Showing posts with label Margaret Chayka. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Margaret Chayka. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Interview with Margaret Chayka of Chef Catering Biz Cards Part 2



Interview with Margaret Chayka of Chef Catering Biz Cards Part 2 
 
 
Rico:
What is your favorite aspect about Zazzle?

Margaret Chayka :
Hopefully they will continue to allow designers to set their own profit margins, since that's why they finally beat out Cafepress.



Rico:
Who or what inspires you?

Margaret Chayka :
My parents were always exposing us (7 kids) to creative outlets. My father could just pick up a pencil and draw it right the first time, though his passion was building things like houses and furniture. My mother, who's in her 80s is still the crafter, though now it's mostly knitting for babies in the hospital.



Rico:
What's the best advise you can give someone just starting out on Zazzle?

Margaret Chayka :
Keep designing, keep putting up new designs and use good tags and descriptions.



Rico:
What was the latest product you added to your wish list (include link)?

Margaret Chayka :
Well, I don't technically have a wish list, but am trying to decide which bag to get. I'm leaning on this vintage circus one I designed a while ago. Can't decide if I want a matching ensemble with a sleeve and a wristlet, or if I should mix 'em up.

Vintage grunge circus and animals shoulder bag messenger bag

Awesome vintage circus medallions and other carnival or zoo images on shoulder bags, messenger bags, wristlets, laptop bags and sleeves, bag accessories and more. Clowns, horses with riders, elephants, zebra, lion, animal prints, and more on a grunge polka dot background.



Rico:
Tell me 5 random things everyone should know about you?

Margaret Chayka :

I was "Maggie" up until the late 80s, then switched to "Margaret"... just because.

When I die, I want to die eating potato salad.

I quit smoking 2 years ago. So the potato salad thing will probably be replaced by a cigarette.

I've lived in New York, Florida, and Minnesota, and want my last move to be to Wyoming..
My daughter is following one of my footsteps by opening her own Zazzle store and becoming a ProSeller.



Rico:
What do you like to do when you are not creating art?

Margaret Chayka :
I love movies, tennis (not a good player, just like to run around and try to hit the ball), my gerbils, sewing, thrift shopping and garage sales. When I move to Wyoming, I'll take up fishing, crossbow and polo (yes - polo is very popular there, but I'll be a spectator, not a participant!).



Rico:
Include links to 3 of your favorite designs you want me to feature. Tell me something about each design.

Margaret Chayka :

This bird chef is quite popular - the original has a blue background, but I made this new version so folks could change the background color. I love it's little Frenchy retro feel, perfect for groovier chefs and caterers. 


Custom color retro French bird chef baker Business Card


Popular retro French bird chef now with custom background color option! This bird is black with white line chef hat and frilly apron for chefs, cooks, and bakers, and you can change the background color to whatever you'd like in the 'customize' area.



This scribbled yarn business card is the reason why I opened a separate Knitting and Sewing store. It's one of the most popular business cards I sell - in the chef store! I decided at one point to offer up a few "non cooking" designs, and it became popular almost instantly, and once that happens you can't just move it to another store, its popularity will be lost. So it remains with the tomatoes and frying pans! 



colorful yarn balls knitting needles business c... business cards

Fun, sketchy doodled yarn balls with knitting needles business cards or large gift tags for giving your handmade best. Colorful yet subdued tones on a deep gray background, for knitters or knit crafts, crafter, or crafting.



This wristlet may be one of the accessories I get to put inside the circus bag, or whatever bag I end up with. Love movies, love retro, and love a little bit of grungy splatters, too! Also, you can change the background color of almost everything I create these days.

custom color retro TV vintage television argyle Wristlet Purses


Fun retro TV or vintage television set with antennae and paint splatters on shoulder bags, messenger bags, wristlets, laptop bags and sleeves, bag accessories and more. You can resize, rotate or move the image to get the look you want, and it also looks great with lots of different background colors, which you can change in the 'customize' section.



Rico:
Zazzle has helped many people meet goals that they otherwise wouldn’t have achieved. What has Zazzle helped you to achieve in your personal life?

Margaret Chayka :
I've always had a job-job, even when self-employed, but nowadays I can actually have a "little job" that doesn't require me to take work home! Over the next couple of years, preparing for the move to another state, I will be building up my Zazzle stores. Having an income-producing store also gives me peace of mind that my offspring will be able to take it over when I'm gone and make money off it, too.



Rico:
Where else can our readers find you online? (Facebook, Twitter, other blog or website)

Margaret Chayka :

The great thing about Zazzle is that most of my customers come from Zazzle's own marketplace, plus 1/3 of my sales are referrals from affiliates and so on. I have a website which is mostly for people who are looking for customization prices and so on. The Big M Ranch Blog

Facebook

Twitter @MargaretsTweets


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Sunday, June 2, 2013

Interview with Margaret Chayka of Chef Catering Biz Cards Part 1



Interview with Margaret Chayka Part 1
 
 
Rico:
What's Your Name?

Margaret Chayka :


Rico:
List your shop(s) -

Margaret Chayka :

Chef Catering Biz Cards

Is a business card theme store for chefs, catering, baking and other foodies with an appeal emphasis on women cooks and bakers.

Culinary Note Cards

My Christmas card, sticker, and ornament shop for the same culinary crowd.

Knittingand Sewing

A business card theme store for knitting and sewing crafters, along with "handmade with love" stickers, greeting cards, binders and notebooks for patterns and pattern notes.

Bags a la Carte

Is a non-themed store featuring shoulder bags, wristlets, electronics sleeves and cases, and other carryables and gifts. I love the new Zazzle bags and just wanted to do something fun!



Rico:
How did you find Zazzle?

Margaret Chayka :
I used to have a Cafepress store, so Zazzle came up quite often in forums and such. When I shut down my Cafepress store - let's just say that dictating small designer profits didn't sit well with many of us - Zazzle was the place to go.



Rico:
How long have you been at Zazzle?

Margaret Chayka :
I opened Culinary Note Cards in the summer of 2009 so I could hit the Christmas season. Since I already had a corral of graphics from my former Cafepress store, I was up and running pretty quickly.



Rico:
Are you a ProSeller?
If yes, how long from the time you open a shop until you made it to ProSeller?

Margaret Chayka :
I became a Bronze ProSeller after a year, I believe, and recently graduated to Silver. Although my sales of cards do very well for the holidays, I opened up Chef Catering Biz Cards to get a more steady income from business card sales.



Rico:
What made you decide to open your own store?

Margaret Chayka :
On the "outside" I was a personal chef struggling to find decent marketing materials for my own business, then once I designed my own, started designing them for other chefs and professional foodies I know. Now I've given that up completely to cater to the start-up who wants a great business card without committing to a higher custom design price, and Zazzle products are perfect for that.



Rico:
What makes your shop stand out from the rest?

Margaret Chayka :
I'm pretty much the "it" girl when it comes to women chefs and cooks, and I'm not talking about images of a woman wearing a chef hat. It's about designs with a feminine touch, or a bit of whimsy or humor. As far as my other stores go, these are fairly new, but as a lifetime crafter the Knitting and Sewing store is right up my alley as well, and we'll "have to see" what happens in the new bag shop. As always, your customers will tell you what sells by buying things!



Rico:
How would you describe your design style?

Margaret Chayka :
A crisp, clean style is my preference, but also use retro aspects from the groovy cookbook style of the 60s and 70s; more lately have given in to some vintage elements and shabby chic, which really aren't practical for a long-term "logo" solution, but for a pre-made business card for a year or two - heck, why not?



Rico:
What type of product do you prefer to design?

Margaret Chayka :
Most of my stores are business stores, with lots of business cards - I plan on opening one more niche store this year. The bag store is my "other stuff" store where I don't have to be serious. I'm not a great artist by any means, but business cards are a low commitment artistic outlet that keeps my brain functioning. Everything else is icing.



Rico:
What's the best advise you got when you were starting out?

Margaret Chayka :
The great thing about a place like Zazzle is that you don't need a lot of advice! Didn't ask, didn't get!



Rico:
What was your first Sale (include link)?

Margaret Chayka :

Well, it was this t-shirt with a pig on it, from an old store I decided to let stagnate in favor of Chef Catering Biz Cards.

Tasty pork pig with chef hat t-shirts

Pork, ham, bacon, pork tenderloin...all tasty, and all the meat you crave! who says guys can't wear pink? When it's a pig with a chef hat and involves tasty pork, it's A-OK!

The first business card sold was this measuring spoons one

Measuring spoons cooking utensils business card 1

Black and white baker, baking, cooking, kitchen, culinary utensil measuring spoons with flowers and a little bit of curl to make it pretty. Nice card for a baker, pastry chef, cooking or food business, caterer or other culinary establishment.



Rico:
What medium/tools do you use to create your designs?

Margaret Chayka :
An ancient CorelDraw for every image, and an ancient Photoshop 7 for when a few effects are called for. On a tech scale 1-10, I'd come in as a 3.



Rico:
A few of my Favorite designs from Chef Catering Biz Cards :



Cat emblem paw print pet food chef business card


Cute cat emblem and paw prints pet food chef business cards or 'from my kitchen' gift tag for your homemade pet treats and goodies.



Heart loaf of bread bakery baking business card


Heart shaped bread buns business cards or 'from my kitchen' gift tag for baking or bakery. Two seed-topped loaves of bread with ribbon bow and light, colorful background.



Colorful cake pops baking bakery business cards


Colorful cake pops business card for baker or bakery in pink, purple and green candy stripe colors. You can change the background color, too, and it makes a terrific "from my kitchen" gift tag for finishing touches on gift packages.



vintage butterfly fork chef catering business card


Vintage, shabby chic style butterfly fork business cards for chefs, cooks, personal chefs, caterer or catering, cooking classes, cooking lessons, gourmet shop, kitchen store, or other food, cooking, or culinary service. Also makes a neat 'from my kitchen' gift tag for your homemade food gifts or small market food packaging.



The second half of the Interview with Margaret Chayka : will be posted on Wednesday June 5, 2013. So come back for more with Margaret Chayka!


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