Friday, August 7, 2009

Girls Night Out - Features KMT Graphic Design

Welcome to Girls Night Out with.....

"Hello ladies and welcome back to another night of Girls Night Out of fun, chatting and give-a-ways. Come right on in and get comfortable, because we're about to have a fabulous time once again. Tonight's party is being hosted by non other than Tara Shenson of KMT Graphic Design. If you've never been to one of our Friday Nights into the weekend events, you're in for a treat; but, first you have to put on your imagination hat, there's no entry and no fun without one."

"Treats and drinks are being provided by Davina James over at Dove Chocolates. The chocolate martinis from last week were to die for!! This week Davina sent us some Creamsicle Martini's and some Bon Bons! There's still a few chocolate Martini's left, but you better beat me to the kitchen if you want one!! While we're waiting on a few other's to arrive, I'll get started telling you a little about our hostess for tonight."

"I was trying to remember where I actually met Tara the other night, but I was drawing a blank. The best I could remember was either I was following her or she was following me at some point when it came to joining all the "in" social networking sites. At some point we hooked up and she created my first set of website banners for my new Etsy shop and the rest is history! Tara has a brilliant business mind and a vibrant personality to match. She's talented, friendly patient and funny and will help and give advice to anyone trying to make it on Etsy. I am honored tonight to present my friend Tara Shenson owner and creator of KMT Graphic Design....."(you're suppose to applaud now)

So Tara, tell us a little about yourself.

"Well, I live in Long Beach, California, work full time 9-5, and the mom to two rescued greyhounds, and I am a self proclaimed computer geek and owner of an online blog and Etsy shop and The Ad Directory. (click banner on left side to find out more) I've always been "artsy. The capricorn in me led towards busines, so when I discovered graphic design AND Etsy, it was the perfect combo for me!.

How did you get started in your business and what does your shop offer?

"I've done other graphic art type things before KMT, and had my hand in it a little at my day job. I'm pretty much self taught because I've never had any formal training. My mom was the first one who told me about Etsy and the online handmade community. She suggested I open a shop and market there and the rest is history!"

"I currently sell my design work out of my Etsy shop. I design banners, backgrounds, blog designs, html codes, postcards, flyers, and m
ore. You can also find recent designs on my blog."

For those of you who don't know, Tara's mom is Brooke over at Shopmollyd..they are quite the creative pair aren't they? So, Tara... what inspires or motivates your designs?

"I consider myself more of a marketing gal, and so my designs are inspired by my customers shops and what is best going to promote their products. I look at it from the perspective of what's going to help them sell their products. That's what makes me different. I spend a lot of time in their shops or websites looking at their products, as opposed to what looks pretty on the computer screen. I take into consideration their ideas, and try to blend in my mind what they are picturing with what I think will work to help sell their items. "

Working full time, owning two dogs, running a business and marketing..how do you do it all?

"I'm still trying to figure that one out, if someone has some advice for me, I'll gladly take it! I'll say, it is hard. I'm up at 5:30, back home at 6:30, and in bed by 9 or 9:30, I squeeze a lot of work into those 3 hours, but I communicate with my customers up front."

Well, I know anything work you've done for me has been timely and well communicated so....When you're not working your business, what fun things do you enjoy doing?

"I love being with my pups. I'm also a wanna-be-gardener (still learning), and I used to hula dance. I don't have much time for that anymore, but I hope someday I will!"

Maybe we can get Tara to Hula dance before we leave this weekend? Tell us, how in the world did you get involved in Hula dancing?

"I've always been drawn to everything tropical. In my past life I think I may have been Hawaiian! LOL... I love everything about the State and it's culture. Anyone who knows me, knows that I'm very spontaneous and I'll try anything once. So I did and I loved it! The culture takes Hula dancing very seriously from height to complexion to hair color, so needless to say I had to improvize...I'm taller than your average Polynesian, my hair is brown, so had to die that black and I had to drench in fake tanning bronzer!"

Oh dear, well that definitely explains the red flower you wear in your hair. So, what do you do when you need a "time out" for yourself?

"Shopping!! I really like scouring the LA thrift shops for buried treasure. In LA, celebrities donate to thrift shops, and I have found some unbelievable deals!"

WOW, have you ever met any Hollywood stars while out shopping?

"Well, I've SEEN a few but the most memorable were, Hugh Heffner and Madonna . I saw Madonna when I was on my way to an interview in Beverly Hills, she was walking towards me coming down the street and I started flipping out and talking to myself like.... "there's Madonna, there's Madonna"!"

I'm laughing, but I probably would have done the same thing. I remember meeting Dewayne Wayne in New York from "A Different World once, and I also remember flipping out! What are your three favorite online shops for girlie things?

Bejewelled Bespoke: "I seriously want one of those bib necklaces"
DNA Creations: "I just bought a wallet from her, it's gorgeous!!"
Greyhound Threads: "because I think it is OK to dress up big dogs too!!"

okay, tell us...who is your biggest crush in Hollywood?

"Hugh Jackman...do I really need to explain? He's HOT!!"

Do we still have that ice water from last week? I must admit, Hugh is HOT and he's from Australia..remember Australia ladies? Do you have a favorite chick flick?

"Legally Blonde. Smart people come in all different packages. And, Elle is a great reminder to alwas be kind to people. If you've never seen this one, you need to ASAP!"

Share with us the silliest or funniest thing you've ever done with your girlfriends.

"When a friend of mine and I would go out to bars, we were realizing that guys were suddently losing interest when they found out what we did for a living. She was a speech pathologist and I work in the corporate world for a large company. So we decided to start telling guys we were flight attendants, they started sticking around longer!"

hmm, I could probably take some notes from you and your friend and last but not least...Any closing advice for anyone starting on Etsy or starting thier own online business?

"Yes...Believe in yourself! I hear people all the time say or think no one will every buy thier items. You have to believe in yourself or your customers will see right through you. Also, research your competitors stores for things like pricing, products, ets. See what you're up against and make yourself stand out!"

well, I personally know you've designed a couple of new blogs recently tell us about them.

I recently gave my own blog a facelift here, and of course there's the new Shopmollyd blog you featured Wednesday, I also did a background for Spring Colors on her Twitter account and last but not least, I recently re-did Girls Night Out.

Are you offering any specials to the ladies this weekend?

"Any girlfriend who stops by my Etsy shop this weekend, can receive 25% off of any item of her choice!"

WOW..that's a great deal Tara!! Ladies, if you have any online presence, you need to chat with Tara this weekend! Her prices are already incredible, so with this special, there is no reason you can't at least get your own shop updated or styled out this week with this great deal. That includes banners, avatars, postcards, backgrounds, customized blogs, etc.

There you have it! You couldn't ask for a better person to work with on your Graphic needs. I'm not just plugging girls, Tara is awesome to work with, and I just can't say enough good things about her. Tara is also hosting a give a away this weekend for all of those who have stopped by to hang out with us. She will be giving away 1 Design package of 3 125 x 125 custom ad boxes, to use on any advertising platform..that's a $60 dollar value! Here's all you have to do:


1. Visit KMT Fan page photo section and pick out your favorite design, come back here and tell us what it is and why.

Now...For additional entries, you can tweet about this give away, follow KMT Blog, follow Girls Night Out, follow Tara on Facebook, follow her on Twitter or join The Ad Directory. Just let us know in your comments, what you've done and the name that you can be found under, as well as the link to your tweet if applicable. Also, if you make a purchase this weekend let us know, because you'll get 3 extra entries for supporting one of the girls AND your name will be entered in a second give away from me! I'll be giving away 2 packs of blank stationary cards and of course I don't have the photos ready yet! If you have something else you'd like to give away in the name of your business, email me and let me know we'll blog about that too!! Drawing will be held Sunday night at 7:00 pm, Eastern time. And don't forget to stop by all weekend, someone may be talking to you!!

Once you have your Ad box, you can check out The Ad Directory for places you can list your ad. You can even list your busines here. I'm running an incredible special right now, so check out the pricing above to the right and to the left of this blog.

When I'm not hosting Girls Night Out, you can find me creating jewelry at www.runakojewelry.com

28 comments:

  1. Great feature! It's so great to meet fellow business women who work full time while maintaining their own businesses on the side! Tara you are such a talented artist! I'm definitely going to keep you in mind next time I need anything done!

    here are my entries:

    1. Of course I'm already a follower of GNO!

    2. I love that Davina James Stella & Dot blog design. It's so feminine and in a classic way. I especially love that it has a vintage look to it. Awesome!

    3. I'm already a follower of the KMT blog!

    4. I just became a FB fan.

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  2. Thank you Angelina!! And your design is so awesome, I love your graphic look!

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  3. Hi Ladies, sorry, I'm definitely late this evening, had a date with a 12 year old.

    Angelina - maybe we'll all finally meet up in the made house 15 years from now when we've driven our selves crazy from doing too much!

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  4. Well, Tara, I think Dee's GNO and Davina's designs are both incredibly perfect and spot on for these two terrific ladies.

    BUT I am a volunteer with the Guide Dog Foundation and so my favorite is ShopMollyD because I LOVE PUPPIES!

    I have become a fan of KMT on FB, but couldn't figure out how to join Tara's great blog :-(

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  5. Oh - I forgot to thank Davina for the fabulous Creamsicle Martini and bonbons! Yum!

    And thanks to you once more Dee, for a fun GNO :-) So nice to hang with my GFs on Fridays!

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  6. Thanks for stopping by Maria, I'm sipping on a chocolate martini..son wore me out...we saw GI Joe tonight..talk about action...anyway I LOVE these Martini's going to have to really try the creamsicle ones soon.

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  7. Thanks Tara! I wish I could take credit for my design, but it was all edub.etsy.com. My graphic designs are very minimal. I just like to leave it to the pros like you!

    Dee: how was the movie? I bet you're so glad to have your son home! Now we just need to remind him to pick up after himself because his mother is waaaaaaaaay too busy to be someone's maid! = )

    Hi Maria! Glad you dropped by! Your Sanaa Kimono Roll is on its way! Just shipped it out this morning.

    Back to Tara, I can't believe you saw Madonna walking down the street! I used to live in West Hollywood and saw tons of celebs at the grocery stores & at the malls-- but no one as big as Madonna! I did go to the premiere of "Ray" when it first came out and the after party though. Was standing right next to Will & Jada at one point and later on Jamie Foxx walked by me a few times!

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  8. Angelina, the movie was good and bad, good a lot of action, but I think being an adult takes the fun out of stuff, it was sooo unrealistic to me, it just seems like the went over the top with the types of guns and missles they had minus the crazed scientist...but he enjoyed. I'm already picking up behind him...but there's hope "I think"

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  9. okay...tell me, did I miss a memo about twitter???? I can't tweet anything...not even from tweetlater??

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  10. There was a global cyber attack against Twitter and Facebook yesterday. Maybe they're still attacking?

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  11. aaahh, okay I've been trying to tweet the feature, but haven't been able to. What is a global cyber attack?? LOL I'm on second martinia, might be time for bed

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  12. I enjoyed learning more about Tara... she saw madonna in person??? I'm so jealous!!!

    Apart from being very good at what she does and very professional she is also a great person to work with, very friendly and kind! Girl, you are fantastic ;O)

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  13. I especially love the Girls Night Out ad. The colors are great and the design is so clean. I also like the Stella & Dot ad along with the girlie ad. Both very fun.

    I wasn't familiar with ShopMollyD but will have to go back there more often. I'm a dog lover with 2 labs. I know our friends think my whole family is nuts the way we carry on about our pets. We have tons of photos of them. I'll have to follow her site.

    Tara I just want to say I think you do great work. I stop by Dees site often and comment on how great it looks. Her banner is amazing. Dee always manages to find such great people to work with. I'm glad she found you and has introduced us to you. Good luck and great work.

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  14. Hi Vicki! Wow, thank you! Please stop by shopmollyd.blogspot I think you'll love it! We are a big "dog loving" family and so you will be amoung friends :-) My 2 rescued greyhounds are basically my kids, LOL. And I agree, Dee is the best and people just gravitate towards her!

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  15. I just stopped by ShopMollyD's shop and it's fantastic! So many adorable items! Like mother, like daughter in the creativity & design department!

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  16. Love your blog...so glad that I came across it...

    I have a GREAT giveaway going through Sunday night...$100 Surprise Gift....with a little Christmas to go along with it.

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  17. okay, this was suppose to post this morning...posted in the wrong blog, LOL..whew...what a night.. I literally had too many Chocolate Martini's...but shaking it off this morning.

    Thanks Pixel and Vicki for stopping by.. Vicki and Tara, you're both very kind, I think great people find each other :)

    kids home and wants to do everything...he wants to go fishing this afternoon...I don't know how to fish, LOL

    Thanks for dropping by Teresa, do hope to see you again next week.

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  18. wow -I'm very late - too tired from swappin' clothes and sangria with the local girls Friday night, busy Saturday. great feature and another LA person !

    My fave is the Jewels on a Whim ad.

    I already follow KMT Graphic Design on Twitter and Tara's blog. I am now a fan on facebook.

    I also already follow, GNO blog.

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  19. Ok! I got Tara's Marketing chapter! Now I'll sell millions ;-)

    Angelina, looking forward to that Kimono Roll! You do beautiful work and have fabulous customer service!

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  20. Hi Girls! I'm stopping by kind of late because, now don't everyone get jealous, I just spent the weekend with none other than our hostess (and my talented daughter) kMT herself! We had gorgeous weather and I got to play with her two greyhounds, my grandpups! We had margarita night last night and I can tell you if you ever get a chance to try one of Tara's margaritas, you need to jump on it. In fact, we should make her the GNO official bartender! AND I got my own private blogger lesson! Just want to do justice to the beautiful new blog Tara designed for me! And leave it to us, we had quite the silly Mexican food take out mishap- but I'll let you try to weasle that out of Tara! Have fun!
    Brooke (ShopMollyd)

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  21. Thanks Maria!! I hope you find that chapter helpful!

    And yes, I admit, I ordered from one mexican restaurant over the phone and then drove to a completely different mexican restaurant and asked for my food...and that was BEFORE the margaritas!! LOL! it was pretty hilarious

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  22. you two are hilarious...I'm be back after showering...been a long day,haven't even figured out the drawing yet, company just left, didn't they know the party was Friday and Saturday? LOL...back soon.

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  23. Ladies,
    I'll be posting a winner tomorrow..it's been too long of a day to do anything else. Brooke, sounds like you had a great weekend with Tara, wish we were all there to have a Margarita. Thanks design knit for stopping by!! You're never too late :)

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  24. * Popping in from over at MomDot.com

    Great Blog! I'd love to join you all on a Friday, Saturday evening. I definitely lack a social life, the internet is my outlet! So sad!

    I'm married to my H.S. Sweetie, mommy to four kiddies ages 13, 11, 9, and 18 mos. I work full time, just started a Graphic Design Business on the side. My life is full of chaos and I'm trying to take it all in stride and make it work!

    It's funny because I work better when it's hectic. If things get calm, I'm so used to going, going, going... I don't know what to do with myself!
    - Jen

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  25. Hi Jen, so glad to have you!! Join us anytime, the more the merrier!

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  26. We have a winner, well we have two winners...Donnielle with Design Knit Fun, has won the custom ads from KMT Graphic and Maria Paray has one 2 packs of blank Thank you Notes...congratulations ladies!! I'll post a post later tonight.

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  27. Girl I do remember .. we were soooooooooooooooo crazy. I think we went back to Richmond to drop someone off. Can't really remember, but yes ma'am I do remember that night ;)

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