Archive for October, 2010
Just a quick reminder to anyone who is interested: there are only two days left to submit your shop for the first holiday exhibition of the year. This exhibition will run from October 25th through November 14th. And all the details can be found here. You can read over our testimonials and press mentions to help you decide. Please note there is a small fee to participate and not all shops who submit are chosen.
Sound good? Submit now (must be logged in to submit).
Already been an exhibitor on papernstitch before? No need to fill out the form again. Just email me at brittni(at)papernstitch(dot)com and we will go from there.
Submission deadline is this Friday, October 22nd.
Last year, I decorated a couple of pumpkins with metallic paint pens. And this year, I did it again. Its a lot less messy than carving and the possibilities are as endless as your imagination. Definitely a safe activity for kids from start to finish as well.
I just used a couple of metallic paint pens (silver and gold) to create different designs…
Now I have so many pumpkins, I am not sure I’ll have time to decorate them all!
If I was hosting a party or something, I would definitely give them away as party favors (maybe even customize each one with the person’s name for example). Great for kids parties especially!
For even more diy ideas + quick and easy projects, click here to visit the tutorials page.
Organic bohemia meets geometric shapes with Octavia Bloom.
Jenny Christiansen, who started Octavia Bloom in 2005, began her jewelry line shortly after graduating college and very soon after received an order from Anthropologie. And its not hard to see why. Jenny’s pieces are most certainly unique, with layers of color and texture using an interesting process of wire wrapping and threaded beadwork. I don’t think I’ve seen anything like the jewelry she creates.
Visit Octavia Bloom on etsy to view Jenny’s entire jewelry collection.
1. Hover photograph 2. Pirita Chunky Cubes Necklace 3. Glass Reflections photograph 4. Sterling Dot Earrings 5. Reaching Out-Day 5-original drawing 6. Red Slouchy Hat 7. Screenprinted Hopsack Tote Bag
Here’s the thing. I don’t do grown up all to well. Adult, shhmudult. Who needs to pay bills when we can all just eat cupcakes and watch Glee re-runs right, right!? Well, it seems society is telling us this is not the case. So whats a damsel to do? Play grown up! Yes, you heard right…I have actually found a way to be grown and responsible while still playing around. My little hidden gem of a secret is the lovely PNS shop Playing Grown Up. Brooke, shop owner extraordinaire, is an artist based in Alabama who just so happens to teach! So she has her fair share of childlike behavior. She wants everyone to indulge in their inner child and make use of that adventurous spirit, even if it involves organizing your desk.
For fall, Brooke is going all out with quirky and fun Photobooth accessories (chalkboard speech bubbles now in 6 different colors!), new jewelry stands, and her signature cork and chalkboards to help keep you organized all season long (if you last that long!). So I don’t know about you, but I am ready to play!
PS- Brooke’s blog is fantastic with a capital F. For your own sake, please check it out!
Love, Letitia
A guest post by artist and maker Mayi Carles.
Selling online can be super fun, but it’s an art one needs to learn how to master. Customers don’t have the item live, so it’s hard for them to give their money up for a product they haven’t even seen + touched + tried or smelled.
But despite this little inconvenience why are so many shoppers skipping the mall + deciding to go indie + purchase at site such as Etsy + Big Cartel + Papernstitch Shop or Supermarket? Well, if I have to make a wild guess, it’s because indie businesses + handmade boutiques + arty shops offer something more, a uniquely extraordinary personal + exclusive shopping experience, that no factory made store can offer, so some shoppers are willing to take the risk + shop online.
But as sellers we have to do our part to make sure the shopping online experience is as smooth + comfortable for our clients as humanly possible. Here are some tips I want to share with you to help your online indie shop become more convenient for potential buyers:
1. Write a clear + friendly + easy to find return + exchange policy. Even if you don’t offer free exchanges + free returns + free shipping + accept full responsibly for damages or lost packages, having a concrete return + exchange policy will help you gain consumer confidence.
2. Your photos need to be stunning. I cannot stress this point enough. There are lots of things that make a beautiful photo, but if I could recommend only 4 tips that are absolutely crucial, these would be it:
a. Composition. Use interesting backgrounds to make your items pop, being very careful about your composition so it’s not too crowded or too boring. Play with textures + props. Light fabrics + vintage books + scrapbook pages are awesome + easy to use alternatives.
b. Angles. It’s important to take lots + lots of pictures + from various different angles, so you have a wide variety to choose from when editing + so your customers can get a sense of the products from all sides.
c. Lighting. Shoot your products in clear bright daylight or in a light box if you have one. There is nothing more unattractive than seeing a product in darkness. Play with the settings of your camera to suit your needs.
d. Editing. Don’t stress to much about your photo shot, you always have the editing process to retouch your images. And you don’t need a fancy photo editing software. I personally love to use picnic. It has many of the cool features that expensive photo editing programs have, but it’s completely free.
e. Modeling. If you are selling clothes + shoes + accessories, show your items on an appropriate model. This will give your shoppers an idea of how the product looks on. State in your description the size of the model as well, to give a better reference guide. When a model is not readily available, use a referencing object, like your hand + a ruler or a hanger to shot your items, so that your customers can have an idea of the products proportions.
3. Be very descriptive about size information + color + texture + fit + any other aesthetic aspect of the product you are selling. Don’t just tell me “The bag is red”, I can probably see that from the picture, tell me if it’s burgundy + ruby + strawberry or rhubarb. Tell me how it feels, is it soft or filled with texture? Appeal to my senses with your adjectives.
4. Show them you. Tell your customers a little bit about you + your philosophy + what you’re passionate about + why the product that they’re buying is special. Be sure to nail your “about” page so customers can identify with you + feel they are actually buying from a human being. The more they can identify with you, the more likely they will buy from you.
By following these easy guidelines you are sure to please your customers + probably land some sweet sales too.
xo,
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Thanks so much Mayi for sharing your business tips with us this week. You can check out Mayi’s next guest post with even more tips for your business in a few weeks.
More about Mayi:
Mayi Carles is a Panamanian multi-passionate artist + avid eco-friendly designer + the heart behind heartmade blog + fun indie coach. To connect with Mayi, follow her tweets at @mayicarles.
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Image Credit: gilded bronze hair pins via woodland belle; cloud studs via the angry weather; sunshine bow via nadinno; tea cup bobby pin via chou chou; large red bow via bowlabeau; white wood dweller brooch via sweetbestiary; flower headband via mayi carles
