New Changes // Getting Our Etsy Shop Holiday Ready

old look

For those of you who have been following the team here at Make. Shop. Live. for a while you have noticed the massive overhaul and major work we have been doing to the company this year. It is hard to believe what we have been able to accomplish in such a short amount of time, but it is truly amazing what you can achieve with some determination and the right people in place.

new look

One thing I have realized since we did our re-branding and website redesign this summer is how wonderful things come together when you realize your strengths as well as weaknesses. It is hard when you have a DIY attitude sometimes to admit that there are somethings that maybe you could do but you should enlist someone else to do instead. I am so thankful to have had the pleasure to work with such amazing and talented people such as Sharon Fain of Fain Consulting, Steph of Hearts and Laserbeams, and my wonderful husband Kevin Sears as we put together all of our public image facets of Make. Shop. Live.! If I had not worked with these talented artists there is no way our website, blog, Twitter, Facebook, and Etsy Shop would all be cohesive and comprehensive in time for the holiday shopping rush. Not only would working on all of these things taken me away from being able to focus on making my crafts, I also wouldn't have been able to elevate the end result to the level achieved using my basic Photoshop and photography skills. I want to take a quick moment to not only thank everyone for their hard work, but to point out that you too have time to enlist the help of a graphic designer, photographer, and social media strategist in time for the holiday business, if you act quickly.

If all you do is tweak your photography, it is amazing how just investing in a few professional shots can elevate your products and brand! Plus, it can actually be more affordable than you'd expect. Here are a few examples of what we have been up to reworking our holiday inventory for 2012-

Upcycled Address Books:

Address Book (Before)

Address Book (After)

Reinbeers:

Reinbeer Holiday Ornament (Before)

Reinbeer Holiday Ornament (After)

Pincushion Rings:

Pincushion Ring (Before)

Pincushion Ring (After)

We understand that all small businesses run on a tight budget and some aspects (like hiring a graphic designer or photographer) may not be an option for you. We have compiled some suggestions below that can still make a huge difference for your business while being easy enough that you can do it yourself.

You can make a lightbox inexpensively at home with this quick tutorial. Having pictures of your products on a white background help your items make it onto Etsy treasuries helping with sales and other promotions.

Join an Etsy Team or sellers group.

Participate in common interest twitter chats and promotions.

Try a new social media platform like Instagram or Tumblr to gain followers while creating content for your business effortlessly. Here's a post we recently did that explains how easy and effortless it really is.

Promoting others helps promote you! By creating your own treasuries on Etsy not only do you do something nice for your fellow artists but your treasury can be seen and promoted by tons of other folks. Another great tip for spreading the love, while making treasuries know what types of products and pricing are on the market. Sometimes you can realize a gap in services and be inspired to make something that isn't yet available just by seeing what is already out there.

Send a handwritten letters to family and friends that you have been neglecting. It is always nice to receive a letter in the mail and what better way to spread the warm fuzzies then with a thoughtful note. By writing someone a letter that you haven't spoken with in a while you put your life in perspective and you realize just what things matter to you and what goals/plans you may have. I find that while writing people concisely what your plans are, you ultimately cut out the fluff and streamline what works and doesn't work for you.

Take a well deserved break and ask for help! No one expects you to be a craft super hero. If you begin to feel overwhelmed or a task is getting out of control for you, ask a peer for help/suggestions/critique to manage your task. They may just come up with a solution that blows yours outta the water and cuts the time! Then, you can cross promote both parties involvement and the collaboration becomes a win-win for everyone!!

And lastly, I must stress this one: force yourself to try something new that is stimulating each week. Maybe it's trying a new computer task like a plug-in or program, or maybe it is going to a place or event you have never been to. There has been so many times I have wanted to flake out on something that has been an invaluable and inspirational experience. If I had allowed myself to skip something I had planned on I would have missed out majorly. Life has a wonderful way of presenting exactly what you need to you. Make yourself available for these opportunities to come to you and welcoming new things by being flexible. You never know when opportunity comes knocking until you open the door!

I hope this info is helpful for you. If you have any additional advice or helpful tips to get others inspired and ready for the holidays feel free to leave the info in our comments section. :)

I hope to see you at CAFAM's Etsy Craft Night tonight!!!

XOXO, KC

Lomography Fun: The Original Instagram

KC has had a collection of Lomography cameras for some time now and is really having a resurgence of interest in photography.  For her birthday in August I gave here a La Sardina camera in addition to the Holga and Diana F+ she already had.  For anyone hooked on Iinstagram (Which KC totally is!) we highly encourage you to try getting similar effects the authentic, natural way, with film that is developed!  Randomness in art is key with analogue and patience for seeing the results is a virtue.

Here are some of my favorites taken with the La Sardina:

Grazing, 2012  //  (Napa Valley)

Castello di Amorosa, 2012  //  (Napa Valley)

Grapes, 2012  //  (Napa Valley)

Leaves, 2012  //  (Culver City)

USS Iowa, 2012  //  (San Pedro)

Acapulco, 2012  //  (San Pedro)

Even more exciting is there is a new group we can join where all the members are as enthusiastic about lomography as we are! The Lomography Society has a Tumblr page where members can upload and submit their photos. The Tumblr can serve as a great source of inspiration and we look forward to taking some pictures to submit ourselves!

Stay tuned for more photo fun-

-- Kevin & KC

Most Recent Second-Hand Haul

As you probably already know I am a major advocate to buying things second-hand as much as possible. I say as much as possible because you never know when yard sales or Goodwill stores will have exactly what you are looking for at that particular moment. Craigslist and Freecycle can help you find things too, but you may have to drive a bit or wait around to get your items. While to some this may seem like a hassle, never fully knowing what you will find while shopping is actually my favorite part of second-hand shopping. Some things or items you may always be on the hunt for since you collect a certain type of items - like for instance in my case fun fabrics, tea pots, and turquoise or orange glass pieces. Other harder to find items makes the beauty of the hunt so exciting! The major payoff is when you find something you have been wanting AND at a great price :)

We talked about this massive yard sale in Santa Monica last weekend and I thought I would share a few pictures of my new treasures acquired from our excursion:


For my birthday Kevin re sparked my love of analogue cameras with a new film using gem the La Sardina. Now I have turned into one of those camera collectors I thought I had successfully managed to not be... Well, insert new favorite thing to acquire! Here I found two cameras, both in their original packaging for under $10! Score 1 for KC!!! (Note, yes I am aware that film will be difficult - more like impossible for the cameras, but they are still pretty rad!)


Even though I was informed by the gentleman having the yard sale the artist above is a California based, he must have had an infinity for NYC like I do. This taxi cab feels more Big Apple than Hollywood to me and I had to have it for our collection.  We almost have the artwork set in our living room and I am so glad a piece like this has made it into our collection.

Can some one say screen-printing supplies?!? I majorly scored finding a sale with art supplies priced perfect. Some of the containers are even unopened!

And the cherry topper - A new (for us) record player with a new needle and everything!!!! Major score! 

Hope this inspires you to go treasure hunting for yourself!!! We would love to see what cool things you find on Our Facebook page or in the comment section below.

XOXO, KC

Books to Bounce Back Creativity

Even after school is over for us adults this time of the year still pulls us into the quest for knowledge, learning, and exploration. Now that summer is almost over the demand for refocusing what is working for you while searching for inspiration to push you to that next level is kicking in. If you feel pulled towards a creative surge and need some help getting things going here are some great books to bounce back your creativity.

The Crafter's Guide to Taking Great Photos by Heidi Adnum

I just received this book for my birthday and I am in awe of the possibilities it holds. It has product spotlights from other artists, tips on using your camera and photo equipment, and helpful insights to capture the perfect product shots of your work. Each picture has camera information such as what type of camera used, the lens, the exposure and f-stop info so you can get a handle on taking photos that way too.  Everyone says the key to selling online is how great your pictures are and with this book even a camera novice has a chance to beef up their skills.

The Right-Brain Business Plan by Jennifer Lee 

This book is a wonderful way for creative types to define your business vision and flesh out your long-term strategies.  With tips, check lists, exercises and success stories this book is a wonderful way to get a creative boost while working on the tough elements that any business need to succeed.  Just trying out one or two of the exercises in this book could be the key to mapping out your business for the next step. Double bonus for this book making the hard work fun!!!

If you have any tips on books you like feel free to drop a comment so that others can read them too :)

XOXO, KC

3 Local Etsy stores talk Tech

Last Thursday evening, the Santa Monica Apple Store hosted an Etsy Team Community Session about developing your online presence.  Since KC couldn't attend, I decided to take a walk over and get some good tips any Etsy user could use.

Courtney Prince, of Doloris Petunia

Three Los Angeles local users were invited to speak for a few minutes on their experience and relationship with successfully building a store on Etsy. Andie's Specialty Sweets went first.  The nature of a handmade custom order store has it's challenges when it comes to profits.  Even with past months doubling orders, the clear attention to craft takes time and money.  There was a mention made that no press had been done yet.  The photography of the work was very good though, as was the level of craftsmanship.  It seems all the ingredients are there!  Best of luck!  Courtney Prince of Doloris Petunia was next and spoke openly about how the business was developed in NY and expanded after a move to LA.  Someone introduced her to Etsy one weekend at the Rose Bowl Market Fair.  She had a great bit of advice that I'll paraphrase, "Do what you are interested in, then think about what the customer would want".  Basically, if you are passionate about it and are willing to edit yourself, they will come!  Finally, Kelly Massey from Pretty Penny Designs spoke of her journey with Etsy and how she learned to make a splash.  She humorously reminiscent how she started by listing a few items and ..... nothing happened.  Then she "heard people like natural lighting" so she took her products outside and re-listed those pics........ nothing happened.  After a few months she had gone online and done her research on professional product shots and places to outsource fabric printing so she wasn't up past midnight every day.  All the speakers were great, and overall it inspired me and reminded me of how the basics are so important:

Great photography of products

Have passion for your work

Edit to what customers want

Think about how you would appear in press

Best of luck Etsy users!