October's Favorite Shop Feature - Freefolding

October has brought fall color to Nebraska and a new feature to the blog!  This month will include a "Favorite Shop" pick featuring an established Etsy seller with beautiful products.  My "New Shop" pick will be published in a few weeks.

My first favorite shop pick is Free Folding by Michal Keren Gelman.  Michal's shop includes gorgeous ceramic items with unique designs.

Why did you decide to start your shop?
Etsy represents for me the opportunity to communicate with new and various crowds, to be a part of a community which appreciates and shares interest in the creative process of arts and design.  After the last 6 years in which I was teaching, working, giving lectures around Israel, I want to be able to reach and sell my work on a wider international scale.

What does your shop name mean to you?
Freefolding is for folding clay sheets.  I investigate its options to be folded, closed, and to create a container.  The name Freefolding (sounds like the song - Free Falling) reminds me of the feel of a play ground, a child like movement, free and brave and surrendered.  Clay wise - I learn how to flow with it, listen to it; I am often surprised by it.

How are you inspired to create your products?
My main inspiration comes from clay itself. New ways to unravel traditional forms and to play with them are the force that attracts and motivates me forward. Textures as well are my main inspiration. My eyes seem to constantly be drawn to them. I look them up everywhere I go, sometimes I like to see myself as a textures hunter...

What is your favorite item in your shop?
I can't choose. They are all my kids...but I have a special warm feeling for my latest collection, "Norwegian Wood" of trees I pictured and print on my pots.

What makes your shop unique?
My shop is unique for it's bringing a different style of functional contemporary ceramic.  I design and make ceramic home ware by a unique technique of clay folding, engraving, and silk printing. Though delicate and so fine looking, the pots are amazingly practical and can be used anywhere in the kitchen being oven, microwave, and dishwasher proof.

What is your favorite part about running an Etsy shop?
My favorite part about running an Etsy shop is to communicate, meet, and reveal people and artists from all over the world.  I am excited to know that kitchens, homes, and hands across the oceans are holding and embracing a cup or bowl and it becomes part of their life.

What has been the hardest obstacle in starting your shop?
For a few years now, I've been planning to open my own shop on Etsy, but raising three kids, and the daily hustle and bustle, didn't allow me to be fully committed to opening my own online shop.  So time was my hardest obstacle...I used the help of a senior Etsy seller to make the shop alive and kicking.

What is the biggest lesson you have learned from starting your shop?
Well...I'm learning all the time so many things.  About patience, belief, more patience and mainly not to forget the joy of creating and making.  It is so easy to get lost in this magnificent jungle called Etsy.

Michal's shop showcases beautiful ceramics full of life and texture.  I would say her patience has paid off with these wonderfully modern and unique items.   Please visit her shop to check out additional items through the following link -  Freefolding

Images used with permission from Michal and Freefolding.

Twisted Tree Occasions - New Shop Spotlight

I recently spent some time chatting with Jessica Morsillo from Twisted Tree Occasions.  Her shop just opened this June and offers gorgeous custom tags and confetti.

I love the handmade, but sophisticated feeling to Jessica's items.  Here is our Q & A -

Why did you decide to start your shop?
I decided to start my shop to separate items from my other shop (Twisted Tree Supplies).  I am recently married and made everything for my wedding including the invitations.  I have also been in several weddings since then.  I started adding the special occasion items to my other shop just to see how well they sold.  I ended up adding so many items that I decided to open this second shop.  I really enjoy designing all of the tags to make someone's special day even better!

What does your shop name mean to you?
My shop name came from a picture that I took several years ago.  I have always loved trees and taking pictures of trees.  On a walk one day, I came across this beautiful tree that appeared twisted. I took a picture of it with the sun shining through.  It is one of my favorite pictures.

How are you inspired to create your products?
I am inspired by everything and anything!  I keep a sketch book on my desk to jot down ideas as they pop up.  Sometimes I have customers who inspire me by just giving me a basic idea of what they would like.  Pinterest is also a very useful inspiration when I am feeling uninspired.

What is your favorite item in your shop?
Currently the wedding heart confetti is my favorite item in my shop.  The ones that you see in the first picture were actually used at my bridal shower.  They are just so simple and elegant.

What makes your shop unique?
My shop is unique because everything is able to be customized.  You can change the colors, sizes, shapes, or the wording.  I am very flexible and want the items to be perfect for your special occasion. My shop is also unique because it features some of my own hand drawn images for the tags that you will not find anywhere else.

What is your favorite part about running an Etsy shop?
My favorite part of running my Etsy shop is designing new items!  I love when someone contacts me about making something brand new for them.  Designing is definitely the best part!

What has been the hardest obstacle in starting your shop?
The hardest obstacle in opening my new shop has been time management with my other shop.  I do this full time, and I mean full time.  I am sometimes answering customers at one or two in the morning.  Just finding the time to design, make, photograph, edit the pictures, and create the listing has been a challenge.

What is the biggest lesson you have learned from starting your shop?
The biggest lesson that I have learned from opening my shop is that I am making things for other people and not for myself.  It is easy to create things that I like but that does not mean that other people will like it or want to buy it.  While it is important to "brand" yourself and create a style, it is even more important in a business sense to create things that people will want to buy.

Jessica's shop is adorable, modern, and brilliantly minimalistic.  If you have a wedding or baby in your future, be sure to check her out at Twisted Tree Occasions on Etsy.


Images used with permission from Jessica and Twisted Tree Occasions.

Crafty Works Cornwall - New Shop Spotlight

Opened less than two months ago, Crafty Works Cornwall features a large variety of beautifully crafted items from reclaimed wood and metal.

Guy is based in Cornwall, England.  He creates delightful mirrors, candle holders, and home decor. He has a gorgeous stock of Halloween items in his shop at the moment for the upcoming holiday.

  

Here is what Guy had to say about his shop - 

Why did you decide to start your shop?

I have been making and exhibiting locally for some years, but had never ventured into the world of online selling.  A friend with an existing Etsy shop persuaded me to sign up, and I haven't looked back.  I had sales within a fairly short time of opening, which was encouraging.  As I'm not currently exhibiting my work in any local galleries, Etsy provides me with valuable feedback about my new creations, which I love.

What does your shop name mean to you?

Crafty Works was a name I came up with off the top of my head about five years ago when I attended a festival and needed to call myself something.  It's kind of stuck.

How are you inspired to create your products?

I use mostly reclaimed materials, so I'm usually inspired to create by finding a nice item and then visualizing what it wants to be made into.  I also draw inspiration from the natural world which is right on my doorstep - I live in the country side and very near the sea - as well as the rich and varied history that reclaimed materials often have.

What is your favorite item in your shop?

Probably my sea glass sun light catcher.  Because I so enjoy the process of working with sea glass, from the collecting, cleaning, and arranging, all the way to finishing the design.

What makes your shop unique?

I think my shop is unique because what I make is unique.  I have many more designs waiting to be listed.

What is your favorite part about running an Etsy shop?

My favorite part of running an Etsy shop is the appreciation I get from people who see my work.  The forums have also been very valuable and are a great friendly place to chat with other sellers and get support and advice.

What has been the hardest obstacle in starting your shop?

The hardest obstacle I have had to overcome has really been me and my dread of self promoting.  I have had to put that aside somewhat in order to grow my shop, and get to grips with social media and SEO (Search Engine Optimization).

What is the biggest lesson you have learned from starting your shop?

I think the biggest lesson I have learned has been to get on with it, get on out there, and show off my creations.

It is clear that Guy is an artist who takes great pride in his work.  His designs are simply beautiful, one of a kind, and would make a wonderful addition to any home.  This is definitely a shop to keep your eye on, and I am please that Guy decided to join us on Etsy.  Please head on over to visit Crafty Works.

Precious Skin Elixirs - New Shop Spotlight

This months "New Shop Spotlight" features Marissa from Precious Skin Elixirs. Marissa provides natural face and body products and offers a variety of masks, creams, serums, and cleansers. Her products are made in small batches and from the heart.

Let's hear what Marissa had to say about her shop...

Why did you decide to start Precious Skin Elixirs?
I started my shop after years of making my own skincare products and realizing there is a growing need for 100% natural, preservative free skincare solutions.

What does your shop name, Precious Skin Elixirs, means to you?
I worked with precious and semiprecious gemstones for years - many of my products bear the name of my favorite gems.  I believe the skin is extremely precious.  It's an organ, after all, and deserves much more respect than we give it by slathering on products with ingredients we can't pronounce and certainly would never put in our bodies!

How are you inspired to create your products?
Inspiration for my products comes from various sources.  Maybe a friend is having a particular skin issue and so I start thinking of oils and herbs that would be helpful.  That's actually how the "Garnet" honey scrub was created.  Nature is a constant source of inspiration.  There are so many solutions in nature - nothing we need to chemically alter or synthesize.  The gift of well being is all around us...and that's pretty cool.

What is your favorite item in your shop?
It's difficult to choose a favorite product, but my life saver is the 24 karat gold cream.  I live in New England and winter is so harsh on the skin!  Even my little ones avoided chapped faces and hands with this cream!

What is your favorite part about running an Etsy shop?
My favorite part is fulfilling an order - from making the products to packaging it up in pretty wrapping.  I imagine sending out healing and love to my customers.  I try to do everything this way - with love, gratitude, and intention.

What is the biggest lesson you have learned from starting your shop?
Patience and trusting that if I create with honesty and integrity that the buyers will come and share my vision of supporting one's health through the use of natural products  And I mean ALL natural - not just the "97% natural" we sometimes see on the popular brands.

In speaking with Marissa, it is clear that she pours her heart and soul into her products.  Precious Skin Elixers has a wonderful selection of items for all people.  I especially love that the shop offers trial or travel sizes!

Follow the link to visit Marissa's shop - Precious Skin Elixirs


Images used with permission from Marissa and Precious Skin Elixirs

July Photography Tip - Bokeh

Introducing bokeh or good quality blur into the background of your images can be a wonderful way to to evoke emotion and focus the eye of your viewer.

The image above uses bokeh to draw the eye to the gorgeous, spring Pear Tree flowers in the foreground.

So how do you achieve this effect in your images?  The short answer is that you want to use a wide aperture when shooting.  Many lenses can achieve f/2.8 or wider (meaning lower numbers such as f/1.8 or f/1.4) for this effect.  

Shooting in manual or aperture priority mode is helpful.  For beginners especially, aperture priority mode will allow you to set your aperture without having to worry about what shutter speed to select.  In manual mode, you will need to set both the aperture and shutter speed.

If your lens is not fast enough to use these wide apertures, placing more distance between your subject and the background can do the trick as well.  In the image below, the subject (rope) was placed 100+ feet away from the background (the ocean), creating a beautiful blurred background.

Any questions on how to make this work for you?  Give me a shout out in the comments!

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog.  Thank you for visiting!

Please visit my shop at https://www.etsy.com/shop/HeartlandPhotoBySJW

Stay tuned for future posts.