Teaser: Grand Reopening Shenanigans (and giveaways)

Let the shenanigans commence!

Happy New Year's Eve, folks!  Thought I'd drop by and let you know -well, give you a teaser, at least- about the shenanigans Skelekitty and I have planned for the New Year.

We're Moving!  As you may already know, I've been slowly moving all of my in-stock items from the ArtFire and Etsy shops over to my new store, which will be located at Skelekitty.com (you can click it now for a sneak peek).  I am getting ready to launch LATER THIS WEEK and will be celebrating with some deals, coupons and yep, GIVEAWAYS!

FREE STUFF!!  While I will be giving away stuff from my own stash, I'm also in cahoots with other folks, including some familiar brands like Corporate Rejects members Madd Style Cosmetics and Brooke Van Gory Designs, as well as some folks I'm excited to introduce to my fan base:  You will meet ceramicist extraordinaire Sara Lynch, my favorite geek-pop band The Kimberly Trip, and the wild and wooly Bewhiskered (not just for kids).  Each of these artists are donating something extra cool, probably chosen by yours truly!  I have a few other people I'm talking to, so keep your eyes peeled on the blog for all the prize details, including how to enter for each giveaway.

The New Shopping Experience:  The new shop interface is very customizable and will allow me to modify it based on customer feedback.  While shopping, you will be able to sort items by type and theme (Day of the Dead, Geekery, etc.), and can also search by key word or title, if you wish.  If there's something you can't figure out or something you wish you could do, drop me a note by e-mail or by using the "contact" page on the new site.

Payment Options: The number and type of payment methods accepted on the new Skelekitty.com will expand to include PayPal, Google Checkout and secure credit card checkout processed by Stripe.  Yay!  I know many of you will be thrilled that direct credit card checkout is returning!


The Shops Left Behind (sad trombone):  For those wondering what's going to happen with the current shops on ArtFire and Etsy, here is my current plan:

• Etsy (krissi.etsy.com): I've never had much luck with the famous Etsy traffic, which isn't to say it might work for other brands and shops.  As it is, I sell about enough there to cover my fees.  The items in the shop now will remain through February when those listings expire, and then I'll reevaluate the situation.  Payment on Etsy will be via PayPal only.  I recently learned that there is little protection for sellers when it comes to fraudulent or cancelled custom orders; therefore, the Etsy shop will probably contain only ready-to-ship overflow, clearance items and prints.
• ArtFire (skelekitty.artfire.com):  I had a good three-year run on ArtFire and probably would have stayed if there hadn't been so many technical glitches, surprise rollouts and bad communication.  With that said, I know I have customers who go there first, so that shop will remain open for at least the first few months of 2013 and will probably carry prints only, with the occasional clearance or overflow item.  Payment on ArtFire will be through PayPal only.

Keep your eyes peeled on the blog for the big date and, if you haven't done so already, sign up for the newsletter (upper right hand on my blog).  There will be some newsletter only giveaways!

In the meantime,

Happy 2013!  Krissi & Skelekitty