Apple Blossom

I've worked on this design for quite a while, but with rather mediocre result. But I'm rather happy with this one.  (thanks Ruth and Els!) I wanted to make something in delicate bluish pink colours and flowers in this 5-petal shape like apple or cherry blossom and wild rose. I worked with colours first - these are three glasses cases in the same colours:

And then this larger piece with more complicated design:

 

 

New works in wool watercolours

Have been working on small floral pieces, playing with colours and new shapes.

This is a new Kindle case with rather familiar yellow daisies. Done some small details differently and pleased with result:

 

This one is very different, I've tried to focus on shapes on poppy pods and stems lines. Far from perfect but still like it as a try!

 

 

Girly Pink

Wanted to make something very pinky and feminine...

My ETSY experience

As you could guess I sell on ETSY. If you don't know what ETSY is you are a lucky person and better ignore this post!

OK, I sell on ETSY, i have some sales and it's about 14 months of this adventure - time to write memoire!

When I started to work in "wool watercolour" technique especially on Kindle cases - I wanted to make them but could not sell them in York shop, the target audience was not right for them.

So I opened the shop mid September 2013 and begun to wait for my first customer. And read, read and read all advice experienced ETSY sellers were sharing. You can't overestimate them! And still I was (and still is!) doubtful about some of advice which by many considered as absolute truth. Like these:

- you need to fill the shop with at least 50-70 items! 100 is a magic number! More viewing and more sale! I could not imagine a crafter who can produce (and sell!) so many true OOAK pieces to keep this number in a shop! It may be true for the shops selling a lot of similar (and easier to make) items, like jewelry assembly, but not for my stuff definitely. I prefer my shop to be more boutique style with a few but exclusive pieces than being overflowed with multiple identical items. Everyone to their own.

- you should work on your visibility on ETSY. - treasuries, teams, forums. I do practically nothing of this. Why? First, I am not very social person. Second, it's hard work, requiring a lot of time. And I don't enjoy it! From my experience if you are active in ETSY teams, forums, making treasuries you get more views, more favourites sometimes but not necessarily more sales. It could work for you if you sell small pieces, or some funny stuff, things which work perfect as an impulse buy. I sell quite specific items so I have to relay on search mainly.

 - social network - the same as above. I do nothing apart from blogging. And I've got two ETSY customers from  my blog! I need to do more blogging apparently!

So what I consider as important? To be relevant in search! There are plenty of papers and posts on "Search and Relevancy" subject and I'm not going into details here. What I do: try to find key words which work for my items properly, renew listings regularly, just try to keep up with new rules and changes on ETSY in general.
Now I'm coming to the very core of my "ETSY strategy"! Sorry it sounds too grand!

 The most important thing is To find a niche! Your own niche, the things you made that are very special, very specific. It's not easy! "Do things that are hard. Way less competition." (Eric August Johnson) It's funny but it's true! If you can produce smth which are not in abundance on the market you are guaranteed to get customers interested in your products. My "wool watercolours" are not the most beautiful or perfect or whatever, they just relatively rare. There are not that many items in this technique on ETSY. So competition is not that fierce as in traditional felting techniques. In my shop I've sold mostly cases&cosies decorated in "wool watercolour" but very few more traditional items like scarves or mittens unfortunately! I'd like to make and sell more scarves but alas!...


My point is - try to do smth different, which stands out in the very competitive market of handmade products.
 For those of you who've read this all - my new design, "spring hyacinths".

Felted Kindle Case with hyacinth image

Baby hyacinth!

In mid April our YFM group is going to hold an exhibition of members' works. The theme for collective display is "Spring" and I've made this case for this event. Wish us luck!

New Design

I started to slow down last week, too late to make and sell smth for Xmas... But it's never too late just to try and make smth new!

Dandelion Flowers Kindle Case

I've tried a new design with images of spent dandelions. New colour scheme as well, very bright and cheerful!   And I use a new wool (very thin pensil roving) for stems, it worked quite well.

Kindle Paperwhite Cover

I'm going to keep this desing, changing and improving. 

Dandelions close-up

Sometning new

I can't resist Christmas! I just feel I need to make something Xmassy! And here we are - white snow, dark night, red birds!

Kindle Case "Christmas night"

What is new apart from the theme? New type of closure, with elastic loop and wooden button. I like it, need to use it more...

Watercolour Kindle Case

Don't remember showing my last Kindle cases... This is one of them picturing Hydrangea flowers (yes,again!). I worked on the background a lot to make it less patchy and more fluid in colour. I'm really pleased with the result!

I

Felted Kindle Case

Watercolour hydrangea

More pictures, you need to click on them to enlarge...

Natural Kap Merino is back!

I've got my order from Wollknoll delivered and was nicely surprised! My first orders from the supplier were a bit of shock - all wool was packed in one large cardboard box without plastic bags or any kind of rain protection. Everything was in one large heap! What a disappointment! Unfortunately I don't know any other supplier of my favorite Kap Merino so there was no choice. BUT! This time it was much better! Wool was packed in plastic bags and it was neat arrangement overall.

So I've got my natural Kap Merino at last! Being excited I used it a little bit too much and the new Kindle case has a slightly misty appearance!





Having nice weather I start to make pictures with more natural background - I think it looks very cheerful!

Snowy Tulips

The tulip is a new flower in my "watercolour" experience nad it shows I'm afraid! I definetely need more practice. And still it's lovely flower with a strong architectural feel about it.

Sold

The blue colour is a bit strange considering tulips I agree, but blue/white combination is so beautiful!





It's a Kindle case by the way...