Feel free to post your auctions each week on Journal Modiste. There is a handy form that on the site where you can submit your clothing and accessories.

Each day I will pick out of the bunch and will feature them on the homepage

Here is the link: Submit now!

Pictures need to be sized to 125 pixels by 125 pixels. If your picture ends up pink on the preview, submit it anyway. It just means that our image software doesn't read your photo software very well.

Have you ever wondered what makes a great applique? Want to improve your appplique skills? Well do I have an article for you! May I present "Adventures in Applique" written by the very talented Kay of Applikays.

"About twenty years ago, I was shopping at a craft show on vacation and fell in love with some appliqued sweatshirts I saw. They were very expensive, so being an experienced sewer, I studied the appliques and was excited to get home and figure it out."

"I started out with a lavender sweatshirt. I cut hearts out of matching fabrics and pinned them place. Looking back, I can' t believe I thought it looked good and actually wore it! I'd like to share some of what I' ve learned over the years. "

To view the entire article, just login to your account and scroll until you see Articles. It is the first one. Enjoy!

If you want to start a website the first thing you need to think about is getting a domanin name registered. A domain name is the "address" or URL of a particular web site. For example: http://www.website.com. A domain name must be unique.

You can look to see if a potential name is available for you to use by visting Yahoo . Just type in the domain name you were thinking of using and it will tell you if it is taken or not.

If it is, then try different combinations until you find one you like.

Next step is to get it registered. I found that you can register your domain at Yahoo for only $2.99. That is a great deal. You can click on the banner below to be taken to Yahoo and start registering! They will try to get you to sign up for additional services, like hosting, but you don't have to do it (although their hosting plan is pretty reasonable.)

I just registered a bunch of names that I may or may not use. The sooner you register the better - than no one will be able to grab your name before you do.

Confused as to what to sell each season. Use this handy calendar and plan ahead!

• January: Start selling spring-transition items. Short sleeved with wraps or jackets.
• February: Keep selling spring items and introduce Easter items.
• March: Spring & Summer-transition.
• April: Summer
• May: Summer
• June: 4th of July & Summer
• July: Back to School, Fall items
• August: Back to School, Fall and Halloween costumes
• September: Halloween & Fall
• October: Still selling Fall & introduce holiday outfits
• November: Clear out all Fall & Winter items
• December: Consider taking a break and enjoy your holidays. If you must list then do some simple sets.

By Deanna Lucky, The Lucky Princess

EBay is a wonderful outlet that allows designers to sell to the world while never leaving your home! Selling on eBay can be very rewarding, but it also requires you to be multi-faceted as a seller. As a friend of mine recently said, "once I started selling on eBay, I learned that the sewing was the easy part!" A successful auction reflects a seller that is knowledgeable about their product, basic photo editing as well as html. We will outline some of the things to get you started to broadening (or improving) your customer base by selling on eBay.

First off, if you have never bought or sold on eBay before, you will have to register and create a seller ID. Try to choose one that reflects your product and will be easy for customers to remember. EBay has a few different sales options. You can choose to sell in an online auction, where you set an opening bid price and let the consumer determine the sale price via the highest bidder. You may also choose to place a set price on the item where the customer can use a "Buy It Now' system and is usually required to pay for the item immediately. There are non-refundable fees that will be charged to your account when you list your item on eBay. This generally ranges between $0.30 and $4.80 not including optional upgrades and final value fees. It's easy to see that you will want to make the most of your listing…

Research, research, research

Just a few minutes of simple research will greatly improve your sales. Take a moment to first search some of the similar items you are planning to sell. Take a mental note of the dialect used, pictures taken and terms of sale outlined in the auction (but keep in mind that using any part of another seller's auction is strictly against eBay policy). This will give you a good idea of the generally accepted auction template and information that you will need to provide.

Showing Your Product

You want to make sure that your product is reflected to the best of its ability. Research shows that customers (especially women) want to touch and feel the product before they commit to buy. Since that is not an option on eBay, you will want to come as close as you possibly can to this experience. Show the details of your product by using quality photographing equipment and taking crisp, clear and close photographs. You will want to highlight any stitching techniques or color combinations you have chosen. Consider purchasing a mannequin to properly showcase your outfit or child to model your accessories. A customer likes to see how the item fits or is displayed on an actual child.

Photo Editing

Many sellers use a photo editing tool to enhance their photos once they are taken. Adding frames or text to a photo will add that professional touch that just may drive up sales. There are many quality photo-editing software packages such as Adobe PhotoDeluxe and Picture It!. A quick trip to your local software store or Google search will give you an idea of prices and options available with the software title. Be prepared to spend a couple hours playing with the photo tools to get familiar with the software before editing your auction pictures.

Photo Hosting

In order to load your photographs onto the auction page, they will require a third-party host. The host acts like a 'base' that will generate an html code for you to put in the auction for the template to 'grab' and correctly display your image. Some sites offer free image hosting, however many sites do charge for this service. You may want to first check with your ISP to see if they offer free hosting space. Choose a host carefully; some are more dependable than others and you want to make sure your photos are always properly shown to potential buyers. Check out sites such as www.inkfrog.com, www.sparedollar.com as well as www.photobucket.com to compare and contrast your different photo hosting options.

Going Live!

After you have determined a price/selling style for your item and have your photos taken, edited and uploaded to your host, it is time to start your auction. Some sellers will say there are better times than others to start an auction, however with a good product and clear photos, the bidders will come. Take a moment to familiarize yourself with any specific questions you may have about the eBay process with the eBay Glossary: http://pages.ebay.com/help/basics/g-index.html.

Templates

Making the text and layout of the auction attractive is almost as important as the product itself. If you search "auction template" on eBay you will find many sellers who take the stress off of creating a template by allowing you to purchase one and simply fill in your information. If you are not very html savvy, I would recommend paying a bit to purchase a ready-made template. If you are brave enough to create your own, or simply want a fun background to add to your auction try these sites: www.grsites.com or for a crash course in html try www.e-pixs.com/beginners.html.

Description

Making the customer feel comfortable with you as a buyer is imperative. Briefly outline any past sewing/selling experience you have, especially if you are a brand new seller.

When describing your product, make the description clear and concise. Don't be afraid to include specifics on the product (whether the bows are attached to alligator of French clips) and any fabric content and washing instructions. Be sure to list any measurements or dimensions of the product.

Do not use all caps and use a spell-checker to make sure you do not have any misspelled words. You don't want simple mistakes to draw away from what you have to offer in the auction. Include your payment and shipping information, and information about your refund or return policy. Lastly, be sure to use a friendly tone when writing.

Must Haves

EBay offers some upgrades you may apply to your auction to make it stand out. One must-have is a "gallery" photo. This will display a micro image of your item next to the description when the buyer has pulled up a list of items.

Many other options such as adding a bold type-face to your description or adding more text with a subtitle are available. Look around the "sell your item" page to see what you think will enhance your boutique auction.

Submit

Once you submit your auction, you are ready to go. Be ready for any questions from buyers who use the "ask seller a question" option. Answer promptly and conduct yourself in a professional manner.

Completing the Sale

Depending on the length of your auction, within 10 days you will know the sales price and be expected to send the buyer an invoice through eBay or PayPal with your desired payment methods. Package your item nicely and professionally, and wait for the buyer to pay for the item. Ship promptly and you will be on your way to building a strong client base.