Etsy update~!

Well, over this last week I have finally gotten around to updating my Etsy shop with some of the things I have made recently.

I'm always a bit apprehensive about listing on Etsy... it's the photos, really. As an avid Etsy buyer (!), I really appreciate what a difference good photos make to a listing, and I feel that I'm still not quite settled on what I want the 'look' of my own items' photos to be. Good light is always a problem in my flat, and getting an opportunity to find an outside space to photograph things can be difficult.

I made a light box from instructions that I found via Etsy, and I have to say that's helped a lot with eliminating shadows, and achieving diffused light... but I still don't feel I've found the perfect backdrop for the items. This time around I've used handmade paper. I'd really like to use slate, or perhaps some very fine matte emery paper (I'll need to find some first!) instead at some point - all the backgrounds I've used before have been quite light, and maybe I need to try something darker.

I've also been using the scanner a bit for some items, like cards, but I find it doesn't always do the colours justice, and if there's too much texture (for example on my beaded pieces) focus can be a problem too.

So, I'm still working on it - but I feel that each time I update my shop I learn something new!

This week I've added...

...some fiber embellished cards that I made with my embellisher - quite simple, but they really show off the beautiful threads (again courtesy of Sassalynne and Therainbowgirl!) to good effect.

...some jewellery I made with vintage findings, kumihimo braids, and felted pieces (again made using my embellisher, and then finished with handsewn beads and hand embroidery).

This necklace was made using a piece of a larger blue piece I had felted and beaded. It's mounted on a vintage brass tag, and strung on a lovely vintage brass coloured chain. I really like the texture of the pendant - it's very touchable!

I made these earrings from one of my 8-strand kumihimo braids. I have been trying to work out a way of incorporating the braids into earrings, in a way I like. This is the best I have come up with so far! I tied the braids into Chinese flat button knots, which I think shows off the texture nicely. One braid end is fed into a tiny bead cap so that the earring finding can be attached.