Friday 28 December 2012
Thursday 27 December 2012
Dedication Post
I don't usually do this but today's post is dedicated to my muse.
For being my biggest fan, for laughing at my jokes even though you've heard them for the 123812987th time (and still don't think it's funny) and for pushing and inspiring me to pick up drawing again or the etsy store or this blog for that matter would never have existed.
Thank you.
Bad news is I'll probably fart more in old age than I do now :D
For being my biggest fan, for laughing at my jokes even though you've heard them for the 123812987th time (and still don't think it's funny) and for pushing and inspiring me to pick up drawing again or the etsy store or this blog for that matter would never have existed.
Thank you.
Bad news is I'll probably fart more in old age than I do now :D
Tuesday 25 December 2012
Need better timing
If you are like me and get random ideas just before you are about to fall asleep, it's very annoying because you are so comfortable and sleepy that you are too lazy to get out of bed to scribble it down. I thought I was smart by putting a small pad and pen on my bedside table so I could easily reach out to write down ideas quickly when they struck me but I forgot that 1. I would be looking for the pen and pad in the dark, it's never as easy as you think 2. I'd be writing in the dark.
Last night a good idea for a card struck me just as I about to fall asleep so I felt around for the pen and pad, dropped the pen while doing so, finally found it and then scribbled it down in the dark. This morning I woke up and realized I ended up writing on parts of my bed sheet and I have no idea what I was trying to even write down last night.
So much for trying to save good ideas.
On a different note, Merry Christmas to all who celebrate!
Last night a good idea for a card struck me just as I about to fall asleep so I felt around for the pen and pad, dropped the pen while doing so, finally found it and then scribbled it down in the dark. This morning I woke up and realized I ended up writing on parts of my bed sheet and I have no idea what I was trying to even write down last night.
So much for trying to save good ideas.
On a different note, Merry Christmas to all who celebrate!
Wednesday 19 December 2012
Par Avion
I forgot the fun of posting mail until I started the Etsy store. I sent a Christmas card out to a friend the other day and realized what a long time it's been since I mailed something to family or friends. With the convenience of smartphones, I can just draw something and send it to them without leaving the comfort of my bed/seat/home/insert-comfy-location.
When I was younger, I used to think there was a very squirrel-y little man who was stationed inside the box. Every time a letter would drop in, with very quick and efficient movements, he'd sort out the mail and then throw them down a chute that would suck them to some central post office somewhere. When I found out that a mail man actually comes around at a fixed time everyday to pick up the mail and dump it off at the central post office, suddenly postboxes weren't so cool. But I also always found it a little creepy, like what if there was someone in there, waiting to grab your hand and pull you in. I do realize I won't be able to fit and if anything, I'd probably be able to pull his hand out instead of getting pulled in. This reminds me of the toilet bowl monster I was terrified of when I was younger but that's another story.
The post office runs a special Christmas promotion (which I only found out about this year since I haven't been to the post office in ages) for a period in December, they make the postage for cards a lot cheaper than usual. I suppose it's for them to drum up some business and hopefully encourage more people to send cards.
Starting the Etsy store has gotten me back into the post office more frequently than I ever have in the past 5 years combined. It's also reminded me of how much I used to and still enjoy posting stuff out to people. Especially more so now that I'm sending packages to people from places I'm not familiar with.
It still never fails to amaze me how much the web has made it so easy to connect with others. When you email someone, you know that person is in a different country but other than knowing that fact, there is no indication of it otherwise. You are staring at the same composition page as you always have, typing an email on a blank template that is nothing new to you. But when you receive a package, then the fact that it's from a different country is visually obvious. Their stamps are different, the hand-writing might be different, the type of envelope they use might be new to you, it might smell different, etc.
Technology has really made our lives easier but it's also made me appreciate things like receiving and sending cards/letters more. I don't think there is anything quite like receiving something that is handwritten.
When I was younger, I used to think there was a very squirrel-y little man who was stationed inside the box. Every time a letter would drop in, with very quick and efficient movements, he'd sort out the mail and then throw them down a chute that would suck them to some central post office somewhere. When I found out that a mail man actually comes around at a fixed time everyday to pick up the mail and dump it off at the central post office, suddenly postboxes weren't so cool. But I also always found it a little creepy, like what if there was someone in there, waiting to grab your hand and pull you in. I do realize I won't be able to fit and if anything, I'd probably be able to pull his hand out instead of getting pulled in. This reminds me of the toilet bowl monster I was terrified of when I was younger but that's another story.
The post office runs a special Christmas promotion (which I only found out about this year since I haven't been to the post office in ages) for a period in December, they make the postage for cards a lot cheaper than usual. I suppose it's for them to drum up some business and hopefully encourage more people to send cards.
Starting the Etsy store has gotten me back into the post office more frequently than I ever have in the past 5 years combined. It's also reminded me of how much I used to and still enjoy posting stuff out to people. Especially more so now that I'm sending packages to people from places I'm not familiar with.
It still never fails to amaze me how much the web has made it so easy to connect with others. When you email someone, you know that person is in a different country but other than knowing that fact, there is no indication of it otherwise. You are staring at the same composition page as you always have, typing an email on a blank template that is nothing new to you. But when you receive a package, then the fact that it's from a different country is visually obvious. Their stamps are different, the hand-writing might be different, the type of envelope they use might be new to you, it might smell different, etc.
Technology has really made our lives easier but it's also made me appreciate things like receiving and sending cards/letters more. I don't think there is anything quite like receiving something that is handwritten.
Monday 10 December 2012
Ctrl + S
Note to self: Practise the good habit of saving your work every 5-10 minutes or so, otherwise, face consequences of losing work and cussing out in every language conceivable.
That is all. My head shall proceed to slam into the desk now.
That is all. My head shall proceed to slam into the desk now.
Saturday 8 December 2012
i(Phone)nspiration
When I was asked to design an iphone 5 cover, I initially thought 'crap, what the hell am I going to put on there'. Then when inspiration struck, it became very enjoyable, as are all things when you know exactly what you want to draw.
Since Apple made the iphone 5 longer, I figured I had to work with a design that led the eye upwards. What hit me next was that a pyramid/triangle type layout should work well, and then my imagination just took over.
It's composed of many cats and a hedgehog. I quite like how it turned out. I'm just done with the outline, going to tweak some of the cats a little more and then start colouring it in with GIMP. I might try with markers first to see what it turns out to be like but I think I want to bypass the hassle of not knowing whether the marker colours will translate to look the same on screen after scanning it in.
Can't wait to see what it looks like on the actual iphone cover, this will be another first for me.
Since Apple made the iphone 5 longer, I figured I had to work with a design that led the eye upwards. What hit me next was that a pyramid/triangle type layout should work well, and then my imagination just took over.
It's composed of many cats and a hedgehog. I quite like how it turned out. I'm just done with the outline, going to tweak some of the cats a little more and then start colouring it in with GIMP. I might try with markers first to see what it turns out to be like but I think I want to bypass the hassle of not knowing whether the marker colours will translate to look the same on screen after scanning it in.
Can't wait to see what it looks like on the actual iphone cover, this will be another first for me.
Tuesday 4 December 2012
That would be the job of my 1283719273th clone, ask him
I guess with anything, what we see is never the full picture and things always look easier than they are. I don't know how Etsy sellers who are religious about updating their fb, blog, twitter and being active on the team boards etc. do it. I always wished there were 30 hours in the day but I was told be careful what I wished for. Instead of having more time to sleep, we'd probably all end up working longer hours.
I initially didn't want to open up an fb account because I figured I barely had a following at all that it would be quite pointless. My friends, who are all with the times, persuaded me otherwise. I opened it and well, I quite frankly don't know what to do with it. Posting every time I list a new item makes it feel like such a 'retail' oriented space but neither do I want to share my daily mundane stuff that's not really art-related though I know it's not just limited to that.
Feels like having a blog was the best medium for me since I didn't need to feel this need to update it daily and it felt less like I needed to get more likes and if the 'activity feed' stagnated, it wouldn't make me uncomfortable and want to do something about the likes still being in the single digits.
On the art making front, I am trying to continue with my 'Favorite Animals' series and came up with some new designs. I have one that I really like but am trying to figure out the composition for it. I would be pretty bummed out if I felt I had a good concept but lacked the skills to execute it.
Christmas is just around the corner, December is really flying by. A friend asked me for my wishlist and then I realized I didn't really have much of one since I pretty much bought whatever I already wanted. Oops. I guess art supplies are always a great gift. So are t-shirts and socks. My friends never take me seriously but I mean it when I say I'll be happy with t-shirts and/or socks. It's practical, I'll wear it to death and if I don't wear it now, I'll eventually need to wear it anyway.
Actually beef jerky would make me just as happy too. Jack Link's sweet and hot beef jerky is the bomb. I have not yet tasted any other brand that comes close to how great their jerky tastes.
I've digressed. Point of post is: Take hat off to dedicated Etsy sellers who update all their social media regularly. They meant it when they said you need to treat running an Etsy store like an actual business if you want to see the moolah come in.
I initially didn't want to open up an fb account because I figured I barely had a following at all that it would be quite pointless. My friends, who are all with the times, persuaded me otherwise. I opened it and well, I quite frankly don't know what to do with it. Posting every time I list a new item makes it feel like such a 'retail' oriented space but neither do I want to share my daily mundane stuff that's not really art-related though I know it's not just limited to that.
Feels like having a blog was the best medium for me since I didn't need to feel this need to update it daily and it felt less like I needed to get more likes and if the 'activity feed' stagnated, it wouldn't make me uncomfortable and want to do something about the likes still being in the single digits.
On the art making front, I am trying to continue with my 'Favorite Animals' series and came up with some new designs. I have one that I really like but am trying to figure out the composition for it. I would be pretty bummed out if I felt I had a good concept but lacked the skills to execute it.
Christmas is just around the corner, December is really flying by. A friend asked me for my wishlist and then I realized I didn't really have much of one since I pretty much bought whatever I already wanted. Oops. I guess art supplies are always a great gift. So are t-shirts and socks. My friends never take me seriously but I mean it when I say I'll be happy with t-shirts and/or socks. It's practical, I'll wear it to death and if I don't wear it now, I'll eventually need to wear it anyway.
Actually beef jerky would make me just as happy too. Jack Link's sweet and hot beef jerky is the bomb. I have not yet tasted any other brand that comes close to how great their jerky tastes.
I've digressed. Point of post is: Take hat off to dedicated Etsy sellers who update all their social media regularly. They meant it when they said you need to treat running an Etsy store like an actual business if you want to see the moolah come in.
Sunday 2 December 2012
Saturday 1 December 2012
But I wouldn't buy it
Something hit me today as I was checking through shop stats on Etsy and trying to figure out how to convert views/favorites into sales. So while I was trying to customer profile (in the most raw, simplistic sense of the word, read: clicking through people who favourited my items and trying to find some pattern of commonality), I realized that it's harder than I thought it would be. Let me preface this by saying that I know that customer profiling requires more than just my trawling through profiles but hear me out.
The funny thing is, while I like drawing/illustrating cute stuff, I wouldn't buy my own stuff. I probably did a seller faux pas and maybe shot myself in the foot but it's the truth, I wouldn't. I mean, I appreciate and look at other cute illustrations but the stuff I would end up buying is quite different from stuff that I would create. I don't know if it's just me but I also like a diversity of things with a tendency to go from one extreme to another. If most customers on Etsy are like me then I might as well start targetting the most unlikely customers in hopes they will like and eventually buy my stuff.
I think my taste for liking many different styles is beginning to show the more I upload my stuff onto Etsy. I keep reading about giving your shop a unified theme, so people know to look for you when they think of a certain style but what do people who like a variety of different styles do. I know a unified theme is good because when I think I want to learn how to draw in a certain style, I already have some artists in mind and I'll go look for them. I wonder how my variation in style will bode for my store.
The novelty of getting more views and favourites hasn't waned off yet so for now, my inner shopkeeper manager beast will be kept at bay. I wonder if the novelty will ever wear off, I hope not because I look forward to checking my shop stats.
Wish it snowed in Singapore, the only time I feel like it's nearing Christmas is when I'm near or see a Christmas tree which is either in someone's house or the malls. Rain doesn't even come close to the awesomeness of snow. Which, ironically or not so ironically, we will get tons of at the end of the year.
The funny thing is, while I like drawing/illustrating cute stuff, I wouldn't buy my own stuff. I probably did a seller faux pas and maybe shot myself in the foot but it's the truth, I wouldn't. I mean, I appreciate and look at other cute illustrations but the stuff I would end up buying is quite different from stuff that I would create. I don't know if it's just me but I also like a diversity of things with a tendency to go from one extreme to another. If most customers on Etsy are like me then I might as well start targetting the most unlikely customers in hopes they will like and eventually buy my stuff.
I think my taste for liking many different styles is beginning to show the more I upload my stuff onto Etsy. I keep reading about giving your shop a unified theme, so people know to look for you when they think of a certain style but what do people who like a variety of different styles do. I know a unified theme is good because when I think I want to learn how to draw in a certain style, I already have some artists in mind and I'll go look for them. I wonder how my variation in style will bode for my store.
The novelty of getting more views and favourites hasn't waned off yet so for now, my inner shopkeeper manager beast will be kept at bay. I wonder if the novelty will ever wear off, I hope not because I look forward to checking my shop stats.
Wish it snowed in Singapore, the only time I feel like it's nearing Christmas is when I'm near or see a Christmas tree which is either in someone's house or the malls. Rain doesn't even come close to the awesomeness of snow. Which, ironically or not so ironically, we will get tons of at the end of the year.
Friday 30 November 2012
New Christmas Cards up!
Just got them printed today, check them out in my shop!
After watching Rise of the Guardians (if you haven't you should), I was reminded again of my fondness for Yetis. So it's no surprise that the Christmas cards I drew after that was monster themed.
I had a hard time figuring out a background for the 3 Yetis huddled around a fire but settled on a deep red since it was a Christmas card. Had fun playing around with the shading for this since they were all seated around a fire and would have shadows cast at different angles depending on where they were seated. I also like woolly mammoths so I had to draw one into the picture.
Was inspired by some of the other great card illustrators on Etsy and decided to try a new style, I quite like how it turned out and decided to have a batch printed out as well.
That's going to be it for my christmas card collection this year. Tomorrow is the start of December so I don't think there's really much time left to try and come up with new designs.
If you haven't already, it's time to start stocking up on Christmas cards especially if you are ordering from buyers based overseas. Happy Christmas Shopping!
After watching Rise of the Guardians (if you haven't you should), I was reminded again of my fondness for Yetis. So it's no surprise that the Christmas cards I drew after that was monster themed.
I had a hard time figuring out a background for the 3 Yetis huddled around a fire but settled on a deep red since it was a Christmas card. Had fun playing around with the shading for this since they were all seated around a fire and would have shadows cast at different angles depending on where they were seated. I also like woolly mammoths so I had to draw one into the picture.
That's going to be it for my christmas card collection this year. Tomorrow is the start of December so I don't think there's really much time left to try and come up with new designs.
If you haven't already, it's time to start stocking up on Christmas cards especially if you are ordering from buyers based overseas. Happy Christmas Shopping!
I'll take imagination over reality, please
The girlfriend is off on a business trip, which led to this conversation we had.
Tuesday 27 November 2012
Pencil before Pen
Whenever I watch YouTube videos of people drawing, I always see them sketching things out with a pencil first before going over it with a pen/marker. I never liked the idea of penciling stuff first because I feel like it's not as spontaneous as if you drew directly with a pen from the start. I'm finding it hard to find the words to describe how I feel about it.
But anyway, I decided to try it today because I was actually short on time and wanted to get a card done as soon as possible. And man, it makes life so much easier. I'm used to drawing things a few times before settling on something I like but sketching in pencil first will save a lot of paper. Ideally I'll get so comfortable with drawing that I will be confident that every pen stroke was as intended but I don't know if that's realistic.
So today's 'learn something new everyday' lesson is: sketch in pencil first, save yourself the trouble, save the trees and we will all be happier for it.
Made this congratulatory wedding card today for a couple that liked to bake, cook and ballroom dance. I actually ended up enjoying drawing this one because it's of things I would usually not think of drawing on my own. Looking at wedding cake designs was also probably a first for me.
But anyway, I decided to try it today because I was actually short on time and wanted to get a card done as soon as possible. And man, it makes life so much easier. I'm used to drawing things a few times before settling on something I like but sketching in pencil first will save a lot of paper. Ideally I'll get so comfortable with drawing that I will be confident that every pen stroke was as intended but I don't know if that's realistic.
So today's 'learn something new everyday' lesson is: sketch in pencil first, save yourself the trouble, save the trees and we will all be happier for it.
Made this congratulatory wedding card today for a couple that liked to bake, cook and ballroom dance. I actually ended up enjoying drawing this one because it's of things I would usually not think of drawing on my own. Looking at wedding cake designs was also probably a first for me.
Saturday 24 November 2012
Channeling sales through the unconscious
This morning I woke up and the first thing that came to mind was 'I think I made a sale'. The cool part (to me at least) was when I checked my account, I was right! It was awesome that I made a sale and what made it doubly awesome was the fact that I thought I did even before checking.
Re-reading my last paragraph, it borders on creepy with no life but who cares.
It's very encouraging to see people liking and actually buying my stuff. I feel like I've got lots of growing left to do in terms of my style of drawing but that's a good thing because it means having to draw more stuff which is really enjoyable anyway. Win-win situations are always the best.
While the girlfriend and I were out doing our christmas shopping, I felt like I was going to make another sale. When I checked, I did and that was great especially after walking around all day with my feet killing me and dodging humongous baby prams and what felt like the whole of Singapore packed into the mall we were at.
Speaking of which, when did baby prams get so monstrous. Seems like the babies are held up really high and it looks very unsafe though I'm sure the babypram companies went through a million tests to make sure their products are safe.
Re-reading my last paragraph, it borders on creepy with no life but who cares.
It's very encouraging to see people liking and actually buying my stuff. I feel like I've got lots of growing left to do in terms of my style of drawing but that's a good thing because it means having to draw more stuff which is really enjoyable anyway. Win-win situations are always the best.
While the girlfriend and I were out doing our christmas shopping, I felt like I was going to make another sale. When I checked, I did and that was great especially after walking around all day with my feet killing me and dodging humongous baby prams and what felt like the whole of Singapore packed into the mall we were at.
Speaking of which, when did baby prams get so monstrous. Seems like the babies are held up really high and it looks very unsafe though I'm sure the babypram companies went through a million tests to make sure their products are safe.
Friday 23 November 2012
Black Friday - Cyber Monday 2012 Sale!
Jumping onto the US bandwagon and set up a listing for the most awesome shopping season of the year in the US aka Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
From now till 26th November midnight PST, buy 2 postcards and get 1 free! Click here to be taken to the listing
Happy Holidays to all who celebrate!
In other news...
Wednesday 21 November 2012
New Series: Grumpy Cat Cards
And they're up! I really enjoyed doing this new series.
Saggybags was up to her usual antics: scratching at the door at an ungodly hour on a Saturday morning, expecting to be fed. When I got up all groggy and gave her some kibble, she gave me a dirty look and promptly meowed at me in a very disdainful tone. When she saw I wasn't going to give her any wet food, she gave me a 'wat iz diz defiance!' and gave me a very deadpan, petulant look of disapproval. That gave me an idea to start a bunch of grumpy cat cards.
I didn't know how many I'd end up with and just started drawing. I had a lot of fun with this and researching the different colours cats had. I only started liking cats this year because of the girlfriend and I'm glad she introduced them to me. I used to be a dog person, thinking cats were horrible pets that gave no affection but I was very wrong. Saggybags and Fatty provide endless amounts of entertainment, it's a lot of fun to have them around.
If you like grumps and cats, then hey you should check out my cards!
Check the Grumpy Cat Cards out!
Saggybags was up to her usual antics: scratching at the door at an ungodly hour on a Saturday morning, expecting to be fed. When I got up all groggy and gave her some kibble, she gave me a dirty look and promptly meowed at me in a very disdainful tone. When she saw I wasn't going to give her any wet food, she gave me a 'wat iz diz defiance!' and gave me a very deadpan, petulant look of disapproval. That gave me an idea to start a bunch of grumpy cat cards.
I didn't know how many I'd end up with and just started drawing. I had a lot of fun with this and researching the different colours cats had. I only started liking cats this year because of the girlfriend and I'm glad she introduced them to me. I used to be a dog person, thinking cats were horrible pets that gave no affection but I was very wrong. Saggybags and Fatty provide endless amounts of entertainment, it's a lot of fun to have them around.
If you like grumps and cats, then hey you should check out my cards!
Check the Grumpy Cat Cards out!
Tuesday 20 November 2012
Web analytics: Get to it
It's probably embarrassing to admit that I'm finding out new things on the Etsy shop seller page even though I've been using it for awhile. I should learn to click around more randomly.
I also completely forgot about getting google analytics for my Etsy page until I stumbled onto people discussing which countries their views were coming from. I was wondering how come my shop stats didn't show any of the details they were talking about until I realized they were using google analytics for that.
Glad I got it implemented but now it means another new tool to obsessively check.
A guide for dummies: How to use google analytics with your Etsy store
I also completely forgot about getting google analytics for my Etsy page until I stumbled onto people discussing which countries their views were coming from. I was wondering how come my shop stats didn't show any of the details they were talking about until I realized they were using google analytics for that.
Glad I got it implemented but now it means another new tool to obsessively check.
A guide for dummies: How to use google analytics with your Etsy store
Monday 19 November 2012
Straight lines are going to kill me
Scoring cards are a right pain in the ass. There must be something wrong with my eyes or my ruler or something because I couldn't score the cardstock properly for whatever reason. Kept scoring them off-center no matter how much I took all the pains to be careful to measure it down to the millimetre, it's nuts.
Finally conceded to the fact that I just wouldn't be able to get it right down the middle and proceeded to try and trim up the edges. Only to find that my cutter wasn't good and left it looking shorn instead of a clean line down. Rummaged around for another one and the new one was so much better. Great, so I had spent so much time on the old lousy one when I could have had an easier time with the new one. The old one was so blunt I had to use so much strength pressing down to make sure it cut through the cardstock. You'd think I was trying to cut through steel or something.
I also found my pair of scissors to be really blunt. What is it with me and sub-par stationery items. You'd think a pair of scissors, which are new no less, would be sharp enough to do the job but I guess you get what you pay for.
Lesson learned. Good stationery supplies are worth paying for, otherwise you'll just end up with more frustration that you need to. Back to the drawing board.
Finally conceded to the fact that I just wouldn't be able to get it right down the middle and proceeded to try and trim up the edges. Only to find that my cutter wasn't good and left it looking shorn instead of a clean line down. Rummaged around for another one and the new one was so much better. Great, so I had spent so much time on the old lousy one when I could have had an easier time with the new one. The old one was so blunt I had to use so much strength pressing down to make sure it cut through the cardstock. You'd think I was trying to cut through steel or something.
I also found my pair of scissors to be really blunt. What is it with me and sub-par stationery items. You'd think a pair of scissors, which are new no less, would be sharp enough to do the job but I guess you get what you pay for.
Lesson learned. Good stationery supplies are worth paying for, otherwise you'll just end up with more frustration that you need to. Back to the drawing board.
Sunday 18 November 2012
dagnabbit
At the store yesterday, I asked whether they had cardstock which wouldn't let copic markers bleed through and repeated it a few times just to make sure they heard me. The guy looked at me blankly and nodded every time. Even when he passed me the cardstock, I asked him again just to be totally sure and again he nodded at me.
After the productive streak last night, I went to bed feeling good and was looking forward to waking up to take pictures of the cards.
While messing around with the cards before I was going to set them up for photos, I noticed a shadow on the inside. I had a bad feeling about it and true enough when I flipped open the cards, the markers had bled through. Yeap, no doubt about it, it bled right through.
I got really annoyed for 5 mins and then got over it. Tried to think of all sorts of ways to get around it and think I finally found a way that won't be so time-consuming, more use of supplies and acceptable to people buying cards. At least I hope I did.
In other news, the cats must feel like they are in playground heaven surrounded by all these pieces of paper. Fatty can't seem to decide which paper she wants to sit on more so she's taken to spreading herself out as much as she can.
After the productive streak last night, I went to bed feeling good and was looking forward to waking up to take pictures of the cards.
While messing around with the cards before I was going to set them up for photos, I noticed a shadow on the inside. I had a bad feeling about it and true enough when I flipped open the cards, the markers had bled through. Yeap, no doubt about it, it bled right through.
I got really annoyed for 5 mins and then got over it. Tried to think of all sorts of ways to get around it and think I finally found a way that won't be so time-consuming, more use of supplies and acceptable to people buying cards. At least I hope I did.
In other news, the cats must feel like they are in playground heaven surrounded by all these pieces of paper. Fatty can't seem to decide which paper she wants to sit on more so she's taken to spreading herself out as much as she can.
Saturday 17 November 2012
Productive
This weekend started out on a great note. The gf and I were up bright and early (well earlier than our usual) and had a late breakfast in town before trundling down Orchard to stop by various places to check out supplies. There was a book fair going on in Bras Basah complex so it was busier than usual.
Picked up a good book about colours for what I thought was a good deal only to find out it's original price in the US and realized probably wasn't as great as the 50% discount made it sound. The illusion of 50% discounts. Still happy with it because I've been scouting around for a book on colour to learn how to mix and match better. Lots of interesting colour combis I would have never have thought of.
After picking up some art supplies, we managed to just miss the crazy onslaught of rain and ran to the nearest mrt station in the nick of time.
Came home and had a burst of inspiration and starting drawing away on my newly bought card stock. Had a lot of fun with it and can't wait to list it up on Etsy.
Funnily enough I get these bursts of inspiration after I've been doodling around for awhile. They don't just hit me out of nowhere. I guess it's like working out at the gym, you only set new personal records after you've warmed up thoroughly, you don't just walk in and heave up the weight.
Streak, please continue tomorrow as well.
Picked up a good book about colours for what I thought was a good deal only to find out it's original price in the US and realized probably wasn't as great as the 50% discount made it sound. The illusion of 50% discounts. Still happy with it because I've been scouting around for a book on colour to learn how to mix and match better. Lots of interesting colour combis I would have never have thought of.
After picking up some art supplies, we managed to just miss the crazy onslaught of rain and ran to the nearest mrt station in the nick of time.
Came home and had a burst of inspiration and starting drawing away on my newly bought card stock. Had a lot of fun with it and can't wait to list it up on Etsy.
Funnily enough I get these bursts of inspiration after I've been doodling around for awhile. They don't just hit me out of nowhere. I guess it's like working out at the gym, you only set new personal records after you've warmed up thoroughly, you don't just walk in and heave up the weight.
Streak, please continue tomorrow as well.
Wednesday 14 November 2012
Tuesday 13 November 2012
murukku ftw
2012 was the first time I ever ate murukku. I don't know why it's taken me this long to find out about this deep-fried goodness that is murukku. It's so addictive, I can literally finish a whole packet but my adult brain tells me to refrain because I will regret it in the long run. My child brain just wants me to eat every fattening snack in sight. The gf introduced it to me along with many other oh-so-bad-for-your-health-but-damnit-y-u-so-tasty snacks that I've never thought to try before as well.
Happy Deepavali to all who celebrate. I bought murukku to partake in the festivities. (Actually, that was just an excuse to buy it.)
Monday 12 November 2012
many forks become a tree
It seems that every time I move past one decision, another one pops up in front of me. Just when I think I'm past having to think about printing, I'm wondering whether I should invest in a good home printer and print just a few copies of cards and be able to list up more designs frequently. Googling leads me to many contradicting views. A brand is awesome! B bombs! A brand is the pits, B is ok. A brand and B both suck go support your local printer, etc. And nowadays, anyone who can google seems to be an expert on whatever subject they are talking about, who knows, maybe a chimp is actually punching away behind some computer as a lab experiment.
Saturday 10 November 2012
A lending hand
The people on the etsy teams have been nothing short of helpful. I was pleasantly surprised at how much advice they doled out for a newbie and it actually made me feel glad I decided to open up shop on there. It was nice to see people so ready to be helpful. It's a refreshing change from hearing the tired and beaten down rants of people not wanting to help others because they don't know what's in it for them. Humanity and karma, that's what.
I think it's great that etsy started out as an online avenue for artists to get together and sell their wares and they made it a welcoming, supportive environment from the get-go instead of a competitive one. Business is business but art and design is so subjective. 2 people may draw the same thing but the style is always different and you'll have a different audience for each one.
It was interesting to see that there were so many people from Singapore on etsy. That probably means I need to get out of the house more. I had no idea that we had so many handmade type flea markets in Singapore until the gf introduced them to me. Which is actually really exciting because it's fun getting to see people showcase their stuff. It's always interesting to see the products with their creators and the similarities/disparities between them.
There are 3 flea markets going on Friday and tomorrow but I'm down with a real nasty bug and decided to rest up at home and not spread the germs around. It really knocked the wind out of me. I hope to catch the next round of flea markets before January comes around.
Looking forward to brainstorming for new ideas this weekend. The insane monsoon weather is the perfect excuse for cooping up at home.
Thursday 8 November 2012
Scoring board
Bet you didn't know that there was a tool out there just to help you get the deep crisp crease in the middle of your greeting card so you can fold it over itself nicely. If you did, well, just amuse me.
You learn something new everyday. I'm thinking about printing greeting cards and googled around for how-to videos and stumbled upon one that showed this lady talking about a scoring board and I wondered what the heck that was.
Googled around somemore and turns out it's a tool to put the crease in your greeting card for you. No more mucking around and hoping you won't mess up your fold or else you waste a perfectly good piece of cardstock.
I'm really bad at folding stuff so it would to handy to have it if I plan to print cards from home. Which leads to another thing I've been thinking about lately: to print greeting cards from home. I don't think my printer (which I paid in the region of the low one hundred for) is up to the task. I'll give it a test run just to make sure. Someone once advised that I could consider investing in a good printer so I could have better control over the print quality/outcome of my work if I got serious about it. For now, I just want to make the most of what I have since I'm just starting out. I don't know if I'm being overly meticulous about watching my cost but I think it's good to be vigilant from the start.
You learn something new everyday. I'm thinking about printing greeting cards and googled around for how-to videos and stumbled upon one that showed this lady talking about a scoring board and I wondered what the heck that was.
Googled around somemore and turns out it's a tool to put the crease in your greeting card for you. No more mucking around and hoping you won't mess up your fold or else you waste a perfectly good piece of cardstock.
I'm really bad at folding stuff so it would to handy to have it if I plan to print cards from home. Which leads to another thing I've been thinking about lately: to print greeting cards from home. I don't think my printer (which I paid in the region of the low one hundred for) is up to the task. I'll give it a test run just to make sure. Someone once advised that I could consider investing in a good printer so I could have better control over the print quality/outcome of my work if I got serious about it. For now, I just want to make the most of what I have since I'm just starting out. I don't know if I'm being overly meticulous about watching my cost but I think it's good to be vigilant from the start.
Monday 5 November 2012
Uniform theme
Now that my Etsy store is up and running, I check the shop stats one too many times. It's awesome how they have a tracking tool to see where traffic is filtering in from and what's being liked etc. I also realize that my website is not one of the top hits when I google for it. In fact, I don't see it on any of the pages which is bad. Not surprisingly also because I have done zilch in terms of SEO. I thought chucking in a little metadata code with keywords will allow for better hits but nope, that didn't do anything for it. Then I searched around and realized that metadata code is apparently archaic and so yesterday. The frog that lives in the well that is hidden under a rock, that be me. For all of 10 minutes I thought I was kind of clever for finding out about it, then it got promptly squashed. At least I had that 10 minutes to feel good.
Shop/listing views have trickled to a few instances here and then but I'm wondering if that is the weekday slump. It will be interesting to see if there is cycle in shop views. Like weekends it will be higher while weekdays might be a little slow. Would be cool if they amassed historical data split by types of goods/wares being sold by the people on Etsy. That's an analyst's dream come true and something I would definitely enjoy splicing through.
Since I decided to start this process of bringing my works to the market, I suddenly feel like I want to make all sorts of stuff. I'm seeing all these things that I would have a ton of fun making but it would make my shop seem like a mix-up of everything and anything and would leave my store being very unmemorable especially since it's just starting out and has barely etched out an identity of it's own. Reading around the forums, it seems that it's important to focus in on one thing you are good at so people remember you. I suppose there are already so many creative talented people out on Etsy, why not pick the person that does say, just wood carvings than someone who does that and maybe painting or drawing, etc. It makes sense to pick the specialist over the generalist when you have a specific item in mind.
In a such a competitive space, branding and your brand identity is very important. Leaving an impression is another.
Who knew running a little web shop could bring about so many thoughts. I wish I had done this sooner, it's quite fun. It would be a lot more fun if sales started coming in, hurhur.
Shop/listing views have trickled to a few instances here and then but I'm wondering if that is the weekday slump. It will be interesting to see if there is cycle in shop views. Like weekends it will be higher while weekdays might be a little slow. Would be cool if they amassed historical data split by types of goods/wares being sold by the people on Etsy. That's an analyst's dream come true and something I would definitely enjoy splicing through.
Since I decided to start this process of bringing my works to the market, I suddenly feel like I want to make all sorts of stuff. I'm seeing all these things that I would have a ton of fun making but it would make my shop seem like a mix-up of everything and anything and would leave my store being very unmemorable especially since it's just starting out and has barely etched out an identity of it's own. Reading around the forums, it seems that it's important to focus in on one thing you are good at so people remember you. I suppose there are already so many creative talented people out on Etsy, why not pick the person that does say, just wood carvings than someone who does that and maybe painting or drawing, etc. It makes sense to pick the specialist over the generalist when you have a specific item in mind.
In a such a competitive space, branding and your brand identity is very important. Leaving an impression is another.
Who knew running a little web shop could bring about so many thoughts. I wish I had done this sooner, it's quite fun. It would be a lot more fun if sales started coming in, hurhur.
Inspiration and effort
Before I decided to really get serious and sell my work, I used to think that artists must have been such creative sorts that were inspired all the time and were perpetually overflowing with ideas. I thought that maybe I wasn't as creative as others because I'd face days of dry spells where nothing would really inspire me or make me feel like drawing or making stuff.
I started to read around and realized that artists do go through dry spells but the key to it was sometimes you just had to set aside time to draw or do something. Even if you don't feel like it, sitting down just to randomly doodle or draw might sometimes surprise you with what you end up with. One of my favourite illustrations came out of one random doodle that led to another and it grew very organically.
I also came to the realization that it was important to surround yourself with art or crafty things when you can. You draw inspiration from the works itself but also from the appreciation/awe of the creativity these artists possess and this in turn encourages me to want to draw and create more art.
Having had no formal education in art, I feel like I'm missing out on a lot of the basic knowledge that many others have and I hope this doesn't mean I'm setting up myself for bad habits but instead maybe adding a new twist to the approach. Time will tell.
The weather's been swinging from searing heat to endless downpours but I like rainy days best for drawing. It really feels like my room is a stand alone with the falling rain blocking everything in the distance from sight and the sound of the rain hitting my windows providing white noise.
Then again, I'm also more prone to falling asleep to take naps because of the cool weather but I shall end this post on a high note.
I started to read around and realized that artists do go through dry spells but the key to it was sometimes you just had to set aside time to draw or do something. Even if you don't feel like it, sitting down just to randomly doodle or draw might sometimes surprise you with what you end up with. One of my favourite illustrations came out of one random doodle that led to another and it grew very organically.
I also came to the realization that it was important to surround yourself with art or crafty things when you can. You draw inspiration from the works itself but also from the appreciation/awe of the creativity these artists possess and this in turn encourages me to want to draw and create more art.
Having had no formal education in art, I feel like I'm missing out on a lot of the basic knowledge that many others have and I hope this doesn't mean I'm setting up myself for bad habits but instead maybe adding a new twist to the approach. Time will tell.
The weather's been swinging from searing heat to endless downpours but I like rainy days best for drawing. It really feels like my room is a stand alone with the falling rain blocking everything in the distance from sight and the sound of the rain hitting my windows providing white noise.
Then again, I'm also more prone to falling asleep to take naps because of the cool weather but I shall end this post on a high note.
Saturday 3 November 2012
Official Shop opening
This post is actually 2 days left but better late than never. Thursday was spent fiddling around with the html codes on the website and uploading and editing the contents and prices of the postcards. I expected that the pricing part would be difficult but didn't expect to bounce back and forth.
Watched a lot of videos which I found helpful but sometimes all you want is a concrete formula to just follow, which doesn't exist because hey, this is life and it's all trial and error. The underlying message was not to undervalue yourself as it's a disservice to your products and also to fellow sellers trying to sell their wares and not to overprice yourself such that you turn people off from your products. People said it's easier to lower prices than it is to raise them but having seen videos on Etsy of popular sellers, they seem to have done the opposite, which I found interesting.
I suppose the crowd sees a good thing, values it and believes that what they are paying is worth it. Then again, there are times when I see something I like and go 'wow this is damn cheap for what it's worth' so I suppose that's how the crowd saw those undervalued products at the start and were still willing to pay when prices increased because they saw it's value.
It's fun and interesting to check out the shop stats to see how my cards were found and where the traffic is coming from. So many things to learn.
Watched a lot of videos which I found helpful but sometimes all you want is a concrete formula to just follow, which doesn't exist because hey, this is life and it's all trial and error. The underlying message was not to undervalue yourself as it's a disservice to your products and also to fellow sellers trying to sell their wares and not to overprice yourself such that you turn people off from your products. People said it's easier to lower prices than it is to raise them but having seen videos on Etsy of popular sellers, they seem to have done the opposite, which I found interesting.
I suppose the crowd sees a good thing, values it and believes that what they are paying is worth it. Then again, there are times when I see something I like and go 'wow this is damn cheap for what it's worth' so I suppose that's how the crowd saw those undervalued products at the start and were still willing to pay when prices increased because they saw it's value.
It's fun and interesting to check out the shop stats to see how my cards were found and where the traffic is coming from. So many things to learn.
Thursday 1 November 2012
horizontal rule
That line that goes across the page in a neat fashion to seperate chunks of words/paragraphs? The horizontal rule. <hr>
It kept escaping me so I wanted to make a post to remember.
It kept escaping me so I wanted to make a post to remember.
Steak and Egg series
What's a blog called steak and eggs please without some blog posts about the wonderful dish itself?
This fine specimen of steak and eggs was had at Fine Palate. A small unassuming cafe tucked away just off Orchard Road in Singapore. There were generous helpings of tender steak, the butter was good(I love my butter) and well, fried eggs are always almost delicious to me. The tomato chutney was something new but added that nice sourish, sweetish kick every once in awhile if you wanted to clear your palate. Breads are baked in-house too.
The girlfriend and I enjoyed our time there and look forward to returning to try other dishes though I'll most likely succumb and have the steak and eggs again, as I always do at places that serve up good ones.
This fine specimen of steak and eggs was had at Fine Palate. A small unassuming cafe tucked away just off Orchard Road in Singapore. There were generous helpings of tender steak, the butter was good(I love my butter) and well, fried eggs are always almost delicious to me. The tomato chutney was something new but added that nice sourish, sweetish kick every once in awhile if you wanted to clear your palate. Breads are baked in-house too.
The girlfriend and I enjoyed our time there and look forward to returning to try other dishes though I'll most likely succumb and have the steak and eggs again, as I always do at places that serve up good ones.
Tuesday 30 October 2012
Image map
This website was very helpful when making image maps. It's also free. How great is that.
When you have an image and you want to create links from it, image maps will be very useful. The alternative is to break up your image into individual ones and link it from each image to save you the hassle of needing to find the co-ordinates.
When you have an image and you want to create links from it, image maps will be very useful. The alternative is to break up your image into individual ones and link it from each image to save you the hassle of needing to find the co-ordinates.
Monday 29 October 2012
Changing the mouse cursor
I wanted to add a custom mouse cursor but since I'm falling behind schedule, I decided to just use a mouse cursor that already exists.
This website was very handy when I was looking for ways to change the mouse cursor when it 'moused-over' text, image, paragraph, etc.
This website was very handy when I was looking for ways to change the mouse cursor when it 'moused-over' text, image, paragraph, etc.
Wednesday 24 October 2012
Trials and Tribulations
Got my very first batch of postcards printed out today, took me months from having rough sketches to actually having them in print. A proud poppa of my babies, cue aww sound. There were a few minor parts that I wish I caught and cleaned up but live and learn, will be sure to be doubly hawkish about checks with my next batch.
Learned a lot of things about the whole printing cards process, mostly that there is still much for me to figure out and learn.
I was worried about not having converted my JPEG files that were in RGB colour into CMYK before sending them off to the printers but that turned out to be a complete non-issue. But it has to mean something to keep reading all over the net that art files need to be in CMYK before sending them to print. Something else to figure out.
Also need to figure out how to put in the bleed, etc. to make a file print ready.
GIMP has been such a great program to learn and use. I find it amazing that for a free program, it can do so many things. Most times when I can't do something, it's most probably my limited knowledge of the program and not something the program is lacking. Cool stuff.
New to html, GIMP and almost everything else I'll be blogging about. This will most likely end up becoming my repository of handy tips and links.
Looking forward to printing out more of my creations. Onwards!
Learned a lot of things about the whole printing cards process, mostly that there is still much for me to figure out and learn.
I was worried about not having converted my JPEG files that were in RGB colour into CMYK before sending them off to the printers but that turned out to be a complete non-issue. But it has to mean something to keep reading all over the net that art files need to be in CMYK before sending them to print. Something else to figure out.
Also need to figure out how to put in the bleed, etc. to make a file print ready.
GIMP has been such a great program to learn and use. I find it amazing that for a free program, it can do so many things. Most times when I can't do something, it's most probably my limited knowledge of the program and not something the program is lacking. Cool stuff.
New to html, GIMP and almost everything else I'll be blogging about. This will most likely end up becoming my repository of handy tips and links.
Looking forward to printing out more of my creations. Onwards!
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