8/52 Bird a week challenge - Henry the Heron

Here's Henry - this week's bird of the week - part of my year long challenge to make (at least) 52 different birds this year.

Henry is a heron, but I'm sure you can tell that from his long legs and bill.  His legs are wiggly too - not sure that is a distinctive feature all herons however :-D

He loves to go fishing in ponds and small lakes.  If you see him at one near you - be sure to shout out "hello Henry".  He'll be so delighted.  You can see him here, looking carefully for small fish or frogs:

He also enjoys walks in fields looking for gophers, frogs, mice and other small creatures.

Henry - and herons in generally, tend to fish and walk alone so although they may appear a little antisocial, it's not true. In fact, Henry favorite place to hang out is around your neck on a little chain.  How friendly is that!

There are a good number of us taking this bird a week challenge, so if you want to see what the other birders are making this week, click on the links below:

A bird a week challenge

I realized last year that I seem to do well and enjoy having challenges for myself. For example, I started the year with "a month of earrings" where for  February and March I made an earring a day, then I had the master muse challenges every couple of months..... I like the "pressure", if you can call it that - to make and complete something even if sometimes it can get frustrating.

So a thought that has been running through my head this last month or so is to challenge myself to a "A Bird a Week".  The "bird a week" idea means that I have a goal to create a different bird - in any media I like - each week.  I find birds so inspiring and I would like to try making birds in different media and thus this challenge would be an opportunity to "study" birds in more depth, looking at different species or styles etc.

What would be even better would be if others joined in too........how about it? You know you birdie types out there....Wanna join the challenge and create a bird a week? See if we can come up with 52 different birds in 2011? Let me know... We can set up a Flickr group.... and share our creations.  It would be fun.  I look forward to hearing from you.

Oh oh, better start thinking about this week's birdie now......

Sunday's Spotlight - A Flick through Flickr

BY GUEST BLOGGER PETE

You, dear reader of this blog, may well know all about "FLICKR" and may have been using it for years.  However, there might be just one reader who has no idea what "FLICKR" is.

Ruth introduced me to FLICKR about 18 months ago and until that point, although I had heard of it, I didn't even realise that the spelling was "FLICKR" and not "FLICKER".  How backward can you become?

Basically, FLICKR is a site for showing off your photographs.  However, once you get started on it you'll find yourself picking up all sorts of photographic tips and improvement ideas.  The membership forums usually have someone who will answer your questions and be able to help you undertake all manner of adaptions to your photos.

You also make FLICKR contacts or friends quite easily.  FLICKR has, quite literally, thousands of groups open for you to join - each group offering a specific aspect of photography.  For example, I am interested in kaleidoscopes and there are a number of groups with large memberships who share my interest.  There are also groups for photos of cities, towns, villages, hamlets etc, all over the world.

I started and administer a group under the heading of "Cathedral and Church Flower Festivals".  It's one of the smaller groups - minute compared to most - but it has plenty of members' photos in its pool.

Opening a FLICKR account is straight forward.  It costs absolutely nothing and provides you with a limited amount of free storage for your photos on the internet but no restrictions on the number of groups you can join or other folks' photos that you can view.

For a small annual subscription you become, in rather pretentious FLICKR language, a "PRO".  Now you can upload as many photos as you wish as often as you wish.

There is also the possibility that some of your photos will be published.  A number of mine have been been.  The latest - last month - you will find on www.stepupfinance.com/down-town.  My photo is the rather weird one at the beginning.

You're also quite welcome to visit my FLICKR site - Peter 2010

and Ruth's FLICKR - Birdland Creations site as well.

Give FLICKR a go if you haven't already.  Basically its not going to cost you a penny or a cent!.

Anyone can stay connected

After writing my latest Merry Go Round blog post at the end of May all on the topic of Networking, I was inspired to make a piece of jewelry that embodied all that we do nowadays to keep in touch with people and stay connected....whether that is through Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, emails, text messages, the phone... and countless other ways.

So I came up with "anyone can stay connected".  It's a bracelet - you can add charms to it if you like - but the closure/toggle is my little "anyone" figure - making the connection!  His arms are raised and go through the ring and keep the bracelet connected!!!

Hope you like him!  I think he's quite a sweet (and skinny!)  anyone!!!...arms up, ready to connect... He'd make a great gift for someone you want to stay connected to...

What's your favorite way of staying connected?

Merry go round - Networking

It''s time for another ride on the merry-go-round! Jump on and join a group of 9 artists/crafts-women as they link around the world and tell you a little about their lives in art and craft.

This month's questions that we will answer are:

What do you do to network?

In what ways does it work or not work?

A dictionary definition of "Networking" defines it as "a supportive system of sharing information and services among individuals and groups having a common interest."  I like the "supportive" part of that definition.  And also the "sharing" part too. In all my networking, I try to pay attention to the fact that it is not just a one way ticket and an opportunity for me to get my work out there, but that it is also important that I listen and see what others are doing and creating and offer them support.

Here are some of the internet based ways I network and what works for me:

• Blogging 

I really enjoy blogging and think it's a great way to connect with people - both potential buyers, other artists and also, family and friends ( who are, of course, potential buyers and  great for word of mouth marketing).  I publish my blog here on Blogger, and then it is set up to also automatically publish on:

• my own website  www.birdlandcreations.com
• Facebook - both my personal page and my business page
• Twitter

This means that one action gets to hit 4 different avenues which I really like!

In addition to my own blog, I also read and comment on lots of other blogs too.  I have quite a few blogs set up to come to my Google Reader and generally read them every day or every other day.  I love Google Reader as it brings all your favorite blogs to one place so you can read them all together rather than keep searching lots of different sites.

• Etsy

While I have my storefront on Etsy, I'm not one who likes to hang out in the forums and chat. For some people, I know that is a great networking opportunity, but it's not my thing.  However I am part of the Etsy Metal Clay Team and that is a lovely way to stay in touch with other artists using the same media as myself.  It's a friendly team and both inspiring and supportive.  I've met a few members face to face and look forward to meeting more in the future.  We have our own team website and blog and so promote each other and metal clay.

Having a store on Etsy seems to be a great way for other stores to find your work too and I've had quite a few wholesale requests come from Etsy.  While I don't really do much wholesale work, as my pieces tend to me one of a kind, I am working on what could possibly be a great wholesale project at the moment for a company that I really like...so fingers crossed for that - and they found me on Etsy.

• Dawanda

As well as a storefront, Dawanda seems to offer me quite a few interview opportunities and features in other people's blog. This Monday, in fact, I am going to be interviewed for the Dawanda blog, so hopefully that will generate some interest.  Last week one of my products was on their newsletter which got me three sales that day, a blog feature and an interview request. 

 

And of course this "merry go round" originated from other sellers I "met" on Dawanda and the merriers are definitely a supportive networking system!  I do love Dawanda!

  Cartoon by Oliver Widder

• Facebook

I initially joined Facebook as just somewhere to publish my blog...but now I enjoy it as a place to catch up with friends, previous customers, family etc.  While I'm not one of these facebook addicts, I enjoy seeing what everyone is up to and it's a great, easy way to keep up to date with everyone.

• Twitter

I've never really got into Twitter. I don't do anything there except let my blog automatically publish there.  Maybe one day I'll get it....but then maybe not!

• Flickr

Flickr is probably my most recent networking avenue.  For ages I couldn't really see the point of it, but then I gave it a try and have been featured on a few other blogs from people seeing my work there, and it's a great place to see lots of beautiful things.  I guess I'm quite an inconsistent Flickr user but that suits me.

• Online galleries

There are few of these around where you can submit a photo for consideration for their gallery.  Craftgawker is one that I really like and  has brought me several customers.  You need to submit a photo of your work from your website or blog as it has to have some content associated with it - not just a photo.

A couple of blog style galleries are Try Handmade, Etsytacular, and Must Have Cute.  Must Have Cute sent me an amazing number of viewers after featuring my Nate and Kate octopuses.  They found my work - I didn't submit it - but I got hundreds of visitors from them.  They do have a submission process too but I'm not sure how often they use what is submitted as opposed to what they find.

I've found and purchased some wonderful things from these galleries too so they are definitely worth looking at.

What are your most successful networking efforts?  Any you'd like to share or suggest?

Take a look at how other friends on the merry go round network by visiting their blogs via the following links.  Remember that we live on different time zones so some may post later than others.

Alison at Tweed Delights - http://idreamoftweed.blogspot.com
Mitsy at ArtMind - http://artmind-etcetera.blogspot.com
Kim at Vilt a la Kim - http://viltalakim.blogspot.com
Sara at Crafts of Texture - http://sarastexturecrafts.blogspot.com
Fabienne at Easterya Jewellery Creations - http://easterya.blogspot.com
Mariana at Florcita - http://www.florcita.eu/
Agathe at Le Bar du Vent - http://lebarduvent.blogspot.com
Lily at Lily Pang Art and Design - http://lilypangart.blogspot.com

Lijit - a blog search box that gives feedback!

While most people have a search box for their blogs, so people can look up previous topics etc, I just came across Lijit and have added that in my sidebar of this blog.

Here's what it looks like:


It seems to perform all the usual search functions for the searcher that other search boxes do, but the advantage is that it provides valuable information back to you, the blogger, on what people have searched for and found - but also what keywords they searched for and didn't find any links/results.

Both are useful when you come to write future blog posts, as maybe you can choose to address some of topics that people searched for and didn't find links to, and also you can keep talking about the most searched about topics!
Sample search: 4 pages of results


I only put it on my blog last night but already I can see that my top referring search location is Delhi! Lijit sends you a weekly email showing your stats which is great - or else you can log into the website www.lijit.com and enter your name and password and all search information shows up for you.

In addition to using this to search your blog, you can also set it up to search your social networks too - including linkedin, twitter, Flickr,Digg, Reddit....and also include other people's blogs as well.

It's free, easy to set up, and I think it's going to be useful feedback - and different from what you get from google analytics. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Using Flickr photos freely in your blog

No, the above photo isn't my latest sales plan!!! - but it is an example of a great "jewelry" photo from Flickr, by Lepiaf

I was talking to a friend of mine today about using other peoples' photos in your blog. I explained to her about the creative commons search on Flickr, and while I could explain it here - instead I'll just link you to the wonderful explanation by Skelliewag. It is great.

Skelliewag - the complete guide to finding and using incredible flickr images

You'll find lots of other information on his blog too. Definitely one to read regularly.

Previous post about Flickr

Flickr and Sweet Figments

I've recently been posting my photos on Flickr - both of jewelry and some birds. Previously I'd not really used Flickr but after my dad was "discovered" on it, and after asking a few other "jewelry people" about it, I was convinced that I should be a bit more active as it does seem useful for increased exposure.

As I'm sure most people know, as well as having your own photo set, you can also join groups and post your photos there. Yesterday I signed up to join the Sweet Figments group. Sweet Figments is a blog that was designed to help get artists more exposure and also includes features and interviews etc.

Well - yesterday I added 5 photos to the group - and today, they are showing one of them on their Flickr Friday blog! How fast is that. They chose my "Feed the birds" necklace - that always seems to catch to eye!


The other wonderful thing about Sweet Figments is their logo! Here it is:



Thanks Sweet Figments.

Business Matters - Marketplaces - Art Fire

This week's artisan marketplace for review is Art Fire. Art Fire is a new marketplace and has taken off with great popularity.

There are two sellers accounts you can try - basic and verified. Basic is free - free to list and free to sell. No commission - nothing. No monthly fee. Just a place to sell your items and keep the money for yourself! Surely that is worth a try? And it can be free forever! Maximum 10 items for sale at any one time. Includes google analytics and many other features. It may be called "basic" but it actually does alot.


The second account is a verified account. Here there is a monthly fee of $12 (it was $7 and has just gone up - and will soon go up to $20 - it is their incentive price to get artists to join). Apart from the monthly fee, there is nothing else to pay - no listing charges, no commission - just your monthly. Take a look at what you spend on Etsy a month and see how it compares. For your monthly fee you can list as many items as you want.

They have lots of little extras - for example, if you look at my sidebar on the blog - just scroll down a little way - you can see that they have a Rapidcart that you can add to your blog or facebook. You choose which items you want in it - or let them be random from your store and then people can buy directly from your blog without haven't to go into ArtFire or any other store.


ArtFire automatically submits your items to google base, and has "share this" buttons so you can bookmark a store on your own computer, email it to someone else, or bookmark on Digg, Delicious, Stumble Upon, Twitter and many more.

Another feature is "markethub". This is a place on your store where you can link through to all your other stores and social networks. You can even link through to your Etsy Store. I've linked to Etsy, my own website, my blog, Facebook, Twitter.....etc etc. It's a great hub so someone can see the other places you sell and frequent! Below you can see the buttons to the links (sorry, not active in this snapshot)...


I haven't actually spent much time on Art Fire yet but have started a store there........and I think, like all these marketplaces, you need to put in the time to get noticed initially - so that is on my to do list!! It is very similar to Etsy but with a few added features and not as large (yet!).

If you look at the traffic rankings of marketplaces, ( RANKINGS ) ArtFire is pretty high up considering it only started a few months ago. It's definitely one to watch I think.