Out to lunch...

So, I've been "out to lunch" these past two weeks. Absolutely got hit with the holiday tidal wave. And in the magazine world, it gets even more hectic because you still have to produce an issue in the same timespan as non-holiday-time. Same deadlines, less days in the office. Oof.

What else. Oh, I've been cast in a new role as the lead blogger for this new craft social networking site that's launching later this month, CraftFoxes.com. You should totally check it out and sign up to be alerted to the official launch date. And I'm not saying this because I write for it, but because it's really going to be a cool, comprehensive source for anyone who has even a passing interest in crafty things. There will be tutorials galore, a list of craft stores organized by area (this is what I'm excited about, since there is nary--yes, I said nary--a Joann fabrics or anything in a 20-mile radius), easy-to-navigate posts, the whole shebang. So, sign up for CraftFoxes here! And, of course, if you want to send anything over to my attention for editorial consideration, feel free to email me. I really am loving getting to know all the fabulous crafters out there, I've been making so many friends.

I'm also doing all sorts of business-y projects relating to my etsy shop, which I will post more about in the coming days. I'm finding that the hardest thing in the world when it comes to having your own line of anything, isn't the production process. (Right now, I have that down to doing an assembly-line set-up, with cutting pieces one day, hemming the next, and so on.) It's organizing the whole business. Because it is a business. It's figuring out what sells and what doesn't, how you can better serve your customers, establishing a consistent look and changing your pre-conceived ideas of what you thought your business would be. Does that make sense? Like, I was pretty sure the pin-up aprons would be the main seller, but it turns out it was the Wonder Woman apron, a kind of on-a-whim design.

Let's see, what else...I was talking to my new e-BFF, Katie of LemonJitters (who has a fab new digital design blog, TheCommonJar), about how it's hard not to automatically compare yourself to other bloggers out there. You know, the ones who have mastered 100 different cool craft techniques, executing each perfectly, photographing them beautifully, selling a bajillion versions of their designs online, they blog everywhere, etc. etc. And it almost makes you want to give up, doesn't it? Well, it shouldn't. We forget that we're in a small corner of the internet where like-minded people convene. If it seems like everyone else is effortlessly fabulous, well, guess what? It's not really "everyone else". It's still just a small portion of the population, not the norm. So, deep breath, attitude adjustment. Stay positive and glamorous.

-B

Behind the scenes of an etsy photo shoot...

I was trying to photograph a few milkglass items for my etsy shop when a certain cat named Cookie decided to jump into the frame. (She's not for sale, guys!)

But you can see my little set-up that I use for photographing for etsy. I use a small table that I've layered with 2 fabrics--a heavy white canvas, then a sheer polyester-ish fabric (it's really dress lining material). Why two? The white canvas nicely smoothes the surface, then adds brightness to the sheer top layer, enhancing the blue hue. Next, I iron the fabrics on the table. Sometimes I will leave a crease in to help me position/align objects (these always get cropped out, of course).

The table is placed by a south-facing bay window that I have in my kitchen. It's a shame because all the fancy architecture in my house--1920's molding, a marble fireplace, a huge front window with plantation shutters--is in the North-facing front side. Since I live in a brownstone on a narrow street, facing other brownstones, this room is in a perpetual Cavern of Darkness. Like the Motel 6 ad slogan, I always have to leave a light on in that room.

Anyway, the only time I get crisp sunlight in the kitchen right now is between the hours of 2pm and maybe 3:30. This leads to me running around the apartment like a madwoman, muttering to myself about how I'm about to lose the daylight. That said, I always keep my props close by and do really simple vignettes like the one above, with vintage books.

All that, and then a cat jumps into the frame.