Tuesday Teamie

Today's Tuesday Teamie is..................................

Joanna Alley of Glass Goddess Ngraving.

From Joanna's Profile (photos added):

YES, you really can put "anything" on glass. From pictures of family, nature, poems and quotes to scenes of fantasy and dream. It's what engraving is all about! We LOVE custom orders!! YES WE DO PORTRAITS! Just send a convo or email and let us know how we can help you.

Hello, yes I am new to Etsy! After being berated for my family for awhile now I decided to let my engraving out to see the world. I am a mother of 5, homeschool 4, and in what spare time I do have, I paint, draw, and engrave glass and crystal. I have been engraving since 2009. Each piece you see is engraved by hand, every line like a brushstroke.The use of power tools really allows me to throw an artistic fit, when the pressures of life get to me.

My teenagers are already talented engravers and I am sure they will find their way to Etsy in the future. You will occasionally see me and the kids at local festivals and fairs. This really is a great love of ours. I was a children's clown for 13 years before passing the suit down to my daughter, the lovely Sprinkles. I still facepaint for all of her shows and events.

We have also started to take the glass on a few trips. The reactions are amazing. So many pieces finding loving homes. If my local customers find their way here please add me to your circle.

A bit about drill engraving:

Drill engraving involves the use of micro motor drills, or flex drive drills depending on engraving depth and the hardness of the glass. Instead of prefabricated stencils, the drill engraver must carve out each line or area of shading, much like painting or drawing. Yes we do all of this while wearing particle masks and magnifying glasses (a cute look for any lady). The result is permanant, and like a painting, a one of a kind piece of art. Glass and crystal can have widely varied looks, and prices.

You can find me on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TheGlassgoddess; please bear with me as we are still under construction.

Feel free to pin me!

Treasury tool by StylishHome.

Beautiful work, Joanna!

Let's all promote Joanna's shop today. Pin, blog, tweet, treasure!

Monday Challenge

Monday Challenge: Improve Your Craft: Try Something New

taken from "Ira Glass - Improving Your Craft,"
(http://www.improbableworlds.com/2011/07/17/ira-glass-on-getting-good-at-craft/)

Ira Glass of PRI’s This American Life,
 

Almost nobody starts out great at their craft. It takes work. I have to remind myself of this all the time, and remember again and again as I try new things. Most of the time, I am still hoping my work will someday be nearly as good as my ambitions.

What nobody tells people who are beginners — and I really wish someone had told this to me . . . is that all of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, and it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not.

But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase. They quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know it’s normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story.

It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.

Ira Glass was talking about video production, but we could apply his words to our own creative work.  It is only through trying new things and challenging ourselves in our art and crafts that we become better at what we do.

This week's challenge is to challenge yourself. Try something new in your art or craft - a new pattern, a new stitch, a new technique. It is the only way to grow!

 

 Cap'n Kathi

Friday Finds

'Autumn Lace' by hARTjewelry

Treasury tool by StylishHome.

Let's Get Cohesive!

OK.  Maybe we don't have to get cohesive, but does your shop have a chohesive look?  I have noticed that many successful sellers not only have a very distinct look, but their shop is very chohesive.  In appearance.  That means, the items all seem to flow well together, with the banner and the avatar.

For some shops, this occurs by the nature of the items they sell.  They all look alike in some way.  Maybe they're all made from the same medium.  Or maybe they only sell one type of item in many styles and colors.  This creates a natural flow.

But what if you don't have that natural flow?  Does this mean you must have similar items to have a cohesive look?  Not at all!  But I used to think so.  I make all different kinds of items from different kinds of materials in all different colors.  And styles.  Which, by the way, can be a cohesive look in and of itself if done properly.  But it wasn't working for my shop. 

You can, however, create that in other ways.  For examples:  if you use the same background for all of your items and tie that into your banner and avatar, you are creating a cohesive look;  if you use the same style photography for all of your items, you are creating a cohesive look.

It takes some thought and experimentation, but the results are worth it.  Because a nice flow connecting the items in your shop will be very appealing to potential customers as they browse.  It's easy on the eyes, looks beautiful and professional.  All things that make a customer's shopping trip more enjoyable. 

Here are 3 perfect examples, in my opinion, of shops with a very cohesive look in different ways.  You can click on the links below each photo to visit their shops.

Same item in different styles and colors

http://www.etsy.com/shop/BuyGail

Photography style

 http://www.etsy.com/shop/WalnutStudiolo

Same background

http://www.etsy.com/shop/stitchntyme

So go forth with cohesiveness!!  We can carry on this discussion in our team forums.
right here:  http://www.etsy.com/teams/12389/etsyhandmade/discuss/10661957/ 

~❤~

Tuesday Teamie

Our Tuesday Teamie is Caitlin Sainio of  Caitlin Sainio Designs. Her beautiful crochet leaf appliques were voted team favorite in our Falling for Fall Challenge! Congratulations Caitlin!

Let's meet our Tuesday Teamie as she describes the love of her art:

From Caitlin's About Page:

From thread to lace.... in as many colors as possible.

I learned to crochet as a child, and fell hopelessly in love with thread crochet shortly thereafter. To this day, I find the process magical. I love how the thread feels, as it slides between my fingers. I love to watch the hook flash in and out, creating tiny patterns of knots. And most of all, I love watching those patterns turn into the curve of a petal, the wing of a butterfly, or the crystalline point of a snowflake.

Caitlin Sainio Designs began in 2009 as an excuse to buy more thread and make more lace. Even as it's grown into a successful business, the core mission is the same: it's a place to indulge -- and to share -- my fascination with crochet, with geometry, and with nature.

Caitlin

owner, maker, designer

I'm a mechanical engineer-turned-crochet designer. I design, make, photograph, pack, and ship everything in my shop.

Related Links

• facebook
• twitter

Team, let's all promote Caitlin's work today: tweet, pin, blog Caitlin Saino Designs!

Treasury tool by StylishHome.

 

Monday Challenge

Today's Monday Challenge is a continuation of our Falling for Fall Challenge. All entries have been posted and it is time to vote for your favorite Fall item!

Entries are posted in these two threads:

Thread One
Thread Two

Only one vote per member. Vote in this thread, or if you do not want to vote publicly, send me a convo with your vote. Votes will be tallied and the winner announced Tuesday morning!

Thanks for participating! Now, go vote:)

Friday Finds

'Falling for Fall' by pomegranatefarm

Last Call: Falling for Fall!! Our challenge ends Saturday night at 12:00 midnight EST! Get your Fall items posted!

Treasury tool by StylishHome.