Friday, March 30, 2007

ACEO

ACEO stands for Art Cards, Editions, and Originals. These originated as artist trading cards (ATC) and are made by artists to show off their work. Often artists give them to each other. Artists also create these for sale for the general public and for collectors. I have just learned of this art form and have found out that it is a unique and affordable way for people to collect original art and prints. These are miniature works of art with the only qualifying criteria being that they must have the dimensions of 2 1/2 inches by 3 1/2 inches. And as I have found out is very popular with collectors and buyers. Fascinating!

When I found out about ACEO's my mind began racing. This would be a wonderful alternative medium for my art photo prints. Properly sized and then mounted on a bristol board paper backing or other suitably stiff and acid-free backing, my original photographs would be great. I will offer them at this size in signed, limited, numbered editions.

Then my mind raced on. What else could I do in this size?

I have been designing punchneedle embroidery for over two years and primarily sell my designs as pattern kits. I have offered miniature punched rugs for sale and I have made miniature punchneedle embroidery pins which have sold well in a gift shop in Pennsylvania. The pins have been ideal because they are small and can be made to be affordable. Even though punchneedle embroidery works quickly, a completed picture can take many hours of time and must sell at prices accordingly. But using the ACEO guidelines, I could produce original, frameable or collectible finished embroideries that could sell at an affordable price. This is something now to explore. Create designs of quality and punch these designs on fabric, mount the fabric on a backing board, and the result is a miniature, collectible work of embroidered art.

Then I thought about my wife, Meryl's skill as an accomplished and award winning embroiderer. Her work takes many, many hours of time and she will often work for months or longer on one large piece. Whenever she has been approached to sell her embroidery her reaction is that the labor of love took so long that she could not place a price on it - at least not one that the average interested patron would be able to pay. With the ACEO, Meryl could create a miniature embroidery that takes a short amount of time to complete - a single element of a much larger work - and mount that to this miniature size. Again, this would be affordable to most.

So this will be our new endeavor. So often we get side tracked and motivated to something new. This will be something that will be available on a limited basis. Primarily through our shop on Etsy (www.qbranchltd.etsy.com) Off we go to dream, think, plan, and execute!

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Photography

I have been doing photography for many years. I have always loved taking pictures - but while others take photos of friends and family, I always like to take photos of places and things.

For the first time I am offering my photography for sale on the Internet. My shop at www.qbranchltd.etsy.com has the first of my offerings. The photo is called Desperate Devotion and it captures a great deal of emotion. The print is 4" x 6' and would be wonderful matted to a larger frame size or framed as is for a small but potent statement of feeling.

Have a look. See if you agree.

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Featured Artist of the Week

THIS WEEK'S FEATURED ARTIST
IS


Come and see some beautiful jewelry creations from this talented artist. This shop has some interesting non-jewelry surprises too!
We invite you to CV Creationz and see if you do not agree how nice this jewelry is. If sales are any indication, many agree!!!

Thursday, March 22, 2007

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN OR HEARD OF ONE OF THESE?


Do you know what this is? It is called a LUCET and it has been used since the 15th century to make cord. Cord for lacing, cord for tying, cord. This is an ancient craft used by the Vikings, used through Renaissance Europe and brought to America from Europe in the 17th Century.

This little tool will take single or multi-ply thread or string and make it into a strong cord. With just a twist and a loop that cord grows to useable lengths.

Now you may say, "I don't like history." and then ask, "Who cares about this?" Well, this little tool from history can be used today to create unique and different jewelry - such as bracelets and earrings. It can be used to create laces for shoes, sneakers, or whatever. AND the more decorative thread or string that you start with the fancier cord you are going to make.

I hand-make these lucets from American hardwoods in my workshop. I cut, shape, carve, and finish them - all based on a historically accurate design. We include an illustrated instruction booklet with every purchase that will not only teach you have to use it, but also will tell you what you can make with it.

This is a craft that anyone can learn from children to adults. It is easy to do, works quickly, and is a lot of fun. The resulting cord's uses are only limited by your imagination. To make the cord you can use embroidery floss, crochet cotton, perle cotton, thread, string, or any thin decorative cord - all of which is easy to find locally.

For the first time I am offering one of my LUCETS at my Etsy shop. Please take a look at the shop and you will see close up views of the lucet and the cord that it makes. The lucet offered is made of American Maple and finished to a hand-rubbed oil luster. You will love this for yourself or a creative friend. We offer FREE SHIPPING in the United States and low international shipping rates.

Is the lucet gone from my Etsy site? If it has sold just convo me at Etsy and I will make one just for you!

Learn a new "old" craft!

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Featured Etsy Shop of the Week

FEATURED ETSY SHOP OF THE WEEK THIS WEEK IS



At Fiddlestitches you will find wonderful creations for children - the very cutest clothing and accessories.
Please visit our shop of the week and spend some time looking at all of the wonderful things that they have for sale!

Thursday, March 15, 2007

A BOLD MOVE

After thirty years of living in a 9 to 5 world, I finally decided to live the life that I always wanted. I quit my job and started to do my art full time. Now to some that may seem crazy. Others may say it is about time.

Too many people live a life of what is expected of them. They work until they are old enough to retire and then they are too old to enjoy themselves or they die.Some just go day to day waiting for those golden years - and then they get hit by a bus.

I decided to say no. I decided to do it now while I am able to enjoy it.

My wife and I have been making and selling crafts for over twenty one years. We have done this on weekends and worked late into the night after the usual work day. The making was always fun. The selling part was something that my wife enjoyed and I often hated. Craft shows are another world - or perhaps a touch with the general public that only those in retail see. So why would I trade in a regular salary to plunge full time into that world? One of the things that I hated most was not having those weekends to myself - after working full time in an office all week. Now weekends, weekdays - the days are all the same. You can make Monday Saturday or Saturday Friday. Actually, it is something to get used to.

Since my decision things have moved slowly along - but they have moved. We have made some unexpected sales, we have made some wholesale sales, and we found a not so little website called Etsy that enables us to host our work in a venue in which interested buyers will see it.

As the site you are reading now progresses we will be featuring some of the work that we have done and some of the work that is currently for sale. We also will be featuring the work of other crafts people through a "Featured" shop of the week. We will be writing about what it is like to make crafts professionally and what it is like to sell them. We will share with you the experiences that we have had over the past 21 years and tell you what you might do or what you might want to avoid if you would like to try your hand at this too.