YFM group exhibition

Last Saturday our feltmakers group hold our first exhibition in Dunnington Reading Room. It was the first time and it was a great success. I wrote about it in general in our blog - Here. But here in my private blog I'd like to show some pieces which I liked most. It's because they are different from what I do or  because I like the choice of colour  in particular or for whatever reason!  

Let's start with amazing lilies by Julie, our curator for this exibition. When I saw them first time I was sure that they were a real flowers! So beautiful! And the vase is felted too...

Julie and her lilies

This one is Polly's wall hanging. I admire this subtle change of colour! Very understated and elegant piece.

Polly's wall hanging

This is a proper framed picture and colours are stunning! It's Sandie's.

Sandie's picture

Now the very different story, Jean's Crab. As usual the quality and attention to details are amazing.

Jean's crab

How about this lady? It's a bag actually! Fantastic! I think, it's Lesley's, not sure... 

 This one is a large scale picture and it's admired not only by myself but by my husband as well. My photo doesn't do it justice unfortunatelly...

Rhiannon's picture

 Quite a contrast - this is a little beauty! It's a card and I've bought it! Look at all tiny details! I really  love it, thank you Sandie!

Sandie's card

Cushion at last!

I was thinking about making a proper cushion cover with floral design in "watercolour" technique for a long time  - choosing design and fabric, planing details... Here we are at last:

Felted cushion with floral design

I wanted it to be a seamless one but it didn't happen this time, I stitched it as an envelope.

 To keep it thin and firm I use a cotton scrim as a lining, then a a thin layer of wool and  a "watercolour" of sunflowers on the front and two pieces of silk blend on the back of cushion. Everything comes together nicely and I'm quite happy with the result.

Black and White Fish

I do not like orders, especially very specific ones. It's OK to repeat some of my previous works so that's clear what we are talking about.But to make to order something different could be rather tricky indeed - not sure that a customer and myself have the same ideas. That's why I put aside one particular order for quite a while despite a few gentle reminders. I always play with colour and the order was to make black and white fish!
Here we are! Eventually:

Black and White felted Fish

 It's not completely black, more greyish, because despite all my efforts the white migrated through. I've put a layer of silk between black and white but it didn't help much. To soften very sombre appearance I added a little bit of red in slits and around eyes.

If I make it again I'll do it differently but the customer liked it and said that it was exactly as she wanted it! Hooray!

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!

Two Coffee Pot Cosies

I've made this one in August last year and was not sure about the shape. So I've asked an advice on    Felting Forum and all comments were very supportive and encouraging (thank you ladies!)

Coffee Pot Cosy - August 2014

Add caption

Then the cosy was sold and I was asked to make another one similar to this. That's why the colours and  images are practiacally the same. I've just change the shape slightly and add a "handle" on the top. Do you think this one is better? Or there is no difference to talk about?

Cafetière Warmer - Feb2015

French press Cosy

With the first one I made three coasters just for fun!

Two years of painting

I started my "painting with wool" two years ago, these are my first exercises in Wool watercolour
There is no secret that works of Renata Kraus were my inspiration. But I've never met her or attended her workshops or learned from her books because there weren't any. 
But now she wrote that her book on wool watercolour was nearly finished and would be published very soon! Do I want to buy it? Not that sure... Of course I've learned from the images of Renata's works, but  what I've achieved by now - I've done it on my own and by my own way, endlessly trying new images and new materials.
I am sure that there are numerous useful tips, advices and examples in the book but I'm not sure that I want to go through somebody's else experience...
I'd greatly appreciate any thoughts and opinions on this.  

Last year summary and a new Fish

Hi all!
I left behind my blog again being busy (lazy?) and with all this hectic holiday season... Shame on me!
I hope to be back to normal now and here is a new fish for those of you who missed my fish!

Felted Tropical Fish

  

I used a lot of viscose to create a texture and shine.


I'd like to make a summary of the last year even if it's a bit late at the end of January! Let's call it a summary of the last 12 months then!

It's all about felting of course!


Positive points first!
★ I worked a lot and tried to make it more regular, to define some goals and ways to achieve them. Not easy actually, you need to focus and not go astray trying new materials and techniques all the time!

★ I've improved a lot in quality if I may say so myself.

★ I've met a new people and make new friends like Cathy Needham, an amazing artist and a lovely person.

★ I took part in a couple of craft fairs - as YFM member in Tockwith Show and on my own. To do my first Craft Fair was a good experience!

★ I've tried new materials and found new suppliers which is always good!

★ I've made a few new designs and one of them is very successful, sells very well.

★ I've attended a couple of very good workshops here and here but not using these techniques much... Apparently scarves and garments are not for me! But I'm looking forward to workshop of Bridget Bernadette Karn in May. I saw her pictures in a gallery and they are fantastic!

★ It was a good year on ETSY for me and I am going to write a separate post about it later.

Not that good though...
★ I waste too much time browsing Internet and just slacking... I need to work on it!
★ My pictures of felted items are not good unfortunately! But I'm going to workshop on that subject, hope it helps!
★ My personal blog, YFM blog and forums are a bit neglected sorry!..
 
I am sure I've missed smth, especially in the second part...
The main point is clear - to focus, work hard and have fun!