Showing posts with label handmade. Show all posts
Showing posts with label handmade. Show all posts

Friday, November 29, 2013

Another Handmade Holiday!

I just wanted to quickly note that another holiday season is upon us, and I am running a sale in my Etsy shop! When you make a purchase, enter the coupon code HOLIDAY25 to receive 25% off your total purchase before shipping! I also just relisted some great holiday themed accessories, and a few new items as well. A little picture preview:









Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Dia de los Muertos Painted Masks

Well, so much for doing a post a week. Good news is, I now have a full-time job and it's going pretty well! Bad news, well, time is hard to come by, as it usually is. But, I want to take a moment to share a project with you that was great fun for me and turned out so well, I can't wait to do more.

A couple blog posts ago, I mentioned painting a Day of the Dead style mask and having so much fun, I was going to do more. Well, I did, and they were so much fun that when offered, I jumped on a commission to make them part of a set of five. Here are the pictures of the finished set!


This was an amazing set to work on, and I definitely want to create more. Next time, though, I plan on making my paper mache masks from scratch, creating unique face shapes and textures. I want lots more designs as well! I did experiment with a henna-style design, which was time consuming but very beautiful.
 (Available here.)

I really want to devote more and more of my crafting time to masks. I enjoy the accessories and the like, but masks are where I really find my creative juices flow best. I'm finishing another custom project as we speak, this one a simple collection of knit goods, and when that is done... oh so many more masks.


Thursday, October 3, 2013

Oh, Etsy... Reblogged from MarlaBee

MissMarlaBee of MarlaBeeDesigns recently created a blog that sums up completely how I feel about Etsy and the problem of selling handmade goods in a mass marketplace. Selling handmade can already be difficult; I price my items in such a way that I am covering my materials and fees, and not the time and effort I put into the item. Seriously!

Say I make a leaf mask. I spend about $6 for the materials. I spend a good 6-8 hours on a mask, doing the designing, gluing, sewing, attaching, perfecting, what have you. Add a couple hours for setting up an area for pictures, taking pictures, editing pictures, uploading and listing pictures, and sharing that listing on social media. If I paid myself minimum wage, in my area $8.50, I would have to charge $68-$85 for that mask. Currently, the artificial leaf masks in my shop are $15.

I price things in a way that I could afford to buy them if it were myself shopping for them. I've been told many times to raise my prices, and over the years with the quality of work going up as I get more experienced at it, I have raised it a few dollars. But I feel painfully aware that with the marketplace issue going on with Etsy right now, raising prices even a few dollars more to reflect the hard work I put into them will almost automatically drive buyers away from my shop, because Etsy is pushing hard for mass-market factory-made items to join its marketplace. I can't compete with the prices of factory goods. And Etsy has a reputation for being a handmade marketplace, and there is no required obvious sign on an individual listing to let a customer know that the item they are thinking of purchasing is not handmade. Yes, a customer who has a vested interest in only purchasing handmade items can do the research into the seller, but many impulse shoppers will not. Impulse and casual shoppers will search for an item, refine the search by price, and possibly never even see my item since it the search will be flooded with cheaper items.

Let me just link MarlaBee's blog and include an excerpt, since she says beautifully what is on my mind when it comes to this issue.

http://missmarlabee.tumblr.com/post/62832900817/oh-etsy
"This would include any and all mass produced items. This way nobody is left out, nobody is offended, all the small businesses win, and Etsy still gets to make their money.

"BUT the thing with Etsy, as usual, is always deceit. Etsy still wants comsumers to go there under the belief that they are buying items that are handmade and unique. The real reason Etsy won’t disclose right out in the open that not every seller is going to be making items by their own hand, is that they don’t want to lose their roots in the handmade buyers and they don’t want to lose the money making mass producing sellers by forcing them to disclose what they do in an immediately noticeable place.
Yes, Etsy has said that those particular sellers would need to disclose how their items are made on their about page, but how many people actually read a shop’s about page before purchasing something on a whim?

"The biggest issue concerning sellers with this, however, is that Etsy is practically inviting designers with established brands and factories into the market place. (Think Martha Stewart, Vera Wang, Dulce and Gabbana etc.)

"Now, we all think it is great that Etsy is allowing the small businesses to expand, as in the past, they have closed shops for getting “too large”, but doing so is very hard and expensive. Unless a small seller has a financial backer, a rich family member, an amazing side job, a Kickstarter that goes viral, or some super duper awesome credit, the chances of Etsy’s small sellers expanding is pretty small.

"The biggest problem is that relevancy for who shows up in search terms on Etsy is based on how many items are listed in a shop and how many times the items are bought.
If everything is lumped together as “handmade”, the seller who makes one of a kind items and can only produce and upload ≤ 6 to 10 pieces a day is going to be completely slammed away by the seller who has outside workers producing, relisting, and uploading 100+ items a day."

Friday, August 16, 2013

Painted Paper Mache Masks - Submit your ideas!

A few months ago, I had a blast painting a paper mache mask in the style of Day of the Dead sugar skulls. It was tricky work to get everything even and come out exactly as I envisioned it, but I love the result. It sold within days of being listed, and I knew I should definitely make more. I got caught up in other projects though, so I put off painting more.



Well, now is the time! I plan on painting at least two more in Day of the Dead style, in different colors and designs of course. I may paint a few others with something a little different, but I'm not sure what. What springs to mind first is leaves and flowers, because of course I love them and I can't seem to stop putting them on masks, whether in synthetic, preserved natural, or painted form!

So what I'm asking from YOU is to submit your ideas! Especially if you'd like to order one for yourself. Remember, there's only 76 more days til Halloween! The paper mache masks are pre-made, but I can alter the eye shape, edge shape, and ribbon color, and I prefer to line the back in a soft-to-the-touch felt. If you'd like, I can even add a lace trim to the edges, or add a cluster of hanging ribbons/rhinestones/beaded chain on one side. The possibilities are endless! I only have five pre-made masks but I have so many fun ideas for them that I may have to get more!

If you'd like to make a custom order, visit my Etsy store and send me a message! On the left side of the screen, under my Shop Owner picture, there are two buttons you can click to send me a message; doesn't matter which. Or, if you just have an idea you'd like to share, leave a comment here on the blog or on my Facebook page, or you can even send me a tweet.

When I get more painted, I will definitely be sharing them here. Look for more updates soon! :)

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Tiny Top Hats

Since there was such a large gap in between posts, I'd like to try to catch you up on my activities over the past few months. The Mothman LARP masks featured in my last post have definitely taken up a good chunk of my time, but of course there are always other projects to keep my hands and mind busy.

Today I'm featuring my tiny top hats. I love tiny top hats - they are so very Victorian, and the possibilities for adornment are endless. Here are a few I've put together, some recent and some not so much.

Ivory Rose and Tulle - a simple yet elegant clip on hat with a beautiful fabric rose, a twist of tulle, and ivory peacock herl feathers.


White Lace and Feather - a beautiful applique wrapped around the clip on hat, featuring a fluffy white feather.

Dogwood Flower and Ivy - the clip on  hat is a subtle dark green, featuring a dogwood flower, ivy leaves, and a few natural and dyed bright green peacock herl feathers.

White Lace and Black Rose - the clip on hat features a band of white lace and a matching white lace bow, and a black glittery rose with black leaves. (This item is sold.)

Deer Antler and Ivy - the plastic clip-on hat features ceramic deer horns broken off an ornament, with ivy leaves at the base of the horns. This is my favorite, and I will be sad to see it go!

I hope you enjoyed a peek at one of my favorite things to make. I hope to be making more extravagant tiny top hats in time for Halloween, to suit your costuming needs! As always, check out my Etsy store for more interesting pieces, and message me if you'd like custom work!






Saturday, August 10, 2013

Mothman LARP Masks

Wow, no new post since February. Oops! Well, let's just get right back into the swing of things. I'd like to start updating this at least once a week, so watch for lots more!

I am super excited to show you my latest project: Mothman Masks.

This is (again) for a LARP, this one themed around the legendary Mothman.

This project has definitely put me through my paces. It took me some trial and error to find just the right materials. I am pretty proud of the result, and I think the LARP group will look pretty badass when they add these masks to their matching winged and furry costumes. If I get pictures of it, I will definitely share!

This is the moth we based the idea off:
Photo credit: Anish Kirtane

This is the result:








I hope you enjoy taking a look at them. If you're interested in more, check out my Etsy Store, and drop me a message for custom work.


Saturday, September 1, 2012

Cthulhu LARP Masks

So I have finally finished a two-month-long major project: Creating eight original masks for a Cthulhu-themed Live Action Role Playing event. It was a challenge, but I enjoyed almost every minute of it!



The tentacles were made from polyfill fiber stuffed into plastic cones, with a wire center to create the twists and curls. The mask itself was cut from a piece of vinyl, then a layer of fusible webbing was added to the back, then a layer of felt for the wearer's comfort. The front was layered in small sequins. The entire mask was then painted with liquid latex. The paint job is entirely done by hand. Then a clear coat to seal everything completed the piece!





I couldn't believe how long it took me. I set them up assembly-line style, so they were all completed right around the same time. I think much of the time was waiting for the glue to dry, and of course those damn tentacles. If I were to make just one, I think it would take me a week... times that by eight... yeah, two months! I'm glad I got started nice and early...








Each mask is different, but they all look like something crawled up from the deep ocean... with the sole purpose of driving me completely insane. I read H.P. Lovecraft's The Call of Cthulhu for inspiration, along with an entire book of other Lovecraft stories of the weird. I can't believe I never read them before; they were perfectly to my strange tastes. Cthulhu fhtagn! :D

This project was a blast, but I need a break after all the hectic insanity. No rest for the wicked though; I have a bridal party that needs hair clips!

Monday, July 16, 2012

Review for Country Soaps by Marlene

This review is for an order from Country Soaps by Marlene, an Etsy shop selling handmade goat's milk soaps, shampoos, and other body products. I happen to be on the same Etsy team as her, WIST Moo Crew - all Wisconsinites! In fact she is based a mere 40 miles from me. I am also a Facebook fan of hers!

I ordered her natural deodorant in the Satsuma scent, which was on sale since the label was misspelled. I also ordered her goat's milk soap in Tangerine Twist. As a bonus, I received a thank-you gift of a small portion of Cucumber Melon scented shampoo bar. Here are my thoughts on these products.


Tangerine Twist Goat's Milk Soap

Upon opening the box and smelling the soap, I was at first disappointed. The tangerine was overpowered by a soapy smell. However, when I took it in the shower and lathered it up in my loofah, the tangerine smell was really let loose. It was very pleasant! This is the official description of the scent: "A refreshing blend of fresh, juicy tangerines, mandarin, and lemon, balanced with soft florals, mint, and sweet green herbs." The citrus was definitely the top note, with just a hint of herbs underneath. Because there are no sulfates, there wasn't a huge amount of lather, but it still did a wonderful job cleaning, and my skin felt lovely afterward. With some bar soaps, there seems to be a residue on the skin - this bar did not leave me with any unpleasant residue. Just a bit of rubbing into the loofah lasted for my entire body, and the soap washed out of my loofah easily.

All in all, I recommend this greatly!


Cucumber Melon Shampoo Bar

I have to admit something here - I am a professional shampoo and conditioner junkie. I love Paul Mitchell and Bedhead, Sexy Hair and Kenra. I worked in a salon for many years and thus received many many free samples. I'm finally running out of my stash, and I've been thinking about trying something more natural for a long time anyway. So finding this little thank-you gift was a nice surprise! However, because I am so used to my professional brands, I was totally at a loss as to how to use this. I tried to lather it in my hands without success. (Once again, the smell really came out when wet, and it was a pleasant, unobtrusive cucumber melon scent.) I did some quick googling and found a description of how to use shampoo bars: Getting the Most from a Shampoo Bar

As the article states, shampoo bars are better for those who are used to washing their hair less often. I am a daily shampooer, though I've been trying to cut that down to every other day. It's better for the hair and better on your wallet! How to apply the shampoo bar? Basically you will be pretending to comb your hair from front to back with the bar. Then lather it up. The article recommends to rinse and repeat. The bar does have conditioners built in, so the second time around leave the lather sit in the hair for a bit before rinsing. As the article points out, your hair will need an adjustment period to get used to this new routine!

The first time I used the bar, since I didn't know what I was doing, I didn't realize it had conditioners built in and so I conditioned it again. My hair felt very heavy and greasy that day. The second time, it seemed too dry afterwards, so I used some spray conditioner at the ends and was mostly pleased. I think I would like to try it a few more times before deciding if I would recommend this one or not. It is definitely an acquired taste, but if you have used bars before, I'm sure it's wonderful. I will have to practice with it some more and get back to you!



Satsuma All Natural Deodorant

This was on sale due to a printing error, but the product itself is just fine! This is the description of the smell: "The Japanese Satsuma is a unique, aromatic citrus fruit. Satsuma fragrance is a wonderful blend of orange, mandarin, mango, peach, lime, jasmine, and orange flowers. Energizing and intoxicating! This was not made with an essential oil but a Phthalate-Free & Nitro Musk Free Fragrance oil" I have to say I am absolutely in LOVE with the scent! Intoxicating is a correct assessment. Even my husband, who was skeptical of the whole idea of a "natural deodorant," admitted the scent was attractive.

I, too, was a little skeptical of natural deodorant, though I dearly wanted it to work. I've been looking for natural alternatives to my normal bath and body routine for awhile. I tried Secret Natural Mineral antiperspirant, but as you can see from this website, the ingredient list is pretty much the same as normal deodorant/antiperspirants. The ingredients of Marlene's natural deodorant are as follows: "natural bees wax, natural cocoa butter, coconut oil, castor oil, fragrance and corn starch." Seems to me like a much better definition of natural!

I put it on after my shower in the morning, and did a vigorous workout immediately after. The scent held up quite well, and there was minimal wetness. I did notice it starting to fail in the wetness department by the end of the day, but in the heat of the summer, I'd say it did a pretty good job. The scent was still there as well, though not as strong. It wasn't until I woke up the next morning that I could really tell it had all worn off.

All in all I strongly recommend this product as well, and in general I'm impressed with Marlene's work! I will definitely be purchasing from her again, and I hope you consider doing so as well!

Saturday, January 21, 2012

New Year, New Projects, New Sales

Once again I waited way too long in between blogs. But that's ok, because I have so much to share with you, it will make up for the past month of silence!

It looks like I have yet to show you the LARP pictures I promised, so here they are:








Aren't these photos amazing? I love the high quality, and I think the guys look pretty badass! All I can say is that it must have been tons of fun, and I hope to one day participate in something like this for myself!

It would be impossible to list all the treasuries I've been in since the last Treasury Love blog post, so I'll just include the ones I've been in so far this year.
Victorian Romance
Hazy Shade of Winter
Lord of the Forest

The latest project I've just finished is a set of hair clips for a friend of a friend's wedding. She wanted gerber daisies, and each of her bridesmaids is wearing a different color dress, so each hair clip needed to be different to match the dresses. For the bride's hair clip, she wanted white daisies with pink middles. This was absolutely impossible to find, so what I did was take apart white and pink daisies and put them together to look exactly how she wanted them. She also wanted them to have a few sparkly rhinestones, and to include a bit of her sister's veil. (Her sister tragically passed away far too young.) So here are the pictures of what I came up with. She cried a little bit upon seeing them.


I was so honored to be a part of her wedding day by making these for her. I love to make brides happy, because I know from experience that in the stress of organizing your own wedding, having something turn out just the way you wanted it to is incredibly important. I'm glad I was able to do that for her.

I also have another wedding for a coworker coming up in late summer, for which I'm creating some lily hair clips. I will share those with you when I complete them!

Speaking of big projects, I have the biggest project I've ever had coming up. I've been requested by a customer who is in charge of costuming at a dance theatre in Italy to make 30 custom clips for a performance. The dance is about the seasons, and I will be creating 12 autumn leaf clips for the adult women, and 18 summer berry headbands for the little girls. I am thrilled to pieces to be a part of this project, and I will definitely be sharing pictures of the finished project with you! I'm crossing my fingers I get some pictures of the actual dance troupe as well, and that they will be great photography like of my LARP group.

SALE ALERT:

The last thing I want to share with you today is a major sale I'm having in my Etsy shop right now. I'd like to clear some room in my inventory for some new projects, and make my load a little lighter to take to the upcoming craft fairs this season. Therefore, I've marked down some of my leaf clips and a lot of my feather clips, in some cases more than half off. This is a great deal and I will only be doing it for a little while, so get them before they're gone! Also, I will be giving free shipping on any purchase of $25 or more. The shipping will be refunded to your PayPal account. This goes for any of my pieces, sale and non-sale. I hope this helps you get the pieces you've been thinking about! :)

Listening to: Nebelhexe