courses being offered here in Fort Smith for small businesses. Now even though I do have my Business Management behind me, these courses have been wonderful refreshers. I would like to thank Linda at Thebacha Business Development Services for her great ideas and most of all for being a sounding board.

6. I have hired a local writer, Meagan to help me develop the story behind Enchanted Pathways. Now I could go on but there will be no hints until the story has been completed :)

7. I have been to the Bank of Montreal and with the assistance of Geri set up my accounts for the company. It is always awesome when you have someone who will go out of their way to help you because they believe in you, not just because it is their job.

8. I must add in that I have a wonderful boss and a great group to work with. They have all been supportive with me, encouraging me along the way and offering up their knowledge and experience to get me going. Plus they are putting up with me missing work so I can attend these courses. I am sure they are all sick and tired of listening to me go on and on about faeries.

9. So I guess in the end...I have been sitting here teetering on the edge of whether I want Enchanted Pathways to continue to be a little hobby or whether I want to make a go of it and see if I can let it grow into something more. I have opted for the later. So here we go .....