Valentine Idea Number 2

A few years ago, I made a small collection of cards that I sent out, using definitions out of our dictionary published in 1927 (yes, it is pretty cool, and yes, we use it.) I thought about making some PDFs of these great dictionary pages, and making them available for my blog readers to download. Before distributing someone else's work, I thought I better check the copyright, so I spent an inordinate amount of time on Friday researching it. I found some very interesting information. John Grant, a copyright attorney in Seattle, gave me this link. It's a pretty cool way to check if something is still covered under copyright. I had researched through copyright library records and found that the original copyright on this dictionary was in 1927 and it was subsequently renewed in 1957, so the rights run until 2022. Sorry, I can't let you upload it.

digital collage sheet by Piddix

Then today the Storque ran a "quit your day job" article on Piddix, and in reading about her, I found a link to a great blog post she did about copyrights. So if you are interested in this stuff like I am, you will enjoy finding Piddix, reading her blog and browsing her shop.

I am still working on something you can upload because I am the copyright holder. It will probably be an image or two that you can use to make your own valentines. As for myself, this year I'll probably spend $3.00 for that sheet at Piddix and make 25 cute valentines out of that.

Expert Help Available

the Beatles in Mouse Form by TheHouseofMouse

An Etsy seller named TheHouseofMouse posted a list of Etsy experts who are willing to share their knowledge with the Etsy world. It is quite an exhaustive list. To get the help, you just send a convo to the expert, and they message you back with their help. What a deal!

Perfect Red Heart Earrings by OverTheTop

Using the list, I came up with this as a follow up to my "Peddle It Like Peterman" post. Click on the title to read the description. I believe this woman is an expert in that area. How cool of her to offer to help others.

Valentine Idea Number 1

I have quite a number of fleece scraps left over from the hundreds of changing pad bags I've made over the past couple of years. For his birthday in November, I gave my nephew a very long loop of fleece in his school colors. I pictured him sharing it with his girlfriend at football games. I talked him into modeling it with my son for the blog. It's not a product I am going to carry, so I was pretty casual about the photography.

scarf for two print by theblackapple

I think Emily Martin captured the idea I had in mind in her artwork. It's just some 6" wide random lengths of anti-pill fleece sewn together on the serger because I like the look of the serging. When I was in highschool, I would have loved this as a valentine gift. Feel free to use this scarf idea for your own shop if you are so inclined.

Peddle it like Peterman

Stag Secret- Vintage Locket Necklace by TheHandofFatima
This blog post about the origins of the Mary Jane shoe, got me thinking. We have a longing for history and a fascination with narrative. Seinfeld made fun of it, but who could put down a J. Peterman catalog? It was so full of adventure and romance. If true art elicits emotion, then marketing becomes an art when photos and description combine to move us to obtain the desired object. Look deeper into the old marketing adage, "find a need and fill it." Living in abundance as we do, chances are our physical needs are met. What need is left? There is true need for originality, authenticity, beauty, romance, identification, and more. I have found some descriptions particularly provocative and appealing to emotional needs. I offer them here as inspiration both to those of us who market on-line and those who "go to market" on-line.

J. Peterman himself would drool over every item in Urban Heirlooms' Shop.

leather key fob by urbanheirlooms

ToyBreaker combines masculine wit with excellent photography, while at MixedSpecies, it's all about the wit.
Cats Tooth Necktie by toybreaker



For a good clean laugh, check this out! soap by DirtySanchez

MyDeepBlueC will dress you like a rock star, even if you quit band in the 6th grade. customized boys jeans by mydeepbluec

Am I worthy?

We see versions of this question posted daily on the Etsy forums. Are my photos treasury worthy? Why am I never picked for the Etsy front page? Answers abound in the form of photography tips and tricks, and networking advice. In my opinion, what most of us are missing in our own photography is the vital element of perspective. How do your photos look side by side with those that are appearing on the font page? Using Etsy's poster sketch, you can easily check for yourself and, in some cases make adjustments to your existing photos to make them work.

First, go to poster sketch. (I saved mine to my desktop by clicking "page" and "save as" in my browser bar, now I can click on it anytime and get to work.) Load the sketch with the item(s) of yours that you want to test along with items you have seen on the front page. I started with the photo above because I thought it was so great and I could not understand how so many front pages featuring these colors could get posted and not one of them feature my bag. What I discovered was that while my bag was photogenic, showing it in its entirety was keeping it out of treasuries. There was too much white space and the photo lost all of its punch. After cropping the photo closer, it becomes treasury worthy. Here is a screen shot of the finished sketch. My bag is in the lower left corner.


list of sellers in this sketch in order of appearance: outoftheflames, randomscraps, humbledaisyhandmade, ragnazidnar, livepoultry, petalandpink, thepaintedlily, rachel323, khphillips, debbyaremdesigns, patapri, studiocherie, studiocherie, sagegold, rachel323, elephannie

Using this method, I have discovered that some of my bags need a fresh photo shoot. The last photo in the third row of the poster above is a detail shot of a cute bag, but I am afraid that the fabric is a lot better in person than it is in the photos. This shot might work a little better, but I am afraid it is still too washed out and small for the front page. The door and the brick wall is more interesting than the bag. Can you be brutally honest with yourself? I have to accept that this bag is not front page material and never will be.

Here is another sketch I put together with one of my bags in each row. Each row could be the start of a complete treasury. I think they hold up to scrutiny along side the most popular sellers. So now I don't have to ask if my photos are treasury worthy, I can check them myself.

sellers appearing in this sketch in order of appearance: rachel323, studiocherie, larimeloom, LittleSparrowNest, studiocherie, makool, sherrytruitt, redrubyrose, totusmel, dillondesigns, studiocherie, maryandangelika, paintedmetal, studiocherie, livepoultry, imagesofbeauty

I love my kids

As I was calling the family to dinner this evening, Caleb came bouncing up the stairs from the family room, asking "Mom, are you lactose intelligent?"

If the Shoe Fits, Wear It - The Shoe Philosopher Part IV

funny serving dish by reclaim2fame

I had an epiphany the other night, as I got ready to go out with Rory. I put on my navy suit with the flirty skirt and fun piping, my ruched white cotton blouse, my necklace that I made out of a $4 key chain that always garners many compliments (even when I wore it recently on Rodeo Drive – that was delightful!) and when it came to putting on shoes, I was stumped. My navy pumps looked frumpy. They had to go into the Goodwill bag.

pendant and chain by SweetBlueAugust
I dove deeper into my closet, praying for a fashion miracle. Happily, I had a pair of white platform mules that I had bought on a whim and rarely worn that made the outfit, but it was a close call. I came very near to having to change my whole ensemble for lack of proper foot attire. That experience gave me a healthy respect for the well-stocked shoe closet. Now, I just need the well-funded shoe budget.

crochet pattern by whiletheyplay

And when I hear "If the shoe fits..." I think of "fits" in a whole new way. The fitting shoe makes me feel 10 feet tall and bullet proof. (I get up to about 6 feet in the white mules, maybe that's why I love them.)

blosoms from bullets t-shirt by binarywinter