Archive for June, 2011
Are you scratching your head at the irony of this title right now?
Good. Because that’s exactly what Sandy Ng, the creator behind Cookie Cutter (a shop filled with uber-cute plushies, totes, and paper goods) was hoping for…
“I named this shop Cookie Cutter to be ironic and it embodies my pursuit to be everything but. Each item here is lovingly handmade.”
Don’t you love that idea for choosing a name? Definitely a fan!
So here’s the backstory… After becoming buried in her day to day adult work, Sandy decided to go back to something she had always enjoyed as a child: sewing and crafting. What eventually resulted is her current shop Cookie Cutter. And it is soooooo adorable.
Visit Cookie Cutter on Etsy now to view more of Sandy’s collection of non-cookie cutter totes, plushies, and paper goods.
Afraid to so much as sneeze when you step into your overpacked closet?
No problem. Just make a new one. With this coat rack tutorial from You Must Have Broken The Internet you’ll have a place to store clothes, shoes, and even a bag or two.
Want to take this coat rack on the road? Good call! This would make an excellent clothing rack at craft fairs. Just add some wheels and you are good to go!
Learn how to make your own handmade coat rack now (found via Fossil’s blog).
CoMod Classics is a line of vintage and vintage inspired home decor that promotes and appreciates classic modern design. The CoMod classic shop’s mission is to “remind you of forgotten items from the past.”
There’s a wide selection of Herman Miller Eames Chairs amid other selections like funky vintage advertisements and unexpected mod beauties like these vintage tractor seats! With a keen eye for sleek design, the CoMod shop has curated a wide selection for lovers of quirky vintage finds.
If you’re a sucker for mod and industrial home furnishings shop CoMod Classics.
Vanessa wrote this post. She is a full time copywriter and webmarketer with a passion for art, creativity, and thrift. She writes about thrifting, creating, and saving money every weekday on her blog, Thrift Core.
You put down that jug of haterade right now! I don’t understand the huge backlash against 13-year-old singer Rebecca Black over her catchy song, Friday. (When I first saw it, I thought it was a legitimate new hit. It’s the same as Justin Beiber’s “Baby” in terms of vapid content.)
There are so many lessons to learn from Rebecca’s success. Viral content means more traffic and more sales, so let’s break it down and look at the steps that created Rebecca Black’s viral success.
1. Make it Catchy.
I’ve listened to the entire song “Friday” only once or twice, and I bet I could recite the whole thing. It might be vapid, but that song is catchy! If you want your content to go viral, craft something that will haunt your viewers for days to come. (Friday, Friday…dammit, make it stop!)
2. Make it Strange.
Rebecca’s song went viral like wildfire because it’s so strange, it’s the perfect combination of perfectly bad. You know you haven’t heard lyrics like, “tomorrow is Saturday, and Sunday comes afterwards” outside of Sesame Street. When you craft something strange, you’re encouraging people to share it. Speaking of sharing…
3. Make it interactive, encourage others to play along.
Viral videos are usually high imitable. Anyone with basic video editing software can make their own version of Rebecca Black’s Friday music video; the video is begging to be lampooned. Encourage others to play along, make it a game!
4. Set a low budget.
Rebecca’s mother reportedly paid $4,000 to have the single and accompanying music video produced. The legacy was born from such an incredibly modest budget, it would go on to top the Billboard Hot 100 and other charts! Viral hits don’t have to be expensive, so don’t spend much to produce yours! Like a good Grindhouse horror flick, sometimes the lower the budget, the better.
5. If it’s not risky, you’re not doing it right.
Releasing the silly, banal single Friday into the cruel internet playground was a big Risk. Rebecca was lampooned and insulted across the world, but in the end she’ll get the last laugh. It you don’t feel a little scared releasing your viral content unto the web, you’re not doing it right.
You want your content and products to catch on and spread like wildfire, so take some lessons from Rebecca Black and take Risks. Try something new and crazy, who knows, you may be the next viral hit!
Vanessa wrote this post. She is a full time copywriter and webmarketer with a passion for art, creativity, and thrift. She writes about thrifting, creating, and saving money every weekday on her blog, Thrift Core.
I would like to extend a warm welcome to those that have found the papernstitch blog in the last couple of days. Thanks for stopping by!
Our home was featured on Etsy’s blog yesterday. It’s an honor and a delight to have been asked to be a part of one of my favorite regular columns on Etsy: Get the Look Decor. Christine asked me a few questions about my personal style when it comes to home, how Jeff and I have melded our DIY aesthetic with the home’s more traditional accents, my favorite places to shop, and a couple of other things. It was quite a treat.
Read my interview and see our home on Etsy now. And please leave a comment if you like what you see or you want to know where I picked up one of the pieces you see in the photos.
Collaborations that come together this perfectly are rare in the handmade community. MASACeramics is a joint effort between Italian Sculptress Clara Graziolino and Venezuelan Designer and Illustrator Maria Virginia Montiel. Together they present exclusive ceramics, each one painted with a prismatic flower illustration.
The texture in this line reminds of the chipping plaster walls so common in Europe (no surprise with a duo based out of Madrid, Spain), but don’t let their frail appearance and delicate painted flowers fool you. Both the finish (using biological materials) and the use of ceramic ink fired at 860 degrees Celsius mean that the dishes can be used for all normal domestic purposes.
You can use these dishes in your kitchen, but each set is so pretty you might just want to hang them on your wall and admire them! There are no identical pieces in this line, each piece has it’s own personality and story to tell.
Check out the MASACeramics Etsy Shop to see more.
Vanessa wrote this post. She is a full time copywriter and webmarketer with a passion for art, creativity, and thrift. She writes about thrifting, creating, and saving money every weekday on her blog, Thrift Core.
Is your Monday off to a good start?
Mine sure is…. It’s the first day of the new exhibition and I am thrilled to be sharing it with you. I’ve selected a handful of my favorites to showcase here, but if you’d like to see the full selection of products and exhibitors, head on over to the exhibition site now. And share the love with the buttons below (facebook, twitter, stumbleupon) if you like what you see.
