Weekend Wrap Up ~ Lots Of Shots

This weekend, for the first time I had 2 photo shoots in ONE day! It was exciting and exhausting. Both models are brand new to Innov8ive Knit's modeling team and I am so pleased to have them join the group! Saturday morning before the southern sun got high in the sky, I had the pleasure of working with little miss Abigail. She is a whole 4 months old and has the most gorgeous blue eyes! I had her modeling the newborn owl hat in pink. I can't wait to get the photos up in the store. Expect to see it within the next few days.

After I got home, I squeezed in a little grocery shopping and a nap then headed across the bay to the beautiful Spanish Fort to photograph the next brand new model to the team. Kristen is a gorgeous blond haired, green eyes bombshell. Not only is she a beautiful model, she is a trooper like no other! We spent hours in the very hot hot hot southern air and even did a little stomping through some woodlands to get shots for not 1, not 2, but 3 products. She didn't complain even a smidgen. We had an absolute blast.  Kristen is also an aspiring photographer as well and is taking classes with me. Here is a quick look into the shots from the very long, hot, and oh so fun shoot.

I am so thrilled that I have an excuse to be off work to get in some much needed rest AND the time to focus on my store it is easy to forget why I have the time off in the first place. This time is set aside to celebrate the freedom of being allowed to take time off of work and the people and families who have given everything to make that possible. So while we should all enjoy this time we are so blessed to have, make sure to pay tribute and say thank you for the opportunity to be able to do so in the first place. Have a great holiday weekend and check the store periodically for new listings now that I have some great shots for them!

Innov8ive Knits Marvelous Models

As many of you know, I am in the process of getting my photography certificate from the University of South Alabama. I am working on perfecting my photography skills so I can ultimately photograph every item that appears in my store or website. Not only do I enjoy taking and editing photos, I think it means a lot more that I am involved in every aspect of my store and don't let someone else take control of my creativity.


I've always offered incentives to my models as a Thank You for participating but I really wanted to step this up a bit. It's a big deal to me when someone volunteers to work with me on making my store the best it can be. 


As a result of my wanting to show how much I appreciate all of my model participants I have developed a "club" of sorts to group all of my models in. This club will be called: Innov8ive Knits' Marvelous Models or IKMM! 


Here's whatcha get as a model!

•  All the models get copies of their edited photos without my logo to do with them whatever they want - I have had models frame my photography in their home and even  include them in Christmas holiday cards.
• Each time a you are used as a model you receive a 15% discount coupon that is good for a month to use on any item in my store as well as use towards a custom item. Also get get free hand delivery since you are local. That means no shipping fees for you!
• When I add a new item to my store IKMM's get an EXCLUSIVE full 24 hour chance to purchase that item before it becomes available to the public. 
• Any time that I run a sale on my products IKMM's are able to receive an additional 10% discount on top of the sale price (this can not be used in conjunction with a modeling coupon)

How to Participate:

• I am currently needing models male and female in ALL ages.
• If you or your child(ren) are interested in participating, please contact me.
•  Include in your email: name, age, contact info, general availability, and a photo of the interested participant. If you are a parent of the submitted model please make sure to mention that so I know who to keep contact with and am not trying to email a toddler :)

The Nitty Gritty:

• As a model you must be OK with my using the photos from your session in any way I see fit - for Innov8ive Knit's Etsy listings, FB page (including tagging), Twitter account, any and all advertising/marketing material, etc. Be confident however your pictures will never be used in an inappropriate way. This business is family friendly and portrays a clean, safe, and professional environment.
• IK has the right to cancel this club at any time rendering all coupons and promotions void.
• IK has the right to add or remove any of the members at any time. This is mainly to assure that the club is not abused and is fair to all participants.
• Last but not least have a great time! I love photography, and interacting with you guys. 

Here's some examples of photography that I have done for my store if you haven't checked out my FB or Etsy store before:

 No experience is required for this and it's a fun way to get some pictures! I have a lot of openings at the moment so if you have any questions or are just curious please don't hesitate to contact me!

Weekend Wrap Up ~ Trip & New Endeavours

This weekend I made another visit to one of my closest friends up in Auburn. We always have such a great time together. She just found out she's having a little bundle of joy and I will be making her new addition a special blanket. I haven't started it yet and she hasn't picked out the colors but here's what the pattern will look like:

http://www.ravelry.com/projects/iHodge/tumbling-blocks-blankie-80661ad
(not my picture or work - see link for details)

I think this is SO cute and I can't wait to get started on it for her!

I had a little excitement of my own this week as well - my first international order. Innov8ive Knits is officially international. That is so exciting for me. It's amazing how many people from how many places get to see my work. 


I have 2 things to thank to my special sale this week and a tremendous jump in my views & favorites. For the first time I tried out Etsy's search ads. For a reasonable amount of money I got approximately 14% more views than I would have without it. Along with that, I went through and re-did my listing titles and tags to improve my SEO (search engine optimization). It certainly made a difference in my stats this week and I'm very pleased with the results.


Another new thing that I've gotten involved in is that I'm now a proud boutique partner for Oleo O Models (click me).

 This is a great little modeling business that provides precious models in professional photographs for small business like me. I will be sending out a few of my flower clips for some of the models this coming Tuesday. The girls I chose are cuter than cute and I can't wait to see what I get back! 


I started my photography class this month and once I complete it, I plan to take a large chunk of my store photography myself on local models. I enjoy photography and being self sufficient is exciting and important. Up until this point all the photography on my site has been mine. I an excited to get some professional shoots as well as looking forward to improving my skills in photography as well.


I have a lot of things to tackle this week. Hopefully this week will be as productive as the last!