Unveiling a Brand New Logo!

A little while ago, I learned that Two Bees Creations had won a giveaway for a free logo design. We'd been wanting to make up some new business cards, so the news came just in time.

The company that we won the logo from is called Dzire to Dzine or D2D).  If you check out their website here (http://dzire2dzine.com/) you can see some of their other designs. Based out of Howrah in West Bengal, India, they have awesome customer service and were really great to work with.

They started by giving me a questionnaire to learn more about our business, our style, and our target market.  I provided some design ideas from blogs and websites I love as well.  They then took all that information and boiled it down into three proofs.  Saket was more than happy to modify the proofs as I further refined what I was looking for.  I've never made a logo before or worked with a graphic designer, and Dzire to Dzine made the process really easy.  I love the final look of the logo- it is fun and creative and captures our spirit!

Dzire to Dzine  also does web design, ad design, video production, and much more.  I especially like the web designs they have featured in their portfolio.  I highly recommend this company- maybe a website is in the future for us!  We'll be printing out out business cards with the new logo this month- so excited!


Our old logo (pretty, but did not have much to do with our business or name- we don't sell flowers!)

Our new logo (more professional and much clearer and easy to read!)

Honeycomb & Bumble Bee Cupcakes

I LOVE baking!  I made these from the "What's New, Cupcake" book by Karen Tack & Alan Richardson.  What a great book- so many idea for cupcakes for any party or season.  

These are vanilla cupcakes with sugar cookies on top that, when put next to eachother, look a lot like a honeycomb.  The book said to put some honey inside each hexagon.  That would have looked nice, but I thought that would make them too sweet (and too messy- I was bringing them to work!).  

The most difficult and time intensive part was cutting out the hexagons from the cookie dough.  Those were made separate and then placed on top of the cupcakes after lightly frosting them.  There was a template to use, but in the end after baking the sugar cookies the lines were not totally straight.  Maybe it gives them character :P




Instead of using black jelly beans to make the bees (as the book instructed), I used yellow and brown peanut M&Ms.  More people like the flavor of chocolate than black licorice, I've found.

I'm not sure if I'd make these again, but they were well received by the people who ate them.  They definitely go with our Etsy Shop name, though!

Homemaker on a Dime: Market Your Biz and Giveaways #53

A big thanks to SJ from the Homemaker on a Dime Blog for featuring our shop this week!

Homemaker on a Dime: Market Your Biz and Giveaways #53: Happy Tuesday, my dear friends! Our featured biz today is Two Bees Creations, specializing in Handmade Fabric Purses, Tea Wallets, Jewelry...

Before and After: Frames into Jewelry Organizers

I upcycled two pieces of art into jewelry organizers.  I got the idea from some sellers on Etsy who use old picture frames and replace the backing of the frames with screen or lace  to hang earrings on (like these: jeanettikonfetti or GardenCricket).  When I found these frames, it was difficult to remove the backing, so I changed my plan a little.

They started out looking like this: art pieces that had a price tag of $200 each!  I felt a little bad ruining someones artwork, but they were a great deal!  I purchased them at the Goodwill for $7 each.




The first one I painted purple with a free sample cup of paint I had.  It has cup hooks and eyes from ACE hardware ($4 total) which I screwed right into the backboard.  I left the middle panel as it was with the original collage artwork.  I'm hanging all my earrings, bracelets, and rings on here.  It holds more than 40 pairs of earrings!

For the second one I stretched magenta/hot pink vintage velvet inside where the glass would be (my other idea was to use cork, but this was cheaper!).  I used colored push pins instead of hooks to hang my necklaces (I have 35 necklaces on there now).

My plan was to hang them on the wall next to each other, but my 100-year-old adobe walls make that pretty tough (these things are heavy!).  One is on top of my dresser, and the other is on a bookshelf in my hallway.

It turns out I have a TON of costume jewelry when you add it all up- and now it is neatly displayed instead of all zipped up in pouches or hidden in jewelry boxes.  It makes picking out something to wear a lot easier when you can see it all at once!

Giveaway at Fishful Thinking Blog!

Colleen over at the Fishful Thinking Blog is hosting a giveaway of a prize package from the Two Bees Creations Etsy Shop! The lucky winner will receive on mini tea wallet, one card wallet, and a passport holder (a $25 value). The giveaway has Rafflecopter entry, so entering only takes a few seconds if you're signed into facebook. Here are some photos of the items that are being given away!  

Enter the giveaway here- it is open until 6/2/12.

Treasury Love

Two Bees Creations Etsy items have been featured in some awesome treasuries lately!  Here are some of our faves...

Bright Blues and Orange Hues

Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon

Travel Tea Wallet in Blue Swirl Fabric

As we posted earlier, we love to create new tea wallet designs.  Here is our latest!


The perfect item for the tea lover in your life, these quality handcrafted travel tea wallets are our best seller! Each is unique- we never use the same combinations of buttons and fabrics twice. Made of 100% cotton fabric with a flower design in shades of blue, teal, and turquoise. The background is black and white dots and swirls. It is accented with a pearly white button.

♥ No more boring black or green tea & when you dine out. 
♥ Fits in a purse or pocket.
♥ Keeps your tea bags fresh and easily accessible.
♥ 4 Pockets can hold up to 8 tea bags, or sweeteners & instant coffee packets
♥ Other uses: a mini sewing kit, purse organizer, or to hold notes & coupons.
♥ Measures 3.75" x 4.5" when closed.

See our entire selection of tea wallets in the Wallets & Pouches section of the Two Bees Creations Etsy shop.

Tea Wallets: Our Best Selling Item

The travel tea wallet collection is our best seller over at the Two Bees Creations etsy store.  But how did it get to be that way, and what is the draw to these items?  Well, we first  had the idea of making tea wallets for the shop because there are so many people in our lives who drink tea!  A few years ago, when I had just first learned about Etsy, I got one for my mother for mother's day.  She just loved it, and got many compliments when she pulled out her tea from the bright batik design.  A little while after starting the Two Bees Creations Etsy Shop, Bonnie saw her break out that same tea wallet and said "I could make that!  But, I think I could make it even better."


Bonnie made up one as a test, and she thought that it had turned out pretty nicely.  It sold that same day that we listed it!  One customer even asked if we could whip one up for her ASAP as a gift for her friend-the one she had favorited had sold before she got a chance to purchase it.  Now, tea wallets are our biggest seller at Two Bees Creations.  We are hoping to build up the stock of travel tea wallets so that our customers will have a wide variety of styles and fabrics to choose from.
 

Why do I need a tea wallet?
No boring black tea when you dine out!  Tea wallets can holds an array of your favorite teas, sweeteners,  & instant coffee packets for you to take anywhere. They fits in a purse or pocket and keep your tea bags fresh and easily accessible.  They can event hold up to 8 tea bags.  You can use them in other ways as well: as a mini sewing kit, purse organizer, or to hold notes or coupons.


What makes Two Bees Creations tea wallets special?
Each tea wallet is made with loving care by Bonnie Gartz in her home in Buffalo, NY.  Many of the wallets are made from upcycled materials.  This means that your wallet used to be a much loved shirt or blouse, and after being laundered and specially cared for, it is transformed into a tea wallet.  Another great thing about the tea wallets is that each is different.  Bonnie uses a mix of vintage and modern buttons and fabrics to give your tea wallet a special look and feel.

What can the wallet be bought for?
A tea wallet makes an awesome gift for Mother's Day, a birthday, a wedding shower gift, or hostess present.

We also take custom orders.  Say you'd like to surprise each of the ladies at your bachlorette party or baby shower with their own unique tea wallet.  Or, you'd like to have matching ones made for each member of your family for Easter.  We can make it happen!  These are the perfect size and price to use as favors for any occasion. Email TwoBeesCreations@gmail.com for more information.

Check out the variety of travel tea wallets and other pouches for sale now at this link:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/TwoBeesCreations?section_id=10483930

Feedback from our Customers about their Tea Wallets

"The tea wallet is perfect.  Thank you so much"

"Beautifully crafted and packaged. Thanks!"

"Beautiful item! Wonderful seller, great transaction, super fast shipping, just a pleasure!"

"Super quick shipment and item was just as described and beautiful. Great seller!" 

"Thank you for promptly shipping these adorable wallets. I know my gift recipients will be more than pleased!"

What We're Working On

Here are the samples of some hand sewn bird ornament sachets that Two Bees Creations has in the works.  They will be sold in larger quantities as favors.  Click on a photo to see a larger view.  Please email TwoBeesCreations@gmail.com with questions or to place an order. 

Options

There are three styles of bird silhouette and two choices of fabric type.  All fabrics and stitching can be customized in whatever color combination is desired.  They may be ordered unscented,  or scented with French Lavender or Indian Cinnamon Bark.  All sizes listed below are approximate. 

Felt
Felt birds shown in green/pink & white/green.  
This type of stitching can only be used on felt birds.

Fabric
Fabric birds with a rustic feel (the edges are zig-zagged to prevent fraying).
This type of stitching can also be used on felt birds.

Bird Shape #1
4 1/2" x 1 1/2"

Bird Shape #1
4 1/2" x 1 1/2"

 

   Bird Shape #3
3" x 2" 

      Bird Shape #2

3 1/2" x 1 1/2" 

Giveaway Reminder!

Just a reminder that a great giveaway is going on over at Laura Ashton's facebook page.  Included in the prize package is a handmade Moss Butterfly Notebook from Two Bees Creations (among other fab goodies)

Here are all the details.  To enter, click on the image below (or click on this direct link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Laura-Ashton-Artist/272516529446811)

Giveaway from Laura Ashton!

Laura Ashton of Laura's Botanical Art on Etsy has included one of Two Bees Creations items in an awesome giveaway.  There are some other great prizes alongside our Moss Green Butterfly Notebook, and you could win them all!

To enter, just head on over to her facebook page and make a comment right here:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Laura-Ashton-Artist/272516529446811?sk=wall

Thanks to Laura for this awesome giveaway, and good luck!

Jewelry4Change: Two Bees Creations Review

Click the link below to check out a review of our two of our clutches on a very awesome blog!  She reviewed these two, which she won in another giveaway.

                         

Jewelry4Change: Two Bees Creations Review: I love to support independent artists and shops and buy handmade whenever possible... especially when the shop is green. Two Bees Cre...

Giveaway: $25 Shop Credit for Two Bees Creations

Pixel Berry Pie is an awesome blog!  And, it doesn't hurt that the owner also has an Etsy shop with great graphic prints.  We were so excited when we got the news that we were going to do a giveaway on the Pixel Berry Pie blog.  Head on over to fill out the super-simple form (yay for Rafflecopter!) and you could be our lucky winner!
http://pixelberrypiedesigns.blogspot.com/2012/01/giveaway-25-shop-credit-two-bees.html

Since it is part of the Toast to 2012 New Year's Giveaway Hop, the site also links to some other cool giveaways, too!