Thursday, September 20, 2012

It's All About the Photo: Wood Backgrounds

I'm back! Phew- it has been a looong time since I last blogged, and I am glad to be back at it!

Today's post is all about the big picture! Well, photography anyway. Here is a collection of AMAZING Etsy sellers who have taken a more natural approach to their product photography: wood backgrounds. I am completely inspired- check them out!








1. Hare Letterpress Cards by papillonpress
2. Cherokee Journal by TheFancyLamb
3. Chevron Zipper Pouch by silkyhandmade
4. 80s Spats Flats by SmallEarthVintage
5. Photo Props by Perfectionate
6. Iphone Case by TraceyCapone
Tuesday, July 3, 2012

For the Love of Etsy: Neon Flare

A huge summer trend is neon fashion- and I am loving it!
Check out these colorful Etsy shops:

Sunday, July 1, 2012

For the Love of Etsy: Woodland Wonderment

Ethereal and Enchanting Woodland Finds from Etsy
Check out these lovely shops for more summer fashions.

Saturday, June 30, 2012

For the Love of Etsy: Southwestern Style

Theme for the Day: Southwestern Style for the Summer
Check out these wonderful Etsy Shops:

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

My New Favorite Etsy Shop: Track and Field Designs

I am always scoping out new and fabulous Etsy shops, and the second I happened upon this shop I fell in love. Track and Field Designs is run by Sasha Freeman and specializes in handmade linen pouches, laptop bags, and messenger bags, among many other things. She uses beautiful linen and cotton fabrics featuring lovely floral and shabby chic designs. What makes them even more special is the screen printed doilies and animals/objects she puts on every bag to make them unique and wonderful. She is also wonderful at taking custom orders (I have already ordered 2 pouches and a custom purse from her). Her prices are so reasonable for all the work that is involved in making each piece. She truly has a design and look all her own- and I am so in love with it!

check out her shop: TrackandFieldDesigns
Pug Coin Purse

Owl Messenger Bag


Bicycle iPad Case

Deer Pouch



    
Fox iPhone Case        














Sunday, June 24, 2012

Packaging Orders: The Handmade Paper Box

What a busy week! I have been a busy bee creating my new designs for the shop- and I have already sold some! I thought today I would show you another very important aspect of selling on Etsy: packaging the product.  I make handmade paper boxes for my jewelry; it doesn't take too long to create and I find my customers really appreciate the additional handmade gesture. To learn how to make these boxes, check out this YouTube video from Etsy HERE
Pieces ready to ship.  The paper in the background is what I will be using to make my boxes. It is standard size (8.5" x 11")

After a while of measuring, I have made my own insert for the boxes. This will hold my jewelry in place.

After making my folds and cutting in all the right places, I use my signature nuthatch stamp for the lid. I bought this stamp from pictureshow, a great Etsy shop that specializes in rubber stamps.

Here you can see how the insert fits inside the box. To keep the chain from sliding around in the box I gently tape the chain on the underside of the insert. I also stick a piece of bubble wrap on top of the charm- this keeps the charm from moving within the box.

Voila! The finished product! I often use twine to tie around the box, but it also looks good without!



Thursday, June 21, 2012

Sneak Peek- Chevron Animals: Part II

So yesterday I gave you all a sneak peek at my newest creations; chevron animal necklaces. I got them all listed today, and boy, what hard work it was!

Now I thought I would share with you my second set of chevron animals: hoop earrings. The hoop idea actually came from a customer of mine who wanted a custom order. I didn't even know hoop like this existed!

I have to say, I am REALLY proud and happy with how these turned out! I hope you like them too! (Oh, and by the way, these hoops are BIG- and they look so awesome on!)

Black Bear

Doe Deer

Barn Owl

Hare

Raccoon

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Sneak Peek...Chevron Animals!

I have really felt in a slump recently over my jewelry designs. I guess it is the problem most dream of; I am so busy fulfilling orders of my old designs that I have no time to create new ones. So, I put my Etsy shop on vacation for the week to work on some new designs! I have had these ideas in my head for a while, and since it is a combination of what I sell best I am hoping these won't fail me. So here goes...:)



Dear Miles- he always thinks when I whip out my camera it is his time to shine. :)
Tuesday, May 15, 2012

fotofuze.com - an Etsy seller's best friend!!!

Ever wonder how Etsy sellers get those bright white backgrounds in their photos? Well, the answer is probably fotofuze.com. Some of you are probably familiar with this awesome and super simple photo editing website, but for those that don't here is a quick tutorial:

Here is the first screen you should see when you go to fotofuze.com:

1) Click upload photo and choose the photo you would like to edit. Here is the photo I chose:

      Make sure when you initially take your photo that is is already against a white background. Also note that I did brighten up this photo using a very basic photo editor before I opened it in fotofuze.

2) Step 2 prompts you to highlight the areas of the picture you want to keep- i.e. the object in the picture (in my case the lovebirds) and any shadows the object creates. The magic highlighter tool is your default tool, and it is pretty good at identifying the parts of the photo you want to keep with very little guidance. The highlight is shown below in yellow.

It doesn't have to be perfect- so don't fret about staying in the lines. You can see in the preview the parts I have highlighted are visible, and below in the error box fotofuze is showing me the areas I missed. You can also adjust the sharpness/softness of the photo as well, but if you have a good camera you can probably skip this step. Once you are done selecting your objects and shadows click finish (which did not show up in the picture, but it is right below the error box).

3) The picture will take a few seconds to load your new revised picture, and when your photo shows up simply click on the thumbnail and select "download." The photo will then be saved in your "Downloads" folder on your computer (if you are using Windows 7, that is).

And here you are!!! Here is a side by side so you can see the difference:


Now you are front page ready!!!!!!



















Friday, April 13, 2012

Fashion Fave 3: Color Block

With April halfway through (can you believe it, already?) I feel its time to take a break from the spring and Easter pastels and go for the bright, vivid color!! Here are just a few of my faves from Etsy:

Stunning crochet and felted bead necklace in vivid hues of purple by SuddenlyYou

photograph of colorful vintage marbles by bomobob
Polish folk motif earrings (so colorful!) by MADEbyMADA
Colorful deer print by caitlihne

Multicolor halter dress (with toucans!) by Bartinki
Rainbow striped ukelele bag by cherijame
Bright and cheery cosmetic pouch (featuring a tapir- how cool is that?) by octopurse


Hope your day is bright and full of color!!!!!
Monday, March 19, 2012

Fashion Fave 2: Mint

With spring practically at our doorstep, I thought I would share my favorite new pastel color trend: mint. The color is so refreshing and airy- just perfect for those warming spring days!!! Enjoy!

Mint stud earrings by BeautySpot


Handmade coin purse by lazydoll
Beautiful watercolor print by eastashleystudio
Vintage mint sequin dress from DOTTO
Handmade mint green dress by aswaliu
Handmade butterfly cutouts by gardenmis
Mint necklace by arctida
Handmade velvet turban by mademoisellemermaid
Thursday, March 1, 2012

Fashion Fave 1: Sequins

You can find almost any kinds of fashion on Etsy: vintage or handmade. I LOVE fashion; the more unique, the better. With this post I will be focusing on everything sequins: hats, dresses, shoes, hair clips....you name it. Please check out these awesome shops and give them some love!

1980s sequined dress from impulsivevintageshop



Handmade sequined headband from BelindaAvant



Handmade lilac sequin ring by vbling
Vintage sequined pumps from ReanimatedRags

Vintage Babydoll dress from seesong
Vintage 1940s sequin hat from MaejeanVINTAGE
Vintage 1980s sequined sweater from groovijess
Vintage clutch from HummingbirdTraveler
Vintage gold sequin heels from MyGmasCloset
 

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