FEATURED ARTIST

Here is another shop that sells a variety - come and meet



Here is our interview with the artist, Melissa -

Briefly describe what you make?

I make a variety of items. The shop started out with a faux flower hair clip, but has since expanded lol. I have light switch covers wich are completly customizable, ribbon hair clips, vinyl hair bows, fabric, ribbon and faux flower brooches, headbands, gift boxes-well a gift box, and some random art items.

What mediums do you enjoy working in most?

I like all fabric. Dupani silk being my favorite, all ribbon-except organza-I can't seem to get it to cooperate lol, any and all items from cameos, photos, buttons, clocks and watches, any random tool or item i can find in the tool box as long as it goes with how im feeling that day. Sometimes a little "odd" ;) and sometimes a little not. Nothing is safe when I have my siccors and hot glue gun.

How long have you been creating craft?

Prob since I was a child, but more on a seriouse level after I had my 3rd child in November 2009. Now its what I do all day and well, all night.

How did you get started?

I didnt open my shop untill November 2010. A year after my 3rd child. I figure if by some chance I get to do what I enjoy and also stay home with my children AND make money doing it...why not? Who wouldnt want that?

Where does the name of your shop come from?

ShamelessAK was just a name I used so that I could purchase items on Etsy. My line of products are called EverMore Accessories....by ShamelessAK. EverMore was a play on Edgar Allen Poe and the Raven (my favorite).Also ive also got just one more thing to say. I'm gonna be here and everywhere EverMore. ;)

What would you most want people to know about your work?

That I absolutley love creating personalized items and I spend many hours making sure that the 1st item and every other like it, is pefect(to me). I have a ton of "mistakes" all over my home. Every item I ship out I would wear/use myself. If not I dont even put it up for sale.

What words of advice do you have for other artists?

Remember to have fun. Not everything has to be so seriouse all the time. If your doing what you love then keep on. You may not wear a 4 inch vinyl bow in your hair now. Ask yourself why not? lol I didnt used to, but now I do. 'Cuz I love being me and you should too!

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I like that advice - "Remember to have fun." Absolutely. Go now and take a look at Melissa's shop - then come back and leave a comment here!

FEATURED ARTIST

Come and take a look at this great shop. Here is



Here is our interview with the artist, Rebecca - and as you will see, like myself, Rebecca sells a nice variety in her shop!

Briefly describe what you make?

I make all sorts of items!!! I started out making a tutu for my daughter. Then it turned into blankets, and then I learned to crochet!!!!. After my sisters had their babies I started new items like stuffed animals, diaper cakes, and rose bouquets made from baby socks!!! Well from then on I was totally hooked!!!! I went crazy making bows, bow holders, clips, necklaces, leg warmers, scarves, and just about anything else I thought was cute!!!! There are also a ton of items I have in my mind that I would love to try and make, and hope to find a little spare time soon!!!

What mediums do you enjoy working in most?

My favorite is crocheting, although making bows and headbands is working its way closer to the top pretty quickly!! Crocheting will always have a special place in my heart though, because it always reminds me of my grandmother who used to crochet a lot before she passed away several years ago. Even though I did not crochet at the time she was alive, I can feel her looking down and smiling every time I pick up the yarn and hook.

How long have you been creating craft?

I am actually pretty new at making crafts. Several years back I started making some necklaces for myself, but gave up on it pretty quicky because I just didnt have the time to continue doing it. It was about 8 months ago that I really got into making everything I make now.

How did you get started?

I started out making things for my daughter. Then, after I realized how much fun it was, decided to also make some things for family members. After making everything for them, and needing nothing else for my daughter, I decided to sell on etsy, because I just can't stop making things! I'd probably a very stressed out person without my crafts, because it is just so relaxing to make them now!

Where does the name of your shop come from?

I chose "this and that", because thats what I want in my shop. I want people to be able to stop by, and find a little bit of everything. I love variety, and thats what I wanted to be able to offer everyone that stops in at my shop!

What would you most want people to know about your work?

I put everything I have into making each piece of work special. I always have my customers in mind, and my main goal is to work with them, and get them exactly what they want.

What words of advice do you have for other artists?

Starting out is not always easy. It take a lot of time and effort. Its hard to get your name out there. I am still working on that!!!! Advertising is so important in building up a good group of customers. Don't be afraid to just out there and get started, but don't be shocked when it doesnt take off as quickly as you would like!! With hard work and persistance, you will get there :)


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Nice! Now head on over to this shop. Then come back here and leave a nice comment for Rebecca!

Changes at Etsy - the Online Selling Site for Handmade

Some of our readers are already aware of this as they have shops on Etsy - but there have been some recent changes at Etsy involving the site's forums which are open to all who come to the site, buyers and sellers. Many of the forums that have existed since the site opened are now gone. What remains are forums directed only at sellers - and this is a shame for the shopping public.

It was always possible before the change to announce a new item that went into a shop by using the Promotions Forum. This was a busy place. Some sellers felt that it was too busy - but it brought results. A shop could announce a new item or cleverly remind everyone of other items in the shop and buyers could go and see what was new and for sale. Discounts could be announced. Coupons could be offered. It was the only place on the site that a seller could go on their own and promote their work without paying a fee. That is now gone.

Many of my sales have come from the Promotions Forum. Many buyers have found me there and have come back as repeat customers. This was a way to get your work looked at and ultimately make a sale. Now this opportunity is gone.

There is nothing of any practical application that has taken its place. It is possible to pay to be noticed on the overall site - but why should the customer have to pay the cost for a shop to advertise - no matter what anyone will say - all expenses are reflected in the cost charged.

There is no logical reasoning offered for this change - at least not one that makes any sense to anyone selling on the site. Could the forums been revised to make them more manageable? Sure! But eliminate the ones that the general public would benefit from? No sense at all!

Several sites suddenly sprung up to take the place of the Etsy Forums and also provide a Promotions Forum. One of the most notable is UEF (Unofficial Etsy Forums). But it is too soon to see if this site has any effect on sales. And unless buyers find that site - it will do no good. Take a look at UEF. If you are looking to buy, you will find shops and new items promoted there.

Craft Selling Venues Online

Most of the readers who come to this site know about Etsy and many have their own Etsy shops. There are changes going on at the Etsy site that may greatly have an effect on the sales potential at that site. Many are scrambling to expand to other selling venues online.

One of the problems is that many sites charge not only a setup fee but also a monthly fee to keep a shop on that site. I have looked at many sites, tried a few who either charge no fee or just a listing fee and I have not had the success that I have had making sales as I have had on Etsy. Will that success continue there remains to be seen.

A few months ago I wrote about trying a shop on a site called Zibbet. So far that shop has made no sales - and it went through the holiday season as well.

A site that many talk about is Artfire. Artfire requires payment for the site but offers a small free shop site as well. My shop at Artfire - though it only has one item listed - my best seller - has had no sales.

A site that has had sales for me is called Silkfair. I have made several sales on the Silkfair site but these have been over the course of more than two years. Silkfair is a sales site that is not just limited to art and craft. General merchandise is sold on the site as well. The owner of the site had tried hard to make it visible and bring customers to the site. There is also a way to migrate your Etsy listings to your Silkfair shop.

I have shops on two sites that are strictly art and I have photography on both and my ACEO mats on one in addition to the photography. One of those sites is Redbubble. Redbubble is a site that prints your artwork, in my case my photography, and ships it to the customer for you. All you do is upload artwork. You set the percentage of the selling price that you will get and Redbubble sets the price. You can sell prints, cards, shirts, calendars, and framed art. All of the work in production is done by Redbubble. The site is based in Australia so the shipping prices to the US are high. I have made sales on Redbubble BUT I have yet to be paid. WHY? Redbubble pays you when your sales balance reaches $50. It has been a couple of years and I have yet to reach that.

The other art site is Art by Us. Here there are no fees AT ALL. You list your artwork or art supplies and you can either set a flat price or run an ebay like auction. Listings remain for months and are easily renewable - and they are free. The site is set up with an emphasis on individual listings and not on "shops", though it is possible to create a single link to all of your listings.

So now we wait and see. Will the changes that have been announced and started to be enacted on Etsy cut down on sales? I certainly hope not but without the ability to interact on the site with potential customers, I think that there will be a downturn coming.

Scan Instead of Photograph

I recently posted some new items in my Etsy shop and when I photographed the items the images were just coming out with colors to match actual items. I used my good camera - the one that never fails - and put the images through Photoshop to correct the color as best that I could - and still the colors were not correct. There were color casts and tones that just would not go away no matter what I tried.

I was about to give up when I thought of my scanner. Now, my new items are flat and could easily go onto the scanner bed, but I have done this in the past with fully three-dimensional items and it has worked well.

First chose a good background - a piece of color (or white) paper or cardstock. Place the object on the glass bed of the scanner. Cover the object with the background. Close the scanner cover gently on top of the item. Most scanners are made to scan open books so there will be some flex in the cover hinges to get the cover closed flat. If you find that the cover sticks up too far and too much light gets to the bed, cover the top of the scanner with a dark cloth to block the light (this is rarely necessary). Go to your computer and scan. You will get a perfect image that you can place into your software and resize, crop, or manipulate as you choose.

This won't work for everything but it works for many items - especially if they are small and relatively flat.

Recently, new technology is being introduced to scanners that work with digital camera technology rather than a light bar that scans as a photocopier does. These new scanners are actually shooting high megapixel photographs of whatever is on the bed of the scanner. One that I heard about from Lexmark is selling for about $400. I am sure more will come along and the prices will drop considerably.

FEATURED ARTIST

Here is an artist who is creating some very unique items. Come and meet

Here is our interview with the artist, Nikki -

Briefly describe what you make?

I make clutches and wallets of all different sizes, home decorations (clocks, various decorative stuff), and jewelry (earrings & bracelets for now. I'll do necklaces when I figure out a way of making or getting nice chains instead of just having to buy them at craft stores). I've also expanded my home decor line to include stuffed food men ("Food Friends"). Everything in my shop except for the stuffed food men is made from recycled materials. Right now, the items that seem to get the most views and sales are my big and small cassette tape clutches, kitchen utensil clocks and my Food Friends.

What mediums do you enjoy working in most?

Sewing and polymer clay modeling. When I was a kid I would watch Gumby and those claymation TV shows, and be like "I so want to do that with clay". Nowadays, I love working with polymer clay because I can make my own charms for my jewelry. Sewing is probably my #1 medium though, and it surprises me that it is because I had to teach myself how to sew. I was horrible with a sewing machine in Home Ec class-I couldn't even thread one. I got much better at sewing when I got a good machine--a vintage Singer 301A--and could relax while sewing.

How long have you been creating craft?

I always loved making things when I was a kid, but I didn't really get started full-time with crafting until about 2005 when I didn't have a whole lot of money to buy stuff and realized I could make what I wanted.

How did you get started?

I saw a girl in my acting class in college with a purse made out of Ramen Noodle soup bags, and I really wanted it, and by that I mean I REALLY wanted it. In fact, I wanted it so bad that I devised a way to sew that same bag by hand for myself. I worked at Wal-Mart at the time so I strolled through the craft section, found some vinyl material, and got to work. I had so much fun doing it and looking at the finished product, I knew that I wanted to keep doing it, so I came up with more and more ideas and my hobby grew from there. I knew I wanted to set up shop a couple years ago because I got to the point where I said to myself, "Why keep all this cool stuff just locked up in the house?"--I wanted to share my crafts with others.

Where does the name of your shop come from?

I wanted something that was original, but also sort of described the kind of crafting that I was aiming at. I describe my crafting as being done on sugar highs because I tend to like bright, happy designs in my work, and my work is also very youthful and kid-friendly. I remembered years ago when I would watch cartoons, that sugar cereal was called "Sugar Shox", so I thought that would be a great name for my business as it sort of describes the kind of designs I like. Plus it's short, catchy, & has a nice rhythm to it.

What would you most want people to know about your work?

I love creating new things out of old things. Some call it recycling, some call it upcycling, some call it garbage picking...:) To me, there's just nothing better that you can do than to give something old a new use. I'm also pretty much a big kid (I never really liked becoming an adult LOL), and I like to remember things from when I was younger--that is where my retro cassette tape line comes from. I know there's others who feel like I do too, and I also design things to remember those carefree summer vacation days where all you had to worry about was whether you'd go swimming that day.

What words of advice do you have for other artists?

Don't give up, even the smallest progress is better than nothing. You can build from even the tiniest step. Also, don't let anything stop you from doing what makes you happy--I know I'm certainly not happy just going about the old 9 to 5 workday, coming home and doing it all again the next day. That's no way to live--you have to find out what makes you happy and do it! Even if you only can do a few minutes a day of something. Doing what you love works wonders and actually works better than professional therapy!

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Nice interview. Head on over now to Nikki's shop and take a look. Come on back and then leave a comment!