Bear Chick~The Wonder Years

*sigh*

This is almost as bad as showing my high school pictures!!

Here I am at the first show I ever did, at the clubhouse where I live:

Ah, simple stringing, necklaces and bracelets. I sold quite a bit and it encouraged me to actually get my business license and get serious about jewelry making. I think that's a piece of foam board beneath the fabric… Oh, the innocence!

And here I am at a monthly art fair that the Muckenthaler Cultural Center in Fullerton used to hold on their beautiful property:

We got a canopy and real tables and everything! I was experimenting with different props and creating levels on the table for visual interest. I'm the first to admit that I'm not the best merchandiser around…

And we sold a few times at The Rose Bowl Antique Swap Meet in Pasadena, where they had a handmade section:

Ye gods! You had to be there at 5 in the morning (earlier if you were doing antiques) but you got to keep your car with you and the foot traffic was wild. It was a great experience. And it must have been pre-canopy because we only had the big umbrella. A canopy definitely defines your space better…

Of course, these shows were all pre-Etsy! I don't do a lot of shows these days. For someone working full time (knock wood!), it's more time consuming than I'm willing to deal with and right now, in this economy, it's a bit hit and miss. But my canopy and tables and velveteen fabric, jewelry busts, props and trays are just waiting for their next outing!

Do What You Love!

http://www.bearchick.etsy.com/

http://www.bearchicksundries.etsy.com/

Life on Etsy Tuesday

*sigh* Photography, for me, is an ongoing learning experience. I’m still working on improving the pictures I take but here’s some observations about pix for Etsy:

1. No blurry pictures! I cringe when I look at Etsy items sitting on someone’s floor or sofa, blurred with no detail--and only one picture!

blurry

2. Dark or bad color. I’ve re-edited or totally retaken photos when I’ve realized that the image is either too dark or the color is too blue or green. Maybe it’s just my camera or setup but sometimes it does that odd color thing and I don’t notice until it’s on the site.

blue tint

3. Different viewpoints. I try to include one “artistic” shot--an interesting angle or close up of a detail--sometimes to use as the primary shot to draw attention to the item when they’re being seen in listings.

close up

4. Use as many pix as possible. With some of my simpler items, 2 or 3 can suffice. But buyers (me included) like to see lots of angles, details and even the backs of items. I never understand when someone only uses one picture.

back of the pin

5. Consistency. This one I get very low marks on. I’ve tried to come up with a consistent background for my photos-neutral colored fabric, different papers--and I haven’t found anything that works for me as a signature “look” for my shop.

I love the new feature on Etsy, that allows you to upload all 5 pictures at once, like Flickr, instead of one at a time, like we’ve had to. And it’s also easier to arrange them in the order you want them seen since it’s now a drag and drop system as opposed to clicking arrows to move pictures individually. Hooray, Etsy!

Are you going to go look at my Etsy shop pictures now? I blush because some of my older items are not as good as the newer ones. And, like I said, I’m still working on perfecting the images every time I post a new piece of jewelry. All I can do is Keep on Tryin’!

Do What You Love!

www.bearchick.etsy.com
www.bearchickart.etsy.com
www.bearchick.artfire.com

Still Dreaming of Paris

Hey!

I started this blog talking about my desire to go to Paris. The dream is still alive. Someday, someday… (Editors note~this appears on Bear Chicks Journey by mistake. It was supposed to go on Mare's Journey... This is what happens when I post at midnight or close to...)

Anyway, here are two great blogs with Paris in the title that I read every day. I think you’ll like them.

Shelagh Duffett is an artist in Nova Scotia. I love her work--very colorful and cheerful! She writes about all kinds of things, with lots of photos and interesting narrative. Sometimes she even writes about French stuff.

Please remember that this is Shelagh’s copywritten artwork--please be respectful and don’t do anything illegal with it.

http://www.aliceinparislovesartandtea.blogspot.com/

This second blog is so cool--everything Paris, right at your keyboard. Carol Gillott posts almost every day and it’s always something to do with Paris. It truly delights me to read her observations and study the pictures of Parisians, patisserie shops and the streets of Paris.

Again, copywritten! Don’t be tempted to do something bad with Carol’s pic!

http://parisbreakfasts.blogspot.com/


C’est la vie!

www.bearchick.etsy.com
www.bearchickart.etsy.com
www.bearchick.artfire.com