From Line to Art

After having embroidered up some super cute woodlandly Peter Pan collars for Twine and Pearls, I've recently gone on a googling adventure through the blogosphere, being inspired by all the fun embroidery designs that are out there and on Etsy. I wanted to share some of the ones I thought were cute and unique!

Kranken vs Ship by houseofwhimsy

Wooly Sheep and Tree Pattern by Sewjenaissance

PIGGINS and Friend by MargieMargie

My Etsy loves Moo!

My trip to Texas really made me put my Etsy shop on the back burner for about a week. Inexcusable, really, because I had an inquiry about a sale to Guam during that time and wasn't able to address it fast enough. There may be time now... but I doubt it and refuse to let it get me down!

I actually have several sleeves that need to be photographed and posted in the coming week and in all honesty, I think Aquavert is going along well. Having wrote out a business plan for the month of February, I can't say I've met my revenue goals (yet)-- but I think remaining consistent and putting my name out there has definitely helped. As soon as I start actively commenting on blog posts, my views go up on everything. As soon as I post to Twitter, my views spike even more. And as for Etsy Teams? The numbers go up exponentially any time I help out the community.

What has also helped me is really being professional about the whole thing. Dedicating a set amount of work hours and staying focused during that time has really allowed me to get more into the swing of things and have better results.

Like making my moo designs!

I'm actually absolutely proud of these because I actually stayed focused and worked for a few hours on Illustrator to get these prepped for Moo mini cards. Now they all have my Etsy logo, updated contact info, and I can't wait to give these out. My next step is to update my banner, update my blogger layout to have the same sort of feel of my Etsy, and then revamp all my photographs. I love my product photos, but I think they can definitely be redone. I'm also considering sending out promo codes to really make a push for sales.

Slowly but surely, it's all coming together! I also want to give a shout out to DearSukie @ Etsy for the amazing moo card holder I purchased from her. It's so practical and so well made! Absolutely love it!

February Gift Guide

Carnival, Valentine's Day, a little bit of a tease of the Spring season-- so many yummy things happening in February that I've decided to put together a fun little gift-guide for the month. Now, I'm not convincing anyone that they need anything... (or do they?)- but it's just fun to browse Etsy sometimes looking at all the beautiful things that are made. If you're on the hunt for gifts this month, please try and support small businesses!

HeavenAndSmell @ Etsy

There's really not much to say but holy cow this looks delicious-- for soap! I think it'd be so awesome to lather up with this bar of Chocolate Banana Olive Oil soap. I bet it smells heavenly- hence the HeavenAndSmell shop name. This would make such a fun gift!

hellosmallworld @  Etsy

How cute is this? I browsed for Valentine's cards and this one was one of the many that came up. There were a lot of funny ones... but cute little ones like this made by Hellosmallworld made me grin. It's simple, direct, and it just makes you feel good.  

JulieAnnArt @ Etsy

 I ain't gunna lie-- I busted out laughing as soon as I stumbled on this card. The sad part is... is that it's totally true! I know plenty of people who will end up doing something like this for Valentine's Day! Not to make their day worse, but I think it'd be a great card for a little joke amongst friends. Plus the little cat by JulieAnnArt is so adorable! 

Buligaia @ Etsy

How adorable is this? While browsing for cute cupid-inspired items, I came upon this adorable owl handstitched by Buligaia. I love that he's rocking out with a cute toga and a cute little harp and has a little heart nose. I can totally picture this guy sitting on my desk with me, keeping me company on days my boyfriend is out of town or at work. He's just so cheerful!  

Davs @ Etsy

What kick-ass color! I love how it's also very thick and gloopy-- it almost feels like you can fall into it. Plus, it's just interesting to look at... very much like an ink blot test in a good way. Davs also has a really great selection of funny zombie art to giggle at.

DazzlingDezignz4U @ Etsy

Amethyst is the precious stone of February and these earrings make great use of it. While seeing Amethyst jewelry, I realized that I'm very picky about this stone because it can be made to look cheap... but these earrings most certainly do not appear that way. DazzlingDezignz4U really made them look classy.

KMCQdesigns @ Etsy

What an amazingly fun mask! I love how there are enough touches to really make it really pop-- without it getting out of control. I think it'd be so much fun wearing something like this in the warm, sticky heat of Rio or New Orleans and someday, I wish to be able to make it to an awesome event like that. The seller, KMCQdesigns, has a ton of really beautiful and delicate masks that are all gorgeous and unique-- I want each and every one!

poppyandpinecone @ Etsy

What a fun print and great way to end off the February gift guide-- not with tons of red, but with green! Looking at this Brazil print kind of makes me smile and makes me look even more forward to the Spring. PoppyandPinecone also has a ton more similar artwork listed on Etsy so if Brazil isn't your thing, I'm sure you'll be able to find a country or state that is. 

Black tea + amaretto and bright red finger nails.

So if you follow me on Twitter, you may have gathered that I started a brand new venture on Etsy, Aquavert, which I had to neglect over the holidays. I really pushed myself to get it up and running before Black Friday (which I did)-- but had to quickly put it back on hold with the rush of finals and moving into my new apartment. I'm actually very excited to start getting it back and running, though!

My current goal is plain and simple: Have 100 different sleeves listed by March. Sounds like a weird one, but hear me out! The way I see it, the more items I put out there, there more demographics my sleeves will appeal to and the more people will be interested!

Either way, I'm finding one of the trickiest aspects of actually making the sleeves is finding beautiful fabric! I think this was an excellent reminder of why I want to become a textile designer... so I never have to deal with that problem again!

So while right now I'm still in the process of unpacking my sewing machine and getting into a frenzy of activity, I'll post up a few beautiful Liberty of London prints that would look so fun on a yummy cup of coffee. Yes, the fabric is a tad (lot) more expensive, I would like to at least have a few of them on my coffee sleeves- they're so classy and iconic!

 

Soooo beautiful! (Can I just get my degree all ready so I can go work for this company?) Even if my fabric stash is horrendously depleted, I still have a cute Dr. Seuss print fabric I intended for the holidays that could still be posted. I also have a bright blue reindeer print which I'll have to put aside until next year-- poor reindeer!

This tastes like lemon merangue pie and I adore that.

Yes, yes. I'm well aware that I'm being heavily influenced by popular culture these past few months. Yes, I know this is most definitely unlike me. Then again, it is a nice anchor for my wandering mind. I'm sure if I were to ask my boyfriend on the matter, he would deny his own influence as well-- which I don't mind. I will take responsibility of all this all on my own.

I suppose you can say that I look at inspirational ideas, people, situations, and places a little bit differently than many other people do-- an artist's trained eye, so to speak. (Well, even that would be an ego-stroking comment; that's a topic for another day.) Looking past what is and isn't "in" and actually picking out the traits that I find desirable in each inspirational source without bias is actually extremely liberating.

With all that said, I reiterate that I've been more-so into (american? western?) pop culture than normal which I'm ok with. Being sucked in by Kim Kardashian's huge ass isn't on my to-do list, however (at least not yet, anyway).


Katy Perry:

 

I don't listen to her music, but her style is inspirational in how it flatters femininity and well... uh, assets. Looking at how Katy Perry asserts herself with confidence gives me a little more hope which is great-- her interviews really reflect how at ease with herself she is and which I admire. Obviously, that's something to be learned with time. Granted, the songs she puts out are a little much for me -- but the positive attitude and giant grin at all times are a huge plus and I definitely like her.

Dita von Teese:

Oh, I like her... as much of a dirty pleasure as it might be. Classic, sexy, and very very dedicated to vintage styles. I really admire how she turns fashions and ideals that are considered very "grandma" by modern standards and brings out their old appeal with full vigor. Putting her burlesque aside (and which I have no problem with, btw!), she's more covered up than a lot of fashion icons of today and to be honest, that's what  I like. Its all classic and tasteful, with attention to detail and frankly-- I love the silhouette of her fashion way more than the modern things normally touted.

Ew. No thanks. 

I will gladly embrace feminine, soft lines, beautiful colors, fabrics and non-anorexic (or drug-fueled [Lohan D8 ]) style.  

Miss Pandora/Louise Ebel

I actually found her blog via Forever21 which was weird, but I'm still glad I stumbled upon her website and all the cool pictures she updates with. She's a wonderful inspiration for a few different reasons: 1- She's around my age range which I think is so cool! She's doing so much for someone so young. 2- If she can do it, so can I (haha!). 3- She mixes and matches high-end with some of the fast fashion styles of today. Louise is definitely a modern fashion icon in my life and I love it.

Looking at what I think is attractive clothing, I'm happy to say I still slant towards more vintage and older style. Even though I may not be as fully steeped in the (Japanese) street styles as I used to be, I'm still within boundaries I love and appreciate. Yes, I love pink, yes I adore frivolous decoration, curvy lines, stockings, ruffles, lace, and the totality of "girly", so I don't feel its a betrayal of 10 years of self identification. But at least I'm comfortable saying I can take it to the next level and be more grown up than previously and I'm all good with it all.

 

(Top 2 images from Google, purse by DesignsByAmbiana @Etsy , cuff by TheVanityFair @Etsy )