As a lovely, thoughtful Christmas gift, my hubby built a new desk in the office for me. My old, circular, former kitchen table desk was really not cutting it. It took up a lot of room, and the circular shape was odd for crafting. It always seemed like I was wasting space on it. This new desk would fit in the corner and allow me ample room to spread out, which I did as soon as he said, "It's done!"
I covered it with a bunch of stuff - unfinished crafts, craft inspirations, cutting mat, coasters, lamps, pens, scissors, holidays cards, etc. My existing stuff left very little actual space for me to create new stuff. Realizing this, I cleared one blank space about 18 inches wide to be my designated work space until I get more organized.
Yesterday, I began working on a poster, which involved paint. Smartly, in my one clear spot, I put down newspaper to protect the top of my awesome new desk. It's all about planning ahead with this stuff. I painted the first layer and left the piece to dry.
Later in the evening, my family decided to Skype. (3 cheers for family face time despite distances!) Since my computer was already hooked up near the desk and the lighting there is good, I sat down with the computer in my lap. But that got old quick. So I set it in the extra chair, but the angle with the lighting was not working. So I set it on the desk. And...
....
...I was sure to move the art before I set the computer down. Saved the art, didn't spill the paint. See - planning ahead.
I did forget, however, to move the glass of rose I had set down on the newspaper (because it would do just as good of a job as the safely-located-out-of-the-way-in-a-corner coaster of protecting the top of my awesome new desk), and I suffered my first design loss. Goodbye little cupcake! Sorry I drowned you in rose.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Saturday, January 21, 2012
My First Photo Shoot
Since I've been planning on opening an Etsy store for so long, I've been a subscriber to all its different email blasts for an equally long time. Through those, I've picked up a lot of tips on how to stage, take and produce a fun, effective product photo. But learning how to do something and actually doing it are two different beasts. So armed with as much information as I could remember, I set up my first photo shoot last weekend.
I knew the lighting inside my house was not the best, so I staged a little area outside. I waited until late afternoon to have ample natural light without it being too bright. I do, after all, live in the Sunshine State.
Since the grass is mostly dead, I needed a backdrop. I had doors off some old furniture stashed in the garage, so I dragged one out to use as my background. The dark wood contrasted nicely with the black and white cards.
While I was setting all this up and planning my shots, Lola, my husky mix, was bounding about the yard. She became very interested in what I was doing and came to check it out. I took a chance while she was sniffing around and asked her to lay down. Surprisingly, she did. (Side note: It took me three years to teach her to lay down. For most of that time, she knew how and simply refused. She's very independent.)
I was able to snap a few shots of her with cards. They aren't the best, as she had her outside collars on and showing in most of them, but I was very excited to get even one usable one. Because she makes me smile, I posted one of the pictures of her with a card in the shop.
Then my aunt called with a great suggestion. Why not have a featured item each month or week as Lola's favorite? Yes, yes, yes! It will help highlight an item and provide some fun with Lola. So from now on, in each pack of cards, we will feature one as Lola's favorite. She might even be gracious enough to include a signed photo with each purchase. We'll see if I can get her to agree.
I knew the lighting inside my house was not the best, so I staged a little area outside. I waited until late afternoon to have ample natural light without it being too bright. I do, after all, live in the Sunshine State.
Since the grass is mostly dead, I needed a backdrop. I had doors off some old furniture stashed in the garage, so I dragged one out to use as my background. The dark wood contrasted nicely with the black and white cards.
While I was setting all this up and planning my shots, Lola, my husky mix, was bounding about the yard. She became very interested in what I was doing and came to check it out. I took a chance while she was sniffing around and asked her to lay down. Surprisingly, she did. (Side note: It took me three years to teach her to lay down. For most of that time, she knew how and simply refused. She's very independent.)
I was able to snap a few shots of her with cards. They aren't the best, as she had her outside collars on and showing in most of them, but I was very excited to get even one usable one. Because she makes me smile, I posted one of the pictures of her with a card in the shop.
Then my aunt called with a great suggestion. Why not have a featured item each month or week as Lola's favorite? Yes, yes, yes! It will help highlight an item and provide some fun with Lola. So from now on, in each pack of cards, we will feature one as Lola's favorite. She might even be gracious enough to include a signed photo with each purchase. We'll see if I can get her to agree.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Leap of Faith
Yesterday was a big day for me. Yesterday, I launched Kismet Cards on Etsy.
As soon as I discovered Etsy a couple years ago, I swore up and down I would start a shop. But I know nothing about business. And who would want to buy my cards and crafts anyway? And what if I never made back the money I invested into it? What if my shop was a complete flop? An utter failure? And did I mention I know nothing about business? Numbers, in fact, make me a little sweaty. So I would put it off and put it off and well...that continued for a while.
On vacation two years ago, my super-creative, art-guild-member aunt showed my mom and me this fun little drawing craze called Zentangles. The free form of it really hit a cord with my mom. I compulsively kept doing the same designs.
After vacation, she kept drawing, and her drawings were really cool. Dad framed a few and hung them around their house. Each time I'd visit, she'd show me her new "zendoodles" as she calls them. She has them laying around, so I borrowed 20 of them during a visit.
I scanned them into the computer and, thanks to the wonders of a company called Moo, had postcards made. Then it hit me...what if we sold them? Because for longer than I have been saying I'd start an Etsy shop, my family has been saying we should have a small family business, something we can do together.
So I did it. Yesterday, I launched Kismet Cards, and even if we never make a dollar, even if it's a complete flop, even if no one likes it, I already feel successful because I'm trying. We're trying, and that is a wonderful feeling.
As soon as I discovered Etsy a couple years ago, I swore up and down I would start a shop. But I know nothing about business. And who would want to buy my cards and crafts anyway? And what if I never made back the money I invested into it? What if my shop was a complete flop? An utter failure? And did I mention I know nothing about business? Numbers, in fact, make me a little sweaty. So I would put it off and put it off and well...that continued for a while.
On vacation two years ago, my super-creative, art-guild-member aunt showed my mom and me this fun little drawing craze called Zentangles. The free form of it really hit a cord with my mom. I compulsively kept doing the same designs.
After vacation, she kept drawing, and her drawings were really cool. Dad framed a few and hung them around their house. Each time I'd visit, she'd show me her new "zendoodles" as she calls them. She has them laying around, so I borrowed 20 of them during a visit.
I scanned them into the computer and, thanks to the wonders of a company called Moo, had postcards made. Then it hit me...what if we sold them? Because for longer than I have been saying I'd start an Etsy shop, my family has been saying we should have a small family business, something we can do together.
So I did it. Yesterday, I launched Kismet Cards, and even if we never make a dollar, even if it's a complete flop, even if no one likes it, I already feel successful because I'm trying. We're trying, and that is a wonderful feeling.
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