Making Gum Tragacanth Binder
Block Printing with Indigo
Natural Dye Video Uploads
I'm uploading more Mark Making with Nature out takes to my YouTube check it out!
Yellow me Mellow Treasury
Balloons from Paris Treasury
Relax and Enjoy Treasury
Etsy Treasuries
I've actually missed capturing a few treasuries, I was show cased in, because thumbalizer wasn't working for a few days and it didn't occur to me to zoom out to capture the image .
Rose Garden Reverie Treasury
For Those Who Whine about no sales on Etsy!
I'm going to be brutally honest here folks because quite frankly I'm tired of the whining!
First of y'all need to learn how to cull works that are dragging you down like or not, while it MAY be your favorite piece, it does not do you, the artist, justice. And PHOTOGRAPHY speaks volumes about you, the artist, as well as your work.
Most folks are using all sorts of "props" when photographing small items and it IS the undoing of those works! Get rid of the props!!! Take good clear photos and if need be crop it in a photo editing program and get rid of the white areas! You DON"T need rulers in your picture, period! Get rid of theruler and put the measurements in your description! Take an inviting enticing photo of your work from various angles an, angles that tell us a story about the color, texture, shape, and form of the piece.
Go look at any number of shops on etsy that have sold hundreds or thousands of items ALL similar to yours, and ask yourself WHY are their works selling and why aren't my works selling??? I'll give you the anwser
Photography!
Third - descriptions some of you need to work on your descriptions, most are very lacking. Again go look at those shops that are selling hundreds and thousands of items WHY are their items selling and yours are not? I'll give you the anwser
Descriptions!
Fill out your policies, I do NOT buy from anyone who does NOT have their policies filled out, period!
Use some caption breaks in your descriptions so it does not become monotonous**************** and `````````````````` and ~~~~~~~~~ etc.,
Fourth - Tags and Materials Some of you are NOT tagging properly or listing your materials in such a way that puts you at the top of the food chain.
Fifth - Blog, website, FaceBook (create a Fans Page on FB) Twitter, Flickr, etc., are all places where you can CULTIVATE a following. DO NOT SPAM folks with your listings WE SIMPLY DO NOT CARE! What we want to know is YOU!!! It's all about you baby and YOU are your artwork! Put the purchase info in your profile links we'll look for it or ask if we want it bad enough! And if you cultivate your following in the correct way you will have thousands of folks wanting it and badly check out TheBlackApple to get a feel for what I am talking about.
Sixth - local art fares, business cards with images of your works on them, postcards, with images of your works on them. Make them enticiing, subtract EVERYTHING that detracts from the item you sell.
Again there are those on etsy that have had hundreds and thousands of sales to NON-ETSY buyers! WHY??? Because they have created a following!
I don't bother trying to sell in the forums, though I do visit them from time to time. I've created a following through my blogs, websites, facebook, twitter, and group lists I belong to. I sell more work off list, because they saw it on Flickr or on my blog than I do on Etsy. I use Etsy as a place where I can sendthe curious that want to see what I sell, when they are wanting more than what I offer on my website.
Have a great weekend everyone.
First of y'all need to learn how to cull works that are dragging you down like or not, while it MAY be your favorite piece, it does not do you, the artist, justice. And PHOTOGRAPHY speaks volumes about you, the artist, as well as your work.
Most folks are using all sorts of "props" when photographing small items and it IS the undoing of those works! Get rid of the props!!! Take good clear photos and if need be crop it in a photo editing program and get rid of the white areas! You DON"T need rulers in your picture, period! Get rid of theruler and put the measurements in your description! Take an inviting enticing photo of your work from various angles an, angles that tell us a story about the color, texture, shape, and form of the piece.
Go look at any number of shops on etsy that have sold hundreds or thousands of items ALL similar to yours, and ask yourself WHY are their works selling and why aren't my works selling??? I'll give you the anwser
Photography!
Third - descriptions some of you need to work on your descriptions, most are very lacking. Again go look at those shops that are selling hundreds and thousands of items WHY are their items selling and yours are not? I'll give you the anwser
Descriptions!
Fill out your policies, I do NOT buy from anyone who does NOT have their policies filled out, period!
Use some caption breaks in your descriptions so it does not become monotonous**************** and `````````````````` and ~~~~~~~~~ etc.,
Fourth - Tags and Materials Some of you are NOT tagging properly or listing your materials in such a way that puts you at the top of the food chain.
Fifth - Blog, website, FaceBook (create a Fans Page on FB) Twitter, Flickr, etc., are all places where you can CULTIVATE a following. DO NOT SPAM folks with your listings WE SIMPLY DO NOT CARE! What we want to know is YOU!!! It's all about you baby and YOU are your artwork! Put the purchase info in your profile links we'll look for it or ask if we want it bad enough! And if you cultivate your following in the correct way you will have thousands of folks wanting it and badly check out TheBlackApple to get a feel for what I am talking about.
Sixth - local art fares, business cards with images of your works on them, postcards, with images of your works on them. Make them enticiing, subtract EVERYTHING that detracts from the item you sell.
Again there are those on etsy that have had hundreds and thousands of sales to NON-ETSY buyers! WHY??? Because they have created a following!
I don't bother trying to sell in the forums, though I do visit them from time to time. I've created a following through my blogs, websites, facebook, twitter, and group lists I belong to. I sell more work off list, because they saw it on Flickr or on my blog than I do on Etsy. I use Etsy as a place where I can sendthe curious that want to see what I sell, when they are wanting more than what I offer on my website.
Have a great weekend everyone.
Kitchen Sink Bottom
Here's the details from the bottom side of my new to me vintage kitchen sink! Ok dh keeps saying "it is new it's never been installed" Yup he's right! Kitchen Sink!!!!
Let the kitchen remodel begin! We picked up a 40 year old sink today that had never been installed, what are the odds of that happening??? The sink is 20 x 42 inches with 9 inch deep bowls. I can fit my largest canner inside a bowl - I've waited years for this to happen. Anyway porcelain on cast iron, for a total cost of $75!!! Btw it's an American Standard Sink - see other post with pictures of sink bottom etc.As soon as I find the windows for the new sink wall, we can gut the kitchen, do the wall repairs (we're replacing a door that is no longer used) etc., I will have a brand new to me kitchen! Everything, well except for the structural elements, has been salvaged, re-purposed or is vintage.
Peony Hosta Garden Update
Tomorrow we will mulch this garden with recycled pine bark maybe the fence will get put in sometime soon as well!
Garden Update
Front potato patch which now has chicken wire around to keep the hay and potatoes confined.
Lettuce, radishes, beets, carrots, parsnips (I hope), and turnips planted using the square foot method.
One lone potato plant in the big garden.
Brooch No. 1 Whirlwind Series
Sew the Wind and Reap the Whirlwind!
Damaged Bobbin Race
As you can see the tension arm is bent upwards. I'm not sure if it can be replaced or not there's a little cotter pin on the back side so it should be replaceable, that doesn't mean, however, the sewing machine store will have parts for replacing the tension arm.
Brooch No. 1
Above: front of brooch painted silk dupioni, wool batting Below: painted silk dupioni
And it may well be my last one at that! I've been seeing all of these lovely hand made brooches from assorted scrap fabrics and thought I'd make one for myself, well... Lets just say I need a new bobbin race for my Janome 6500 now! The bobbin thread got tangled somehow with the tension arm on the bobbin race and is now broken! Luckily I had another bobbin race on hand to finish the top stitching but it's my spare for bobbin stitching with chunky threads. I'm hoping the bobbin race can be repaired as these parts are not exactly cheap these days.
Viola Sororia
Chopped violet leaves
I'm supposed to steep a half pound of violet blossoms, well I had about a cups worth, if that as it's kinda late in the season here for blossoms.Below I'm steeping a half quarts worth of fresh tender heart shaped leaves that have been chopped.
I'm learning how to make tinctures, extracts, syrups and the like, I'm a rank novice beginner when it comes to herbals though I'm good at plant id. On today's docet Violet Blossom Syrup (ok there are not nearly enough blossoms in my neighborhood but I digress) and Violet Leaf Tincture. Indigo Rusted Silk Organza
Indigo dyed rusted silk organza fabric
To increase depth of color, texture, and over all interest apply tannic acid to your pieces while they are rusting. The simplist source for tannin is tea, however, tannic acids in the form of quebracho's give richer colors and depth. Immerse in a solution of soda ash and water for even deeper patterning.Note however that each step reduces the archivalness of your piece.
Happy Rusting