a New Beginning, a New Future, a New Addition

Today I am glad to bring to the world the beginning of a new venture for DAJaHSI greetings (parent company of Handcrafted by LaMar).

Today I introduced on my Etsy Shop 'Diaper Cakes'.

The first cake, 'Winnie the Pooh 4 Tier Diaper Cake' (not yet posted in shop) is made with Huggies Pampers and all baby's little needs. The second cake '4 Tier Mint Diaper Cake' also made with Huggies (megapack) Pampers with all baby's little needs; bibs, wash cloth sets, comb and brush, pacifier, lotions and much more. The center of all our cakes are made with either baby bottles, bath needs or cardboard. We are offering different characters, teddy bears and different colors. With the '4 Tier Mint Diaper Cake' we are giving away this card...



Online a 3 tier diaper cake runs for as little as $109 (without shipping), but Handcrafted by LaMar is charging $70.00 for a 4 tier diaper cake (without shipping). We can also add extras or just certain items that you would like.
We ship all items through U.S.P.S. (diaper cakes are shipped Priority Mail Only) but we can ship it via UPS/FEDEX/DHL (fees will be invoiced).

So show them you care, let them they have been on your mind and prepare the new addition with all his/her needs with a Diaper Cake from 'Handcrafted by LaMar', Your Online Card and Gift Shop!

3 Day Overstocked Leap Year SALE!!

Well fresh out the bosses office (my mind), it has been agreed that we will be having a 3 Day Overstocked Leap Year SALE!
Yes, overstocked!
I have a bit too much material here and my wife is not too kind to the mess, so I am trying to get rid of it the best way I know how, a SALE!

So here it is...buy my '4 Floral Blank Card Set' and I will give you any card in my shop for FREE.
(You can convo me the FREE card or email at lamar@handcraftedbylamar.com)

These cards are great for any occasion, Mothers Day, Birthdays, Friends/Friendships, Easter and just because you are that type of person to give a card to someone who means something to you.

Thats 4 blank cards and a fifth card for FREE!
The fifth card can be blank or personalized for FREE.
So don't miss out on this offer, visit my shop NOW!
Handcrafted by LaMar

Thank You Note....

I have been like a worker bee lately. With new designs, off line sales and my newly opened EBay Shop, I've been working hard.
Recently I have done a custom order for a great customer who had this to say:

"They are totally not at all what I expected. These are unbelievably amazing! I was expecting graphic art printed onto card stock." "...Handcrafted doesn't quite express all the effort that's gone into these. Original art, texture. I need to add another post to by blog about them."

by:

Terri Collins
www.callidora.etsy.com
Callidora - a gift of beauty

"Yea! I received my beautiful card yesterday and I am so happy with it. It was prettier than I expected. I admire your talent. You do great work. Thank you."

by:

DesignsbyTrisha

"FABULOUSLY cute card! I can't get over how big it is! I was surprised and now i'm in love with it! I want to give it to my husband now now now!

by:

MichellesCharmWorld

Just these few thank yous and compliments have helped me push harder. I have been doing constant 'cold calling', and showing my products to any and everyone who would look. This in turn got me a phone call order to make a few samples for a Baby Shower in April. Excited, I quickly hung up and made 5 samples for the my new customers to see within that week. Needless to say they loved them all,but favored 2 out of 5, and then narrowed it down to one.

(sorry I have not an image of it yet, but I will get it up here soon)
That put a big smile on my face. Many new crafters and even those who have been crafting for a while know this feeling of greatness or the coming to greatness and this is what I am feeling now.

So this post is dedicated to you, all of my customers and loyal supporters... Thank You! for without you I may still be pulling out my hair...(smile) The next step for 'Handcrafted by LaMar' is to offer, more boxed assorted card sets and different holiday gift packages. For the coming Holiday, Easter, we will be offering a 'Easter Basket Gift Package', which will include our newly designed Easter cards, scented candles (for candle burners), and a small bag of assorted candy all in a Chinese carton with Easter decorations and as always at an affordable price. So look out for that.

Again I want to thank every one who has visited my shop, gave me a heart and hearted a few of my items. Look for my new shop coming to ecrater.com, with wholesale prices and DAJaHSI.com, for complete wholesale buys.

Again Thank You!

Do You BOGO?

BOGO with a new promo offer by 'Handcrafted by LaMar'.

This promo is like no other you have ever seen or heard done on the web today.


Buy One Get One FREE-BOGO.
Buy any card and I will give you any card FREE.

Don't forget I also do FREE personalization!
Say what you want in both cards or have them left blank so you can still say what you want... Come on DO YOU BOGO?


Rules and Conditions:
*This BOGO promo includes all cards and card sets.
*Cards sets are not available as Get One FREE option!
*Personalization is FREE.
*Cards are shipped USPS First Class Mail.

Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

We Marched, protested
Rallied and stood on line.
We fought, contested
Faced reality and made headlines.
We have been hung, beaten
Used and abused.
We have been raped, mistreated
And made into fools.

He,
had a dream!
That one day I can live in peace
and receive my rightful due
like the Jews, for crimes committed
instead of being locked away in rooms
where no lights omitted.

He,
had a dream!
That one day I will be able to go where I please,
sit anywhere on the bus,
'Back or front'.
Enter any establishment and eat.
Use any sink and wash our hands.
Be recognized by society
A proud Black Man
Because Dr Martin Luther King Jr had a dream...

written by La-Mar D. Lynch
1/19/05

Expansion and Marketing...

My craft has brought me lots of joy as I am sure for those who craft it has brought them joy and for those who buy crafted products find joy in its beauty. I've been making handcrafted greeting cards for just about 2 years, but have been drawing since junior high school and worked in the fashion industry before taking my craft to the next level and did I mention that I write poetry...

Well the great thing is, I am here and don't plan on leaving without reaching my desired goal. I have spent about a year building my first website (which is still up and running and starving for attention) http://www.dajahsigreetings.com I dealt with every aspect of the business then, freelance web designers, artist and lawyers. Plus at that time all my cards were hand drawn. Then went through the phase of giving up but found a niche that was already there, handcrafted greeting cards! So as a business person trying to truly make it in the world I did all my research and checked all the trends and etc. with my craft.
I took the plunge and created a 2-fold love/romance card. I thought the card was great with its heart embossed cut-out with the theme,
'Only you have the key to my heart'.



Long story short, I put all my efforts into creating more cards as fast I could and taking them to friends and family to get feedback.
At the end of 2007 I created 2 Christmas card designs and had them sold in a local store.

To my surprise they did well and received great feedback. I then I thought, that there are some many places I can not reach, so the internet became my FREE airline to everywhere. I posted my first cards January 10th on Etsy.com and in about a weeks time I received a lot of hearts and praise on my 'style and taste' and that fast I had 5 sales. Though it was not how it went in my dreams, ( laugh) it was a great feeling to know that I was bound to break down doors and make great strides toward fulfilling my dreams. I began to post numerous free and paid ads, post in forum after forum and any/every thing else to be seen.

I created promotions geared more to spreading the word of my shop(s)/website(s) then toward just turning a dollar.

I just opened a new shop at http://www.handcraftedbylamar.ecrater.com
and with this great new blog and the many forums on the internet I've been running back and forth pushing the envelope and promoting my cards. I have also joined many groups all over the place, but the best group thus far I would have to say is Etsy Artist of Color

I have also made my domain name much easier to remember and be found , http://www.handcraftedbylamar.com , which will bring you to my shop at Etsy; where the best in handcraft is sold...

I am trying it all. Soon I will introduce my own teddy bears, tagged with my company name and designed by yours truly which will have greetings/small messages on their garments and will have matching accessories. Look for Handcrafted Bears this year and I will offer custom orders too!
Also this year I will reach out to my fellow Etsy shop owners to combine products for better sales at discounted prices and I will hopefully be introducing the Crafted by Hand magazine, filled with featured items, features on artist from Etsy and more great ways for getting exposure.

The point here is to expand, market and reach for the stars, because I've always been told, 'a closed mouth never gets feed.' and boy am I hungry...

And the winners of the Handcrafted by LaMar FREE card give-a-way are...

I would like to thank every one who has particapated in this give-a-way and say to those who were not winners this month, Please know your name is still in the drawing for next month so you too can be a winner.

Yes we have 2 winners for the January lottery of the Handcrafted by LaMar FREE card give-a-way...

Our first winner:
littleladyboutique (http://www.littleladyboutique.etsy.com) who has won,'Time to Celebrate", an item that has been well bragged about and loved by many.

Feedback: "Yea! I received my beautiful card yesterday and I am so happy with it. It was prettier than I expected. I admire your talent. You do great work. Thank you." DesignsByTrisha (etsy buyer)

This handcrafted card with semi-gloss white cardstock is mounded with our pink/brown sorbet stripe paper, ice pink cardstock all on a cardboard like cardstock. Raised atop the surface of these wonderful colors is an insert with a silk polyester ribbon tied bow, that has a hand drawn pink icing cupcake with one candle and color sprinkles colored with Staedtler karat aquarell pencils. This image is drawn upon order to give it a better look then photo copying and was drawn by La-Mar D Lynch.

Our second winner:
jjcrochet(http://www. jjcrochet.etsy.com) who has won,'Cup O Friend', one of my newest designs listed.

Feedback: "This is a great card. I couldn't think of a better card to give to my best friend who has been there for me through all my ups and downs. I surely will be buy the majority of my cards from this online card shop for now on." Stephanie Smith (retail buyer)

This handcrafted card is made with semi-gloss white cardstock with a plum purple cardstock background, our plum mint sorbet stripe paper, lilac cardstock and purple silk polyester ribbon. The insert is a stamp colored with Staedtler karat aquarell pencils.

To those who also participated in this give-a-way, I truly appreciate you and the love you have shown my shop and items. Please do not forget your name(s) are still in the lottery for next month. This promo will go on for the entire year so you may not have won today but you surely may win the drawing.
Again I Thank You!

*Please check this blog every week for new items/cards, promos and contest. There will also be a small feature of our winners of every month, showing off their shops and goods (for sellers) and feedback (for those who are just buyers).