Year End Celebration ~ Scratch Off Giveaway

2011 has been a record breaking year for MyScratchOffLabels.com. There are so many factors that play into the success of our small business: the quality and affordability of our product, its versatility, customer satisfaction, but most importantly our CUSTOMERS. Thank you for your continued support and your willingness to tell others about us.
We are ending the year in CELEBRATION of things past and great things to come!
Please join us as we strive towards 1000 likes on Facebook and $25 in product giveaways.

Businesses we love!

As an online business who operates without a physical storefront, we’re well aware of just how vital it is to get your business’s name out into the public eye. Throughout the years, we’ve been extremely lucky to have received help from some amazing people out there, and have since gained over 6,000 followers on Twitter and over 700 fans on Facebook. Now, we’d like to return the favor and spread the word about some of our favorite businesses out there at the moment! Be sure to check out our friends and add them on Twitter and Facebook.

Mrs. Why Knot (http://mrswhyknot.blogspot.com/) – Mrs. Why Knot has been kind enough to feature us a few different times over the course of the past couple of months! A brilliant and inspiring wedding blog, Mrs. Why Knot helps keeps bride up to date on some of the latest trends and hottest vendors to keep their wedding at the forefront of style.

Jennifer Lynn Events (http://www.jenniferlynnevents.com/) – Located in Simsbury, CT, Jennifer Lynn Events may be one of our newest friends, but the inspiring details they showcase—such as a mouthwateringly gorgeous dessert/candy table and seating cards folded to look like real seats—prove that they are more than able to follow through on their promise to provide unique touches to your event that your guests will always remember.

Orchid Weddings (http://www.orchid-weddings.co.uk/) –Looking for a wedding planner in the UK? Orchid Weddings, located in Kent, London and the South East of England helps relieve all the stress of planning of a wedding! Sit back and relax, as Orchid Weddings takes care of even the smallest details in your wedding, right down to the Mother of the Groom Dress Search!

Jen’s Closet (http://www.etsy.com/shop/jenscloset) – On the lookout for that perfect vintage knick knack to add that certain panache to a room? Jen’s Closet boasts an enormous variety of household goods sure from Vintage Linens to Crystal Dinnerware. She’s also got a wide variety of items on sale for $15 and under for those bargain hunters out there!

Mommy of 3 Peas (http://mommyof3peas.com/) –Are you looking for a way to get your name out there in the world of social media? Not quite sure where to begin? Mommy of 3 Peas provides a perfect way for you to begin promoting your business! By linking small businesses to one another, Mommy of 3 Peas allows businesses to quickly make connections with the sort of people they need to keep their business thriving.

Are there any businesses you can think of that we should’ve included on this list? Let us know on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/myscratchofflabels!

New fun ways to use our labels!

One of the best aspects of our scratch-off labels is the complete versatility they give our customers. Are you looking for a fun way to incorporate a new idea into your wedding? Why not try one of our Wedding or Bridal Shower game card packs? Looking for a new way to let people know about your business? We have that covered too, with our customizable business promotional cards. We can help you design the product, or you can design it on your own—because we sell the labels themselves separately, you, as the customer, have complete control over the final product.

But what if you’re stuck about just how to use our Scratch Off labels? I’ve spoken with many people who find the labels intriguing but can’t seem to come up with a use of their own for them. Well, today, we’re going to go over some unique ways we’ve seen people use our labels over the years, as well as offer up a few new suggestions that may catch your eye! Curious about the man who proposed with our product? Looking for a way to spice up your next barbeque? Then you’re in the right place.

When dropping off orders at the post office, one of the mail clerks stopped me and asked me what the most interesting use of our labels has been. Without doubt, the most exciting one in recent memory is that of Reuben, the graphic designer who created his own design to match that of a local restaurant’s frequently visited by him and his girlfriend. While at first glance, the card appears to be just another coupon-style saver, you scratch to reveal the prize—a husband of your very own, who will promise to love you, adore you, and care for you. Did she say yes? The verdict is still out, but we’ve got a good feeling about this one.

Who out there is a teacher or happens to know a teacher always in the market for a fun new way to interact with kids in the classroom? Why not make a scratch-off chores list for school? Keep the children’s names on a chart with a replaceable card with that week’s responsibility hidden by a scratch-off label. Then, have each child unpin their task for the week and discover what their job is! Imagine the way the line-leader’s face will light up after uncovering that information. Even passing out papers doesn’t seem so bad if you get to play that sort of game to discover your job.

What about you party-planners out there looking for a new way to entertain your guests? The next time you make a batch of cupcakes, why not make a scratch-off cake-topper to go with them? Have one or two cupcakes be the special winners. It’s a guaranteed way to keep your guests coming back for more dessert. Even if a guest does receive a sorry cake-topper, with a cupcake in hand, everyone walks away a winner.

A slightly more devious use for our labels—why not use them to prank your friends? Has someone around the office been playing tricks or causing trouble on you? Design a standard looking business card and have what’s under the label blow their mind. We won’t offer too many other suggestions on this one. That sort of trickery is all up to you.

We’ve offered up a few suggestions for new ways to use our scratch off labels. Have any more in mind? Send your ideas to tara@myscratchofflabels.com and we’ll feature them on the next issue of our newsletter!

Stark County Library uses Scratch Off Labels for Summer Fun!

Here at My Scratch Off Labels, we’re always going on about the many uses people have found for our little scratch off stickers. We’ve seen some gorgeous Save the Dates that our customers have designed, and we’ve marveled at the ingenious business promotions that these companies have come up with. We’re proud to have been a part of so many people’s special days, from weddings and anniversaries to holiday parties and baby showers. But this summer, My Scratch Off Labels has gotten the chance to help out a whole community!

The Stark County District Library is based out of Canton, Ohio. With ten different locations and four roaming bookmobiles, the district serves 250,000 people. This summer, the Stark County Library has chosen to use some of our scratch off labels as part of a rewards system within their Summer Reading Clubs. We spoke with Linda Dahl, the Public Information manager for the library, to find out more about how our scratch off labels are being used.

“Each time a customer checks out a book or a magazine or an audio book they receive a scratch off ticket,” Dahl explained through the course of our email correspondence. Dahl went on to convey just how our scratch off labels have been used within the program, whose theme this year is One World, Many Stories, saying, “Each time a customer checks out a book or a magazine or an audio book they receive a scratch off ticket.”

Each reader will either receive a “Winner!” card or a “Keep Reading!” card upon scratching off the label. If the reader finds a winner card, they’ll receive some sort of small, instant prize, such as a bookmark, pen, or a coupon for a Wendy’s Frosty. Readers can also fill out the back of their ticket and turn it in to enter into the grand prize drawing at the end of the season, when the Summer Reading Clubs come to a close.

“All feedback has been positive,” Dahl said, when asked how people have been responding to the scratch off game cards. “Kids and adults find the program easy and fun. We did an online search for vendors [while looking for scratch off labels]. We also requested samples from vendors so that we could determine the quality and ease of using the product—My Scratch Off Labels was the successful low price bidder.”

The Stark County Library has found a way to use our scratch off labels to grab people’s attention around their community and keep them coming back for more. We’ve always said that there are a thousand different uses for our scratch off labels, and the Stark County Library has just added one more to the list.

Do you have an interesting idea of how to use our labels? One that maybe we haven’t considered before? If so, then let us know! Send me an email at tara@myscratchofflabels.com, and maybe we can fit your idea into our next newsletter.

Hello from a new employee!

Hello! My name’s Tara, and I’m the new Assistant and Blogger at My Scratch Off Labels LLC! You may have noticed a new voice piping up on our Facebook page or Twitter account within the past week or so—I’ve already been popping up here and there to test the waters, so to speak, but now I’d like to go ahead and say my official hello!

I’ll be taking over the Twitter and Facebook pages full time after June 1st, and if you received a newsletter in your inbox a few days ago, that was from me too. If you didn’t receive an email in your inbox, I’d like you to encourage you to go ahead and sign up for it here! Every other week, I’ll be sending out some fun goodies, including how-to guides for DIY designs and some updates on new products featured from My Scratch Off Labels! I’ll also be helping Karen around the office with the shipping and labeling process, so you’ll be sure to hear more from me in the future.

When I’m not blogging for My Scratch Off Labels, I’m an English & Philosophy double major over at Greenville College, IL, where I work as Editor-in-Chief of our student newspaper, the Papyrus. I’ll be starting my senior year this fall!

I’m very much looking forward to talking to you all. Amanda and Karen have told me you’re all nothing but lovely people, and I can’t wait to share some of the amazing things people are making on here!

Make your own Scratch Off Save the Dates!

In the world of weddings, the do-it-yourselfers manage to pull off the same fantastic results as any wedding planner for half the cost. When each detail is handled with a personal touch, the thrifty bride is not only able to save, but able to customize each portion of the event to perfectly suit her taste. Yet if you’re having doubts about your own creativity, you may wonder whether or not you could ever accomplish the same sorts of results as those crafters you’ve seen. While some of these tricks may seem impossible, you can hop on board the DIY trend yourself with these scratch off save the dates—a fun and easy way to let your guests know that you and your significant other are getting hitched.

Now, before you can make these save the date cards, you’ll have to have a set of engagement photos to work with. Working with a professional photographer will ensure the best results, and paying the fee to upgrade your package to include digital copies of the photos will be worth it in the end.

Once you have your engagement photos in hand (or on hard-drive), you’re ready to begin the design process! If you’re tech savvy, you may choose to complete this portion yourself. Beautiful, personalized designs can easily be made with programs like Adobe Illustrator or Microsoft Publisher, although, if you’re using the latter, be sure to format your final design for commercial printing. If you’re not familiar with those types of programs, many graphic designers offer their services through sites like eBay and Etsy—MyScratchOffLabels.com offers a design option for only $19.99, after the purchase of the printing service.

The design process is one of the most critical portions of creating a scratch off save the date card. In order to ensure that the design you’ve agreed upon is compatible with the printer, make sure to use the CMYK color print format in a minimum of 300 dpi. If you’re not quite familiar with that sort of lingo, don’t fear—the person you’ve chosen to design your save the date will be, and you’ll be sure to get the best possible quality print.

Sites like Zazzle.com or VistaPrint.com offer affordable printing, but be warned—oftentimes when a printer agrees to print smaller qualities than 100, a digital press is being used, which lowers the overall quality of the print itself and of the UV coating. For the best results, find a printer that will print your save the dates on a professional grade offset printing press. Sometimes, your best bet for finding the printer right for you is to simply march in to that little print press down on the corner, where you’ll be able to meet with someone face-to-face and explain to them exactly what you’re looking for—not to mention the added bonus of the fact that you’ll be supporting a local small business.

From here, the task becomes easy. Order the appropriate number of scratch off label stickers, which can be purchased through our website (MyScratchOffLabels.com) in different colors, shapes, and size. When the order arrives, simply peel a sticker off of its backing and place it on the designated spot on the card. Oftentimes, if the dimensions of the image or message you’re covering are too close to the dimensions of the sticker itself, placing the sticker down can become a frustrating job—if you’re not designing the image yourself, be sure to pass that information on to your designer. My Scratch Off Labels provides a cheater dot for you to work with to help increase your accuracy as you apply the label. However, once you get the hang of the thing, putting on the stickers proves fun. The standard size for a save the date postcard is 4x6, which means that after the stickers have been applied, you can simply pop them into A4 (4 ¼ x 6 ¼ inch) envelopes and send them out with the next mail pickup.

Scratch off save the dates are a fun and exciting way to announce your wedding to friends and family, sure to stand out in anyone’s mind. By creating these personalized, custom save the dates, you’ll be able to join the ranks of those Do-It-Yourselfers you’ve seen gracing every wedding blog around—with a little bit of time and patience, you, too, can create a fun and unique save the date that’s sure to delight every guest.