Etsy Buys

I made a couple purchases on Etsy this week.

I think Etsy is such a great place for unique, inexpensive jewelry. I fell in love with these simple hexagon studs from Vivid by Esther. The're bold, yet simple, and can be either edgy or classy, depending on what clothes and makeup I wear. I'm excited to get them in the mail!


I also bought some washi tape from Pretty Tape. I'm planning on using it in my travel journals by taping ticket stubs, photos, or bits of paper I find in Paris.


Have you bought anything from Etsy recently? Or have you seen any posts about travel journaling? I could use some ideas!

Sending Etsy Mail

Hey everyone! I miraculously got TWO WHOLE SALES yesterday in my Etsy shop, which is absolutely unprecedented in my shop. Sad, I know, but I'll take what I can get. So I thought I'd share with you some of the packaging and goodies I've included in one of the orders. Voila:


First, I quickly painted a white envelope to protect the photo. I used watercolors and just messily free-handed the text. As you can see, my "darla dear" is tilting off to one corner.

Then, I cut out a playful shape from pink paper to use as an address label. Obviously, I didn't include the address of my customer, for obvious reasons. Obviously. (I just couldn't stop typing obviously.)

I also included a pretty card, in which I wrote a quick thank you in pencil. She can erase my pencil markings, and re-use the card for whatever she likes!

I needed a bit more reinforcement, so I threw in a thick paper with watercolor paint swatches on it (not pictured here), which I made for an art class. Perhaps she can use them in a collage.

I then threw it all into a cardboard envelope (a re-purposed, previously used envelope), pasted the address label, and closed the top using white duct tape. Super simple! If I got this in the mail, I'd have a blast uncovering each little silly treasure.

As of right now, since I average about 4 sales per year, I don't have uniform packaging methods, I just use what I've got lying around. But it makes it interesting! If you know of any blog posts about packaging, or if you have some ideas, leave them in the comments!

Pretty Handmade Jewelry

Hey there! The last few weeks I've been really busy with school, and my blogging has really been sparse. But I'm back with another Handmade Stuff feature! This time I'm featuring some unique jewelry from some creative Etsy artists. Enjoy!


Sources:1/2/3/4

{ONE}
If you haven't heard of White Owl's stunning and delicate lace jewelry yet, the time is now. The way they use each piece of lace is so creative! You MUST check out their shop, I wanted to add every single one of their pieces to my favorites.

{TWO}
There are three things I love about this bracelet: the combination of gold and jade green, the combining of different textures, and the tiny bell - which probably sounds like a fairy has come to play every time you move your arm. For an Etsy shop, BrassLady has A TON, and I mean A LOT, of items up for sale. And to put the cherry on top, everything is priced really well.

{THREE}
I find this necklace rather unique. It is a chevron shape, but unlike most other chevron necklaces out there, which are very straight-edged and geometric, FriedaSophie's is made of natural-looking, rough-edged beads. Plus, the colors are amazing.

{FOUR}
What more can be said about embroidered jewelry?! It's so pretty, it doesn't need explaining. Visit Abbey Vanderlin's shop!

That's all this month! Please visit their shops and show them some love by favoriting, buying, or pinning their items! Let's help support the handmade community.

The Future Looks Bright

I feel optimistic about the future. I'm excited for the easy freedom of summertime, and moving back home to share it with some of my best friends: I've sure missed them. These images and the playlist below really express my constant feeling of anticipation for the end of May. Enjoy :)




Photo by September Wren on Etsy


Photo by Aeropagita Prints on Etsy


Photo by Mayan Soffia on Etsy

Photo Prints

Look everyone! I got prints in the mail! It's always so exciting to see my images in print-form!

Since I don't own my own professional printer, and 1-hour photo at Walmart just doesn't cut it, I decided to get my prints taken care of through I Print From Home. I ordered them with a matte finish, and they look awesome. They also deliver really quickly, within three days, for only $3. I haven't been able to send them out to any customers yet, but here's to hoping!

Perhaps you can offer me some advice. I've been thinking about lowering the prices in my Etsy shop, to hopefully encourage more sales. However, I don't want to undercharge for my art, because I put a lot of time and effort into each one. Would you take a quick look at my shop, and let me know if you think my prices are too high, just right, or too low? Honest feedback is greatly appreciated!

What would you be willing to pay for a piece of fine-art-photography? Or is it something you don't really buy in general? Perhaps I should expand into bookmarks, magnets, or greeting cards?

Cool Handmade Stuff - March

Although it's a bit late in the month, I thought now would be the perfect time to begin a new Darla Dear tradition: Cool Handmade Stuff. Stuff that you never know you want, until you see it.

Sources:1/2/3/4

{ONE}
If you're like me, you often find yourself in need of a small incognito mirror while out and about, at school or work, because you swear there's something in your eye that you can't find, or you need to touch up your lipstick. This little pocket mirror does the trick, AND it's cute. Depeapa also makes unique geometric jewelry, painted tote bags, and some folksy art prints.

{TWO}
There are many things to love about this clock. First and foremost, there's a tiny little glass vase built in! You can wake up everyday to wildflowers on your side table! The minimal design and natural wood finish are also pretty neat. Namuwana is pretty new to the Etsy world, so pay them a visit!

{THREE}
These rain earrings are just so cute! You should definitely take a look at JooJooland's shop, it's full of elegant, beautifully made jewelry, and they're photographed so well too!

{FOUR}
Leah Goren's shop is truly a gem. She not only creates these original collage kits, eliminating all the tedious cutting, pasting, and searching for good paper scraps, but she also makes printed scarves, head wraps, art prints, and watercolor cards! I want her to add more items so I can add them all to my favorites!

That's all this month! Please visit their shops and show them some love by favoriting, buying, or pinning their items! Let's help support the handmade community.

I Love You, Erin Drewitz Photography

It's time for Artist Feature No. 2! This month, I'm featuring the photography of Erin Drewitz.

I was browsing through Etsy, hearting away, when I ran across her Pigeons & Whales photograph. Some people might look at this image and feel underwhelmed, simply because the beauty of it is wonderfully understated. I'll explain this more in a moment.

Erin describes her work best, as "an exploration of textures, light, shadow and color," and I totally agree. I love the cool, desaturated tones she uses, as well as the simple, rather mysterious and uninhabited subjects she captures.

This image below is what caught my eye. When I saw this as a thumbnail on Etsy, I didn't realize at first what it was - I didn't see the whale or the pigeons. I just saw color and pattern, and THAT is why I love her photography. How many people can take something as mundane as a painted wall and a flock of dirty pigeons and turn it into art? Not many.

To underscore my point, here is a quote by Delacoix, a painter during the time of the French Impressionists. He is speaking of painting, but let's just include photography in this concept as well, as they're both legitimate art forms:
"There is an impression that results from a certain arrangement of colors, lights, shadows, and so forth. It is what one might call the music of the painting. Before you even know what the painting represents...when you are too far away from it... you are conquered by this magical accord."

This one has an especially tangible atmosphere, and the mauve undertones are absolutely perfect.

Bravo, Erin! Good luck!

Here is her Etsy
And her Website

Spring Has Sprung

It's official! Spring has arrived! ...at least in California (The flowers say so).

For those of you who live in colder, more seasonally varied areas of the world, I encourage you to live vicariously through these pictures of springtime blooms! I found these bobbing beauties at the Japanese garden (the one nobody knows exists) on my school campus. Many of these are soon to be posted in Etsy!

Enjoy!


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Which one do you like the most?

Treasury - Pattern, Shape, and Color

In class, we've been studying Henri Matisse and Fauvism of the very early 20th Century. The characteristics of their paintings are: the love of surface patterning using flat shapes, and the unashamed use of pure, bright color (perhaps my next art history post will be about these rad dudes). I was inspired by this mini art movement, but replaced their super-saturated color palettes for a more refined and soothing one.

I had to research color names, and these are the three I came up with to describe this Treasury: light azure, pale peach, and camel. It's fun to search color terms in Google images and see what pops up... or maybe that's just a weird quirk of mine!




If you click here, you can take a closer look at each fantastically minimalist/modernist item. :)

Bicycles and the Breeze

Today we had some beautiful weather, and the cool breeze brought thoughts of bicycles and summer road trips to mind. I gathered up some items on Etsy which all have to do with bicycling. Click here to see these handmade items more closely!

I Love You, Pink Peony Photography

It is time *drumroll* for the start of a wonderful tradition, a tradition that will live in the hearts of all, a tradition that will occur once every month, a tradition called: the "I love you,[insert name of artist]" series, where I choose an artist I swoon, drool, and otherwise ogle over, and feature some of their work!

To start off this grand and momentous tradition, I have chosen someone very special, and I must confess that I love you, Pink Peony Photography. You've described your images best in your shop, "fun and sweet." Your images are full of pastels, cute things, flowers, and more cute things. Your photographs are light, bright, and happy, without looking washed-out or over-processed. Bravo, Pink Peony Photography, for earning a spot on my favorites list.

Sunny Sunshine

In honor of the overcast day I enjoyed yesterday, I have made a playlist to encourage sunny days. Call it a modern-day rain dance, without the dancing.




I've also gathered some of my favorite items on Etsy that feature sunny yellows in their palettes. I feel happier just looking at it!

Cute as a Button

Every time I drive to work, I pass this little antique shop, with sparkling lights in its large windows, through which I see glimpses of the cutest. shop. ever.

FINALLY, after months of driving past, I scavenged a parking space and paid a visit to the store. Boy, had I been missing out on something special. Not only does she have a great selection, but her prices are fantastically affordable. The one thing I like (yet mostly dislike) about antique/vintage stores is the tendency to overstock every square inch of space with stuff, but her shop was refreshingly well-visually displayed. She also runs an Etsy! Rustic and Refined

While there, I bought some milk-glass vases, some decorative glass candle holders that look like curvy test tubes, a beautiful frame that looks like gold lace, some wee little doilies, and a myriad of buttons. All of these things I bought as photo props, to better experiment with Still-Lives (Lifes?), you see.

As of yet, I have only explored the buttons, placed upon the doilies and a few of my favorite dresses with their colorful prints.









These aren't buttons, although they would make any blouse proud, they are in fact earrings, which I bought from Francescas!

Mint & Rose Treasury

Hello! I was inspired by valentine's day and the color mint in this Treasury. Click here to check out all the amazing and really cute handmade & vintage items!

Grand Reopening

Today is a big day, and the start of something big (I hope)! My Etsy shop is about to reopen, and I am eagerly anticipating a torrential downpour of sales, so much so that I can quit my day job and call myself a professional artist.

Yeah, I'm reaching for the stars here, but a girl can dream!

In an effort kick-start my quest for fame and riches, I have a treat for anybody reading this blog, 30% off any item in my shop! Just type in the code REOPEN30 at checkout. At the moment, I only have a few items, as all of them expired while I was away, but I will be adding more over the next few days.

Some of my current favorites!

These Days.

These days, I have been very busy suddenly.  I got a part time job, I'm going to school, I'm going to church, and I have all these little personal "on-the-side" projects that have popped up everywhere!  I'm starting to feel the stress.  It is a tricky thing, figuring out how to stay positive, keep the stress levels down, and not have a heart attack when something goes slightly wrong.  I have to thank God for everything and focus on the positives, of which there are many!!

This is why I am overly-excited for the upcoming weekend in Santa Barbara with my best bud Natalie!  I'll take some pics to show you when I return from my beach-lounging trip upstate.

But before then, I have three closing shifts, a french test, brochures to print, and photos to send!!  Wish me luck.

This photo brings a feeling of peace.  By LucySnowe