New Michigan Patterned Notecards

In my last blog post, I mentioned that I recently added a bunch of new notecard inventory to my Etsy shop, and I focused specifically on all the new color options I had for my Great Lakes notecards. While those are my most popular notecards, my other Michigan-themed cards also sell quite well - and I now have new color options for my "patterned" Michigan cards, too! Like my Great Lake cards, my patterned Michigan cards are also available in pre-packaged variety packs, or through my U-Pick listing, which is perfect for anyone wanting a full set of a single design, or the chance to create their own variety pack.

First, I'll show you my "If You Seek a Patterned Peninsula" pack, which includes one of each of the eight color options featuring both the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan.

My other pre-packed set of patterned Michigan cards is my "Under the Bridge" set, which includes one of each of the six color options featuring just the lower peninsula.

I also have a U-Pick listing. Choose 6, 8, or 10 notecards, and get all cards in the same design - or pick amongst all 14 design options to curate your perfect variety pack. If you like surprises, you can instead choose to include a message with your order specifying what you're generally looking for (e.g. "random assortment" or "blues and greens") and I will send you 6, 8, or 10 different cards meeting your request as best as I am able.

The 14 patterned Michigan designs available are:

• 1406 - Water Under the Bridge (Blue)
• 1407 - Summer Under the Bridge (Green)
• 1408 - Rust Under the Bridge (Red)
• 1409 - Bruises Under the Bridge (Purple & Green)
• 9911 - Love Under the Bridge (Red & Blue)
• 9912 - Midnight Under the Bridge (Purple)
• 1401 - If You Seek a Patterned Peninsula (Michigan in Pink)
• 1402 - If You Seek a Patterned Peninsula (Michigan in Gold)
• 1403 - If You Seek a Patterned Peninsula (Michigan in Violet)
• 9913 - If You Seek a Patterned Peninsula (Michigan in Indigo)
• 9914 - If You Seek a Patterned Peninsula (Michigan in Red)
• 9915 - If You Seek a Patterned Peninsula (Michigan in Teal)
• 9916 - If You Seek a Patterned Peninsula (Michigan in Blue)
• 9917 - If You Seek a Patterned Peninsula (Michigan in Turquoise)

New Great Lakes Notecards

I recently made the difficult decision to increase the prices of my notecards on Etsy... I worry about losing potential customers, many of whom I'm sure were buying my notecards because they were such a great deal - but the truth is, I was barely making any profit from my notecard sales once you take into consideration the cost of the notecard paper and envelopes, printing ink, the clear plastic boxes I package all notecard sets in, shipping materials (bubble wrap and mailing envelopes), USPS priority shipping costs, and the multitude of fees Etsy charges per listing and per sale. 

The good news is, even though my notecards now cost a little more... there are also a TON of new designs and colors to choose from, because I also added a BUNCH of new inventory, as well as new package options, in all 3 of my notecard categories (abstract designs, floral designs, and Michigan-themed notecards)!

I am so excited about these new packages that I'm planning several more blog posts to feature all the new options... but if you don't want to wait for the blog posts, you can head on over to my Etsy shop now to see what's all available - all the new listings are already live! 

Today's blog post is going to be all about my Great Lakes notecards - by far my most popular style. I now have 4 different Great Lakes notecard listings (before I only had one). The first is the U-Pick option (the one that was already available), but with several more color options to choose from. This listing is great for those who want to purchase a set of notecards where all cards are the same color, OR for people who want to pick their own variety pack. 

You can select a set of 6, 8, or 10 notecards, and there are now 24 different color options available. I also created a four-digit-code for each color, to make it easier to select your desired color(s), as well as to make it easier for me to keep track of. My Great Lakes notecards are now available in:

• 1709 - Copper
• 1714 - Coral
• 9909 - Peach
• 1710 - Yellow & Blue
• 9902 - Gold
• 9905 - Yellow
• 1708 - Rainbow
• 1715 - Circus (a.k.a. Green, Pink, & Yellow)
• 1713 - Pink & Green
• 1911 - Pebbles (a.k.a. Brown, Green, & Blue)
• 1504 - Blue-Green
• 1711 - Green
• 1501 - Valentine (a.k.a. Red, Pink, & Purple)
• 9908 - Fire & Ice (a.k.a. Red & Blue)
• 1502 - Carnation (Pink & Purple)
• 9904 - Purple
• 9910 - Indigo (a.k.a. Dark Blue-Violet)
• 1503 - Blue-Violet
• 1712 - Denim
• 9901 - True Blue
• 9906 - Tie Dye (a.k.a. Blue & Purple)
• 9903 - Turquoise
• 1912 - Blue-Black
• 9907 - Gray

Besides the popular U-Pick listing, I also now have 3 other options - pre-packaged variety sets in coordinating color schemes: cool colors, warm colors, and "fun" colors (which are the color combinations which include both warm and cool colors on the same card).

The "Cool Colors" listing is for these 10 notecards:

The "Warm Colors" listing is for these 8 notecards:

And the "Fun Colors" listing is for these 6 notecards:

These 3 listings highlight potential color schemes and take the guesswork out of creating a variety pack. Love the "natural" watery look of the blue and green shades? Get the "Cool Colors" pack. Are you buying these cards as a gift, and you know your gift's recipient prefers pink or yellow? Then the "Warm Colors" pack is the perfect choice. Want to find the six most unique Great Lakes notecards anywhere? The "Fun Colors" pack is exactly what you're searching for.

On the other hand, if you like surprises, there's another way to get a variety pack with little effort on your part - head over to my U-Pick listing, select "variety pack", and include a message with your order explaining what you're looking for. Ask for a random assortment and I'll include 6, 8, or 10 different cards (depending on the quantity ordered) of any of the 24 available color options. Or tell me you prefer earth tones, or feminine colors, or bright designs - however you want to describe your favorite hues - and I'll give you a random assortment within your specifications. It's that easy!

Check back soon for more blog posts featuring other new notecard sets!

Matthaei Botanical Gardens Conservatory - Succulents

As I mentioned in my last post, I visited the Matthaei Botanical Gardens in Ann Arbor in early April. Nothing was yet growing outside, but the conservatory had plenty of interesting plants to look at, especially in the succulent room. There were so many bizarre cacti and other spiky plants, many of which were in flower at the time. Here are some of my favorite photos, below:

Matthaei Botanical Gardens Conservatory - Tropical Plants

I recently visited the Matthaei Botanical Gardens in Ann Arbor. It was early April, so there was nothing yet growing outside - but there were some lovely tropical plants and some interesting cacti and succulents in the Conservatory (the green house), which I took several photos of. For today's post, I'll show some of my favorite tropical plant photos. (Check back soon for a second post of succulent photos.)