LIFE
(I found this image on pinterest, which is an incredibly addictive site, so don’t say I didn’t warn you if you are reading this right now and then decide to check it out, that being said, I do not know the original source, but am more than happy to include it when/ if I find it).
EDIT:: You can purchase the Holstee Manifesto poster here: http://shop.holstee.com/collections/designed-x-holstee/products/holstee-manifesto-poster
Thanks Megaan for providing the source!!
xoxo
Okay, I’m going to try to move past the fail that was last week..
I can’t believe that I am already on week three of Etsy’s Holiday Success Boot Camp. I feel like I still haven’t been working on things enough. I think that might mean that I haven’t been.. Oh no!
First though, a few updates on previous week’s tasks and previous goals that I had set:
In week one, I was confused by offering gift wrap and faster shipping. I have since found that that you *can* offer gift wrap as a separate option, however it HAS to be able to be purchased on its own, without the purchase of anything else from my shop. I think that this works wonderfully for sellers that want to offer traditional gift wrapping, but does not work as well for sellers who want to offer more sustainable and less wasteful forms of gift wrapping. I am thinking that I will offer gift wrapping for free during the holidays, and suggest that customers request it at the time of purchase?
These are the initial goals that I had set during week one:
I am trying really hard to maintain the blog with two posts a week. I am just starting to figure out a blog schedule, and writing out every idea that I have for a blog post. I admit, that writing these boot camp updates really help with the two posts a week thing, and so I really should have no excuse.
I will be working on the Roller Store catalogue this week, thanks to the tasks that were assigned!
I’m not going to produce a small series for Halloween. When I made these goals, I admit, that this one was thrown in just to try to push myself.. but I think that I already have a little more than I can handle (especially with Halloween coming up, and my costume isn’t even started yet).
I do still want to work on a small series for Christmas, however I am still unsure what it will be.. but I better get started on that soon.
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Okay, so now on to Week Three’s tasks and goals. This week focused on an aspect that I should be really good at already, but is something that I have not put as much effort as I could: photography.
Seeing as how I went to school for photography, this should really be a piece of cake. But, I was never actually trained in product photography and admit that I am still getting better. I think I really need to just take the time to set up shots nicely and cleanly. I need to set up a white box somewhere in the house. All of this being said, reading through all of the Etsy posts on cameras and photography was a little bland and boring, but since I am always willing to get better, and learn new techniques and ideas, I still read all of them.
So, I need to touch base with my boot camp buddies, and hopefully we can help each other out with the photos a bit. I’m not 100% happy with my current product photographs, and so I really need to re-take literally all of them. This will also get me working on the Roller Store Catalogue that I have planned.
Current listing photograph of Wade
Current listing photograph of a Grey Kittopus
If any one else wants to critique my product photos, please do! I’m always open to opinions, and ideas, just leave your thoughts in the comments. As always, thank you for reading,
xoxo
If you have been reading my blog, then you know that I am undergoing the slightly ridiculous task of re-decorating/ updating my *entire* house. My partner and I have lived in our modest two bedroom town house for more than four years now and admittedly, our decorating has been sub-par at best. Unfortunately, we don’t have much (aka any) budget. Fortunately, I have the internet at my disposal, an art degree to back me up, a partner that pretty much lets me do what I want in the house, and lots of enthusiasm and creativity. Can I do it? I hope so.
Anyways, I have been working on establishing colour schemes in different rooms as “starting points” for my design. Looking at the different combinations that I have created, it is obvious that I lean towards certain types of colours.
I love having a decent selection of paint chip samples on hand, all the time. I find that they are the easiest way to play with colour combinations and see how colours look together. I’m sure all the readers on Apartment Therapy would throw their thief signs at me if they saw my small drawer filled with paint samples (I’m not going to lie, I don’t consider taking paint samples as stealing, and I think it is pretty silly when people get so upset by other’s using paint samples in unconventional ways). However, I do think that this IS how paint samples are meant to be used, and so, even if taking them was considered theft, this should still fall into the realm of acceptable use. Not that I’m apologizing.
All of this being said, my approach to re-decorating is not very strict, thanks to our fantastic budget, and so colour schemes are very flexible and I’m not trying to make everything in the room fit the colour scheme. But I do like the idea of a few colours appearing, albeit in slightly different shades, more than once and in different patterns and combinations. I guess my design style is probably considered eclectic?
Let me know what you think about these different colour combinations.
Thanks for looking and reading,
xoxo
Okay okay, so this is really late. I actually started this post on Monday.. but never got around to finishing it. Now, I already have to make another Holiday Boot Camp post (I just read week three’s e-mail..). But, I guess no one even suggested that this was going to be easy, in fact, everything has told me that this is going to be hard.
This (past) weeks tasks:
1: Read Etsy Blog Post “Study Stocking Up for the Holidays”
DONE
2: Fill out Holiday Product Worksheet
I still have to do this.. although it really doesn’t help that I don’t really have a specific demographic that I target.. or do I? Either way, today I *AM* going to sit down with my products and try to get through the worksheet that Etsy suggested. This exercise is actually probably better for me in the sense that I will have a better inventory after.
3: Create to-do list for launching Holiday products
First, I need to decide on what to launch.. I suppose. I’m not really interested in making Holiday specific (themed) products. I have a lot of things in “development” stage, which means I really need to pick one and then push it into final product stage.
4: Check in with Etsy Success Forum thread
DONE
5 Check in with Boot Camp Buddy (buddies?)
Done and done.
6: Keep an eye on Search Ad Stats
I don’t have Search Ads.. and I don’t plan on purchasing them this season.. so.. done?
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I guess the main thing I need to do is sit down with my products, and use the Holiday Product Worksheet to try to re-work how to list them.. I also need to figure how to list of the stuff I have. I am a little disappointed in myself for not actually completing week two, however I do think that I will somewhat adjust the time periods for the rest of the Etsy Holiday Boot Camp. I don’t get a lot, if any, work done during the weekends right now (due to other job work, and forcing myself to have at least some relaxation time), and with the Etsy weeks running from Thursday to Thursday, it doesn’t mesh well with my schedule. I think I will try to focus on having things done from the Monday to Friday of the following week. That way, I can read next week’s goals and to do’s on the weekend and focus on the tasks during the week. I am going to try to make my Holiday Boot Camp post early in the week though, and just go back and edit it as I complete tasks.
To see my post on Week One of Etsy’s Holiday Boot Camp click here.
xoxo
