Upon realizing that this is a holiday weekend, I'm extending the contest deadlines for Caliandra's interview until midnight, Wednesday April 27th. Duh. Anyways, remember:
>Visit her shop
>Pick out one item
>Write one sentence that you think could convince anyone to buy that item.
>Tweet it. Or, if you don't do the twitter, just post it here in the comments with a link to the item in question. Don't forget to like her facebook page!
Have at thee!
(view the earrings you could win in the interview.)
Friday, April 22, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Seller Inteview and GIVEAWAY with Caliandra!
Good afternoon, fellow nerdsters and makers of wonderful stuffs. I hope the day finds you in good spirits. Along with posting the first seller interview of this week, I'm pleased to announce that Gary and I will be giving this podcast thing a crack this evening. I will tweet during the show, if any of you have questions you want to hear me answer about:
>My Little Ponies (the new one)
>Stupid looking Pokemon
>Uncharted 2
>Nerd guys and their bad clothing choices
Send your tweets to @saz_bby and I'll try to get to everyone who tweets in.
Now, without further ado, we'll get to the interview with the Delightful Cali who's better know as The Bead Muse on Etsy. Enjoy.
Name: Cali Hurtado
Home City: Houston
State: Texas
Favorite Color: Greens and Blues
Favorite Drink (alcoholic or non): Fresh Squeezed Lemonade, Coconut rum (that covers both!)
So, my dear Cali, what is it that got you into beads in the first place? Are beads something you loved as a child, or is this more of an adult fascination?
I’ve been collecting beads since I was a kid. I started collecting broken jewelry while at school, mostly plastic beads, but as I got older I would rescue jewelry people would throw away, primarily beaded jewelry that broke. I still have some of them, too! They’re probably vintage now! People thought I was weird, but I couldn’t stand the idea of throwing away something that could be restrung or reinvented. I would scramble to the break site, and sweep up the beads with my hands before the janitor got there. I even chased really pretty beads down the hall.
You also feature some amazing chainmaille pieces in your shop as well. What got you into creating chainmaille jewelry?
When we were living in some crummy apartments, one of our neighbors befriended us. His friends happened to be some of my friends (from Texas Renaissance Festival), and they were learning Chainmaille. They kept saying how difficult the weaves were, and my husband picked up the stuff, tried it, and loved it. The guys there couldn’t believe how quickly he learned it. At first, I was going to let him make the chainmaille, but then I started getting these ideas, and eventually I wound up making some stunning pieces from it. It caught on, and now I’m thinking of ways to combine Beads and Chainmaille , or “beadmaille,” as it’s now called. My latest was a custom order featured on my Deviantart page.
What inspired you to create such colorful chainmaille?
I love color. Simply put, I was a budding artist in school, and without support from family, I wound up dropping my hopes of going to art school. My love for color came out in beadwork (which I haven’t worked with in a while. Chainmaille is addictive!) I wanted to learn a lot of things, and because I am ADD (or something like that) I get interested in things easily. I’m very curious. I see things, and I try to re-create them. The latest necklaces remind me of pennants, and I kind of see them as pennants that show a view of what you like. Hence my longing for custom orders. The more creative the person gets, the more I have fun!
What are some of your favorite colors to use in chainmaille? What kind of contrast do you think looks best and brings out the intricacy of your design?
So far I haven’t found a favorite. The best color combination I found to be my preference is green and white, but turquoise and black is really stunning too. We picked a new color out, though, and it is the Magenta. That color looks STUNNING next to black.
What in particular drew you to create a shop on Etsy?
That’s a hard call. I needed a venue that I could maintain for very little, and do so from home. We have a 10 month baby girl named Evelyn, and 3 crazy parrots. Due to babysitting costs, and the lack of a spare car, I couldn’t afford to get a job (even though we need the money bad!) So, my wonderful husband told me that he wanted to make a jewelry business!
What "side" are you on in the Regretsy debate and why?
There’s a debate? I never knew! Personally, I love Regretsy. I think it’s hilarious, and points out the stupidity of some people. These folks that they find with the same mass produced Vinyl Decals, and the horrible designs, and the “vintage” items that aren’t vintage.. they crack me up. I find them intolerable, and it frustrates me. I found one, once, that sold mass produced jewelry from the dollar stores we shop at. It disgusted me.
I cannot believe how many of these folks have “vintage” old junk for sale! And people believe them! I have to admit, I think Etsy needs some improvements, and Regretsy is a wonderful way to showcase the hilarious points that need to be made. Plus, it does bring people to Etsy, if only to look at hilarious items!
What gave you the idea to create beaded spiders?
I am a fan of just about all wildlife. Spiders have always captured my curiosity, and I saw a spider tutorial somewhere. I had to give it a try with some of my bigger beads, and I found that they were so much fun to make!
What would you say is your best selling, or at least your most looked-at piece or style of jewelry?
So far, I think it is the dragon-back bracelets. We have not made a huge amount of sales, so I can’t say what the best seller would be. Though I have two friends who are return customers for the chainmaille pennant necklaces now, so I guess those are best sellers!
How long, on average, does it take you to create something like your Gold, Captive Purple Bracelet?
That bracelet requires about 45 minutes of undivided time.
How about your beaded spiders?
If you count the time I spend choosing the abdomen and head of a spider, and designing it before I put it together… about 2 hours.
If you could see your jewelry on one person who's no longer alive, who would that be and why?
I think my great grandmother Eleanor would have worn my beaded work. She was such a beautiful, talented lady, and I never got the chance to know her well. I think she would have supported me in my jewelry endeavors. :)
Do you enjoy any fantasy and/or science fiction? If so, who's your favorite character and why?
Oh.. any? How about all? Hahaha. I used to read non-stop when I was younger. My favorite character as of now is probably Temeraire, from His Majesty’s Dragon (Naomi Novik). But I’m a huge fan of Piers Anthony, Anne McCaffrey, and Andre Norton, so it’s a hard choice!
What has been the biggest contributor to your creativity?
I think, in a sense, my creativity stems from a sort of revenge. My mother was sort of a refrigerator mom, and discouraged me from doing what I loved (i.e., juggling, drawing, writing stories and poetry, jewelry) and so I find myself creating something that people consider beautiful, and thinking “Hah! Take that Mom! They like it!” -insert laughter here-
How hard is it for you to come up with original ideas that haven't been done before?
Very. I started looking around at other chainmaille and thinking “dangit! Someone else did that! Argh!” Of course, then I try tweaking my design to make something else. And in this day and age, it’s very difficult to avoid copying someone else by mistake! But the Dragonback is an awesome weave, and it gives me so many different design options, color-wise, that I don’t feel like I’m invading anyone’s space.
If you could give only one piece of advice to someone just starting out on Etsy, what would that be?
This is big….Practice your photography!! I still have crummy photos from my old camera! Haha. And remember to advertise with free avenues. Facebook, Twitter (if you can handle it), Myspace..
A good avenue is Thumbtack.com. They contacted me and I made a few ads. It’s pretty neat.
I guess as a mother, artist, and jeweler, my biggest wish is to be noticed. Not famous tabloids noticed, hahaha, but just being able to say, “Look, Cameron Diaz purchased a funky dog collar made by ME!!!” hahaha. I’d like to say that my business is covering what my husband’s job is not, but right now, it is a slow, tedious start!
We have a Twitter (Thebeadmusetx)
A facebook (www.facebook.com/pages/The-Bead-Muse/144472898935082)
A myspace (www.myspace.com/cali_the_artist)
And a Deviantart (Caliandra.deviantart.com )
I'm not always online, so one day I may inundate the internet with my stuff, and the next day.... nada.
Thanks so much, Cali! Oh, and don't go yet, readers. You know that giveaway I mentioned in the title of this blog? Well here's the rules for my very first giveaway:
*If you haven't done so already, follow Cali on Twitter and like her facebook page. (Don't forget to post a comment saying that you've done so on this blog.
*Next, go to her Etsy page and pick out your very favorite piece she sells.
*Once you've picked something out, tweet it with a little blurb about why someone should buy it. You need to mention both me (@saz_bby) and Cali (@TheBeadMuseTx) in order to qualify. If the url for the item is too long, run it through tinyurl.com to shorten it. The three cleverest reasons as to why someone should buy Cali's item will win THIS!
Plus, you get to CHOOSE the colors you want it in! I'll keep this contest up until 11:00 pm on Friday, or until we get 30 entries. So spread the news, tell your friends, and come up with something really good. I will announce the winners via this blog on Saturday.
As always, thanks so much for reading, and with your powers combined, mayhaps miss Cali will have a bestseller sometime soon.
<3Saz
>My Little Ponies (the new one)
>Stupid looking Pokemon
>Uncharted 2
>Nerd guys and their bad clothing choices
Send your tweets to @saz_bby and I'll try to get to everyone who tweets in.
Now, without further ado, we'll get to the interview with the Delightful Cali who's better know as The Bead Muse on Etsy. Enjoy.
Name: Cali Hurtado
Home City: Houston
State: Texas
Favorite Color: Greens and Blues
Favorite Drink (alcoholic or non): Fresh Squeezed Lemonade, Coconut rum (that covers both!)
So, my dear Cali, what is it that got you into beads in the first place? Are beads something you loved as a child, or is this more of an adult fascination?
I’ve been collecting beads since I was a kid. I started collecting broken jewelry while at school, mostly plastic beads, but as I got older I would rescue jewelry people would throw away, primarily beaded jewelry that broke. I still have some of them, too! They’re probably vintage now! People thought I was weird, but I couldn’t stand the idea of throwing away something that could be restrung or reinvented. I would scramble to the break site, and sweep up the beads with my hands before the janitor got there. I even chased really pretty beads down the hall.
You also feature some amazing chainmaille pieces in your shop as well. What got you into creating chainmaille jewelry?
When we were living in some crummy apartments, one of our neighbors befriended us. His friends happened to be some of my friends (from Texas Renaissance Festival), and they were learning Chainmaille. They kept saying how difficult the weaves were, and my husband picked up the stuff, tried it, and loved it. The guys there couldn’t believe how quickly he learned it. At first, I was going to let him make the chainmaille, but then I started getting these ideas, and eventually I wound up making some stunning pieces from it. It caught on, and now I’m thinking of ways to combine Beads and Chainmaille , or “beadmaille,” as it’s now called. My latest was a custom order featured on my Deviantart page.
What inspired you to create such colorful chainmaille?
I love color. Simply put, I was a budding artist in school, and without support from family, I wound up dropping my hopes of going to art school. My love for color came out in beadwork (which I haven’t worked with in a while. Chainmaille is addictive!) I wanted to learn a lot of things, and because I am ADD (or something like that) I get interested in things easily. I’m very curious. I see things, and I try to re-create them. The latest necklaces remind me of pennants, and I kind of see them as pennants that show a view of what you like. Hence my longing for custom orders. The more creative the person gets, the more I have fun!
What are some of your favorite colors to use in chainmaille? What kind of contrast do you think looks best and brings out the intricacy of your design?
So far I haven’t found a favorite. The best color combination I found to be my preference is green and white, but turquoise and black is really stunning too. We picked a new color out, though, and it is the Magenta. That color looks STUNNING next to black.
What in particular drew you to create a shop on Etsy?
That’s a hard call. I needed a venue that I could maintain for very little, and do so from home. We have a 10 month baby girl named Evelyn, and 3 crazy parrots. Due to babysitting costs, and the lack of a spare car, I couldn’t afford to get a job (even though we need the money bad!) So, my wonderful husband told me that he wanted to make a jewelry business!
What "side" are you on in the Regretsy debate and why?
There’s a debate? I never knew! Personally, I love Regretsy. I think it’s hilarious, and points out the stupidity of some people. These folks that they find with the same mass produced Vinyl Decals, and the horrible designs, and the “vintage” items that aren’t vintage.. they crack me up. I find them intolerable, and it frustrates me. I found one, once, that sold mass produced jewelry from the dollar stores we shop at. It disgusted me.
I cannot believe how many of these folks have “vintage” old junk for sale! And people believe them! I have to admit, I think Etsy needs some improvements, and Regretsy is a wonderful way to showcase the hilarious points that need to be made. Plus, it does bring people to Etsy, if only to look at hilarious items!
What gave you the idea to create beaded spiders?
I am a fan of just about all wildlife. Spiders have always captured my curiosity, and I saw a spider tutorial somewhere. I had to give it a try with some of my bigger beads, and I found that they were so much fun to make!
What would you say is your best selling, or at least your most looked-at piece or style of jewelry?
So far, I think it is the dragon-back bracelets. We have not made a huge amount of sales, so I can’t say what the best seller would be. Though I have two friends who are return customers for the chainmaille pennant necklaces now, so I guess those are best sellers!
How long, on average, does it take you to create something like your Gold, Captive Purple Bracelet?
That bracelet requires about 45 minutes of undivided time.
How about your beaded spiders?
If you count the time I spend choosing the abdomen and head of a spider, and designing it before I put it together… about 2 hours.
If you could see your jewelry on one person who's no longer alive, who would that be and why?
I think my great grandmother Eleanor would have worn my beaded work. She was such a beautiful, talented lady, and I never got the chance to know her well. I think she would have supported me in my jewelry endeavors. :)
Do you enjoy any fantasy and/or science fiction? If so, who's your favorite character and why?
Oh.. any? How about all? Hahaha. I used to read non-stop when I was younger. My favorite character as of now is probably Temeraire, from His Majesty’s Dragon (Naomi Novik). But I’m a huge fan of Piers Anthony, Anne McCaffrey, and Andre Norton, so it’s a hard choice!
What has been the biggest contributor to your creativity?
I think, in a sense, my creativity stems from a sort of revenge. My mother was sort of a refrigerator mom, and discouraged me from doing what I loved (i.e., juggling, drawing, writing stories and poetry, jewelry) and so I find myself creating something that people consider beautiful, and thinking “Hah! Take that Mom! They like it!” -insert laughter here-
How hard is it for you to come up with original ideas that haven't been done before?
Very. I started looking around at other chainmaille and thinking “dangit! Someone else did that! Argh!” Of course, then I try tweaking my design to make something else. And in this day and age, it’s very difficult to avoid copying someone else by mistake! But the Dragonback is an awesome weave, and it gives me so many different design options, color-wise, that I don’t feel like I’m invading anyone’s space.
If you could give only one piece of advice to someone just starting out on Etsy, what would that be?
This is big….Practice your photography!! I still have crummy photos from my old camera! Haha. And remember to advertise with free avenues. Facebook, Twitter (if you can handle it), Myspace..
A good avenue is Thumbtack.com. They contacted me and I made a few ads. It’s pretty neat.
I guess as a mother, artist, and jeweler, my biggest wish is to be noticed. Not famous tabloids noticed, hahaha, but just being able to say, “Look, Cameron Diaz purchased a funky dog collar made by ME!!!” hahaha. I’d like to say that my business is covering what my husband’s job is not, but right now, it is a slow, tedious start!
We have a Twitter (Thebeadmusetx)
A facebook (www.facebook.com/pages/The-Bead-Muse/144472898935082)
A myspace (www.myspace.com/cali_the_artist)
And a Deviantart (Caliandra.deviantart.com )
I'm not always online, so one day I may inundate the internet with my stuff, and the next day.... nada.
Thanks so much, Cali! Oh, and don't go yet, readers. You know that giveaway I mentioned in the title of this blog? Well here's the rules for my very first giveaway:
*If you haven't done so already, follow Cali on Twitter and like her facebook page. (Don't forget to post a comment saying that you've done so on this blog.
*Next, go to her Etsy page and pick out your very favorite piece she sells.
*Once you've picked something out, tweet it with a little blurb about why someone should buy it. You need to mention both me (@saz_bby) and Cali (@TheBeadMuseTx) in order to qualify. If the url for the item is too long, run it through tinyurl.com to shorten it. The three cleverest reasons as to why someone should buy Cali's item will win THIS!
Plus, you get to CHOOSE the colors you want it in! I'll keep this contest up until 11:00 pm on Friday, or until we get 30 entries. So spread the news, tell your friends, and come up with something really good. I will announce the winners via this blog on Saturday.
As always, thanks so much for reading, and with your powers combined, mayhaps miss Cali will have a bestseller sometime soon.
<3Saz
Monday, April 18, 2011
I'm Back!
Hello, all of you out there. I am writing this by way of an apology. Last week was a little hectic for me, so I didn't get a seller interview up. The good thing about that, is you'll get two this week, right? As far as Seller interviews go, keep your eyes peeled for contests on my Twitter account. When I don't have someone slated already, I'll have contests to choose a winner. :)
Anywho, exciting things have been happening. Well, having to take my siblings to school every morning isn't exciting, but I did start writing for Botchweed Gaming News last week, which is why I didn't get anything done here. Again, sorry about that. I'll make it up to you. I have four articles up on www.botchweed.com as of now, with more all the time. Here are the direct links:
Top 5 We-Give-Upamon in Pokemon Black and White
Gamestop Liquidating GBA Titles
Wii 2; the HD Debate
Portal 2 Brings Steam to PS3
Please read them, and share them with your friends. I get paid by views. ;)
And more exciting stuff is yet to come! Wednesday my friend Gary and I are recording the first episode of our podcast! Yes, that's right, not only can you read me, but now you can sit around and listen to me. We're calling it Inflated Egos because, well, we think people actually want to sit there and listen to us talk about geek culture. It will be available (or at least a link will be) on this blog when it's ready. I know, your salivating in anticipation.
So don't worry, I'm not dead, I just had a hectic week. If it makes you feel any better, I have a calcified lump on my left wrist because I've been typing so much. Fun fun! So stay tuned for more awesome! Peace out, homies.
<3Saz
Anywho, exciting things have been happening. Well, having to take my siblings to school every morning isn't exciting, but I did start writing for Botchweed Gaming News last week, which is why I didn't get anything done here. Again, sorry about that. I'll make it up to you. I have four articles up on www.botchweed.com as of now, with more all the time. Here are the direct links:
Top 5 We-Give-Upamon in Pokemon Black and White
Gamestop Liquidating GBA Titles
Wii 2; the HD Debate
Portal 2 Brings Steam to PS3
Please read them, and share them with your friends. I get paid by views. ;)
And more exciting stuff is yet to come! Wednesday my friend Gary and I are recording the first episode of our podcast! Yes, that's right, not only can you read me, but now you can sit around and listen to me. We're calling it Inflated Egos because, well, we think people actually want to sit there and listen to us talk about geek culture. It will be available (or at least a link will be) on this blog when it's ready. I know, your salivating in anticipation.
So don't worry, I'm not dead, I just had a hectic week. If it makes you feel any better, I have a calcified lump on my left wrist because I've been typing so much. Fun fun! So stay tuned for more awesome! Peace out, homies.
<3Saz
Monday, April 11, 2011
So I Promised...
You got me to 85 followers over the weekend on Twitter, so here are the choices you will have for the 100th follower freebie! (Tell your friends, then muscle in on number 100 if you haven't followed already.)
Follower 100 will receive a 5 by 7 (postcard size) Print of one of the awful paintings I'm going to post on this blog signed by me. They will also receive a matted and signed copy of one of my poems that I will also list below. The poem selections are all from my book Electronically Yours which will be available in my Etsy shop soon. The book is going to be $10.00 each. $5.00 of each sale will be donated to the April's Army charity fund. Anyway...
So here's the thing. I used to be good at painting. In high school. I really applied myself back then. Now I don't care enough to apply myself. Hence, the crap you see below. The pics are taken from my iphone because I can't find the double a batteries I bought last week and I need to get this blog up today. So in actual reality, they're not as blurry.
You could get the "Market Fresh Bunny" painting. It will be on the background I painted when you get it:
This one I like to call "Spring Swing" my daughter has been watching a lot of Tweety Bird lately. I painted this for her room and she calls it a "baby duck".
This one is called "Bubbles the Octopus" I wanted to paint a purple octopus...so sue me.
This one I threw in for the hell of it. It's a collage I made out of magazine clippings and tin foil. Hey! You could call it "upcycled!" (It was an art project for a college class.)
And this one is a pencil drawing of Fidget and his owner, Ami. Little characters I draw that I made up. This one will be cleaned up, and the line art will be put in digitally by the time you get it. The text says "Fidget is a well loved bunny."
AND on to the poetry...Read them, pick the one you like best.
Alrighty then. So there are your choices. Keep following! (We're at 91, only 9 to go!)
Thank you guys for actually giving a shit about what I do. It's weird, but I like it!
<3Saz
Follower 100 will receive a 5 by 7 (postcard size) Print of one of the awful paintings I'm going to post on this blog signed by me. They will also receive a matted and signed copy of one of my poems that I will also list below. The poem selections are all from my book Electronically Yours which will be available in my Etsy shop soon. The book is going to be $10.00 each. $5.00 of each sale will be donated to the April's Army charity fund. Anyway...
So here's the thing. I used to be good at painting. In high school. I really applied myself back then. Now I don't care enough to apply myself. Hence, the crap you see below. The pics are taken from my iphone because I can't find the double a batteries I bought last week and I need to get this blog up today. So in actual reality, they're not as blurry.
You could get the "Market Fresh Bunny" painting. It will be on the background I painted when you get it:
This one I like to call "Spring Swing" my daughter has been watching a lot of Tweety Bird lately. I painted this for her room and she calls it a "baby duck".
This one is called "Bubbles the Octopus" I wanted to paint a purple octopus...so sue me.
This one I threw in for the hell of it. It's a collage I made out of magazine clippings and tin foil. Hey! You could call it "upcycled!" (It was an art project for a college class.)
And this one is a pencil drawing of Fidget and his owner, Ami. Little characters I draw that I made up. This one will be cleaned up, and the line art will be put in digitally by the time you get it. The text says "Fidget is a well loved bunny."
AND on to the poetry...Read them, pick the one you like best.
electronically yours
ily.
letters finger-struck
in cramped, rectangular spaces
send crumbled over air
waves
to him
then her
then them.
ilyt.
replies equally
cyber-spaced quickly
up to ten recipients
at once
read on glowing phones
the one shared sentiment.
and at times i wonder
tapping the caffeine lines in my veins
tugging heavy, clutter-laden bags
caught around my ankles-
when did the time come
when we no longer had the time
to write out
i love you?
Spin
Spin
like water
in the waist-deep pool
as the kids go
‘round in circles
Dying for lack of air
The girl breaks loose
Brown sugar hair
torn in fingers aching with the pressure
of a thousand phone numbers
and a thousand smokey voices
siphoning through the receiver
And I feel them
And she drips with the water
and tears
the sweat
So we both sink in
and spin to the center
Denial at 9:00 pm
Stupid
Sugary words
ramble from you like
Saliva
falling from the snap-hungry jowls of a hyena
laughing at nothing
My long-boned fingers
viced in yours
Clammy.
The sensation makes me cringe.
I wish
you’d stop talking
and just drink me in
Like the boys teetering on bar stools
lost in PBR.
I stare at the rim of my glass
gulping again a pine-flavored concoction
as you keep speaking
and drain another beer.
I check my watch.
It’s much too early
to make escape.
Alrighty then. So there are your choices. Keep following! (We're at 91, only 9 to go!)
Thank you guys for actually giving a shit about what I do. It's weird, but I like it!
<3Saz
Fu*#ing Twitter
I'm having a contest today on twitter. The person with the weirdest response to my tweet about winning an interview gets, well, an interview. Remember, you have to put @saz_bby in it, or I won't see it. :)
Ready? Set? GO!
Oh, and here's something for you to enjoy from my dear friend Joey Esposito. ign.com's comic editor:
http://jurassicparkwtf.ytmnd.com/
EXCELSIOR!!!
Ready? Set? GO!
Oh, and here's something for you to enjoy from my dear friend Joey Esposito. ign.com's comic editor:
http://jurassicparkwtf.ytmnd.com/
EXCELSIOR!!!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Seller Interview with Folded Frippery
Good day to you, my kind readers. I hope today finds you in good spirits, and ready to read a new interview. Today we're going across the pond for our interview with Folded Frippery. A wonderful lady from jolly ol' England who makes the most amazing things with fabric and paper. My wonderful husband even made her banner and avatar for her. :) Fun times!
So, the moment you've been waiting for...Folded Frippery!
I'm Talia and I live in Crawley, West Sussex in the east of England. I am a tea addict, a lover of autumn (fall to you Americans), and I love anything brightly coloured!
How long have you been with Etsy, and what made you decide to open a shop in the first place?
I opened FoldedFrippery last September, but prior to that I had a shop selling sock creatures. At the time I opened my first shop at Etsy it was the only big online craft sales place that I knew of, and I thought it was worth giving it a try. When I was thinking about opening FF I decided to stick with Etsy as I was familiar with it and liked how simple it was to list items!
How long have you been folding Origami? Was it a childhood pass time, or did you pick it up in your adult years?
I loved origami as a kid, but all I could ever make was origami fortune tellers. It's only in the last few years that I've really got into origami making. I was bought an origami fold-a-day calendar for christmas a few years ago and since then I've been totally hooked!
What drew you specifically to Origami flowers?
I love flowers! I am appallingly bad at growing anything in the garden though, so making them in paper is a fun way for me to have flowers to brighten up the day!
Do you sell your products outside of Etsy, and which do you prefer? Online, or in person?
I have sold mostly to family offline, although I'm going to look into doing fairs this year. I love the instant response you get from selling in the real world though!
You use wonderful colors in your work. How do you decide which colors and patterns to buy when you're getting supplies?
Any fabric that's bright or fun or just speaks to me somehow normally inspires me to start working! It depends on what sort of mood I'm in too - I have some more muted fabrics to use if the mood takes...although that's rare!
How many of your sales are from overseas?
The majority of my sales seems to be from overseas! I've had sales from all over recently. Being a member of April's Army is really helping my exposure all over the world!
How do you keep your prices down on your overseas shipping?
Haha, believe it or not I've never really thought about keeping them down. I shop all my overseas parcels by airmail, and because the items I sell are fairly small, thankfully the shipping isn't too expensive!
Is it difficult to fold fabric into Origami shapes? Do you have a system for keeping the fabric from unfolding before you've finished a project?
An iron is really helpful when folding fabric origami! Pressing creases is key. Pins are also helpful, as is having great amounts of fabric glue to hand!
How good did you have to be at folding before you could start using materials other than paper?
I had to be 100% comfortable with the folds in paper before I could start folding in fabric. Even now when I think about folding new designs in fabric I practice several times in paper to make sure I know where to fold. And when it all goes wrong it's back to the iron and then starting the folds again!
Is crafting for you more cathartic, or is it like a job for you?
I craft for fun, and to relax. There are days when it feels like work, and I enjoy it less then, but there are crafts I do just for me, like knitting and embroidery, and when origami making is starting to annoy I just move on to something else until the urge to fold comes back!
Do you make time on a daily basis for crafting items, or do you just create when the desire strikes?
I normally fold at least one paper item a day, normally when I'm at my day job. Fabric origami takes slightly more planning and time as I need to cut fabric, and seal the edges to prevent fraying before I can fold it. But I always have paper scraps in my bag to fold if the mood strikes, which is frequent!
If you had an unlimited budget for supplies, what would you make and why?
I'd like a laser cutter to cut perfect squares of fabric! No matter how hard I try, and make templates, I can never manage to cut perfect squares! I also have an idea to make my flower balls from really large squares of paper, but finding paper big enough is a bit of a challenge!
How does it make you feel when you see people, or receive pictures of people wearing your accessories?
I love seeing people wearing things I've made! It makes them seem so much more real than they look when I'm making them, or when I'm storing them!
How important to you is feedback from people who buy your items, even if it's negative? (not that you would ever get negative feedback.)
Feedback is always important! I'd much rather have negative feedback than wasting time making products no one will want. Sometimes being creative takes over and I need someone else to put things into perspective. And feedback from happy customers makes everything worthwhile.
If you could see one of your pieces on any human in the world, who would it be and why?
Oooh, that's tough! The business person in me thinks that I should choose someone famous, for the exposure, but I think in honesty it would be someone like my sister - she's my biggest critic (in the nicest possible way)!
How long, in general, does it take you to make one of your flowers? How about a bouquet?
A fabric brooch flower probably takes 30-40 minutes from start to finish, if I include cutting fabric and sealing the edges. Paper ones take less time, although making 12 of them for a flower ball takes probably 3-4 hours. Because I normally make them while at my day job it's hard to give an accurate idea as I have to stop and start making them!
If someone just starting out on Etsy asked you for just a single piece of advice, what would that be?
Persevere! Sales don't come overnight. And join teams! They'll help you with any query you have, and if you find a good one you can make great friends along the way!
What is your favorite way to market your shop online? Forums, Twitter, Facebook, something else?
I love Twitter, but I'm not very good at using it to market - I mostly tweet about my real life! I try to use Facebook, and I blog when I remember, but mostly I interact with people through Etsy teams.
What is your favorite thing to eat when you're being creative?
I eat fruit a lot. But mostly I drink tea. Lots of tea, in every flavour imaginable!
Is there anything at all you'd like to say before wrapping up this interview? Really, just anything you want.
The interviews you've done so far have been really great - I can't wait to see more! Oh, and if you're interested in my rarely updated blog you can find it at liquoricelove.blogspot.com!
Thank you so much, Talia my dear, for the wonderful interview. I really do appreciate all you wonderful sellers who have granted me interviews. If you are interested in being a featured seller, email me at bobombshell.creations@yahoo.com or message me over Etsy. I expect you all to head straight over to Folded Frippery now and start a buyin'. ;)
Thanks again for reading, you guys are awesome.
<3Saz
So, the moment you've been waiting for...Folded Frippery!
I'm Talia and I live in Crawley, West Sussex in the east of England. I am a tea addict, a lover of autumn (fall to you Americans), and I love anything brightly coloured!
How long have you been with Etsy, and what made you decide to open a shop in the first place?
I opened FoldedFrippery last September, but prior to that I had a shop selling sock creatures. At the time I opened my first shop at Etsy it was the only big online craft sales place that I knew of, and I thought it was worth giving it a try. When I was thinking about opening FF I decided to stick with Etsy as I was familiar with it and liked how simple it was to list items!
How long have you been folding Origami? Was it a childhood pass time, or did you pick it up in your adult years?
I loved origami as a kid, but all I could ever make was origami fortune tellers. It's only in the last few years that I've really got into origami making. I was bought an origami fold-a-day calendar for christmas a few years ago and since then I've been totally hooked!
What drew you specifically to Origami flowers?
I love flowers! I am appallingly bad at growing anything in the garden though, so making them in paper is a fun way for me to have flowers to brighten up the day!
Do you sell your products outside of Etsy, and which do you prefer? Online, or in person?
I have sold mostly to family offline, although I'm going to look into doing fairs this year. I love the instant response you get from selling in the real world though!
You use wonderful colors in your work. How do you decide which colors and patterns to buy when you're getting supplies?
Any fabric that's bright or fun or just speaks to me somehow normally inspires me to start working! It depends on what sort of mood I'm in too - I have some more muted fabrics to use if the mood takes...although that's rare!
How many of your sales are from overseas?
The majority of my sales seems to be from overseas! I've had sales from all over recently. Being a member of April's Army is really helping my exposure all over the world!
How do you keep your prices down on your overseas shipping?
Haha, believe it or not I've never really thought about keeping them down. I shop all my overseas parcels by airmail, and because the items I sell are fairly small, thankfully the shipping isn't too expensive!
Is it difficult to fold fabric into Origami shapes? Do you have a system for keeping the fabric from unfolding before you've finished a project?
An iron is really helpful when folding fabric origami! Pressing creases is key. Pins are also helpful, as is having great amounts of fabric glue to hand!
How good did you have to be at folding before you could start using materials other than paper?
I had to be 100% comfortable with the folds in paper before I could start folding in fabric. Even now when I think about folding new designs in fabric I practice several times in paper to make sure I know where to fold. And when it all goes wrong it's back to the iron and then starting the folds again!
Is crafting for you more cathartic, or is it like a job for you?
I craft for fun, and to relax. There are days when it feels like work, and I enjoy it less then, but there are crafts I do just for me, like knitting and embroidery, and when origami making is starting to annoy I just move on to something else until the urge to fold comes back!
Do you make time on a daily basis for crafting items, or do you just create when the desire strikes?
I normally fold at least one paper item a day, normally when I'm at my day job. Fabric origami takes slightly more planning and time as I need to cut fabric, and seal the edges to prevent fraying before I can fold it. But I always have paper scraps in my bag to fold if the mood strikes, which is frequent!
If you had an unlimited budget for supplies, what would you make and why?
I'd like a laser cutter to cut perfect squares of fabric! No matter how hard I try, and make templates, I can never manage to cut perfect squares! I also have an idea to make my flower balls from really large squares of paper, but finding paper big enough is a bit of a challenge!
How does it make you feel when you see people, or receive pictures of people wearing your accessories?
I love seeing people wearing things I've made! It makes them seem so much more real than they look when I'm making them, or when I'm storing them!
How important to you is feedback from people who buy your items, even if it's negative? (not that you would ever get negative feedback.)
Feedback is always important! I'd much rather have negative feedback than wasting time making products no one will want. Sometimes being creative takes over and I need someone else to put things into perspective. And feedback from happy customers makes everything worthwhile.
If you could see one of your pieces on any human in the world, who would it be and why?
Oooh, that's tough! The business person in me thinks that I should choose someone famous, for the exposure, but I think in honesty it would be someone like my sister - she's my biggest critic (in the nicest possible way)!
How long, in general, does it take you to make one of your flowers? How about a bouquet?
A fabric brooch flower probably takes 30-40 minutes from start to finish, if I include cutting fabric and sealing the edges. Paper ones take less time, although making 12 of them for a flower ball takes probably 3-4 hours. Because I normally make them while at my day job it's hard to give an accurate idea as I have to stop and start making them!
If someone just starting out on Etsy asked you for just a single piece of advice, what would that be?
Persevere! Sales don't come overnight. And join teams! They'll help you with any query you have, and if you find a good one you can make great friends along the way!
What is your favorite way to market your shop online? Forums, Twitter, Facebook, something else?
I love Twitter, but I'm not very good at using it to market - I mostly tweet about my real life! I try to use Facebook, and I blog when I remember, but mostly I interact with people through Etsy teams.
What is your favorite thing to eat when you're being creative?
I eat fruit a lot. But mostly I drink tea. Lots of tea, in every flavour imaginable!
Is there anything at all you'd like to say before wrapping up this interview? Really, just anything you want.
The interviews you've done so far have been really great - I can't wait to see more! Oh, and if you're interested in my rarely updated blog you can find it at liquoricelove.blogspot.com!
Thank you so much, Talia my dear, for the wonderful interview. I really do appreciate all you wonderful sellers who have granted me interviews. If you are interested in being a featured seller, email me at bobombshell.creations@yahoo.com or message me over Etsy. I expect you all to head straight over to Folded Frippery now and start a buyin'. ;)
Thanks again for reading, you guys are awesome.
<3Saz
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
New Team in Town
Hello readers!
For those of you who are a member of the Southern Oregon/ Northern California crafting community, some of us got together and decided to start a little Etsy community where we can share ideas and be supportive of one another.
Stop by the team on Etsy, and our facebook group. Join up, shop, promote, talk.
http://www.etsy.com/teams/8780/rogue-valley-etsy-team
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_105107856240085#!/home.php?sk=group_105107856240085&ap=1
There's nothing better than being a member of an active community, so let's get this going!
For those of you who are a member of the Southern Oregon/ Northern California crafting community, some of us got together and decided to start a little Etsy community where we can share ideas and be supportive of one another.
Stop by the team on Etsy, and our facebook group. Join up, shop, promote, talk.
http://www.etsy.com/teams/8780/rogue-valley-etsy-team
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_105107856240085#!/home.php?sk=group_105107856240085&ap=1
There's nothing better than being a member of an active community, so let's get this going!
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