Saint Patrick's Day Prep

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[15:59:25] shopaholicchick: hi there
[15:59:42] Karen: Hi everyone
[16:00:03] PeggyWvB: Hi all!
[16:00:08] electricgreen: Howdy
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[16:00:37] Scarebaby: hi Dafna! Hi everyone!
[16:01:08] DafnaCP: Hi everyone. Sorry about the mix up last Thursday, we had technical difficulties.
[16:01:30] Kate@LittleLizzyLou: Hi Dafna!
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[16:02:23] DafnaCP: Welcome to today’s St. Patrick’s Day Shopkeeper Discussion. This discussion format is intended for you all to share ideas for fresh, festive content for your shop.
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[16:02:44] DafnaCP: As always, this chat will be moderated.
[16:02:57] DafnaCP: This means that you will not immediately see your responses posted. Instead, they will go into a queue and the moderators will do their best to get all the response posted live.
[16:03:29] DafnaCP: I hope that you’ll all leave this discussion feeling inspired and excited about creating designs to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
[16:03:46] NiftyGaloot: Hi Folks! :)
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[16:04:22] DafnaCP: So, I'll start. I'm curious as to how many people plan to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?
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[16:04:56] Lorilei: I do!
[16:05:00] electricgreen: i'll wear green..but no drinking!
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[16:05:03] Stratman: cornned beef and cabage for sure
[16:05:12] Kate@LittleLizzyLou: We'll definitely be celebrating! Lots of Irish in our family.
[16:05:23] DafnaCP: How do you plan to celebrat Kate?
[16:05:54] DafnaCP: celebrate*
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[16:06:31] shopaholicchick: i will celebrate when my check from the st pats sales arrive...does that count?
[16:06:39] DafnaCP: I guess it does!
[16:06:46] matisse: I am boiling orange potatos in green beer right now!
[16:06:54] Kate@LittleLizzyLou: I'll definitely have on one of my shirts! But also, we're likely going to go to this Irish Pub near our house. I plan to take mini-buttons to hand out.
[16:07:20] DafnaCP: That's a great idea.
[16:07:23] Tropicando: My irish friend opens a pub in his garage but i never make it because of geography
[16:07:25] Tropicando: Oh yeah, I don't drink either :S
[16:07:51] NiftyGaloot: I celebrate St. Urho's instead! :)
[16:07:58] DafnaCP: Is that a Finnish thing?
[16:08:22] Lorilei: :-D
[16:08:29] NiftyGaloot: Yep... Live in what was a Finnish community
[16:08:36] DafnaCP: Ah...cool!
[16:08:38] Tropicando: You know, I might go out to downtown LA for the parade, last time I was there for the st paddy parade by accident
[16:08:56] DafnaCP: You should certainly go -- and wear one of your shirts!
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[16:09:29] DafnaCP: I plan to go out with friends. There is a great place in San Francisco that does corned beef and cabbage for St. Paddy's
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[16:10:00] DafnaCP: I'll be wearing a bunch of mini buttons and a CafePress shirt!
[16:10:08] Tropicando: No one will remember it
[16:10:31] DafnaCP: :-D
[16:10:34] shopaholicchick: kate - for mini buttons...buy a package of return address labels and print your website on them only 1/2 the wodth though like www. (enter) site (enter) .com ....and centered then cut the labels into little squares...with tweezers to hold the sticker & a qtip to push it down you can slide them in and stick them to the back of every mini button
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[16:11:37] Kate@LittleLizzyLou: Shopaholicchick - I have one of your buttons sitting right here! It's a great idea!! Thanks for the reminder!
[16:11:43] DafnaCP: well that's one way to make sure that they remember
[16:11:45] horselovergurl: @shopaholic great idea! I may use it for myself!
[16:12:18] Tropicando: A wild idea has slapped me. St paddy's stickers (for face) as alternative to face painting
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[16:12:47] DafnaCP: I've seen people wearing little shamrocks and glittery things before
[16:12:50] shopaholicchick: lol kate your welcome...it is not as hard as it sounds...cute one side then cut the other after peeled it is easier to peel that way
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[16:13:27] DafnaCP: Are there other products that any of you use creatively for St. Pat’s?
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[16:14:38] DafnaCP: For example, the coasters and steins would make good decoration for a party
[16:14:54] DafnaCP: and it's nice that they're both functional and decorative
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[16:15:51] shopaholicchick: the framed tiles make goot hot plate trivits
[16:16:23] DafnaCP: good idea
[16:16:48] DafnaCP: Has everybody seen the Kelly Green t-shirts? Are you all adding them?
[16:17:06] Lorilei: I'm adding them
[16:17:11] Tropicando: I've added 2 I think
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[16:17:22] horselovergurl: adding!
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[16:17:39] matisse: done
[16:17:43] shopaholicchick: i added them
[16:17:54] thsgirl: hi all, i've added to a couple designs
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[16:17:58] NiftyGaloot: I added a bunch of them...
[16:18:02] electricgreen: Adding to new sections
[16:18:05] webdvl: yep
[16:18:11] Lorilei: I love the green tees. I just wish the women's fitted tee waas a tad larger
[16:18:24] shopaholicchick: dafna why does it say limited time only on them???
[16:18:31] servopuff: I'm disappointed the color is considered seasonal.
[16:18:40] horselovergurl: oh no! i hope they last longer!
[16:18:45] electricgreen: I only wish they were in the v-necks, I'd buy some!!
[16:19:35] DafnaCP: Shoppa, to answer your question. They are a "seasonal" product so the plan is to have them for a limited time and then perhaps extend that if we see that there is demand.
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[16:19:43] Lorilei: We have to get people to buy these all the time, not just St. Patrick's. I'm adding lots of Earth Day designs, too
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[16:20:22] DafnaCP: Yes, I think the color could be something we keep long term. But it would depend on how many shopkeepers added the products and how many customers bought them.
[16:20:27] electricgreen: Seasonal? I buy green all year (of course it is my fav color). Think Christmas!
[16:20:32] shopaholicchick: i agree earth day needs green...and my Go Green stuff will want green year round!!!
[16:20:42] electricgreen: ACK! Keep them! Keep them!! If we can sell the bright green ones, we can sell nice green ones
[16:20:44] Tropicando: I need to add them to my actual st paddy designs- i sell few, but one went zombie today
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[16:21:27] PamelaC (CPV): I hope they stay around too
[16:21:35] shopaholicchick: i wish theyw ere plus sizes...but then i wish plus was anything but black and white
[16:21:49] webdvl: Hopefully they sell well. As it has been pointed out in forum threads, these would make great additions to environmental designs, Christmas designs, and spring and summer products as well.
[16:21:54] Lorilei: I'll also be adding Christmas designs to green tees. I want a couple, at least, in case they're discontinued
[16:22:06] PamelaC (CPV): Fishing & outdoor themes would be nice with green
[16:22:12] PamelaC (CPV): I've added all of them in SEVERAL sections, but haven't sold any yet. I updated my Google feed to include them.
[16:22:18] horselovergurl: i already sold one, so let's keep em around? :)
[16:22:26] shopaholicchick: i used bulk add last week and added them to everything but my i heart shop....cuz green with a mauve heart is just painful to think about
[16:22:58] DafnaCP: ha ha, yes Green and Mauve are a little scary but the nice thing is that each of the products come in black as well
[16:23:09] art313: If they're short term do we have to add them all back again for next year's St Patrick's Day?
[16:23:42] DafnaCP: Nope, the color has been added to products that have additional colors so if we were to remove the Green, it would simply revert to the black.
[16:23:46] webdvl: I've sold a couple of the BLACK fitted shirts, but not the green ones.
[16:23:50] Lorilei: We need to convince American Apparel that we aren't all size sixes
[16:24:24] PamelaC (CPV): :bow: Lorelei
[16:24:26] DafnaCP: Yes, their sizing is a bit limited
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[16:24:46] Lorilei: They might all default to black. But mine aren't all designs that will look good on black
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[16:25:25] PamelaC (CPV): They way my shop is setup, it'll be a royal pain if they disappear or default to black.
[16:26:09] DafnaCP: well, hopefully we can all promote them well and then we can keep them around
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[16:26:31] DafnaCP: ;)
[16:26:39] horselovergurl: i kind of hope they default to black, some of my designs look really strange on the green and i have yet to fix them
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[16:27:00] DafnaCP: For many images it should be a simple fix.
[16:27:34] DafnaCP: You can change the design to white or some other color that will pop with both the green or on a black
[16:27:41] Lorilei: I've been working on redoing several of my designs, tweaking them for green
[16:27:50] DafnaCP: How have you been doing it?
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[16:28:06] Lorilei: Most of my transparent images were designed for black
[16:28:16] PamelaC (CPV): I think lots of SKers are reluctant to put loads of time in adding them only to possibly see them go away. But it's a Catch 22. If they don't add them, they for SURE won't sell and they will for SURE go away. I say add them.
[16:28:19] GalaxyGirl: I work part-time clothing retail, and there's alot of Plus-size women!...looking for stuff their size...CP needs to market to them more!
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[16:29:01] Lorilei: Some of my text is white, but a lot of it would look better black. It shows up great on the green
[16:29:06] shopaholicchick: with bulk add and bulk remove
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[16:29:13] shopaholicchick: it is not a huge deal to add things....
[16:29:27] DafnaCP: Yes, agreed. Those tools are real time savers.
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[16:29:47] shopaholicchick: galaxy from a plus sized woman i agree....i would love to be able to get something other then black or white...and i cannot buy the mens shirts because i have boobs!
[16:29:57] Lorilei: The same designs look good on red, violet, and that turquoise blue, too
[16:30:18] CRschilliger: In bulk add it would be nice if we could chose the default color for the new stuff
[16:30:27] PamelaC (CPV): I don't always do WHITE as an alternative on dark shirts. Many times I do a lighter version of the main color (i.e. lighter green or khaki)
[16:30:34] DafnaCP: Oh I bet that looks really good.
[16:30:40] Lorilei: I wear men's shirts too, but I so love the fit of a women's shirt
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[16:31:21] shopaholicchick: i switched to grey in place of black & white on a lot of my designs LOL so it works on both...but it means work to make the design without black & white
[16:31:33] CRschilliger: Most of my designs go both ways, I don't really design for one or the other. I try to choose colors and outlines that will help things stand out on all of them
[16:31:50] PamelaC (CPV): or a LIGHTER border around the dark areas that "semi-disappears" on light colors but it there when I need it on darks
[16:32:24] webdvl: I do the same thinig on a lot my stuff
[16:33:04] DafnaCP: What colors are you finding look good on the green? Anything that looks terrible?
[16:33:07] PamelaC (CPV): Another SKer taught me that. Then I only have to upload one design and bulk changes are super fast.
[16:34:14] PamelaC (CPV): The light browns/khaki seem to look good, but like all dark colors, do NOT use thin lines or thin fonts!
[16:35:00] DafnaCP: any other dos and don'ts we should know about for the green or darks in general?
[16:36:07] Tropicando: Can't think of any, but Pam is right about using thin elements
[16:36:24] DafnaCP: Britta isn't around be she was insisting that orange looks good on the green. I think that remains to be seen.
[16:36:41] PamelaC (CPV): If you're using Illustrator, you can always add a stroke to thin fonts.
[16:37:20] Lorilei: I'm sure that green/orange thing is one of those eye of the beholder issues...
[16:37:23] PamelaC (CPV): I would think that a fuchsia / hot pink might look good too.
[16:37:54] matisse: orange is a color of Ireland's flag
[16:38:01] DafnaCP: well, that's a good point
[16:38:24] Tropicando: and guiness??
[16:38:38] PamelaC (CPV): When I started using thicker/broader fonts on the dark shirts, I started selling them a lot more.
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[16:38:45] matisse: white, green and orange - I'm using them all together.
[16:38:47] PamelaC (CPV): with very few returns
[16:38:53] shopaholicchick: i think like golden yellows or orangy yellows tend to look good on green
[16:39:02] Tropicando: i don't know my alcohol :(
[16:39:41] DafnaCP: Well I thought we could brainstorm a few of the different kinds of designs/topics that work well for St. Patrick's Day.
[16:39:53] Kate@LittleLizzyLou: Sometimes what looks strange to the SK, is what the customer wants though. I've sold quite a few bizarre color combos.
[16:40:28] DafnaCP: We can start with my favorite…
[16:40:40] DafnaCP: leprechauns!
[16:41:01] PamelaC (CPV): A quick browse of the MP St. Paddy's designs shows the gamut of possibilities!
[16:41:15] PamelaC (CPV): I've sold a few leprechaun designs already.
[16:41:45] DafnaCP: Well I see a lot of Beer/Drinking related things, obviously that's huge.
[16:41:52] thsgirl: lucky and shamrocks
[16:42:04] PamelaC (CPV): Don't forget certain city or state designs.
[16:42:21] DafnaCP: Pamela, can you expand upon the city/state thing?
[16:42:30] Tropicando: I guess that one order in production I have is an leprechaun dog
[16:42:47] webdvl: Kiss Me I'm... is a big one too.
[16:43:01] CRschilliger: I sold a shiny shamrock (proper, three leaf) on a kelly green about an hour after I put it up
[16:43:14] CRschilliger: a lot of people assume four leaf/lucky clovers are shamrock's which buyers will grab them because they don't know either...
[16:43:42] PamelaC (CPV): I did some research on what areas of the US have large Irish populations and targeted a few areas.
[16:43:51] Tropicando: I like the Irish Yoga ones =)
[16:43:56] PamelaC (CPV): Irish for a Day
[16:44:07] CRschilliger: celtic knotwork shamrock designs and tattoo style "lucky" ones are good
[16:44:17] NiftyGaloot: And... We have an Irish President this year... O'Bama ;)
[16:44:21] DafnaCP: LOL!
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[16:44:29] matisse: Boston, New York, etc
[16:44:32] shopaholicchick: i sell more 4 leaf then 3 leaf
[16:44:49] PamelaC (CPV): Also, don't forget about the wee little lads & lassies!
[16:45:13] matisse: Scottie, is that you?
[16:45:18] DafnaCP: Irish pride is another big one
[16:45:26] PamelaC (CPV): Beam me up!
[16:45:35] CRschilliger: shopaholic, it's because people assume a 4-leaf/lucky clover is a shamrock, they both look good but 4-leaf shouldn't be really called shamrocks
[16:45:46] matisse: :-D
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[16:46:24] shopaholicchick: i usually list it as a shamrock/clover
[16:46:28] Lorilei: Otherwise Adam will come after you...
[16:46:46] CRschilliger: Lor *snicker*
[16:46:53] PamelaC (CPV): So 3-leaf is a shamrock and 4-leaf is a lucky clover?
[16:47:10] Tropicando: yes
[16:47:34] PamelaC (CPV): Got it!
[16:47:53] CRschilliger: Pamela, yes, some people actually get really offended when they see it mixed up. *shrug*
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[16:48:00] horselovergurl: i always used to get those confused ;)
[16:48:09] PamelaC (CPV): Got a shamrock design in my head. I'll be sure to use a three leaf!
[16:48:12] Lorilei: Three leaf clover is the normal one. It was used as a device to teach about the Holy Trinity in Ireland
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[16:48:39] shopaholicchick: LOL lori me and adam have had this discussion for 3 years every year he yells at me at st pattys and 4 leaves...and every year i tell him i offer both and the pattys 4 leaves sell better for me LOL
[16:49:04] matisse: I am selling a ton of 5 leaf!
[16:49:06] Lorilei: Oh, well
[16:49:13] DafnaCP: Didn't it used to be blue that was worn, not green?
[16:49:15] PamelaC (CPV): What an education in here!
[16:49:24] Lorilei: He's just being traditional and taking pride in his heritage
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[16:50:16] Tropicando: hey that 5 leaf thing is against cup
[16:50:23] shopaholicchick: lol lori i know...i just tell him to come across the pond and see what they say about it LOL
[16:50:36] DafnaCP: So is anybody changing the look of their shops to make them more festive?
[16:50:45] DafnaCP: or is it mostly about the designs?
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[16:51:10] PamelaC (CPV): Just a countdown banner at the top of St. Paddy's section.
[16:51:21] CRschilliger: I have a wee bit of Irish but not enough to badger people too much :) I have more German. hehe. And Pamela, yes, one neat thing about CP (and the interwebs) is the hugely diverse bunch of knowledge to be shared :)
[16:51:27] PamelaC (CPV): Most of my sales are still MP and CP has done a good job of "greening it up".
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[16:51:50] NiftyGaloot: I just rearrange and move the Holiday designs up front.
[16:52:02] Lorilei: I used to change my colors and such pretty frequently, but I don't do it as much as I used to. I usually change my header for the season, though
[16:52:15] webdvl: I try and do a little something for the different seasons/holidays. I've got a bit of a green background and some St. Pat's designs featured in my header right now.
[16:52:28] shopaholicchick: i move my holiday stuff to the top of the shop
[16:52:36] horselovergurl: i'm going to make banners but that's all really
[16:53:21] CRschilliger: I had been changing a banner and a button on my main shopfront but one is still wintery and one is a heart *rolls eyes* I have too many things on my proverbial plate, plus most my sales are MP. Very few shop
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[16:54:12] DafnaCP: So it seems then that for most people it's enough that the homepage is St. Patified
[16:54:21] Tropicando: You know what- I just realized my st paddy's designs in the basic shops should be permanently Greened Up .
[16:54:29] Lorilei: I don't even bother counting which are MP anymore. It isn't a good use of my time, because most of mine are MP
[16:54:47] DafnaCP: Oh good point! If you have a shop that's specifically for the holiday then you should really go all out!
[16:54:54] i am one: Ive already sold a few Earth Day designs on the green shirts so hopfully they at least stay through April
[16:55:36] CRschilliger: Lor, I don't get enough sales anymore for it to be a pain for me to check, I get maybe one shop sale per 20 MP sales... and that might be between 2-3 months...
[16:55:46] Lorilei: According to which holidays are coming up, I have a representative design in a top section in my storefront
[16:56:17] DafnaCP: Well we're coming to the end of the hour. Any last thoughts?
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[16:56:27] shopaholicchick: i have a holiday shop...so i just rearrange it as the holidasy pass i move them to the bottom
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[16:56:58] shopaholicchick: my last tought is keep green year round and add more plus sized colors
[16:57:04] Lorilei: We love green! We want larger shirts! And we love CP! <3
[16:57:26] CRschilliger: I agree with shopaholic and Lor :)
[16:57:30] Tropicando: Happy st Paddys
[16:57:35] GalaxyGirl: Amen!