Short Cuts & Funny (but useful) Little Household Hints

Hi all! Today, I thought that I'd share a few short cuts with you, quick answers to small day to day type problems, kind of household hints, except that they're not really all cleaning related.

Great tip #1: Have a shirt or sweater you want to wear, but it's too large? Maybe you really liked it, but it was the only one left or it was a great price? Maybe you lost weight? Whatever the reason, it's a great piece, but it doesn't quite fit...Try pinning it! No, not with safety pins, unless that look works, like it's a really great retro punk or New Wave piece (Much of 80's clothing was oversized, worn with leggings, etc.). Use decorative pins, something that goes with the style of the piece & gather the fabric to reign in the size, creating the illusion of a waist. Make sure that your gathers don't get caught in the pin clasp or you could end up with a hole, when you remove the pin. This can be done on the front, gather both sides or the back:

This would also be fun to do with the sleeves, just don't do all of these things at once or it'll look over done. It's also great if you want a more sleek look under jackets, vests & sweaters.

Great tip #2: Going someplace (interview, fancy party...) where you'll be wearing a jacket over your shirt? Your shirt is completely wrinkled? No time for ironing the whole shirt? Just iron the front. *Don't do this if there's any chance you'll have to take off your jacket.

Great tip #3: Have an interview or need to go someplace where your dress shoes need to be presentable? Have small scuff marks on your shoes? Find a felt tip pen in the same color as your shoe & color in the scuff, blend a bit, if needed. This works best on black shoes (it's easier to match the color)

Great tip #4: Your favorite shirt is completely wrinkled, but you really want to wear it & you don't feel like ironing? Spritz the shirt with water & gently smooth the wrinkles. If you have time, you can hang the shirt to dry (it won't take too long, if you haven't completely drenched the shirt). You can also put it in the dryer, after spritzing. Add a wet washcloth, for a bit of  'steam.' Lastly, if you are in more of a hurry, you can blow dry the wrinkles out, after spritzing. This, of course, works with any article of clothing.

I hope you enjoyed this little household hints :)
Do you have any great hints you'd like to share? Let us know in the comments, below.

Shop Make Over: Photos

I've been busy fixing the photos in my shop, samsstuff. When I look back at some of the first shots I'm struck by just how bad they were. The new ones may not be perfect (Is anything ever perfect?), but most of them are a vast improvement over the early shots. I love photography, but product photography is a whole new thing for me. It has been a process learning the ins & outs of product shots. I was not a digital photographer. I learned old school, with film. Digital is a whole different process. So what have I learned?

1. Simple & plain is better. You want the product to be the focus, not the distracting background or the props. You can use props, just make sure that they compliment the product & focus the attention back on the product. You don't want your item to become the background to your props. If you have lots of people commenting on the props or the background, it probably means that the focus is not on your piece.

2. It's not necessarily bad to have your first shot be a close up. Focus on an interesting detail or the workmanship that has gone into the item. Draw the viewer in, then move back to the big picture.

3. Think about how the item will look in a thumbnail, this may be the first way a customer will view your item. Will it stand out among the other thumbnails? Will the viewer be able to tell what the item is? Will they be intrigued enough to click on the item?

4. Crop your shot so that you product takes center stage & one of the best tips I've seen: crop your shot square. This is the format that Etsy uses for the thumbnails & you can be certain that your product will be seen in the 'just listed' stream, as well as in your last 4 shots.

5. Natural light is best. The colors are truer & they won't have the yellow tinge that often comes from fluorescent light or the glare that comes from a flash. Adjust your camera settings so that white turns out white & black comes out black. You can also do this in post editing (there are many great free programs available: my favorite Picnik, Irfanview, Picassa ...)

Here are a few of my before & after shots:

White bag

Before shot taken on a fabric covered footstool. The red background is distracting. It's plain, but the bag handles, also red, fade in to the background. The angle is 'wonky,' so while this is not a horrible shot, it's a meh shot. It doesn't grab attention, ultimately forgettable...

White Handbag: Fancy Free

White bag

After shot: The background is still basically plain, the colors contrast & compliment the bag & they're nuetral, so not overly distracting.  The light pattern (ok, I'm a sucker for light patterns...) adds interest, but still doesn't distract from the bag. The light is natural here, no flash, so the colors are truer. The before picture was taken under florescent light, so it has a yellowish tinge, adding an old fashioned, frumpy look.

Pink Preppy Punk Headband

Before picture: It's a close up & has good detail, but the background is kind of distracting. Even though it's blurred & fairly plain, there's too much of it & it does nothing for the headband. I was trying a 'laundry strewn about by the wind' look. The biggest problem is that they're just hanging there & there's no indication of what they look like when worn...

Headband: Preppy Punk

After shot: The background here is neutral & plain, the light is again, natural. This also has good detail, but not we also have an idea of what this might look like when worn. It's also not just hanging there, so it looks more dynamic. I've styled the shot to have a retro 'hippie,' through the way I've placed the headband on the mannequin & the way I've done her hair. I've shot her in profile, giving her a far away look & the focus remains the headband, rather than the mannequin (or worse, the wall).

Steampunk Skeleton Key Pin:

Before: There are many issues with this photo, glare from a flash, for a start. The background is plain, but the yellow is to bright & distracting, the green might have been better. It was even worse, as I started from too far away, so not only was there yellow & green, but white wicker & the pin itself was a speck, one of those "what is it?" shots...

Steampunk Skeleton Key Pin

This is better in some ways, not as good in others, so it still needs work. I've kept both in the shop, for now. This one is better, in that it shows what the pin looks like when worn & I've placed it in a unusual spot, on the pocket of a vest, to show that it's versatile. I wanted to show the buttons & the pocket to hint at the fact that it's on a vest (more of a Steampunk look). The tiny check on the vest may be a bit distracting & the pin is  in the same color family, so it kind of fades into the background....

An update of the key pin. Just a bit of color in the background, but not enough to distract from the pin, itself

So, as you can see, it's a constant process. I'm still working on more photos & the last tip that I have for you:

6. Create a clean & unified look for your shop. This has to do with branding & marketing specifically to your customers. It looks less cluttered & gives the customer something to focus on. If you can, when re-arranging your shop stagger the light & dark photos: light, dark, light, dark...This makes it easier for the customer to see each individual item & separates them from each other, making them stand out.

 I hope that this has helped & given you some ideas for your own 'product shots.' Thanks for stopping by. SAM

New Beginnings or Stop Discussing the Game & Play It!

Memories: A photogram calendar shellseye Etsy

When I was in college, I hung out with a group of science fiction & fantasy fans called, if I can remember the full group name correctly "The U of A Science Fiction & Fantasy Film Club." We did a lot of discussing of a variety of things: films, books, writers, characters, costumes, science & games. Now, most of these discussions were long, involved, animated & quite detailed, discussed from every possible angle, pros & cons, good & bad, each detail gone over with a fine tooth comb. Films & books were picked apart & put back together again, any inconsistency noted & inspected for believability. We were able to screen films many of them borrowed from the University library or rented, through catalogs, for a fairly small fee. We went to conventions, some of us in costume, some not, spending time roaming the halls , looking for other like minded groups to join, other discussions to take part in & maybe a game or two to take part in or just a party to join. We'd discuss strategy or if we were bored, even shook up a game or two with random & chaotic acts, to make it more interesting.
So, you may be wondering, what does all this have to do with business or crafting or well, anything? I'm glad you asked! We loved playing games. No, not video games or board games or ...We played RPGs. Yes, role playing games, science fiction & fantasy related games.  Games of strategy & interaction, heavily anticipated & often talked about before any playing actually occurred. It's one of these discussions that is the subject of this post. I remember it well & the reason I remember it so well was that it was discussed over & over again, on a daily basis for several weeks, endless variations of the game, kind of a 'well, if you do this, I'll do that, then he'll be forced to... ' It was repeated so often, that I could leave & come back the next day to what seemed like exactly the same discussion, virtually word for word. The discussion became predictable & when the game was actually played there was no excitement, nothing was new, it had already been played out, verbally & there was no reason to actually play the game. I warned them that this would happen, but did they listen? No. They said the game wasn't ready or they weren't ready or something. They didn't want to tell me the end result & yes, I really did tell them 'I told you so.'
This can happen in life & business, we get so wrapped up in endless 'if/then' (thought I'd add a bit of geekery into the mix ;) loops that we become paralyzed with possible consequences & we're afraid to play the game, we forget that there's a randomness, in life, that changes everything adds possibilities & makes the game worth playing. We need spend less time going through the possibilities & move to the action stage, before the complacency sets in & we become locked in inaction. Don't get me wrong, there's definitely a place for planning & structure, chaos isn't desirable either, especially not in business. At some point, though we need to move to the action stage, away from the fear of what if. There's the possibility of not succeeding, but we learn from those moments, they make us better & we can't think them away, no matter how hard we try.  If we get stuck in the planning stage, if we never try, then we can never succeed & we also never have the fun of trying :)
So I'll say now what I said then: "Stop discussing the game & play it!" In the end, it'll be far more worthwhile & you'll be surprised  by the results, no matter what they are... SAM

Free Stuff all over the place!

Today I've decided to start off by talking about some of the great sites that are out there, great sites where you can receive wonderful, empowering advice on everything from becoming a stronger you, outside & in, to tips on helping the planet, healthy fashion & make-up advice & even great reading ideas, all for free. Not only do receive all of this but each also runs an abundance of great product giveaways! Stop by & check out each of these amazing sites.
Girl Get Strong

Filled with great articles on fitness & health for mind & body, as well as food for thought blogs by a multitude of site users. There are always numerous giveaways going on for items that are good for body & spirit. I recently won a beautiful set of earrings from Etsy seller Sleepy Moon just for writing about my favorite beaches (the California beaches of my childhood) & I currently have my eye on a yoga giveaway. Check them out!
Style Substance Soul
Divided in three basic sections, this site is what it's wonderful title implies, a place filled with great articles on style, substance & food for the soul. They also run regular giveaways of great products & books from each of their categories. I just recently won 'swag' from a company called Rosie. They make items specifically for working women, not those that work in offices, but those that work out in the warehouses or out in the field, like our grandmothers (or great grandmothers) during the time of "Rosie the Riveter." I love the Rosie T-shirt, very cool, whether you're wearing it to work or not. I can't wait until my tee arrives!
Lastly, for the crafty among you there's CraftStylish filled with tutorials & articles written by members of the craft community. It's a great place for inspiration, camaraderie & a gathering spot for all the great work that's out there. They also run great giveaways, mainly pulled from the great craft books that are currently available. I haven't won any of these yet, but I did receive two of their great magazines, just for posting an article.
So, all of this brings me to my second giveaway. I love dolls, stuffies & softies & there are many amazing & artistic pieces out there to be had. I've posted some of them on ThisNext & recently did a spotlight featuring some nice ones I've seen on Etsy, so this giveaway is about dolls, stuffies & softies. The one pictured is from my new ArtFire studio, where I've moved all of my household items, but for this giveaway I want you to post a link to some of the great dolls you've encountered online. They can be from Etsy, ArtFire or anywhere your heart desires. Two shops that I really love are Ninon & Junkerjane.
For a second entry, tweet about this contest & post your tweet here. You can also have another entry if you blog about this contest & let me know back here. The prize will be a doll & toy making book "Old Fashioned Dolls & Toys" by Better Homes & Gardens, 1992 (vintage by some rules, not vintage by others) filled with all kinds of interesting doll & toy projects & patterns. The giveaway ends 8/31 & the winner will be randomly selected from all entries. Have fun!
Stop by & take a look at the new shop, when you get a chance. I'm steadily adding to it. Let me know what you think about the colors & overall look of the shop. Should I keep the same banner as the Etsy shop or create a new one, what's your opinion? I've added some new things to the Etsy store as well, more vintage stuff & a handmade, OOAK item or two, so take a look, when you get a chance.
Thanks for stopping by! SAM