dayslight

Tres Chic Treasury

2010-07-12T14:03:00.000-07:00

This imaginative treasury natural beauties... by Monketandsquirrel manages to be rustic and retro at the same time, for a lovely, understated look. For some reason, it makes me think of Paris in the summer...

Am so thrilled to have my print, Group of Antique Bobbins, included. Quick, take a look, before it's gone!

Sweet Magnolia

2010-06-10T13:09:00.000-07:00

Spring is (still) in the air! Thanks to LinzGutz for including my photo print Single Pink Magnolia in the beautiful treasury Magnolia Love -- be sure to visit the treasury, before it's gone!

Horse Head Blues

2010-06-02T19:16:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Blackcatcraft for including my photo Horse Head Hitching Post in the sweet Etsy treasury: Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (yes, we do!) So check out this treasury, before it rides off into the sunset...

Feeling Appreciated...

2010-05-15T15:04:00.000-07:00

...thanks to TheJoyofColor for including my Vintage Ceramic Duck 8x8 Photo Print in the very creative Etsy treasury A Story of Ducks, Poppies, a strong man and...

Made my day!

Photo Love from POE

2010-03-23T14:14:00.000-07:00

KBuchananPhotography put together this wonderful treasury of POE (Photographers of Etsy street team) photographers: Some POE Photo Lovin' and included one of my prints!

So happy to see my White Architectural Rosette included with this great group. Thanks again to KBuchananPhotography.

Spotlight on Ducky Love

2010-03-17T06:56:00.000-07:00

My shop needed some love, and today my Vintage Ceramic Duck 8x8 Photo Print got some in a byhand.me spotlight made up of Etsy finds celebrating ducks. Thanks to Etsy seller madebyswirlygirl for including my print in the spotlight!

OK, Twitter Works

2010-02-03T15:09:00.000-08:00

This week I made another attempt at using twitter to promote items in my shop and it GOT RESULTS. This means now I HAVE to use it -- one more piece of web marketing added to my Etsy workflow.

Am going to tweet when

listing a new photo print in my shop
relisting an item
selling something and then relisting it
having a sale or special promotion
one of my photos is included in a treasury
when -- especially when -- something of mine makes it on to Etsy's front page

Did the first four, and saw an immediate increase in number of views in the next few minutes and even over the next day or so. Am trying not to be too sad about missed opportunities to give my shop an extra bump with Twitter -- when my prints were included in treasuries, and once on the front page -- will just use it from now on.

Part Of a Treasury and An Experiment*

2010-01-29T07:34:00.000-08:00

Am so pleased to be part of the Pretty Room of POE Treasury West created by MagMoment. My Orange Autumn Trees 8x10 photo print was lucky enough to be included.

For those who don't know, POE stands for Photographers of Etsy Street Team. Finding a treasury with more than one item of fine art photography is rare -- and this treasury ties everything together with composition as well as color and theme -- take a look before it's gone!

*Below the direct link to this treasury is a little note stating "Treasury West is a test. It may disappear at anytime." So am extra happy to be part of the Treasury West Test!

Warm up to this Treasury

2010-01-20T06:55:00.000-08:00

My photo of a Pink and Orange California Rose was included in the Etsy treasury Sorbet Sunset. I can't think of a better way to sweep away the winter blues (or grays) than to take a look at some of the other beautiful items included.

Thanks to ByTheBy from the Etsy Treasury Team for selecting my photo print for this treasury!

Some Indi Biz Tips resources

2010-01-11T11:11:00.000-08:00

Don't know what took me so long -- maybe it has to do with the new year -- but have begun making more use of some great Etsy and Indi business support websites, blogs and newsletters.

Just signed up at Hand Made Marketer/Etsy for an Etsy seller newsletter. It comes with Action Lists! Particularly love this format because it makes a things to do list for you.

Another favorite is IttyBiz. She has online courses if you're in to that sort of thing, and a cheecky style I love. You can find some recent posts on goal setting that pretty much rock.

Last but not least is a marketing web site I've posted about before by Etsy seller Eyeful at WonderThinking.

And of course there's endless fun on the Etsy Forums: Business Topics...

Northern Light Elegance

2009-12-26T07:58:00.000-08:00

Thanks to H & J Star Creations for including my print in the beautiful treasury Northern Lights. The treasury features elegant items in shades of gray and silver, blue and violet.

It was tough to think up a title for this image, and I finally just settled on

Pile of Old BOARDS, BEDS, WINDOWS, DOORS. So am happy that H & J could get past the title and include it in their treasury!

Good. Morning. Treasury!

2009-12-23T06:21:00.000-08:00

Eighteen degrees, feels more like six. When this is on the radio first thing in the morning, it helps when the next thing is email saying your print was included in a treasury!

My photo print from the set Old Fashioned Roses was included in the lovely treasury, Pink...Pink...Oh...and Pink put together by WickedDarling.

Hurry and check it out, it really is a treat.

Made about Portland

2009-12-10T16:03:00.000-08:00

The other day I was cruising Etsy for some good Portland art. The city is inspiring -- art was easy to find!

For seven years I was a New York-to-Oregon transplant. But there was always this pull from the East, and eventually I moved back to Rochester. (Who knows why we do what we do...)

Each of these images represents something about what it's like to live in beautiful PDX.

Tenth Ave Portland OR. Etsy shop at AlexeyMoore

Kneehigh, 9x12 print. Etsy shop at SweetpeaBicycle

Fishing in Oregon. Esty shop at AlexWijnen

Portland Made In Oregon Sign Fine Art Print. Etsy shop at mesmanimages

OCEAN BEACHES NEXT RIGHT.

Etsy shop at MarionetteMoon

Portland Oregon - Vintage Map Pendant. Etsy shop at AnneHolman

Art Local

2009-12-10T06:22:00.000-08:00

Am transitioning this blog: instead of a place just to post about problems and solutions to setting up an Etsy shop, I'll be adding a series of posts highlighting the work of Etsy art from and about places I've lived. Look for the first post about Portland Oregon in the next day or so...

Vintage-Style PORTLAND Road Sign, MarionetteMoon, Oregon Coast Artist

What can you do with a mini print?

2009-12-01T15:23:00.001-08:00

Frame it for a secret santa or workplace gift exchange.

Tuck it into a gift bag for a little something extra.

Place it in the envelope with a letter as a personal memento -- sentimental, but sweet!

Write a message on the back and turn it into a non-traditional greeting card, suitable for framing!

Slip it under the ribbon of a simply wrapped present, a gorgeous way to decorate a gift!

Put it on the refrigerator to add a little art to your kitchen!

Short on wall space? Frame a set of mini prints and hang them as a group on the wall as an intimate alternative to a larger piece.

Be bold, punch little holes in the margins, string through some ribbon and hang them on the tree.

Hold it in your hand -- small is beautiful -- it's a little piece of art!

What's In A Name?

2009-11-12T08:40:00.000-08:00

The Problem
I have a photographic image showing a jumble of vintage toys. It's a coherent composition, but how to title it for an Etsy listing?

Because everything's a keyword, I don't want to lead people to expect to find the actual things -- I want people to find my prints but also want to set the correct expectations.

The Solution
Include in the title: the name (Vintage Toys), the dimensions (5 x 7) then include what it is (Photo Art Print). Sort of like who, what, where in journalism.

For example "Vintage Toys 5x7 Photo Art Print." This formula seems to work for the Google search result as well.

Just found an Etsy article along these lines, but for writing the entire listing: 5 Tips for Item Descriptions

Term Definition

2009-11-12T08:33:00.000-08:00

Photo Art Print

...it's a term I haven't encountered until setting up my Etsy shop. It seems to mean 1) a photo-based image, usually Photoshopped to some degree 2) on art (acid free cotton rag) paper, or some other archival substrate and 3) you printed it yourself, or had a professional printer do it for you. The idea is that it's handmade...

Virtual Framing

2009-11-12T08:30:00.001-08:00

If you want to show how your print listed on Etsy would look matted and framed...an example can be made from your uploaded image at http://bighugelabs.com/mat.php

Marketing Wonder

2009-11-07T08:48:00.000-08:00

Etsy seller Tricia Mckellar (Eyefull) has a new biz tips blog, wonder thinking, that I highly recommend. Along with tips on business planning and marketing, her writing communicates her motivation and enthusiasm about what she does -- and that's an inspiration to anyone.

She's a photographer and mixed media artist, so she's writing with examples from those markets, but her ideas are useful to anyone new (check) and without a lot of background in marketing their own business (check!)

"ORANGE Trees Please" added to a treasury!

2009-11-06T09:55:00.000-08:00

Am so proud: my little TTV-inspired print of a many-toned autumn tree was included in the treasury Toasty Orange and Sage (Pounced!) The treasury is all about fall colors and shops pounced or new.

Items featured in this treasury were chosen by SleepUnderStars, whose watercolor illustrations will sweeten up anyones holiday!

The Old and the Older

2009-11-04T12:39:00.000-08:00

Adding more images to my Etsy shop, including a few from summer forays into antiquing (with a camera).

These images are a jumble of the old and the older -- like this on of a FLEUR DE LIS tin ceiling -- and describing them is hard.

Don't want to use keywords that lead people to the listing thinking that the item IN THE PICTURE is for sale..!

Dippin' my toe in the water

2009-11-03T15:14:00.000-08:00

Just listed the first two items in my Etsy shop: "BABY" and "HUNTER CENTURY."

These two prints represent my enduring (yes, endless and forever) interest in all things household and made of metal.

Disclosure

2009-11-01T07:04:00.001-08:00

My printer scares me.

Update: it becomes less scary with use.

Trend spotting

2009-10-29T13:13:00.000-07:00

When it comes to digital images I'm no purist, but if an image says "crop me, make me look old," is it OK to listen?

I know this is a TTV-inspired trend -- TTV is Through The Viewfinder of a twin lens camera, usually an old one -- but I genuinely love the look.

So do I fight the urge, or give in and just play with my images? See my Flickr feed (left) for other examples from my weaker moments.

Notes on Margins

2009-10-10T13:24:00.000-07:00

Learned in Book School* to always design for the finished product -- then work backwards. Am making sets of photo art prints, but only planned as far as the various paper sizes.

Then brought home some inexpensive frames to see how the proof prints look framed and behind glass. Margins around the images either really worked or really didn't work.

Didn't work: anything where a little white strip of paper shows all the way around.

Really didn't work: narrow margins that are different top/bottom and right/left, leaving unequal thin white strips all around.

Worked: one inch margins. They give the print a matted look without the mat. And the wider borders give the images an intimate, jewel-like quality.

Really worked: equal left-right margins with extra space at bottom. Mini art prints. Very nice.

Will have to do test prints close to the edge as the printer will go, so when framed there aren't any margins at all. This should have been the first step once I started making proof prints.

Also have to go back though the images and rethink crops and re-do templates -- all because I forgot what I learned in Book School.

*RIT School of Print Media

Oh Printer where art thou?

2009-10-06T19:24:00.000-07:00

I have two degrees with the word "print" in them and still wasn't prepared for the arrival of my Canon Pixma Pro9000 printer. But haven't got a printing press or print studio, so some form of digital device was in order -- make that on order.

The new printer came with a new footprint: large. It now has it's very own table in my workspace, residing on one of those sturdy wooden kid-sized tables from before Fisher-Price.

The fun parts:

1. Purchasing a selection of art papers and learning to feed the heavy-weight papers through the printer

2. Installing print drivers, deinstalling and reinstalling drivers

3. Making AdobeLightroom and Canon Pixma printer play nice together

4. Locating color profiles, and using them

5. Thirty-minute conversations with Canon tech support about loading paper, color management and installing print drivers (really good tech support by the way)

The printer and I are friends now. Just wish we had more time to play...

Amateur and Pro

2009-10-06T13:44:00.000-07:00

Never understood before that there is so much difference between taking pictures for myself and taking them for others. I know there shouldn't be, but there is. Especially when amateur is defined as the former and pro (for money) is the latter. All this is brought up by contemplating listing photos on Etsy!

Taking photos for myself, I still care if people like them. But it's all an exercise in seeing. Not a bad thing, but years of digital experiments with light, subject and composition take up a lot of disk space.

For example, I take pride in being able to crop in-camera, not understanding that cool composition might limit what can be done with the image later on. Getting the whole subject in the frame may result in more possibilities once I got it into Photoshop.

Now I want to list art prints of my photos on Etsy for others to appreciate -- and hopefully buy. So am thinking about my images as objects -- commodities really -- and assigning value to them in a whole different way.

Am also less and less interested in taking pictures of trees and the sides of buildings...

Don't have any conclusion here. Except there's a lot to be said for looking at what you do through new eyes. What you find out -- about yourself and your art -- can be surprising.

Keeping files neat and tidy (and safe)

2009-10-04T11:58:00.001-07:00

If you have digital image files you care about, in a significantly large quantity, here's one strategy for protecting them -- and yourself -- from loss:

1. Purchase Adobe Lightroom and a book to help you learn it

2. Buy two of the biggest hard drives you can afford

... sooner or later it will save you from headaches and heartache.

Less than two months after getting my photo catalog in order using Lightroom -- and organizing the files into two identical (mirrored) sets on two different disk drives -- the time and money paid off when one of the disks failed.

All that was needed was to reset the Lightroom catalog to point to the set of backup photos on other drive. Just like that, everything was back up and running. Of course I was on pins and needles until I made another mirrored copy of the files. With a new set of my image files safely on a new drive, I was through the most pain-free hard drive crash ever.

Getting ready for Etsy

2009-10-02T13:30:00.000-07:00

Wow, the process leading up to selling on Etsy has some interesting twists and turns. Until my shop is open, thought it might be useful to blog about it.

I take pictures. Have done for as long as I can remember, and before that drew pictures. In the course of things people ooh and ahh and some suggest trying to sell my stuff. Someone suggests Etsy.

Go to Etsy and look around. Set up an account. Start buying because it's fun. Learn the key to Etsy is that it's like a friend sending you a gift through the mail. Everyone is so sweet and friendly that it's easy to see the appeal. Start favoriting things I covet and the shops of people whose work I admire.

Next the other fun thing: start making headers and profile icons until am able to settle on ones I like. Looking at other people's headers for trends. Started out with a colorful design, then decide I like the neutral, fade-to-background look for my shop -- thinking this approach avoids the header graphic interfering with the work.

Oh wait, no work yet. Leave the header up, fill in some bio and stop by my empty shop now and then to admire it, mostly in between Etsy searches.

Start to work gathering items to list, when I realize that my digital photo catalog is not as safe as it needs to be and not nearly so organized as I thought. But this is a story for another post.

Hello World!

2009-10-01T15:13:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the site of my soon-to-be Etsy blog!