20
Sep
Art , creative space , decor , etsy , painting , red , sewing , sewing croft , studio , style , tree painting , trees , zoe

Customer Photo – Zoe from The Sewing Croft

Another lovely customer photo to share with you.  This time from Zoe of The Sewing Croft. I just love having a nose at other people’s creative spaces and Zoe’s is lovely.  I can imagine quite happily whiling away an afternoon sewing and making in her studio!  Which reminds me, I really should get around to fixing my little space up how I want it!

Thanks Zoe for sharing.  To check out some of the beautiful items Zoe makes, you can visit her Etsy shop.

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13
Sep
2012 , abstract art , abstract tree painting , autumn , colour trends , customer photo , interior design , louise mead , silver , teal , tree art , tree painting , turquoise , winter

Customer Photo – Teal, Turquoise, & Silver Abstract Tree Painting

Did I tell you how much I love receiving customer photos?  Because I do!  It’s always a pleasure to see my work hanging in its new home.  This photo is from Caroline in Hertfordshire is just lovely.  The painting was painted to order and is a 40″ x 30″ teal, turquoise, and silver abstract tree painting on canvas.  Teal is definitely one of my favourite colours so it’s a real pleasure to paint with it!  Don’t you just love the glass sculptures sat in front of the painting?  I think they’re gorgeous and work really well.

If you have a photo you’d like to share with me then feel free to send it in.  I always ask your permission before posting it on my blog.

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10
Sep
Art , autumn , code , colour , coupon , discount , etsy , louise mead , painting , paintings , pick me up , prints , voucher

50% off prints, 15% off paintings

I do love autumn, the colours, the smells, the changes of the scenery around us.  However, I don’t know about you but talk about back down to earth with a bump!  The cooler weather is setting in, it’s getting darker earlier, and the sporting excitement of the last couple of months is finally over.

So how about a little pick me up?

This week I’m offering 50% off all prints and 15% off all paintings in my Etsy shop.  That includes custom painting orders too!

To get your discount simply use the following coupon codes when you checkout
For prints: PRINTS50
For paintings: AUTUMN15

Coupons are valid until midnight Sunday 16th September. If you’d like to order a mixture of prints & paintings let me know and I’ll help you with a listing to reflect the price after discount.

To start shopping go to http://www.etsy.com/shop/louisemead now!

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04
Sep
autumn , cards , craft britannia , halloween , jumper , knitting , painting , pullover , shop of the week

Time Flies, Shop of the Week, & other news!

Well hello dear Blog!  How time flies when you’re busy!  I had a fair few orders in August and have just packed off the last custom painting order.  Now I just need to get on with stocking up my shop with new works.

First of all I’d better catch up on Shop of the Week!  So here is a run down of Craft Britannia’s featured Etsy shop owners over the last few weeks!

Bebby Jumpers

Beautiful knitted jumpers for babies!  How cute is this little halloween-themed jumper?

You can read an interview with Bebby Jumpers’ shop owner here.
Laura’s Jewellery
Next up is the lovely Laura of Laura’s Jewellery.  She makes some lovely pieces that are rather purse-friendly too like this butterfly brooch which is only £6. 
You can read an interview with Laura here.
Six Skeins
Steph of Six Skeins makes the most delicious-looking yarns and knitted goodies.  Some of the colours are so juicy I want to eat them!  
You can read Steph’s interview here. 
The Feminine Touch
Another talented knitter is Sandra of The Feminine Touch.  This pullover would make such a cute autumn wardrobe addition! 
Fem’s interview is just here.  
Fluffy Duck
If you’re looking for cards then Lucy’s shop, Fluffy Duck is worth a visit.  
Lucy’s interview can be found here.
Other News

In other news I got my result through from my last exam and Open University Philosophy module.  I got a Distinction which I was incredibly pleased with.  It’s kind of a double-edged sword though – as now I could get a 1st in my degree so long as I get as Distinction in my next module.  If I’d gotten a grade 2 pass (2:1 level) I’d have put thoughts of a 1st out of my mind but now the pressure is really on to do well in my next module!  
I decided to take up knitting last week too.  I used to knit when I was a little girl but haven’t for years.  My first attempt looked like a small child had done it whilst blindfolded but I’m improving.  I’m going to attempt to knit myself a scarf once I can settle on a design and colour scheme!  I’ll post some pics once I get around to it!


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31
Jul
Uncategorized

Read My Interview for The Art Colony

This week some of my work has been featured as Portfolio of the Week on The Art Colony.  I was also interviewed so if you were interested in finding out a little more about me, you might find it of interest.

It includes mostly very early work including pieces I did when I was 13! There are quite a few of my not so good works in there too – I always like to look to remind myself how far I’ve developed when I’m having a bad day!  You can read the full interview here.

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21
Jul
bead , beading , beads , craft britannia , erika price , glass , jewellery , lampwork , shop of the week

Shop of the Week – Erika Price Jewellery

It’s that time again & this week it’s Erika Price’s jewellery.  Erika is a multi-talented silversmith & jewellery maker. Erika makes one of a kind lampwork glass beads and silver jewellery pieces.

You can read an interview with Erika here and you can have a look through all the items she currently has for sale here.

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20
Jul
art photography , etsy , how to photograph paintings , how-to , photography , product photography

How-To: Product Photography

I’ve been promising to start my how-to series for a while but have been so busy, it’s taken me a while to get around to it.  I’ve been thinking about what might be the best subject to start with and funnily enough, photography seems to be the single most talked-about topic in terms of improving your Etsy (or any other) online shop.  


It makes sense really because your photos are the single best tool you have to sell your products to your customer.  Whilst it would be silly to make things look better than they actually are (bigger, glossier, brighter etc), it’s just as silly to not to them justice.  You’ve put all this hard work into making a beautiful handmade item or piece of art so it’s only fair on yourself if you put some work into photography that will do it justice.  

I’m not an expert by any means but I have learned an awful lot over the last year or so.  You only have to look at the terrible photos of the first few items I sold compared to now!

Here are some tips I compiled for the Etsy CB team, they’re the ones that have helped me best.  Feel free to add any of your own in the comments below.

1. CONSISTENCY IS KING: Once you’ve settled on a style of photo, stick to it. People like to see consistency in your shop, it can really enhance your brand. Whilst people like buying handmade, they don’t like things to look amateur.  This is an important difference to remember.  People love handmade but they still prefer to see a level professionalism when they buy and this includes product photography.
2. SAY NO TO FLASH! Avoid using flash – it will make items look washed out.
3. GO OUTSIDE: It’s worth trying to shoot outdoors on a cloudy day, the clouds act as your very own softbox.
4. NEUTRAL BACKGROUNDS: I know there is debate about this but unless you’re a particularly good photographer I say, if you can, shoot against a plain or white background. Whilst nature and home decor can look nice, it detracts from the item you want to sell. You want all the attention on your gorgeous product! You can buy a white blackout blind from Argos for a few pounds, they can be a great cost-effective alternative to buying a professional backdrop. When you’ve taken a photo, check if the white background looks white or if it has a blue/yellow tint to it. If it has a tint, try to move somewhere that has better lighting.
5. IT’S OK TO EDIT (a little!): Use some software to adjust the saturation levels and temperature of your finished photos so they really ‘pop’ on the screen and grab attention. There are plenty of free programmes on the market if you’re on a budget – I know lots of people use Google Picasa.
6. STEADY NOW! If you’ve got one, use a tripod. A still camera can take longer exposures without blur which means more colour and more rich details for customers to see.
Camera Settings:
Depending on how many bells & whistles your camera has, here are some bits you might like to play about with to get the best from your photos. At the end of the day, the more suitable your camera settings, the less editing you need to do at the end of the process.
- FLASH - Say no to flash – flash is really bad for product photography and should be avoided, I can’t say this enough!
- ISO - Set your ISO as low as possible – lower ISO means less fuzzy ‘noise’ in the photo. If you find you can’t shoot with the ISO low, it means you need to shoot in better light.
- SHUTTER SPEED: Slower shutter speed (much easier with a tripod or the camera resting on a steady surface) – Your camera may not have this option, don’t worry if it doesn’t.
- TIMER: Consider using the timer if your camera has one – that way you won’t cause any shake when you press & release the shutter
- APERTURE: Not all cameras will allow you to control this but if yours does, generally f8-f11 seems to be good for bringing products nicely into focus
- WHITE BALANCE: On my own camera I find it’s best to set this to auto but you might find it worth trying the different presets on your camera to get the right one.
That’s it for now, if I think of anything else I’ll add it.  In the meantime, happy snapping! 
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20
Jul
art photography , etsy , how to photograph paintings , how-to , photography , product photography

How-To: Product Photography

I’ve been promising to start my how-to series for a while but have been so busy, it’s taken me a while to get around to it.  I’ve been thinking about what might be the best subject to start with and funnily enough, photography seems to be the single most talked-about topic in terms of improving your Etsy (or any other) online shop.  


It makes sense really because your photos are the single best tool you have to sell your products to your customer.  Whilst it would be silly to make things look better than they actually are (bigger, glossier, brighter etc), it’s just as silly to not to them justice.  You’ve put all this hard work into making a beautiful handmade item or piece of art so it’s only fair on yourself if you put some work into photography that will do it justice.  

I’m not an expert by any means but I have learned an awful lot over the last year or so.  You only have to look at the terrible photos of the first few items I sold compared now!

Here are some tips I compiled for the Etsy CB team, they’re the ones that have helped me best.  Feel free to add any of your own in the comments below.

1. CONSISTENCY IS KING: Once you’ve settled on a style of photo, stick to it. People like to see consistency in your shop, it can really enhance your brand. Whilst people like buying handmade, they don’t like things to look amateur.  This is an important difference to remember.  People love handmade but they still prefer to see a level professionalism when they buy and this includes product photography.
2. SAY NO TO FLASH! Avoid using flash – it will make items look washed out.
3. GO OUTSIDE: It’s worth trying to shoot outdoors on a cloudy day, the clouds act as your very own softbox.
4. NEUTRAL BACKGROUNDS: I know there is debate about this but unless you’re a particularly good photographer I say, if you can, shoot against a plain or white background. Whilst nature and home decor can look nice, it detracts from the item you want to sell. You want all the attention on your gorgeous product! You can buy a white blackout blind from Argos for a few pounds, they can be a great cost-effective alternative to buying a professional backdrop. When you’ve taken a photo, check if the white background looks white or if it has a blue/yellow tint to it. If it has a tint, try to move somewhere that has better lighting.
5. IT’S OK TO EDIT (a little!): Use some software to adjust the saturation levels and temperature of your finished photos so they really ‘pop’ on the screen and grab attention. There are plenty of free programmes on the market if you’re on a budget – I know lots of people use Google Picasa.
6. STEADY NOW! If you’ve got one, use a tripod. A still camera can take longer exposures without blur which means more colour and more rich details for customers to see.
Camera Settings:
Depending on how many bells & whistles your camera has, here are some bits you might like to play about with to get the best from your photos. At the end of the day, the more suitable your camera settings, the less editing you need to do at the end of the process.
- FLASH - Say no to flash – flash is really bad for product photography and should be avoided, I can’t say this enough!
- ISO - Set your ISO as low as possible – lower ISO means less fuzzy ‘noise’ in the photo. If you find you can’t shoot with the ISO low, it means you need to shoot in better light.
- SHUTTER SPEED: Slower shutter speed (much easier with a tripod or the camera resting on a steady surface) – Your camera may not have this option, don’t worry if it doesn’t.
- TIMER: Consider using the timer if your camera has one – that way you won’t cause any shake when you press & release the shutter
- APERTURE: Not all cameras will allow you to control this but if yours does, generally f8-f11 seems to be good for bringing products nicely into focus
- WHITE BALANCE: On my own camera I find it’s best to set this to auto but you might find it worth trying the different presets on your camera to get the right one.
That’s it for now, if I think of anything else I’ll add it.  In the meantime, happy snapping! 
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13
Jul
christmas in july , cij , coupon , discount , etsy , offer

Christmas in July

Crazy or what?  Yes, Etsy is running Christmas in July for the most organied of you who want to start stocking up on gifts & goodies for December.  Or perhaps you’re not that organised and you’re just looking for a bargain – it doesn’t matter the reason really.  What’s great is that 1000s of Etsy shops are offering special discounts.

To get into the spirit of things I’m offering a lovely 20% off everything from today until the end of July. Simply use CIJ20 at the checkout.

You can visit my Etsy shop here.

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12
Jul
craft britannia , jewellery , Russian dolls , shop of the week , vintage

Shop of the Week 19 & 20

Dear me, I’ve been so busy this last month I keep falling behind on the Craft Britannia Shop of the Week.  Well here are two from this week and last for you.

First up is Muntjac Vintage run by the super lovely Nadine Britton.  As the name suggests, Nadine’s shop sells lovely vintage items such as these cute Russian dollies!  You can view an interview with Nadine on the CB blog here.

Second up is Phoenvix, a jewellery shop run by Carrie.  Carrie makes mostly one of a kind pieces due to the way she sources her beads.  You can read an interview with Carrie here. 

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