Learning Curve
ok, ok, more shop-talk... i'm sorry.. but i tend to talk about what i'm working on at the moment. :-) I hope the eye candy will make up for the shop-talk. Cool? ;-)
So this whole process is definitely about the *details* as I'm learning.. and I love details. I'm all about them. I love researching the minutia of anything. I'm loving reading the community forums at Etsy. Learning alot! Hopefully I can pass on what I learn here, for any of you fellow sellers out there.. although I'm not sure anyting i'm learning is actually news to you! :-)
First of all, my new favorite business is Uline. LOVE.LOVE.LOVE them. I found out that most Etsy sellers use them for their packing supplies. I found out one is very very close to me. This makes me happy as I don't have to pay shipping! YAY! ;-) And they are so user friendly. I already had to return a box of mailers, b/c yes, I didn't pay attention to the *details* and when I went to put the necklace boxes in the mailers, they didn't fit. HA.So I got new boxes for the necklaces through Uline (I got my other ones at the Container Store.. only bought a few thank goodness!) and I got new mailers that work! This makes me a happy-camper.
The jewelry boxes are now Kraft which I think i totally love better! :-)
I designed a postcard to add with the packages that I printed onto texture cardstock and then rounded the corners with my corner rounder. Then I can write a little note on the back. And I have a new excuse to use my little "Danielle" stamp I bought here a while back. I'm so glad I can use that thing now! I love it when I receive an item from other Etsy sellers and they take the time to write a short but sweet personal message. I love those little things. Makes buying handmade really stand apart.
I have another idea for a postcard design that I hope to actually have printed by a printer. I photographed some of my vintage lace collection for this postcard design.
Here's the actual design file... the colors of course look better on screen. ;-) When i actually get postcards printed it will be nice that the colors should be more spot-on than when I print at home.
And here's the little extra that I'll be adding with these that I mentioned before... some magnets made with images from my (small but growing) vintage collection of Japanese illustrations. These are actually paperdolls, so you can dress them up with other outfits even with the magnets. :-) I love these images to pieces. I wouldn't feel right, of course, selling these - for copyright reasons.. but I'm glad I can at least share my collection with others through this little "gift" from me. I hope people find them as fun as I do!
I ordered the magnet sheets from MagnetValley.com. They are a small company and the quality is REALLY nice. And I'm very finicky about print quality. ;-) You run them through your ink jet printer. They weren't waterproof so I found this Clear Coat spray that I used on them and it seemed to work great! I read somewhere that you can also buy magnet sheets and then buy waterproof ink jet paper that you can stick to the magnet.. that would be another alternative. I bought the clear envelope from ClearBags.com... who was highly recommended on Etsy.
I also had some time to work on a storyboard print design for the shop. These are 20"x10" and you can find standard sized frames for these. I really love storyboards and have done them alot with my photography. Here's a Coney Island themed one that I put together (unfortunately the prints will not come with the pretty gold frame.. lol! ;-)
And here are larger versions of the photos... I will also be selling 8x10 prints of certain photos..
So if you're a seller, please share any tips with us that you have found helpful! Any printers you like? Etc, Etc...
Also, thank you so much for the enthusiasm for the packaging I posted about in the last post. This has been a fun journey already in a short amount of time. So thank you for your encouragement!
Also, I'm behind on emails.. which isn't a surprise. ;-) I hope to catch up this weekend. I had a couple people interested in custom orders.. i will get back to you soon!
Also, thank you to anyone that leaves a comment here.. i wish I could respond back to everyone, and I do try! Just know I read each and every one and take each one to heart and I appreciate them!
Hope everyone has a great weekend! Here are just a few randoms b4 I go...
Saw this store on a couple blogs this week. I MUST have this hammock. MUST. I love how it looks crocheted and of course I love those colors! Too bad I hate the outdoors b/c it's too dang hot here in Georgia and we have mosquitos like nobody's business. :-/
Saw these downloadable 3D papercrafts on someone's blog this week... from all people but CANON! LOVE the Matryoshka dolls and the airplanes.. me thinks coop would love those. :-)
And here's something nice and crass. I read Design Milk in my Google Reader, and when this came up I laughed. And then I saw the word "weiner" and busted a gut. Yes, I'm 32 and I still think that word is funny. Do you laugh too? I know you do. Admit it............................. Weiner. Weiner.
heh-heh.


