10 posts tagged “beaded banner patterns”

I have posted some new FREE beaded banner patterns downloadable in a pdf format.  You can find the new patterns here:

http://www.beadedbannersbybonnie.com/FreePatterns.html 

I am also developing a new website for Beaded Banners by Bonnie.  It is still under construction but you are welcome to check out the progress at:

http://www.beadedbannersbybonnie.com/default.html

I have also made some changes to my existing site.  The slideshow with the beaded banner patterns I have designed have been broken down into smaller slideshows to make viewing easier.  The patterns with the higher pattern numbers are the more recent ones and are in the top slideshow.  You can view the slideshows and more items here:

http://www.beadedbannerpatterns.com/

Check out my beaded banner supplies including beaded banners rods and end caps, pony beads, beaded banner thread, beaded banner blank grid, and other items for sale in my Ebay store:

http://stores.ebay.com/Beaded-Banners-by-Bonnie-and-More?refid=store

Stay tuned for new and exciting things from the new website.  Check back regularly for progress!

Bonnie Matthews

Beaded Banners by Bonnie

fyremonksgal@msn.com

Customer service has been in the forefront of my mind lately, mainly because customers keep putting it there, so I thought I would share some thoughts. I know, you probably are thinking this is going to be a negative post but it’s not, it is very positive.

I am being told over and over again about how great my customer service is and people thank me all the time for “going out of my way” for them. Maybe it is because I am just a small business, one person operation type thing. Maybe it is because for years I worked in doctor’s offices and no matter how I felt, most of the time the patients felt worse and I knew that so I went out of my way to treat them nice. Maybe it is because I treat others like I would like to be treated. Maybe it is because I have had such rotten customer service from various businesses over the years. Maybe it is because I don’t know any better. Maybe it is because I am just trying to do what it is right. Maybe it is because all I am doing is helping someone else.

Or maybe it is all of the above?

Recently a gentleman emailed me and said he doesn’t like to pay online, he likes to send money orders. No problem I told him. I have several customers like that. He was surprised. The more we emailed I found out he was disabled and unable to get out much and he made beaded banners as gifts for people. Long story short, because he placed a fairly good sized pattern order, I cut him a little break on the patterns and postage. Then he placed a good size beaded banner rods and end caps order and I threw in a free spool of thread. He was again surprised. I told him I knew he was going to be a good customer and I knew he had troubles and what I was doing wasn’t much really, but just wanted to help him out a little. He emailed to me:

“Thank you. You have been so patient and I appreciate that you will go out of your way in what you do especially for people who are at a disadvantage of being disabled who can’t get out much.”

I really didn’t do that much but it meant a lot to him.

I recently had another customer who was from Canada. No matter what I tried doing, the shipping was so much compared to shipping within the U.S. She knew I made a couple trips to the Post Office trying to figure out the best way and then also checked about shipping UPS for her. I couldn’t see her having to pay so much for shipping and in the end I saved her a total of $2 on her order of rods and beads. She wrote:

It's been a pleasure...I look forward to doing more business with you. You are the first that has ever gone out of their way to find the cheapest rate for me and for that I am grateful.....Thanks again!”

Again, not much extra work from my end and nothing more than what I would want someone to do for me, but it meant a lot to her.

The best part with both of these people is that I have gained customers who will be ordering quite a bit more (they have both told me this) as well as email buddies (I email with both of them on a regular basis now).

These aren’t the only customers that have commented on my customer service nor are they the only ones that have become friends as well as customers. I have a gal in Massachusetts who found me on a craft site I first sold on and she and I have become good friends. She as well as a few other customers are disabled or senior citizens and their checks come once a month. I understand that and have worked with several of them concerning their orders and payments. Why not? I am going to be there some day and I hope businesses afford me the same courtesy.

I had another lady that found my website because she was unhappy with the service she was receiving from another site. After a couple orders from me for beads and patterns she wrote:

“About a year ago I sent a check to ***** to join the pattern club, I included a copy of the order from the site. I never heard from them and emailed to see if they received my check, I NEVER heard back from them. I emailed them 3 times, they never had the courtesy to write back. I was going to send another check if they would tear up the first one if they ever did receive it. That is very bad business ethics! I really appreciate your friendliness and excellent business know how!!”

Again, this customer and I email often now. All of these customers were anxious for updates regarding my recent surgery and I also inquire about their lives and how things are going. And from a business aspect, the great thing is that they keep ordering from me. These customers are just a few examples of many in the short time I have been in business and I guess that is why Beaded Banners by Bonnie keeps growing.

I just don’t understand why companies don’t want to give good customer service because it is obvious that just doing what is right with your customers comes back to you in many good ways.

I will end this with some of my recent Ebay feedback which shows again that providing good customer service whether it be answering questions, shipping promptly, good quality products, or going out of your way to help a customer is the best way to do business!

 Reduced: 99% of original size [ 641 x 786 ] - Click to view full image

Beaded Banners by Bonnie……and more……

Just wanted to give some updates on Beaded Banners by Bonnie and what I have available and what is new.

PONY BEADS:

I posted some pony beads on Ebay and on my website a while ago just to see how they would sell. It was slow at first but now I am selling them pretty consistently. Because of that I have started ordering in extra bags of beads when I place orders for ones I need and am building up a nice stock of beads so they are available for customers. The beads can be found here:

http://stores.ebay.com/Beaded-Banners-by-B...1QQftidZ2QQtZkm

There are many, many colors of beads I can order so please feel free to contact me if you need certain colors. I don’t always get the extra bags posted right away and I can place an order for ones that you need and have them within just a couple days usually. I am also working on charts with colors and prices and sizes of beads that will soon be posted on my website. I can order opaque, transparent, matte, and glitter in many various colors.

THREAD:

I also began posting thread in my Ebay store and customers have also started showing interest in the thread. This thread is available in many colors and lasts long because it has 125 yards on a spool. The beaded banner thread is available here:

http://stores.ebay.com/Beaded-Banners-by-B...1QQftidZ2QQtZkm

BEADED BANNER RODS & END CAPS:

I continue to sell a lot of the very hard to find beaded banner rods and end caps. Here is the information regarding the rods and end caps:

RODS & END CAP SETS:

All Rods come with caps on both ends. Rods are a minimum of 13 inches long and can be up to 14 inches in length and are approximately 1/8 inch in diameter. The rods fit through the 6x9mm pony beads. They do not fit through the mini pony beads (see below). The end caps are removable so that you can cut the rod to a shorter length, however they do not fall off easily and will stay on a completed banner.

Rods are available here:

http://stores.ebay.com/Beaded-Banners-by-B...7QQftidZ2QQtZkm

SPECIAL ORDER RODS:
If you need rods cut to a certain length I can do that for you. The price will be the same. Just order the number of rods that you want and then EMAIL ME immediately at fyremonksgal@msn.com what size you want them cut to. They can be cut in any combination (for instance 5 at 7 inches and 5 at 11 inches OR 3 at one size, 3 at another, and 4 at another). Just be specific in your email. DO NOT PUT YOUR MESSAGE IN PAYPAL.....for some reason we do not always get those messages.

SMALLER RODS:
I have some rods that are thinner than the usual ones and will fit in the mini pony beads. They will have a little bit different looking end cap on it because the ones pictured will not stay on them. Again, if you want the thinner rods, place your order and immediately email me at fyremonksgal@msn.com and tell me you want the smaller ones. DO NOT PUT YOUR MESSAGE IN PAYPAL or you will get the larger diameter rods because I may not get the message.

END CAPS:
The inside diameter of the end caps are 1/8".

End caps are available here:
http://stores.ebay.com/Beaded-Banners-by-B...2QQftidZ2QQtZkm

BEADED BANNER PATTERNS & KITS:

I started posting kits on Ebay. Some of the kits are from patterns I have designed and sometimes I have an extra kit that I purchased that I will post. Regarding the patterns I have designed, I will make up kits for any of those so if you see a banner or pattern that I designed and you want a complete kit of that pattern, just ask.

I still haven’t posted the patterns I have designed on Ebay but they are available by contacting me at fyremonksgal@msn.com. If you go to my website at www.bannersbybonnie.com you can sell most of the patterns I designed in the first slideshow. If you see something you want, just email me for prices. The prices are anywhere from $3 to $8 with most of them being $4 and $5. The $3 ones are small ones with the more expensive ones being the larger ones that need personalization of names or dates. Those prices are for me printing them out and then shipping is extra. I can email them in a pdf file instead of printing and mailing them to you, BUT they will NOT be true to size in most cases. In other words, if you build your banners over the pattern like I do they will not work and you will need for me to print them out and mail them. However, if you work with the pattern to the side of the banner and size of the pattern isn't important, then I can email the patterns as a pdf file for you to print out and the cost per pattern is less and obviously there is no shipping.

I have posted some patterns on Ebay that I did not design. They are extra copies I have of patterns that I bought either in assortments or duplicate kits. If I have bought a kit for the second time I don't need a second (or third) pattern, so I post the extra pattern on Ebay because I only need one copy myself. In addition, I have purchased pattern assortments a few times from Herschners I think. The first time I did it I got two different assortments and they were all different patterns. The second time I did I ordered three assortments but it was three exact same sets of patterns plus a couple were in the that first order I got! So that is why I have the extra copyrighted patterns to post on Ebay. Please do not ask me to make copies of patterns and sell them to you. If I have an extra that I purchased it will be posted. If I don’t have an extra I won’t make a copy of it to sell you. I don’t want people doing that with my patterns and I won’t do that with someone else’s patterns. Thanks for your understanding!

Here are where the patterns are posted:
http://stores.ebay.com/Beaded-Banners-by-B...5QQftidZ2QQtZkm

Here are where the kits are posted:
http://stores.ebay.com/Beaded-Banners-by-B...1QQftidZ2QQtZkm

I am working on some ideas for my own website and a shopping cart on there so that you can buy direct from my website. Stay tuned for more news on that in the future!

One last thing I wanted to mention is that I accept payments by Paypal or money order, so please do not feel that you have to use Paypal if you are not comfortable with that. I am also working on a way for my customers to pay by credit card without using Paypal. I personally use Paypal all the time for many things, but I know there are people that prefer to pay a different way and I am working on alternatives.

Happy Beading!

Bonnie Matthews
Beaded Banners by Bonnie
Email: fyremonksgal@msn.com
My Website: http://www.bannersbybonnie.com
My Ebay Store: http://stores.ebay.com/Beaded-Banners-by-B...ore?refid=store

Don't forget to check out my website www.bannersbybonnie.com  for your free beaded banners instructions as well as free patterns all of which are available as immediate downloads for you.

I got myself in a predicament this week.

As most of you know that would be reading this blog, I design and sell beaded banner patterns and supplies and also completed beaded banners.  I am always on the lookout for new patterns and sometimes kits (if the price is right).  Because of that I have a search set up on Ebay for “beaded banners” and I get an email on a daily basis of any new beaded banner items listed on Ebay.

I am always wanting to add to my collection of patterns which at this time is up to 120 that I have designed and over 100 that I have obtained from kits or patterns purchases from other places.  When I find a kit cheap on Ebay I buy it and also there are some kits I have purchased just because I love the pattern and want it bad enough that I will buy a whole kit even though I have thousands of beads at home and all the supplies to make banners without needing a kit.  In addition, I have made purchases from a couple places online when they have offered 10 or 20 pattern assortments and even kit assortments.

Because of purchasing assortments of patterns as well as assortments of kits a few times and also because I have purchased duplicates of kits several times if the price is right and kit is cheaper than what the supplies would be, I have extra patterns that I have not designed that I have sold.  I don’t need more than one of a pattern so I have sold the extra patterns a couple times just to get rid of the duplicate. 

I have noticed that other people have also done this on Ebay occasionally.  So when my Ebay search the other day showed up a bunch of patterns for sale that I didn’t have, I jumped on it and bought them.  So this is where my predicament started.  The next day I wanted to update my list/spreadsheet of the patterns that I have and I went back and looked closer at the pictures and I realized that a few of them had markings on them indicating every row number.  MY HEART SANK…………I FELT THIS AWFUL PIT DEEP DOWN………you know that UH-OH feeling you get when you know you screwed up?  I knew that the only place I have seen patterns like that was at Beadshak, so I proceeded to log on to their site and see if they were their patterns.  They were.  My heart sank more.

Why you ask?  Beadshak is owned by a gal that designs patterns like myself.  I purchased patterns from her in the past when I first started making banners.  Beadshak is actually the reason I started designing my own patterns.  Because of their policy, I was unable to sell banners made from the patterns I purchased from them so I decided to invest in software and start designing my own patterns so that I could sell the completed banners.  Soon I had people who wanted to buy my patterns and thus the start of Beaded Banners by Bonnie.  However, I respect Beadshak and their designs and have never sold banners made from their patterns per their policy.  In fact when Beadshak requested that I take some completed items I had made from their patterns off the previous site that I was selling my products on I obliged. 

I used to check out Beadshak’s site regularly just to see what the competition was doing and also to make sure that I wasn’t designing anything that was too close to what she was designing.  However, I have been so busy lately with processing orders for patterns and supplies and also making banners for orders that I haven’t checked out their site for quite some time.  Because of this I did not recognize that some of the patterns I had purchased were from Beadshak or I never would have purchased them.  I figured they were extra patterns someone had from duplicate kits or assortment pattern purchases.

I contemplated what I should do to make this right between Beaded Banners by Bonnie and Beadshak and I decided to wait for the patterns to arrive to see if I could determine if they were duplicates or extras before I contacted Beadshak to tell them what had happened.  I felt bad that it happened, but if there was a way I could determine that they had purchased the patterns from Beadshak and used them and then decided to get rid of it because they weren’t going to use it again then I wouldn’t feel quite as bad and would just let Beadshak know it happened.  However, when yesterday’s Ebay search for “beaded banners” came my heart sank again………..only lower this time.  All of the patterns were reposted for sale on Ebay which meant that copies were being made and sold.  I knew that for sure I needed to let Beadshak know what happened and what a huge mistake I had made, although it was not intentional.

I emailed Beadshak this morning to let them know what happened and that there was nothing I could do because I had already made the purchase and the patterns were being shipped.  However, I assured them that I would only use the patterns for personal use and I assured them that I will not make any banners to sell from the patterns that I purchased since that is their policy.

I share this with all of you for a couple reasons.  First, I wanted to make a public apology to Beadshak and let them and anyone else that may see or hear that I purchased the patterns on Ebay know that had I known these were not extra patterns from kits that I would NOT have even considered purchasing them.  Secondly, I am writing this to ask all beaders out there to respect the designers such as Beadshak, Beaded Banners by Bonnie, and others and not make copies of the patterns you purchase.  If someone else wants a pattern, refer them to the source and let them purchase the patterns direct from the designers.  It’s not like any of us ask that much for our patterns. Thirdly, I am asking that the seller of these patterns stop making copies of patterns and selling them at their own profit.  It’s not fair.  Think about what it would feel like if YOU designed patterns, sold them, and then saw someone making copies of them and selling them on Ebay.  If you have a pattern left from a kit you no longer want that is one thing, but to make copies and sell them is unfair to the designer.

Do my patterns that I sell get copied and shared?  I would be stupid if I thought they weren’t.  I’m sure that Jane Doe purchases one for herself and then her friend wants a copy and yeah, she probably makes her one.  Is this right?  No.  I don’t have a policy as such specified on my website.  However each pattern goes out with the note “Pattern  designed by and property of Beaded Banners by Bonnie” and also with “Pattern not to be copied or sold” on it.  But to think that Jane doesn’t make a copy for her friend Mary would be ignorant on my part.  Hopefully most people are honest enough to not even share it with a friend, but I’m sure it happens.  But for someone to make copies of patterns designed by others and blatantly sell them to anyone, let alone on Ebay, is so totally wrong.

I’ve said enough.  You get the point.  People have policies.  Follow them please.  And if you want to share an occasional pattern of mine with a friend that can’t afford to purchase their own from me at the reasonable price I charge, that’s your choice.  But don’t make copies of my patterns or Beadshak’s or anyone elses for that matter because we WILL find out.

Hello!  Welcome to my Vox page!  I am Bonnie Matthews and I am the owner and designer for Beaded Banners by Bonnie.  I design and sell completed beaded banners, beaded banner patterns, pony beads, beaded banner rods and end caps. 

My beaded banners, beaded banner patterns, and beaded banner supplies are available on my websites:

Beaded Banners by Bonnie                  

My Ebay Store - Beaded Banners by Bonnie and More

You can also check out my other pages:

MySpace - Add Me!                

Facebook - Add Me!

Feel free to email me at fyremonksgal@msn.com with any questions or about beaded banner patterns or beaded banner supplies or comment here! 

Will be looking forward to hearing from you!