According to Pantone “Spring traditionally evokes a sense of freshness and new beginnings, with sprouting shoots and blossoming flowers that inspire designers to breakout of the winter doldrums. Bright colors return to the top 10 list for spring ’09, as designers incorporate vibrant pops into their collections, yet temper the vibrancy with deeper, translucent or neutral tones. “New York’s fashion designers encourage hopeful attitudes with lively colors, while sophisticated, grounded hues address the need for stability in times of economic uncertainty,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “
So what are those bright Spring colors?
Lots of greens, which makes me very happy, plus a very vibrant yellow.
So now that you know what they are, how will you use them in your new Spring designs?
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Aw, c’mon, admit this made you laugh out loud if you are a Mom.
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I’ve posted about this previously, but sometimes a refresher is good.
You have a blog. You need readers, right? I mean, what good is a blog if no one reads it? Kind of like the tree falls in the woods analogy, you know? There are, literally, thousands of things you can do to generate traffic to your blog. I’ve listed a few below to get you started.
1. When you add a new post, let folks know. An easy way to do this is to add your new posts to the appropriate forum threads on sites that you belong, like artfire or etsy. Just search the forums for threads that have blog in the title and then copy paste a link to your new post in that thread.
2. Post your new blog post to twitter. Watch out though. Twitter is highly addictive. If you aren’t careful you will still be there hours later.
3. You can join entrecard. It generates LOTS of traffic for me and I’ve found a LOT of new blogs to follow.
4. Add feedburner or similar to your blog and give users the option to follow by email if following by a reader is a pain (I think it is a pain. I LOVE being able to receive new posts from blogs I love via email. lol)
5. Post content that is interesting to your readers. What do you like to read about? What keeps your interest on other’s blogs? Post those kinds of things. Unless you are a famous designer, if your blog is filled with only posts that proclaim your latest and greatest creation, you aren’t going to generate lots of readers. They can just visit your shop to see you new designs.
6. Make sure your post titles, post content and post tags are filled with words that you think readers interested in your blog would use in Google searches. For instance, most of my posts contain the word handmade as I’d like it to appear in search results every time someone searches google for the word handmade.
7. If you have a facebook page, add the widget that automatically uploads your new blog posts to facebook for everyone to read
8. Add a social networking widget to your blog so your readers can easily add interesting blog posts to kirtsy, twitter, fark, stumbleupon, etc. One to take a look at is http://addthis.com/.
9. Make sure you use the option to label your pictures when you uploading them so they can be found in google searches too. For example, if the title of your pic is something like prlnecklong.jpg, you should either change its name to HandmadeLongPearlNecklace.jpg, or use the title attribute when you add the image on your blog page. You know that little name that pops up sometimes when you hover over an image with your mouse? That text is searchable in google, so use it if you can.
10. Comment on other’s blogs, and make sure to include the url to you blog in your signature. This acts as a reciprocal link back to your blog that others can follow if they think your comment is particularly pithy or interesting.
What are your favorite tips about building your blog traffic?
Hope that gets you started. Blogging is kind of addictive and fun.
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I’ve met many jewelry designers online and on the teams that I belong. As you already know, I like to highlight some of them from time to time on my blog.
Today’s profile belongs to Leilani of HeavenlyFlower, a fellow member of the Starving Artists Team. You can find out more about Starving Jewelry Artists at our forum here
Location: Montreal, Quebec Canada, but originally from Halifax, Nova Scotia.
What are your jewelry beginnings? Where did you start and how did you progress to work you are creating today?
About 12 years ago I started delving into my creative side as a way to relieve work stress. Jewelry making however, did not take off until about two years later; after one of my doctors insisted I find an outlet to deal with a depression & anxiety disorder. Soon after, people started to comment positively about the pieces as I wore them & ask how much I would charge for them. I literally was selling jewelry right off my neck! I realized that I found my creative bliss and could make money at it. I started off selling on ebay and at local flea markets. I was delighted by the results, despite many mistakes along the way. I branched out by having a few pieces showcased in local businesses, throwing jewelry parties & bringing my work to offices during lunch hours.
What are your favorite materials?
Definitely gemstones, semi-precious stones. I love the metaphysical element, the folklore & spirituality that surround them, as well as the geological aspect & history.
What are your favorite pieces to create? Currently I am trying my hand at wire wrapped rings, & these have proved to be fun & challenging! But really I am content to make anything that contains my energies & emotions. So long as I am free to create something that I feel reflects me, I am content with it, whether it be earrings, a necklace, bracelet, etc…I am currently on a personal creative quest I call “100 Days of Creativity”, where I have to create at least one piece of jewelry for 100 consecutive days. I decided to do this after having a rather long hiatus from jewelry making & the business in order to relocate here to Montreal and to have my daughter. I am almost 75% of the way there, and not sure if I will make it to 100 since I have another baby on the way any day now! Until then, I will keep designing as it has given me such joy & creative ideas. Each day’s creation is chronicled on my blog.
What’s been your biggest jewelry oops?
Two things that go hand in hand: not believing in myself enough & under pricing my pieces! I have learned that I should be more confident in my abilities & that undercutting myself just to make a sale is not worth it. I now have a good formula for pricing my work. Confidence is still something I work on everyday…I think artistic people are always critical of their work, and I am no exception.
What inspires you? The world around me in general! Nature, the people I meet & their experiences…since my niche is designing custom jewelry that embodies the wearer, being in tune with my environment & the people within it is a necessity.
How do you describe your design style? Earthy, spiritual, and funky.
What artists have influenced you, and how?
Wow. I am inspired by so many different forms or art so this could be a lengthy list. But as far as body adornment go, there are three artists that stick out in my mind: Tattoo artist Kat Von-D, and jewelry designers Maya Brenner & Tina Tang. Kat Von-D inspires me as she pushes herself as an artist, is a driven entrepreneur and is not afraid to be herself. Not to mention she is young with a successful business based around her art! Tina Tang inspires me for leaving her job as a stock trader to become a successful jewelry designer, and Maya Brenner for using her personal style to design jewelry that appeals to the celebrity set.
What advice would you give to an artist just starting out? Follow you heart, never give up and be patient! Success never happens overnight. Keep moving forward and if you are following your heart all the hard work will pay off.
How do you spend time when you are NOT creating? I am a wife & a stay at home mom to my 18 month old daughter, due to be a new mommy again any day now.
Thanks Leilani!
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All right, how many of these have YOU actually done?
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