Looking for great Christmas Gifts?

There is always one person on our list that we have problems buying for.  I feel like that person always ends up getting bath and body works!  Though lotions and rubber duckys do make great gifts, why not change it up this holiday season.  Go with a handmade gift that keeps giving all year round....A box set of cards!!!

I make box sets with 10, 15, or 20 cards.   Boxes include a variety of cards that can be used year round.  The 20 card set includes: 

4 Birthday  
2 Get well                                                    

1 With Sympathy
2 Wedding
3 Congrats on Baby (girl/boy/neutral)
2 Thank You
1 Mother's Day
1 Father's Day
1 Wedding Shower
1 Baby shower                                             

 2 Thinking of You/Friend 

Boxes can be customized, favorite colors, sports team, and focus of cards can be adjusted.  For example, you can have a box with 4 kid birthday cards.  

This is really a great gift and adds more of a thoughtful and personal touch then a gift card or bath and body works.  

Etsy listing can be viewed HERE

Best of luck on all your Holiday Shopping!!!

The Scrapbook Expo

A couple weeks ago, the Scrapbook Expo came to the Chicagoland area.  It was fate that I was supposed to go...our computer system at work failed, and we were able to leave at noon.  I decided I'd take a drive to st. Charles and just check it out...WOW! 

I was blown away!!!  I couldn't believe so many vendors in the same place.  I bought so much stuff...it has really helped me get out of the mini creative rut that I was in.  I have made so much product since going to the expo. 

It was the first time that I went, and it defiantly won't be the last. 

Stuck in a Creative Rut

I need to find my creative juices...where have they all gone.  I need to start making Holiday cards, but it has been so hard for me.  It's still summer; Christmas and snow are not on my mind.  I'm thinking of ways to get Christmas Craft....

Turn air on so high that I need to wear a sweater
Drink Christmas in a Cup aka...peppermint mocha latte
Make hot chocolate
Listen to Christmas music
Watch Christmas movies

All great ideas, but nothing that really seems to motivate me into being Christmas Crafty though...

Wish me luck!!!

Dinosaur Birthday Greeting Cards

Need a birthday card for the dinosaur lover in your life? This card is the perfect hand made card for you!  I made this card along, with a few other dinosaur cards because I didn't think that I had a good selection of birthday cards for boys. 


Making this card was surprisingly very fin for me!  I think that I'm way better at creating girly cards, so this was a welcomed challenge; color coordinating and all!

I'm very excited/pleased with the outcome of this card. 

White card measures 5 x 6.5 inches.

Bright blue card stock is used as the backdrop for this card. A green die cut dinosaur was glued in the center (upper portion of the card). Make a wish was heat embossed on matching green card stock in black.

Inside Greeting:
Wishing you a Wonderful Birthday in black ink.

Card can be purchased HERE for $4.00. 

Sugar Grove Corn Boil

This weekend I was a vendor at the Sugar Grove Corn Boil.  This is my first time participating in this event, and it will be my last.  The heat was close to unbearable and it showed...hardly anyone showed up.  It was in the 90's with high humidity causing the heat index to be in the 100s.  I know, it's the middle of summer and mother nature can't be controlled.

Besides for the lack of traffic, I found plenty of other issues with this show:

1. I was never formally notified that I was accepted.  My check was cashed, but I never received an email with any information- such as booth set up time, booth #, or a list of the other vendors.  I even sent an email to the coordinator, asking her for info- 3 days before the show.  Her reply was "comig soon" yes she misspelled coming.  It only bothered me because you would think that she would have been more organized, and then actually provide me with the info.  No, I went there, not really knowing if I was going to display or not. 

2. It was advertised as a craft show, yet there were only about 10 booths that had handmade items...the rest of the booths- banks, loan places, gym memberships, bath fitter, costco,..etc.  I had a customer who came to my booth so excited to see something handmade...

3. The town had a monopoly on bottled water, no one else could sell it, and they charged $2.00 a bottle.  Seems sort of stiff to me!

4. I sprained my ankle.  Now, I know that this is my fault and not the fault of the corn boil, but I will associate it together in my head.  How did this happen you ask?  Walking out of the building, after using the bathroom- didn't notice the small step down, right foot twisted and boom there I went.  Yes, I must admit that I am a klutz and tend to fall often.

5. I lost money on this show.  I know that weather was a factor, but the people who were at the show didn't seem to want to look at any of the booths...by Sunday, vendors were packing up by 2 pm.  The show ended at 6!  I did stay to the end and was able to make an extra sale, but it was still a loss.

I've only been doing craft shows since April, so this is all a learning experience for me.   I just know that the Sugar Grove Corn Boil is not the place for me!

Here are photos of my booth set up!

I'm Official!!!

I have received my certificate of authenticity...DB Custom Creations is an OFFICIAL business in the state of Illinois.  Now, I must figure out all this tax stuff!

I have been keeping track of all my expenses and what I have sold...I'm currently spending more than I'm making...need to spend money to make money though- right?

I went and bought a 2 ply receipt book today, so at least I will have a good record of all sales from my craft shows!  Tonight I will be working on spread sheets...tracking all of my expenses, and sales....oh the joys!

This would be yet another time when I wish I had employees...hopefully one day I will!!!

Cool to be Square

Square is a mobile phone app that allows you to take credit cards using your smart phone.  At my last craft show in Lemont, another vendor had one and I thought it was the coolest thing!!!

If you go to Square  all you have to do is sign up, they send you the attachment (you hook it up to your phone through the headset jack) in the mail FREE of shipping!  You also have to download the app on your phone.  Link up your bank account and you are ready to swip!  The only cost assoicated with Square is 2.75% of each swip.  There is no monthy fee, only pay per use.


I tested it out today, swipping properly was a bit of a challenege, but once it went through it was fast and easy.  You can email or send a recipt via text.  It is honestly the coolest technology that I have seen in a while.  Probably because I will really get use out of it!!!  Does anyone else use it?  How have your experinces with it been?

Thanks TCF Bank

I was so excited to open up a DB Custom Creations Small Business Checking account.  I was all ready to do it, so I started to research what bank I should open an account at.  Did you know that most banks require a $5 to $7K minimum balance on small business accounts.  DB Custom Creations is just a part time business, I don't have that kind of money...so, for a while I felt really let down.

Then, in the mail, I received a flier from TCF Bank.  Most days, I would have just recycled it without even looking at it.  But, the $100 free dollars really caught my eye.   
TCF Bank was offering, Free Small Business Checking Accounts that offered:
No minimum balances
Up to 200 checks deposited/written per month...I will not be close to 200 in one month for a long time!
Free Online Banking & Bill Pay- who doesn't these days
$100 free is you use your check card 10 times in 2 months...

The FREE money and no minimum balance are the two most important things that won me over!

I must say, when I received my check card in the mail, I was so happy and proud to see DB Custom Creations on  it... 

What I did this weekend...

Friday night and all today I have been busy working.  I have made over 50 cards , a photo album. a hanging wall frame, and art deco letters.  It took hours and I'm pretty exhausted.  Don't get me wrong, I love creating things and seeing the end product.  I tend to freak out before I have a show...next weekend, I have a 2 day show in Sugar Grove; I just want to make sure that I have enough product.

At times today I wish I was at the pool, but at the end of the day, I know that I made the right choice in working.  Now, just to get all of my new stuff on etsy!  I wish I had employees at times...

ConGRADulations Photo Album

I make more than just greeting cards!  This is one of the photo albums that I have made. 

Description:  Black photo album has 10 (fits 20 photos) 4 x 6 pages.

Front cover features white paper with black graduation caps, Red, white, and black card stock is placed in the center, with conGRADulations heat embossed in white.
Two graduation cap brads are placed in opposite corners.

Black and silver stripped card stock runs down the right side, with 2 white bottoms placed on the top and bottom of the stripped card stock. Red sting is tied through the buttons.

Back cover features black/white/silver strips (vertical).

Thoughts behind it:  ConGRADulate the graduate! Summer is full of graduation parties, don't show up empty handed! This is a great gift to help the graduate savor their graduations memories.

Are you the graduate, love taking photos, but you never do anything with them - besides posting them on Facebook? Print them out!! Put the photo album on display to keep the memories alive!!!


I've mentioned that I am all about persevering memories; to me, this is the perfect way to display photos. 

Purchasing info can be found  HERE.

New Business Cards

I have already run out of my first set of business cards, so today, I ordered more.  I have added so much more info on my card...I'm a little nervous that it has too much on it.  I only ordered 250 of them...so if I dislike they can be changed rather quickly. 

Vistaprint makes it easy and affordable to order items for your business...I thought about getting car magnets, but decided it would be a little much at this point.  It will be stored in the back of my mind however.

I need to be working on making products, but my creativity levels are low at the moment...I need to find some inspiration!!!

DB Custom Creations

Hello World!  My name is Daniela and I am the owner/creator behind DB Custom Creations.  DB Custom Creations specializes in handmade greeting cards and paper goods.  I also make custom announcements and invitations. 

Starting in the mid 90's, before scrapbooking was all the rage, I started making scrapbooks.  No fancy paper or embellishments used.  I just wanted to preserve my memories.  My love for scrapbooking lead me to stamps...stamping started my card making obsession!  At first, I just made cards for the special people in my life, soon after, they were asking me to make cards for them for special occasions.  One thing lead to another and I decided I would try to make a little extra cash out of my hobby.  Passion keeps me motivated; I love that I am able to use my creative side on a daily basis. 

This blog will be a documentation of DB Custom Creations, the journey of creating, and hopefully expanding my small business.  I will blog about about everything from- starting my ETSY account, to opening my bank account, featuring my creations and the inspiration behind them, to participating in craft shows. 

Hope you will join me in my adventure!!!