By Contributing Columnist Amy McCarthy aka AmyOrangeJuice

One of the things I have been most impressed with since joining the Folksy community is the quality of the printed items available. I don’t mean prints of original fine art paintings (though some of these are lovely) but lino cut and wood cut prints, each an individual work of art in its own right.

Printing is a very satisfying art technique and its simple to achieve striking, good quality work with few tools;  so here is my guide to Lino Printing. Why not have a go?

You will need:

Lino Cutting tool: Otherwise know as a gouge, is readily available from art supply shops and on the internet. I got a set for around £ 6 so they are not an expensive buy.  Lino cutting tools come with a handle and several different size cutting blades which fit into the handle, each one makes a different mark and depth into the lino.

Lino: Inexpensive to buy from art supply shops and on line, comes pre-cut in manageable squares.

Roller: Again, printing rollers are cheap to buy from art suppliers, but you could also use a brush.  If using a roller you need a flat, clean surface to roll the paint onto. I use an old piece of reinforced glass from an old coffee table.

Ink: You can use water or oil based printing ink or Gouache/thinned poster paint. All easy to come across and inexpensive.

Paper: Lino can be printed onto a wide range of papers. Specialist printing paper is lovely to use, but a wide range of paper can be used. Why not experiment?

Shopping done? Lets get started!

First of all you need to prepare your lino. It comes with a slightly rough surface, so with a couple of drops of water and a piece of wet and dry sand paper give it a light sanding (should only take a couple of minutes). This will give a strong printing texture. Without preparation the surface of the print could look grainy. Try not to get the hessian backing wet as it will make the lino unstable and soggy!

The next thing to do is prepare the design and cut the lino to the desired size with a craft knife. Remember that the parts you carve away will remain white (assuming you are printing onto white paper). You can draw straight onto the lino or trace a design from paper onto the lino. Remember that when printing everything will appear in reverse on the paper.

Now you are ready to start mark making! Hopefully you have tried out your tools and got a feel for what marks the different blades make: some deep and rounded, others shallow and triangular. Hold the handle of the gouge in the palm of your hand with the blade outwards between your thumb and forefinger and push the cutting edge into the lino, keeping the blade and handle close the lino surface and push along the lino; you have made your first cut!

SAFETY NOTICE: Always cut away from your body and keep your other hand clear of the cutting blade!

When you have cut away all of your design you are ready to print.  Having protected your surfaces with old newspaper, roll the paint out on the glass/slab/flat surface till you have a nice even layer of ink/paint. Now place the lino block with the design facing upwards on a clean surface and roll the ink onto it until you have a nice even layer of paint on the design (or dab the lino with a loaded brush until all of it is evenly covered).  Lay your printing paper carefully on top of the lino block and burnish the paper with a spoon or with your fingers. Peek at the paper by lifting a corner until you are satisfied with the print.  You have made your first print~well done! Lay flat to dry away from pets and kids (I have had hand and paw prints everywhere before!) and repeat as many times as you want, or until you run out of paper!

This is the first stage of lino printing, in part 2 I will show you how to use the reduction method to create prints using several colours.

Photo courtesy of A. Deegan

By contributing columnist Michelle, aka: littletoad

The Daily Foto Project is the unique brain child of Melissa Azizi a self-taught Australian photographer. So what is exactly is The Daily Foto Project? It is a 365-day photo project where Melissa takes a photograph everyday for a year. But, that’s not all. She lists each image on Etsy and donates 5% of sales to a charity of the buyer’s choice. I have been following Melissa’s work for a while now and she was nice enough to answer some questions I was dying to know about her and this project.

So how did you come up with this idea? I’m from Sydney and my partner and I arrived in Berlin in May 2009. I broke my foot 2 months later! So, I pretty much spent my first European summer indoors and immobilized. Of course, I was down about it as my partner had also started a new job working really long hours and we had just moved into a completely empty apartment. The ordeal was a bit stressful, but ultimately being immobilized gave me time to reflect, especially about those that are really in a less fortunate position. I wanted to turn my little foot misadventure into something more positive for me and for others. Personally, I needed a way to happily re-acquaint myself with Berlin again and to develop my creativity.

How did the charity aspect of the project come along? I didn’t want the project to just be for and about me. It’s been done before, I’m sure. I thought it would be a great idea that when people buy a photo, that they’re also giving something positive to the world too. So, I donate 5% of the buyers purchase to a charity of their choice. I like to call it being a ‘Conscientious Consumer’.

Are there days when you really don’t want to take a picture? Not at all! I always think it’s interesting to see what I can come up with, especially on those days when I haven’t left the house until later in the evening and I’m losing light.

Is photography a hobby or do you do it professionally? I’m not professionally trained as a photographer, but I always treat it professionally.

What do you do when you aren’t taking pictures? I’m a film producer!

How many pictures do you take in a day to get the one you plan on using?There’s no limit, but I have taken anywhere between 5 to 50! I take my camera everywhere as I never know when I’ll need it!

Do you have a plan of what you are going to shoot for that day or do you just wait to find inspiration? It’s a mix. There are days where I’ve planned to visit a certain area, such as the Charlottenburg Palace, so I know I’ll use a photo from there. But, I take my camera with me everywhere, even up the road to the grocers. Who knows where inspiration may hit?

How have you been promoting this project? Mainly online and word-of-mouth. I have my own website, use Twitter, have a Facebook fan page and of course, my Etsy shop.

What kind of response from fans and Etsy sellers have you gotten? Positive responses. The good thing about Etsy is that it’s community-orientated and if you need advice or tips, other sellers are happy to help out. And many Etsy sellers are also on Twitter and Facebook, and they happily give their thumbs up too.

Why did you choose Etsy as your platform for your project? I wanted to find a site that was already established as a place for people to visit if they wanted to buy photographs. With an established site comes the pros, such as high traffic and a community. I received an email from someone who happened to have their Etsy store link in their email signature. I clicked on it and discovered a whole new world!

Can you give us a few examples of the charities that have been chosen through your sales? We all know about the recent devastation in Haiti, so the project has donated to American Red Cross for Haiti & Habitat for Humanity for Haiti. A lesser known charity has been the German Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired and even the Wikipedia Foundation.
And now the BIG question,What are you going to do after the 365 days are up? A big party, perhaps? Or, an exhibition? Or, a photo book collection! Too many ideas right now!

A huge thanks to Melissa for taking the time to answer my questions and for the good work she is doing with her talent. Looking at her site I hope will inspire us as artists to not only be creative but to also find ways to use our art to help others.

Image courtesy of  TheDailyFoto.

Camera imageNYLightMetals

The Best Illustrators on Etsy That You’ve Probably Never Seen:  Part 2

By contributing columnist Michelle AKA: Little Toad

I had the pleasure of getting to ask these talented artist questions about their work and where they hope their work takes them. Please not only read this article but visit their shops I promise you will be transported to a different world and look at ours in a new way. These are undiscovered talents that I know will become your new favorites.

12. MaricarmenPizano

Maricarmen Pizano’s work is a beautiful combination of cute and expressive, displayed in muted backgrounds which just add to the beauty of her work. “I like to use different techniques like watercolor, acrylics, and ink, but for my illustrations I prefer the pencil because it allows me to play with contrast and especially because the monochromatic palette gives more drama to my work. My inspiration comes from many places; music, a cup of coffee but mostly from my own life.  Every single experience that marks my life is part of the story I tell in my illustrations.”

13. art4barewalls

Mara’s work is so bright and vibrant it basically jumps off the page at you. Her characters are charming and drawn in a way that makes them truly unique. I asked her how she got started. “I was looking for art for kids and did not like anything I found. I like edgy bright colored work so I decided to make my own. I then discovered that this may very well be the kind of work I need to do since I had so much fun doing it! My son is the reason I got on this track and he continues to inspire me every day.”

 14. Somethingbunny

Lea’s illustrations grab you the moment you look into the eyes of her characters. They are so sweet and gentle you have no choice but to fall in love with them.“I often find inspiration in things I come across in my daily life. In many cases, simple things such as a sweet gesture, a cute animal or even baked goods strike me with a creative brainwave which carries itself into an illustration. I am also highly influenced by colors and emotions and I find that my illustrations often depict things that tug at my heart strings. I can’t say for sure where I hope my art takes me, but I know that art and illustration will be a love that I will carry throughout my lifetime”

15. Kimsieboldstudios

Kim Sieblod’s work is beautifully simplistic yet complex in the emotions she is able to convey. “I am happiest when I am creating and using my creative skills.”  She is inspired by EVERYTHING! “I am inspired by simplicity, innocence, color, texture, interior design, typography, you name it.  The style of art depends on my mood. My true illustration love is traditional hand-drawn art with ink and then color enhancing with Photoshop”

16. juliettecrane

Juliette Canes is truly an original. Not only do her main characters have personality but her backgrounds display just as much character. You really get a great sense of the environment and the season you are viewing. “I love nature and taking walks and traveling and meeting people. I feel like all of those things, everything I experience, makes it into my artwork. At least I try for that anyways.”

17. ginormousrobot

If you don’t instantly get pulled into Josh’s work I don’t know what’s wrong with you! His illustrations are funny, sweet and truly original. I asked Josh where he hopes his work would someday take him.“There is this dream I have of a little studio in the backyard of my house where I sit and draw robots all day. I never have to wear a tie and I can stop and play tickle football with my kids whenever I want. I’m not there yet, but I hope to be.”

 18. borzoiart

I have never seen animals rendered and interpreted the way that Lena Sennikova does with her illustrations. They are truly breathtaking and amazingly original. Lena was planning to be a vet, but at the last moment she turned to Art College. “I am attached to the animalistic genre, but it a little boring for me to draw the ‘right animals’…  I try to increase their individual attitude, to make their characters brighter, to make them more romantic and kind. And, indeed, I take my inspiration from music, fairy tales, books (especially about animals), cartoons, anything beautiful…children, flowers, clouds…everything can be a source of inspiration.”

 19. Candace jean

Candace not only has one great etsy shop but three, all with their unique style and products. “I make a bunch of random, mismatched art that I spread over three Etsy shops so I feel like each piece is appropriately “categorized”. I find inspiration in all sorts of places; usually flora and fauna. I adore nature and the living world and am continuously fascinated by it. I find inspiration in children’s literature and classic fairy tales, historic fashion and lifestyle, books, old and vintage items, and life itself in all its complex simplicity.”

20. Becca26

Rebecca Menard’s work is unbelievably charming and a little wacky. She fines a great balance between being funny and having heart. “At the moment, art is a side business for me, but ultimately I’d love it to be my everyday job, my everyday joy. I hope to be able to support myself doing what makes me happy and hopefully bring other people joy as well.”

21. GouacheRocks

I bet you’ve never seen work quite like Anaïs Goldemberg’s before. Her interpretation of a subject and the medium she uses come together to create an awe inspiring final piece.”I love to create portraits of funny witches, scary ghosts, wild animals… Nothing serious, as you can see. I’m also an enthusiastic follower of many blogs, a great part of them about illustrators.”

 22. Gisellegonzalez

Giselle’s work is warm, inviting and really charming. It mixes very childlike wonder with modern sophistication. “Creating art has always been my passion. Ever since I was a little girl I spent hours drawing and painting in my notebooks and coloring books. I was obsessed with Disney’s Cinderella and I used to draw my mom and aunts with cinched waists and big skirts! I definitely think that I’ve always been attracted to-really girly, frilly things.”

Photo courtesy of Virginia Lindsay aka: ginia18

By contributing columnist Elle aka: EllesDesigns

It’s Not Art…

As I browsed the newest items on Folksy this week, I came across a really beautiful necklace that caught my eye. The ‘scimitar’ shaped pendant featured gorgeous shades of purple, with just enough silver to reflect the light, and eye catching layers, too. I was mesmerised, and the shop just gets better! Not only does it feature really beautiful, contemporary jewellery, they are all made with recycled materials too!

I decided to talk to the shop owner about their new business, and how it was going! Annie started making jewellery to wear herself, and eventually began giving it to friends and family. They were really impressed with her talents, and suggested she start selling online…it’s a big first step, though! I really struggled with gaining the confidence to list my items, but Annie didn’t have the same problem. Within a week she has created a shop on both Folksy and Misi, and started making sales!
Her inspiration for pieces often comes from what she has in the house to craft with. As well as unwanted CDs, which created the gorgeous necklace that attracted my attention, she has made pieces with dominoes, chess pieces, mah jong tiles, draughts pieces, and bottle tops. Things that would usually be thrown away are transformed into really gorgeous, unique pieces.

And the name? It‘s Not Art  was inspired by a stamp, she recalls. “Lots of people get really precious about ‘art’ and so on, and I liked the self-deprecating tone of the stamp and adopted it as my name”. It’s certainly a name I think you’ll be seeing a lot of, the whole collection is utterly gorgeous!

I’m off to look for more new talent on Folksy, but let me know what you think of Annie’s work…I’m in love with it! It’s definitely on my wish list.

Photo courtesy of Gypsy Pottery

I live in Exeter, Devon with my husband, two very young girls and sleepy cat. My background degree and training is in art and textiles, I graduated from Leeds University intending to become an art therapist, however, life got in the way and I retrained as a mental health worker and my artist side took a back seat for several years

Moving to Devon in 2003 gave me the opportunity to take my art more seriously and I studied stained glass techniques for 2 years (as an evening course with Exeter College) and before I knew it enough friends and acquaintances were commissioning me for me to make a business from it. I completely fell in love with the process of making stained glass windows and the way you can use colour and line really appeal to me.

Last year saw me return to practicing as a mixed media artist and I am beginning to make a name for myself in the recycled art movement making mosaics from scrap glass, found objects and broken costume jewellery

My style has always been expressionist and bold. I make simple striking designs with bold colour and strong lines, leaning towards abstraction, or at the least highly stylised. I love the Art Deco period and find the stylised forms very pleasing. I am also greatly inspired by the local countryside and coast and I have a keen interest in the environment and all my mixed media work used recycled materials.

You can find me in my studio (shed with a plastic roof, built with love by my dad!) and my work in galleries around the South West, on my Folksy shop or on my website. I also have a blog which I update with my works in progress and I have been known to tweet!

www.amyorangejuice.co.uk

www.amyorangejuice.wordpress.com

Articles by AmyOrangeJuice

Recycled Trails of Devon 2/23/10

Just a little courage 2/13/10

Lino cuts3/6/10

Tracy Smith of Cinnamon Jewellery

We all know how exciting is it to make the decision to sell online. Deciding where to sell and setting up your brand new shop is all part of the fun. So. You’ve got your shop set up, your items are photographed and looking good, you’ve worked out your prices, listed your beautiful creations and finally your online shop is ready for business! Now all you have to do is wait for all those lovely online customers to stampede through your open “door”……….

But unless you are selling something so wonderful that everyone simply must have, you may be waiting quite a while for your first sale. I’ve seen several posts on the Folksy forum along the lines of “Not had a sale yet”, “How do you get people to buy?”, “What’s the secret to selling on Folksy?” There is no secret formula to selling on Folksy or anywhere else online. Although having a good product to start with gives you a big advantage, the only way to let people know you are there is to shout about it. In other words PROMOTE!

Quick! Grab that megaphone and start walking the streets shouting about your new shop! Or better still, try promoting from the comfort of your computer chair where you’re less likely to get arrested!

There are so many ways to promote your shop online, many of them free and easy to do. Sites like Facebook, Twitter and flickr allow you to post comments and photos and put your stuff “out there”. Blogging is a great way to promote your online shop and lets people get to know you, the artist/designer, and get behind the counter, so to speak, of your shop. Giveaways on your blog also help and promote your shop. Taking part in forums like the ones on Folksy and Etsy helps get you noticed as people will often click on the link to your shop to check you out.

Free listing sites such as Craft Juice, byhand.me and UK Handmade that allow you to post photos and comment on other people’s photos are another great way to be seen plus you can post your shop/blog link there too.

And of course you can also advertise your shop on IndieSmiles for a small fee!

Promoting online is just one way to let people know about your shop. Another way is face to face. I asked four Folksy sellers how they promote their businesses in the “real world”.

Anne of haptree has been selling on Folksy for just over six months and sells handmade pencil cases, purses and beadkits. She promotes her shop and website online but also, once she gained confidence after a few online sales, Anne decided to try selling at a craft fair, making the most of the event by handing out cards and stickers advertising her shop. The craft fair went well and resulted in lots of follow-ups and a commission.

Anne says – “I have now taken the plunge to do a more regular arts and crafts market that runs monthly closer to home. I am going to print my own inexpensive flyers and make sure that people know that I will be there and even if they don’t make it, they may visit my shop online. I’m going to pin these on all the local information boards in the area. Just as with your online shops I think it’s important not to rely on the organiser of craft fairs to bring people to your table. All of my daughters’ friends get little haptree gifts for their birthdays too which is great for promoting my shop!”
Incidently, Anne is the owner of two fantastic blogs ~ haptreeand me, full of excellent tutorials and tips to help improve your blog and the new Craft Blog UK, a great resource for designers and crafters of all descriptions.

Debbie of DinkyDaisy has been selling on Folksy since June 2009. She takes her doodles and turns them into pretty applique designs for her purses and brooches. Before opening her Folksy shop she sold to friends and family and at the odd school fair. This year she’s hoping to start her own website.

Debbie promotes her shop by printing her own thank you cards containing her details to send with sales. She says “I have done local school fairs, I donate raffle prizes to my local schools and I do parties at peoples houses. The house parties I find to be a great success and get a lot of repeat business from. I have a few new ideas for this year and would defintely like to get some items into a local gift shop and try some larger craft fairs.”

Lynne of CakeKnitsandCosies opened her Folksy shop a year ago and sells knitted and crocheted cakes and patterns. Lynne finds the forum on Folksy a good way to promote online. She does the odd craft fair and always takes along business cards to hand out. She says “My cakes usually attract a lot of attention at craft fairs and last year I was approached by a local artist The NoSuchDisco, who’s also a Folksy seller. He asked me to knit up his latest children’s character Waldo The Worm into a scarf, to sell alongside his fabulous book.” Lynne also gets her stuff “out there” by being featured regularly in knitting and crochet magazines such as Let’s Knit and the US KnittingPatternaday Calendar. She shares her knitting patterns in the magazines thus promoting her work and gaining wider exposure. One of Lynne’s crochet cupcakes even ended up in a photo shoot for Italian Elle magazine after being spotted and bought from her Etsy shop!

Kirsty of Wharfedale Woolworks opened her Folksy shop in June 2009 selling hand dyed yarn and knitted items. She promotes her shop online and is planning to use CraftJuice and IndieSmiles in the near future. Kirsty has recently joined the UK Work At Home Mum Directory which aims to promote small “Mum-run” businesses. Advertising in her local area has helped bring customers to her shop. “I have been promoting at my local community arts centre (Otley Courthouse) with posters and by leaving bookmarks with my details on. These bookmarks also double as tags for my yarns so customers receive one when they order, if they use the bookmark then more people may become aware of my business. I do the monthly craft fair there and now have some regular customers as a result. The local knitting group, of which I am a member also meets at the the Courthouse and has been featured in the local paper so that was good publicity. I have joined the Leeds Knitterati group on Ravelry and will be attending one of their meetings soon, so this may bring in some more business. Having some of my luxury yarns stocked in a lovely new wool shop in Leeds (Baa Ram Ewe) has also helped me to get my yarns seen in the Leeds knitting community.”

As these Folksy sellers have proved, there are so many ways to promote your shop other than just online. Some of them take more effort than others, but if you want people to “Look At You” you just have to take the plunge and go for it!

Thank you to Anne, Debbie, Lynne and Kirsty for taking part and now here’s some of their goodies to feast your eyes on….

Earrings Image Courtesy of Glamorous Glue
Share

By Contributing Columnist Kimberly Barnes aka Teatowelcreek

Recycling and Upcycling has become a very important part of our nations lifestyle in order to save the planet.

Recycling is the process of using a products useful parts and turning it into a new product;  Upcycling is similar to recycling in that you are taking a product and reworking it into a completely new form than what it was originally made into.

Every little thing we do on this earth can either assist in saving this planet or aid in it’s destruction.

Raggedyrhondas Primitive Folk Art consists of Handmade painted dolls, painting and patterns. Located in Middle Georgia, 96 miles south of Atlanta. Rhonda has been in business over 6 years with joining forces with her mom of mamasfolkart this year. Together they have over 35 years of art experience. Rhondas art has been in galleries in Japan, voted Who’s Who while she was still in High School in Columbus Georgia. Mother and Daughter team with both careers and education in Art, Business and Design. 

 Dolls are all made as originals, signed and dated. No two are ever alike. Some of the dolls made are turned into patterns for others to use to create their own handmade dolls. Rhonda will help with any questions you may have by emailing her at raggedyrhondas.com. Teaching is a love of Rhonda and her mother Frances. No question is unanswered. Rhonda sells from her web site at raggedyrhondas.com along with raggedyrhondas.etsy.com, raggedyrhondas.blogspot.com, a member of Primdollstudio Blog, Cloth Doll Artistry, Magical Holiday Artists, and few others not meantioned.

Wonderful painting techniques are used on creating her dolls, to give them a realistic look, dolls that depict days gone by, along with her painting on canvas to remember memories of days gone by. Check Rhonda and her mothers art. You wont be dissapointed. Raggedyrhondas offers special orders by request. Dolls and Paintings can be created for you by sending a picture and Rhonda will do her very best to paint it for you. Rhonda of Raggedyrhondas sells worldwide.

Working from her studio located in Warner Robins, Georgia  – near the air force base. You can catch her at the sewing machine daily, or taking photos in the country, visiting the historical homes or Macon, Georgia. Always trying to capture of piece of the past. Visit Rhonda and say hello, she says she is always ready to offer a cold glass of sweet tea and when peaches are in season – you will catch her making peach ice cream or peach cobbler the old fashioned way. Raggedyrhondas located in the middle of what is called the Bible Belt of the south.

She is happy to help all. Primitive Folk Art has taken over her life and finds such joy in her life creating for others. Rhonda of Raggedyrhondas
Share our Raggedyrhondas bios on Facebook!!!

Articles by Raggedyrhondas:

Have an old and stained primitive holiday!

I’m Linda Gay Jones and here is a brief bio of me! (And I know it’s longer than I expected it to be though! Hey, I’ve lived a long time!
I’ve always done a variety of art related jobs, so that makes me a jack of many trades. I’m an illustrator 1st with watercolor, but recently I work with acrylic paints and I have become a mixed media artist. My work is very whimsical and is intended to bring a smile on people’s faces! I went to The High School for Performing and
Visual Arts when it was just a pup. There were only 400 people in the entire school that means 20 people accepted in each department. That was an accomplishment for such a big city like Houston! I also got my
BFA at East Texas University with a 3.8 GPA but I sure had to work for it! I’ve lived in several places, Oahu,
Commerce, TX for collage, New York city for 12 years, LA, and Washington State. My work had me travel all around the world, not everywhere, but a lot of places. I worked in Special Events in the Art department and wardrobe, props in theater, commercials, touring with celebrity musicians, art teacher etc. Adventurous life & I’m being brief!!! Well now I end up back in my home neighborhood near my elderly parents, which is very nice, yet I am on disability for many reasons, but mainly a severe case of fibromyalgia. My art keeps me going, along with a lot of Faith. Being involved with Etsy, the Etsy Texas Crafters team, a member of a mini Art group, my blog, Flickr, fests and the wonderful artists that I’ve been meeting has done wonders despite my set backs with my health issues. My shop is LindaGJ & if I had to chose a favorite of mine it would be: Listing # 10654725 I also have a Flickr page which is & my blog. I also have a facebook page and twitter, but I don’t know their addresses. I love to promote other artists and since Houson is my hometown I make Treasuries for Etsy with Houston artists! Charities are a plus! And I give 2 dollars for each item of my pieces to Pet Smart. I also donate many times for other artists I’ve met on my blogs. If anything, art is my passion and I also love to collect other artists work, as long as I can afford it. My walls are one big art gallery!
Share LInda GJ’s bio on Facebook!!!

LindaGJ is also the Columnists Interaction Rep for Indiesmiles!

ARTICLES by Linda GJ
Primitive Frights

The Yellow Roses of Texas

The Texas Renaissance Festival of 2009

The Fibro Diaries

blogs and their kitties

Etsy Lights

Lights in the Heights

Kitty Helper – Killy Greetings

A Hero, An Artist & the Permission to Fail

Hearts for Haiti

Mama Knows Best

Happy Hearts for Haiti

The Wizard behind Indiesmiles

The Indie Mascot Kitty Katie