Let's Go Shopping - The Japan Relief Edition

I'm joining in BrisStyle's Let's Go Shopping meme today, inspired by Wicked Child Design's Japan Relief theme.  

Japan Relief Each Card Hand Drawn Original by ReincarnationStation

Japanese Origami Crane Earrings Pray For Japan by makeawishaz

SADAKO Limited Edition Print - A4 by birdyandme

Thinking of Home (Japan Earthquake Relief) by Naokosstoop

Japan Relief - I Heart You Ninjas - Wood Peg People by Pegged

There are lots of other ways you can help raise money for the Japan appeal.  Poppytalk has some links.  And A Bit Of This and A Bit Of That has been great at organising blog auctions and raffles.  

I'll be adding a couple of my own blog auctions here later today, one an abundance of kimono fabric, and the second of one of my very limited edition kimono cranes.

Taking Photos for Etsy - Useful Links

Yesterday I had a great time running a session for some of the BrisStyle members on taking and editing photos for Etsy.  It's funny though, I felt like I needed to start with a disclaimer - I did my photography degree pre-digital days and product photography was not one of my best subjects.  

While I don't think I came up with anything that isn't already out there in the internet world, I hope that putting lots of information together at one time might have helped.

Along the way of putting the session together I came across some very useful links on Etsy on the subject that I thought I'd share;


Photographing 2D artwork.  Some really simple ideas for people that sell prints of their work.  During the session I also got talking about photographing fabric.  A seller who I think does an excellent job of giving life to this flat medium is Karaku. 


Brightening your photos using Picnik.  Personally, I'm a photoshop gal, but for this session I realised that the software is quite an investment and not really worth it for those who want to use a few simple photo editing functions.  I had a play with Picnik and was really impressed by how simple it is to use and how effective it is.


A basic how-to video on Photoshop.  This video (from youtube) is a 50 minute investment but from the parts I've watched, it seems to do a good job of covering the basics.


Photo tips including lighting.  In this tutorial she also talks about knowing your camera, colour and reflection and translucence.


Taking (and editing for) sharp photos.  This lesson goes over a number of things that will affect how crisp your resulting image will be.


Styling your photos and including props.  Photo styling is really not my forte' (hence why I didn't do so well in my product photography classes) so I found this article really quite interesting.  It goes into the thought behind what props help create the story of your product.  Make sure to scroll down to see some of the example images at the end, I just love the choker in the frame image.


Before and After photos.  Oh how I love a makeover.  I have (not so secret anymore) secret addiction to before and after shows.  Looking at the examples in this article does make you think about what it is about your own images that you could change.  In a similar vein is the Etsy Shop Makeovers group on Flickr which I believe that anyone can join.


Photographing for Etsy - a video by Etsy.  This is both a fun and interesting video to watch and shows some examples from a few different Etsy shops.  One thing from this that I found really interesting was what they said about having a person model clothing as opposed to it being on a mannequin - that items that were modelled sold so much more quickly than those not.  This statement was backed up by a few people in yesterday's session as well.


Photographing Jewellery.  A good little tutorial focused on the specific challenges of photographing jewellery.  I really like how some of the examples they have used in this also show the additional four shots used for the listing, it's good to see how the different angles work together.  There is also a link in here for making your own light box.


Collaborating with Photographers. This one is a little different - focussed on clothing designers who don't feel like the photos they take themselves gives justice to their work.  It looks at collaborating with photographers as well as an interesting take on getting your pieces on musicians and celebrities. 

Plum Treasury

With this colder weather upon us (as cold as it gets in sub-tropical Brisbane), I'm being drawn even more to rich reds and luscious plums. It's good to see I'm not the only one! My new "Murasaki Plum" kanzashi flower was featured in an Etsy Treasury yesterday.

You can get a better look at the collection here.

Talking of rich reds and plum (blossoms), have you seen my new blog header, created by the oh-so-fabulous Julia of A Creature Strange.

Treasured

My Kokeshi ring was featured in a Treasury by AKJapan on Etsy today. She's put together a gorgeous collection of blue and aquas. Just check out that temari ball!

Thank you AKJapan!

Oh Where Oh Where Did That Little File Go....

Firstly, thank you to everyone for their well wishes for last night. I had a ball! The food was delish, the conversation lively and the play amusing. All in all, a great night out. Here's to more of them!

Tonight is a different story as I sit in my pjs trying to list on Etsy. I'm still learning my way around my new iMac and having trouble working out where it's hiding files and photos of mine. I know they are there, the computer is just playing a game of hide and seek with me.

I've managed to list a few items, some a destashing of some of my fabrics in an attempt to get more order to my creative space, and some jewellery pieces. Hopefully more to go up tomorrow. And now for a bit of shameless self promotion....

Lady of the Night

I'm going out tonight.

"That's nice", I can hear many of you say. Many people go out on a Friday night. But listen more carefully...

I'm going out tonight. Me. Out. For the first time in about six months. Out. At night. After dark. To dinner. To eat Tibetan. And to go to the theatre. To see the adaptation of a book I've loved for years (He Died with a Falafel in his Hands). Out. In nice clothes. And probably some of that suck-you-in-everywhere underwear so that I can pretend I don't have such a huge baby-belly still. Out. In nice clothes. With makeup. And perfume. And with a hair style that isn't just a thoughtlessly pulled back ponytail. And high heels (THAT hasn't happened in over a year!). Out. With people. With people who are also out at night. People who probably have lives. So I can pretend that I too have a life.

I'm going out tonight.

In the meantime, I've been playing with how I photograph my rings for Etsy.

With the usual backdrop....

In the bonsai....

On a book...

Oh, and did I tell you that I'm going out tonight?

Technical Hiccups

Since last night I've been trying to list on Etsy, but to no avail. Each time I try to upload an image to the page, it kicks me off the internet. I did install an Etsyhacks program so I'm not sure if that is the problem, have since un-installed it, but it still doesn't work. The image will upload to Blogger... I've restarted my computer, tried different images, but still no success.

Are there any tech-heads out there who might have any suggestions?

** Update - I've just gone and done some dramatic re-sizing of the photos and it looks like problem solved (fingers crossed). I think a night on the computer is ahead for me (before and after watching Torchwood that is).

Another Half Off

So much to blog about, but sadly, much more to pack. We're in a packing frenzy here with the movers arriving in less that a week and me discovering that packing up a house while pregnant is a bit harder that I expected. Honestly, I thought it would be easier, not having to lift anything heavy, but it seems this pregnant body doesn't like all the getting up and down.

I'm going to finally close my stores on Monday night or Tuesday morning-ish. So, if you'd like anything before then, as one of my wonderful blog readers, take another 50% off the marked price (not the postage though sorry, but my usual postage discounts do apply). Let me know either on the Etsy sale or via eBay messages that you've read this post. If you're buying through the Etsy store or a bit from both Etsy and my eBay store, let me know your Paypal email address and I can send you a new invoice through there.

I still have fabrics that I never got to list, so some will be going into my personal stash and I'll send a bunch to Re-stash a Crafter that I found out through Handmaiden.

See you! I'm back to packing!

A Late Winner Announcement after a Busy Week

I'm so sorry that I was late drawing the winner of my giveaway! It was quite a week, a good one, but a busy one.

Let's see, there was a prenatal checkup (all is going well), a sick husband who moved out of the bedroom to try to avoid passing on any germs to me, a farewell party for me thrown by the school Camera Club, presents and a talk about my "Photographic journey" to prepare for that party, bookings every lunch break and after school for students to practice an interview for an extra curricular English exam, tests to write and a birthday party also thrown for me, all on top of the usual. Pre-pregnancy I would have taken it all in my stride, but lately, I'm amazed at how quickly that I not only run out of energy, but gladly give in to the tiredness.

DH was feeling better by Friday night, after having a cold all week, so we thought that we'd try to go out for dinner and a movie. We managed dinner, but I quickly crashed after that and was in bed, asleep by the 8.05 movie start time. So much for the second trimester energy boost!

My bump is getting bigger, one day I will get over my camera shyness and show you a picture. I had my first complete stranger ask me if I was pregnant the other day and some of the girls at school have asked if they can touch my belly. My friend Mel, whose place we had the birthday lunch at yesterday, had told her adorable little one all about the "bubbie" in my tummy. When leaving, I got a big hug and a kiss from him, and the bubbie got a kiss too. So sweet.

I have been slowly listing stock in my Etsy store, but I have to confess I still have a lot more to do. I hope to get some more up (including new pendants) in tonight and will be extending the sale and closing of the store until around March 8th-ish.

But that's enough rambling from me, I'm sure you want to know who the winner was... well there were 32 comments, but one of those was a double, and one person who told me in the comments that they had mentioned the giveaway on their blog (I know at least two other people mentioned it as well, but without the comment and my airhead of a pregnant brain, I've forgotten who that was, please let me know, I'd like to give you a little something), so that made 32 entries.

And the winner was.... number 17, which was Edward and Lilly. Rebecca is such a generous, inspiring woman. Not only has she been busy making the cutest little Bushfire Bunnies to help out those who have lost so much in the Victorian fires, but she's also donating the proceeds from her sales in her Etsy store to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal. I'd say this win was really good karma.

The Owl and the Pussycat...

...and the robot and the geisha....

Finally, a store update! They're all on sale too! Still lots more to list, but I'm getting there slowly... There's still time to enter my giveaway for a voucher to the store before I move.

The Move, the Sale and the Giveaway

The fact that I have only six and a half weeks left until I leave Japan is becoming more and more real. Our packing boxes from the shipping company arrived on the weekend, so stand as a reminder every time I go into the living room. As the living room is in the centre of the small apartment, that is a lot of the time.

For months now, I've been reflecting on where I want to take my business. I've had a few great years playing with ideas, exploring different product ranges and working out where my heart really lies. I've found that I've been spending too much time buying, sorting and photographing fabric supplies, that it has left little time for my real love, creating. As a result, once I move back to Australia, I'm going to be focusing on creating more jewellery, more bags and other things that for now remain in my sketchbook. I'll continue to sell kimono fabric, partly as an excuse to play with the gorgeous textiles.

As a result, I'm hoping to clear as much of the gorgeous Japanese cotton fabrics that I have in store and in stock waiting to list. Soooo... that means, it's time for a sale! A moving, leaving Japan, sale!

For the month of February, there is, and will be of all the new stock I list, 25 to 50% off everything. I hope to list new things every few days.

Mmmm... so that's the move, and the sale. How about the giveaway? I always love a good giveaway.

I'm giving away a US$30 voucher for my store. I'll draw the winner on February 18th, but need to ask that you use the voucher by February 28th. After that, our apartment is in serious, need-to-pack-everything-in-sight mode.

To win? Please visit my Etsy store, then comment on this blog which item is your favourite and if it's a fabric, what you think you might create with it. If you'd like two entries, mention the giveaway on your own blog and tell me in the comments also.

Good luck! I'm back to my packing now.

Geisha Under Glass

My first glass pendant to go in my store. More pendants, each different, to follow soon.

In My First Treasury!

This is turning out to be a very good week! First there was yesterday's win, and today, I was featured in my first Treasury! Mmm... note to self, good luck comes in 3's, so I must buy a lottery ticket....

I'm especially chuffed about this Treasury because it's beautiful and I feel so honour to be included. You can see it live over here.

It was woven together by the amazingly talented Steffen. As if being a fabulous architect by day isn't enough, she creates and sells on Etsy by night. I've been meaning to feature some of her work for a while now. Just look at these works of art!

She sells these and more over at her store, 3 Girls and a Goat.

In Store

Bad storekeeper, bad storekeeper! These pendants have been waiting ever-so-patiently (they are Japanese after all), to go out in the world and I've been a bad storekeeper by not listing them. Well that was remedied tonight - they are finally in my Etsy store. I've only done about ten of this style and should be listing the glass pendants as well, soon.

Wrapped, Packed and Away!

I'm so excited! I woke up this morning to find that I'd made my first Etsy sale! And then later in the day, my second! What a good day!

News and a Giveaway

Today, my horoscope told me;

"Although you may attempt to keep your work schedule simple today, it will still probably grow out of control. Forget about fitting everything into your calendar for a while, for you are likely biting off more than you can control."

Seriously, I felt like it could have been talking about the last few months.

So, news! No, it's not that I'm pregnant. I just thought I should clear that up. One of my Japanese friends gets very excited every time I tell her I have "news". "You're pregnant!" she blurts out. I feel bad for disappointing her each time.

No, instead, a new baby of sorts. I finally got the Kimono Reincarnate Etsy store opened! I really wanted to have more listed in there for it's big "Hey world, I'm here" announcement, but well, see the above in this post.... I have so much more to list, some gorgeous fabrics and papers I've been collecting for months as well as lots of little crafty things I've been working on, but that will get done gradually.

Drop by and check me out sometime, I'm over at Kimono Reincarnate.

So, to celebrate, I'm giving away some of my Tokyo trip goodies.

Firstly in the package is a collection of artists' cards from the Design Festa. Some postcard size, some smaller.

Then there's also this little kokeshi strap made from antique kimono fabric and leather. She's another Design Festa find.

And.. there's ten not-so-fat not-quite-quarters of new Japanese cotton and cotton blends.

But wait, that's not all! I'll also throw in some surprise goodies. Some of my new Etsy-like products that haven't been listed yet.

So, how do you get your hands on this stash? Easy. To go into the win, do one, (or both) of two things.

1) Comment on this post. I WAS going to ask you what Japanese craft stuff you'd like to play with and what you'd do with it, BUT, as I'm trying to fit more into the hours of my days, I'd love to hear what you do to find balance in your life.

2) Who said money can't buy love? Well, I'm going to bribe you. You can get an entry into the giveaway by "heart"ing my Etsy store.

If you do both, you get two entries!

If you're a non-blogger, feel free to enter, but don't forget to put your name on the entry somewhere!

I'll draw the winner next week on Wednesday night-ish.

Good luck!

Designing my Etsy Banner

I've been having so much fun playing with designs today. Of course I SHOULD have been photographing stock during the daylight hours, but instead started playing with ideas for the banner.

I started out by flicking through my pile of kimono and Japanese design books....

Then started out with this sketch that I scanned.... The plan was to make a series of them, all nesting dolls with the last one opening, hence the line in the middle....

With the aid of photoshop, she soon looked like this... as a rough sketch, I was pretty happy so far.....

But then once I put her into the banner dimensions... she looked rather lost..... so that was all scrapped (well not totally, I will go back and work on her at a later time)...

And for now, my banner looks like this... what do you think?

Happy Golden Days

It's officially Golden Week now in Japan. Golden Week is a run of public holidays that sometimes, depending on the days of the week they fall, end up in a week off. This year however, it's more "Golden Days", not that I'm complaining, I have a four day weekend!

AND, I'm doing something very exciting, I'm opening my Etsy store! I'm busy working on it now, and just taking a quick break. Watch this space for more news....

There won't be much relaxing going on over the weekend. After getting the store up and the eBay listing done for the weekend, we've planned a shopping trip into the "big city", Nagoya, and then I'm preparing the apartment for the coming summer. That's always a big job as I put heaters away, get fans out, winter clothes away, lovely light summery things out.

The weather is just glorious today. A sunny spring day, floral scents in the air and more than a hint of the summer to come.

So, once again, I'll leave you with a spring photo, this time of one of the floats from a festival a couple of weeks ago. Hope the day is just a beautiful in your part of the world!

My first ever Etsy buy!

I'm new to Etsy, I only discovered that magical place a little while ago through other people's blogs and Flickr accounts.

There are so many gorgeous things on there that I've been drooling over, but until we'd decided what we were doing next year, I was on a very tight budget. That decision by the way, is that we're staying in Japan for one more year. While we're very happy about the decision and the opportunities it means, I spent much of the weekend feeling quite sad about putting off our baby plans, and so wasn't really up to blogging or making anything.

Today, I found Rosie Music and instantly fell in love with her work. I rushed over and bought this piece, Too Shy No.3. I can't tell you what it is about this piece that speaks to me, but it does. Maybe the mystery of what this girl looks like under the mask.

Today, I'm at home and everything is going very slowly. I have caught yet another cold, I seem to pick them up really easily here, yet I don't back in Australia. I went to work yesterday with a very sore throat, taught three classes and promptly lost my voice. I now have nothing! If I strain really hard (which I really shouldn't), I can manage a faint whisper. Somehow, that's not very useful for an English Communication teacher. My husband however, I think is enjoying the quiet, he knows I can't nag him about anything this weekend.