Archive for October, 2011
Back in March, Brittni, the owner of papernstitch, brought up her interest in herringbone wood floors. The herringbone pattern is generally made by butting the short end of a rectangular piece of wood or tile to the far end of the long side of another, and continuing in this pattern that creates a zig-zag with a slight offset. Today we’re taking a look at a similar pattern, but one with no offset – the chevron. The chevron created with wood, tile or other materials is made with mitered ends that both butt up to each other on the small side, forming a zigzag with no offset, perfect points and a line running through those points.
But along with the resurgence of herringbone, the chevron pattern is making quite a comeback. With the stunning popularity of the Missoni for Target line, chevron and zigzag is re-entering the home in a big way. Although a simple chevron-set monochromatic floor is a great way to add texture and pattern without overdoing it, many designers are using the chevron in new and different ways. That same distressed wood set on a wall becomes a focal piece, while others are shifting to two-color schemes for flooring, or bringing in the chevron with accessories such as rugs or pillows. And paint is a great and inexpensive way to add this pattern to your home, either with a monochrome or two or more color scheme. Personally, I’m still a fan of those old board floors, but you might even think of repainting a reclaimed piece of furniture – it’s all up to you!
(above) Black Wood Floor
Chevron Rug + Marmoleum Pattern
Stenciled Separate Shapes + ZigZag Monochrome
Amy wrote this post. She is the designer and owner of FormFire Glassworks, where she creates modern lampwork glass beads and jewelry, and by day designs custom homes for a small firm in Southern California. You can follow her twitter @formfireglass.
This contributor post was written by Genevieve of LightBox SF
It may only be October, but many of you are already in a tizzy over prepping for the holidays. While I don’t really want to add more to your to-do list I would like to share some easy ways to give your shop a little makeover for the holiday season. Whether you sell through Etsy or directly through your own website you can easily implement these simple tweaks over the next few weeks.
About Page
Your about page should help you connect with your customers not be a resume. I challenge you to read your own from your customer’s point of view. Do you get a sense of why you love your work or what inspires you? Buyers don’t purchase an item they purchase an experience. When selling online the best experience you can give your customers is a story to retell or connect with.
Quick Fix: Add a sentence or two that tells the customer what difference your product will make in their life. Will they be more stylish, will they feel more confident, will their hands now be extra toasty?
Major Overhaul: Rewrite your about statement to appeal to your customer’s point of view. Share personal anecdotes and explain your inspirations. Tell them what need or want your product fulfills. They don’t care about degrees or areas of special study, your customers want to get a sense of who you are and feel confident you’re the right one to buy from.
Item Titles and Tags
Whether you sell through Esty or your own website your titles and tags are how a buyer finds your item. Titles need to be descriptive and enticing, while tags should be as relative and specific as possible.
Quick Fix: Update your titles to make sure you’re using words that a buyer would use. You may name your items after flowers or characters, but add in Sterling Silver Necklace so that you can be found. Try to use three words that hit the important features of the item.
Major Overhaul: Answer as many of these questions as you can in both your title and tags: What is it (as specific as possible)? Who will want it? What materials are used? What relevant techniques are used? What color(s)? What style or trend does it fit into?
Item Descriptions
It’s ok to be a salesman, people want to details and they want to be convinced. The description is no place for subtlety.
Quick Fix: Your first sentence needs to grab your buyer’s attention. Start all your descriptions with the most important detail, the problem you solve, the material you use, the style trend it fits into, etc.
Major Overhaul: After you’ve sucked them in you need to get to the details quick. Lay out everything the customer would want to know, size, shape, color, materials, uses, etc. Use “I” statements as often as possible and be specific when describing details. Paint a picture the buyer can imagine, how exactly would they use the item, who is the type of person who would like this item. Remember they may be buying for someone else.
Put a few of these quick tweaks into action and your shop will be even more enticing this holiday season.
image credit: Yarn Wreaths by Christopher and Tia
Genevieve Robertson is a photographer, writer, thinker and co-founder of Lightbox SF. She helps makers, artists, and crafters brand their businesses by telling their stories and embracing what makes them unique.
Seriously, I dare you not to smile when you browse illustrator Katie Daisy’s shop, The Wheatfield. Honestly, I don’t think you can do it. At least I don’t think I can because every time I look at one of Katie’s prints (or greeting cards), I get that warm fuzzy feeling – like I’m driving through the country without a care in the world.
And if Katie’s “The Wheatfield“ existed as an actual wheat field, I’d like to think it would always be sunny there, with a couple of kids smiling and twirling around in the background.
Here’s a little inspiration to get your day going…
Visit The Wheatfield now to browse available prints and greeting cards. And for even more awesomeness, visit Katie Daisy’s portfolio site.
When Amy Burkhart purchased her very first home with her husband over year ago, they wanted to really make it their own. So Amy started making a few decor items herself, and stayed away from the big chain stores. She soon discovered that she could create these handmade modern items for others as well and opened up her Etsy shop, Tangerine Home.
And now Amy makes these playful pillow covers, tea towels and napkins for customers around the globe.
Visit Tangerine Home on Etsy now and receive 15% off your entire order when you use code PNSOCT11 at checkout before November 1st.
This is a sponsored guest post by Julia from UncommonGoods.
There’s something beckoning about fresh clay. So much potential. This month at UncommonGoods, we’re hosting a Ceramics Design Challenge—a chance for you to show us and our customers your potential for clay, porcelain and ceramic art.
One winner will receive $500 plus the opportunity to sell their work or license their design to UncommonGoods. Our guest judges, Jono Pandolfi and Alice Goldsmith are both skilled ceramic artists, and are looking forward to seeing your work.
Jono Pandolfi was inspired to design the luxurious pillow plate while working with Chef Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison Park. He knew right away what he wanted it to look like. But the path he took to get there was certainly unusual.“In order to create my original model, I filled a plastic bag with hardening plaster and let it set up completely, which gave me the realistic folds and creases,” he explains. “It took a few tries, but was much easier than carving a form like that out of clay.”Jono then used that model to create a delicate, almost airy, plate.
“I love the unpredictability of [the design process],” Jono says. “Especially when you are talking about ceramics. Clay as a medium offers some unexpected twists and turns. These can be infuriating, but they can also take you places you never thought you’d go.”
Speaking of twists and turns, Alice Goldsmith is the perfect example of how there’s no right way to become an artist. She started her career as a nurse, then entered the fashion industry. For a while she was a chef. And from there discovered her calling as a potter. Her pieces have a timeless quality to them— you can use them every day and never outgrow their style. Alice plays with texture and experiments with handmade glazes. Each time you pick up one of her mugs, plates or bowls, you might notice a new facet of her design.
Alice and Jono, along with our Product Development Associate Sarah Stenseng, will select one ceramic artist to win the $500 prize and opportunity to sell on UncommonGoods. If you’d like a chance to share your work with the UncommonGoods community, enter by October 31, 2011 at 11:59 PM ET.
About the author: Julia Marden is the Community Organizer at UncommonGoods. Find UncommonGoods on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
Using found photographs and vintage ephemera, Michelle Caplan creates these layered, mixed media portraits for her shop (filled with prints, originals, greeting cards, magnets, and more). And right now Michelle if offering a pretty hefty discount on all orders: 35% off! How’s that for a start to your week!?
Big Discount: Save 35% now through Oct 24th when you use the code papernstitch at checkout.Visit Michelle’s shop now to take advantage of this generous discount.
Does the thought of bare walls give you the heebie-jeebies?
Don’t worry. I’m right there with you! And if you’re looking for something in between wall paper and a pricey piece of artwork, I have something for you: Urban Walls, a line of wall decals that have a matte finish, instead of the typical shiny vinyl ones, so they look more like paint. Neat, huh?
And another neat thing…
I have a discount code for you… Get 15% off at Urban Walls with coupon code PAPERSTITCH at checkout.
Visit Urban Walls now to see more designs from graphic designer, Danielle Hardy.
