Color Me Excited!

So a few days ago I was invited to join the Digital Items Prototype Team on Etsy and I thought, "Sure, it's always nice to be invited.  Why not?" not really knowing what it was that this team did.  This particular team is testing a beta feature on Etsy that allows you, my buyers, to directly download digital files as soon as you pay me just like a bona-fide digital storefront!  This means that even if I'm busy not checking my email you don't have to wait for me to send your digital files!  How about that, digital design fans?  The first thing I uploaded is my best-selling Color Me Paisley Coloring book!  Yay!

So it's Not November...

In fact November is looong over, I complained about Pink Slime and then my blog fell into a black hole.  December came and went, now January's way more than half over. Anyone who knows me knows I HATE being cold and it is COLD in my office where the scanner is.  This is a pathetic excuse not to upload what I've been working on and share it on this blog.  I admit it. But everytime I go in there thinking well, I can stay in here half an hour, how bad can it...BRRRR, forget it!  I turn around and come right back out.

I have two new digital collage packs up in my Etsy shop.  A set of Valentine's Day designs and a set of designs for anyone who has ever tried to find a non-lame sort of design to use in a scrapbook for a tween or teen guy.

 

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

New ACEO series

I've been working something new on that I am very excited about! When you create ACEOs you can do two types of editions. One kind is to create copies of an ACEO, number them and sell them until they are gone. These are called limited editions. Another kind is to create a set of artworks that are part of a series. The above is, right now, all one image but soon, it will be nine different ACEOs entitled "Spring Fever" 1-9. It's almost too pretty to cut but I'm going to do it anyway.

Front Page Treasury!

I was on the front page of Etsy this afternoon along with some other very talented crafty people and artists! Thanks to Eva Miller of KapKa Design who included my Twirly Orange drawing in her Jelly Fish Party Treasury.

Paisley of the Week! We have a Weiner!

Well it wasn't ruff choosing this week's Paisley of the Week!  This funny little paisley weiner dog plushie from Friends of Socktopus on Etsy was my page mate in a Paisley Treasury on Etsy and he made me laugh. What a charming Holiday gift he'd be for anyone who likes weiner dogs or paisley....

Friends of Soctopus doesn't just have paisley weiner dogs, but all sorts of unique hand stiched lovies and other fun fabric coolness! Be sure to like Friends of Socktopus on FB too, I did!

Paisley of the Week! Red Hot & Random.

Red Hot & Random, by Laura Stinson of Designed by Laura on Etsy is already as eyecatching as a coral snake, but it was the fun title that caught my attention.  I have said in the past that people who are searching on Etsy will not be looking for your art by title and while that's true, if you can fit it into your Etsy description, a catchy title is definitely worth a click in my opinion!  I was not disappointed.  Like mine, Laura's Etsy shop features more than one kind of product. You can find funny painted candy bowls, original artwork, Christmas ornaments, paisley of course! all sortsa stuff,  just like a regular store, I definitely enjoyed having a look around there, so will you!  Go like Laura on FB and visit her blog too!

Paisley of the Week! Catkin Paisley Fabric

I am very excited about this week's Paisley of the Week!  While mousing around on Etsy, I found Moona Fabrics an Etsy shop with a great selection of fabric and very reasonable prices.  What caught my eye was this fantastic Catkin Paisley fabric by artist Julie Paschkis.  Isn't it adorable? I think she may be my new favorite designer!  Moona Fabrics has her whole line plus other top designers like Amy Butler and Kaffe Fassett.  All this week, Moona Fabrics is offering a special coupon to you, my readers.  The coupon code word is PAISLEY (of course!) Be sure to also like Moona Fabrics on Facebook, I did!

One person's treasure--is another person's treasure too!

Why you should curate an Etsy Treasury:

It's fun to do! First you need to come up with an idea of what to feature.  Sometimes that comes out of finding one thing that you really love and either wanting to see more of the same or thinking about what might go with that item.  Most people like to put together all of one color.  I just did one featuring orange paisley.  

You're paying it forward.  People will want to check out these items and then the shops from which they came.    Featuring other shop's merchandise puts out good karma, sixteen spaces worth!  When the sellers you feature do their own treasuries, they may come looking in your shop to see if you have an item that fits their theme.   Plus, there's all this interacting going on, people visiting other people's shops.  It's a good thing (to quote Martha.)

It's easy.  Once you get an idea, make use of Etsy's new relevancy search and start collecting listings that fit your theme.  All you need do is copy the listing number of an item and then paste it into the little box in one of your sixteen spots.  The picture of the item comes up automatically.

It looks really cool all put together.  Once you get it done, you can brag about it on Twitter, Facebook, your blog and anywhere else that you have an online presence. 

Paisley of the Week! Vintage Poker Chip Pendant

Hello again Paisley fans! After a long hiatus, I've decided to start Paisley of the Week! again. The reason is that Etsy has changed it's search engine to show relevant results instead of most recent. Bad news for people who used renewing as their main sales tool, good news for buyers who want to find what they are really looking for! Finding a whole crop of awesome paisleys got me all excited and I had to share!

This week's Paisley of the Week is this very cool, vintage poker chip pendant made by Kathy of Kathy Lambert Designs.  I just love blue and green together, it's very serene.

 

Be sure to also check out Kathy's blog and the other hand crafted goodies in her shop.  Have a great week and if you, or someone you love, has a suggestion for the Paisley of the Week, please leave me a comment!

Nobody's Lookin' for YOUR Artwork

After reading this Etsy article about more relevant search results I had an AH-HA! moment.  If someone's looking to buy art, they aren't going to be searching by title. The "Title of Item" line is deceptive in that way.  Suppose you're looking for a whimsical piece of art to hang in your office or bedroom.

Something...orange....or maybe blue...nothing specific....something abstract like...paisley. 

You're not going to search for "Twirly" what's "Twirly?"  Even if you saw this drawing of mine at a craft fair or similar, you won't remember the title.  You're going to search for "orange blue paisley art" right?

Twirly

Don't waste space listing the title of your art unless it's a very straightforward title like, "Yellow Flower in a Blue Vase."  Put your title in the description of the piece instead.  There's plenty of room there and you can elaborate about your intriguing titles.

Summer's Green Treasury

I have never put together an Etsy Treasury, but it was a bit like assembling a quilt.  Go and check out these lovely shades of green. 
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4cb9fa0a70c96d912434c554/save-a-bit-of-summers-green

A New Art Tangent

I was so excited to get my mail this afternoon!   I decided that in addition to making 1 inch digital collages, I'd like to make my own magnets and charms with them.  I ordered these lovely pendant trays, chains and a one inch hole punch (something I've wanted forever!) from Sun And Moon Craft Kits on Etsy.  I couldn't be more pleased with what came in the package!  I especially am glad that I gave in to the impulse to buy the colored chains, they are so fun! My daughter has already claimed the pink one, of course. It gives me a great deal of pleasure to buy from a fellow Etsy seller rather than just chucking more money at Michael's or JoAnn's.  Look for original art necklaces in my Etsy shop soon!

The Fattybat

Halloween is going to be here soon!

A Pack of Wet Papers

The watery scrapbook paper pack that I've been working on is now in my Etsy store.  You always need watery looking backgrounds for those pics at the beach, pool and other summer fun.  I loved the challenge of creating nine different water designs and thinking about all of the forms that water takes, waves, bubbles, foam and that's just a few. 

This one is my favorite.  I am sure that you can guess why ;)

Paisley of the Week! Seafoam Paisley

Maybe it's synchronicity or maybe it's vanity but I always seem to be drawn to things that look like they could've been created by me.  Little Henry is an artist who I met on Etsy and immediately marked as a favorite.  I love the swish and swirl here of 'Seafoam Paisley' done in mixed media. It looks like you're looking up at the sky through ocean water doesn't it?

Paisley of the Week!

Hello out there, Paisley fans!  I am starting a new feature right here on this blog called "Paisley of the Week!"  Each week, I'm going to feature someone's paisley--it might be a fabric, a drawing or an article of clothing.  It might be a well known artist or designer, or it might be someone who's been hiding their light under a bushel.  Just about everything paisley catches my eye--so it could be anybody's!

This week's Paisley of the Week is a gorgeous mosaic wall hanging by Christina Colwell.  This is not the only paisley offering in her Etsy Shop either.  Go take a peek if you get a moment!

Oh!  And don't forget to vote for my fabric "Daffy o' Dillys" in Spoonflower's Fabric of the Week Contest, you have until the 31st,  Thanks!

They're Done!

Coming Soon to an Etsy Shop near you!  Don't they look great? The first 3 on top are available as prints too.

I'm featuring this one in particular because I used 'scrambled papers' instead of just the unlined white that the other three have.  I think it's quirky, but  do people need all of one sort of paper in a notebook?  Or are the majority of notebooks  that way simply because they've always been made that way?  I'd have really liked to have bought some orange paper to go with the Tangerine Tango covers, but I somehow didn't get around to it.  Next time!

Grownups like to color too!

A passerby named Tiffany pointed out, after this post, that she'd like a coloring book like the one I jokingly mentioned. I got to thinking--maybe she's not the only one. I love to color with my daughter, but Strawberry Shortcake and Elmo sort of bore me. I've got a file about a quarter of an inch thick of things that are 'in progress.' Why not make a genuine grownup coloring book? I know it's not an original idea. There have been other non-kiddie coloring books BUT none of those contain my original work. To test out consumer interest in this idea, I am running a contest. Leave a comment here on my blog. Be sure to leave a link for me to get back to you if you win. And, if you have an extra second, tell me how you heard of my giveaway--facebook, deviantart, twitter etc. I will randomly choose a winner on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. EST (and have it posted by 10:30). That lucky person will get the whole 10 page file FREE! Good luck!

P.S. The coloring book WON'T have watermarks!