They can't all be winners: Outtakes Jan 27 shoot

I like to show where I'm shooting so you can see that these aren't magical spots hidden from the public with perfect lighting. Cars drive by, guys stop and stare, people honk, and the sun get in the way (or worse, it disappears). Most of this week's pics were shot on the Rollins College campus. Most of the campus looks like this: beige buildings, street lights, palm trees, and champagne colored cars. I try to use something I call the 12 inch rule. Which is to simply concentrate on an area no more than 12 inches around the model. So if there's an ugly mailbox 13 inches to the left, no problem because you're only gonna shoot (or crop the pic) to show the area immediately surrounding the model.
I was so excited about this top. Unfortunately, we ran out of daylight and all of the pics I took were really crappy. I really tried to make this pic work. Aside from cropping and resizing I don't Photoshop any of my pics. Once you start messing with the image colors you change the way the clothing looks. Here the overhead light killed us. The model's skin is definitely not that color. So this one will have to wait. I'll re-shoot it the next time I go out and hope to get some better pics. You'd never know it by the model's face, but this was a very busy part of campus. Guys were opening and closing this big heavy door right behind me and it was loud and each time it opened there was a huge gust of wind - not at all ideal shooting conditions. Also, I know the hanging moss in the back makes it look all steamy and warm. Think again! It was about 58 degrees - not tank top weather.
Again, the palm trees and pond sure give the impression of a balmy Florida evening, but it's January and 55-58 is cold when you're not used to it. Don't get me wrong, it aint like Ontario, but for us, it's cold. The lack of sun really made this pic tough. If you look at my Etsy account you'll see more pics of this dress in the same location - except there's daylight. We fought with the sun waiting for it to fall into a position where we could shoot and not blind either one of us. I actually kind of like this picture. The crappy lighting and bleak flash make it look like something out of the American Apparel catalog - funny!.
Anyway, it goes to show, things are not always sunny in sunny Orlando.

Crappy Apartment Complex Photoshoot

Were these pics taken on a ranch? Maybe the park? Or maybe they were taken out in the woods next to a cute little pond? NOPE!!! This batch of photos was taken on the side of a very unattractive apartment complex on a dismal Sunday afternoon.

It goes to show that anyone can take decent pics with just a little effort and a good eye. I've noticed that lots of Etsy sellers have good intentions and try to take good pics of their products, but they fall victim to convenience. "it's too hot, it's too cold, it's too rainy, I don't have time, are all handy excuses. But what it all boils down to is: if you take pride in what you make you should also take pride in how you present it on Etsy.

You wouldn't know it by these pictures but this is the kind of place where two young girls really shouldn't be walking around with a digital camera. In fact, the reason we were shooting here was because the model lost her keys and didn't feel comfortable leaving the apartment unlocked. In addition to the bad location, it was also rainy, kind of humid and super windy. So we made the best of it.

I guess we could have shot the pics against an inside wall, but then we would have had very boring pictures. Instead we took the initiative to take a walk around the complex and find the cute ranch style fence and the retention pond. Before cropping there were crappy cars, beige walls, sidewalks, power boxes, light poles and all kinds of other ugly stuff.

As for lighting, we just had to tough it out and shoot between the clouds to get the warm sun glow. The wind was a bitch, you can even see it in a couple pics.

Don't think for a minute that I think these are professional pictures. What I do think is that they show the clothing and the model in an attractive way. They make the scene look better than it was in person. They also show that I'm proud of what I make and how it looks. I really hope that you'll be proud to wear these pieces.

Indie Design Mood Board

SEE WHAT HELPS ME THINK


Sometimes my head is just too full of ideas to hold everything so I use this simple board and push pins to help gather my thoughts. Here's a look at some of the things I'm thinking about for my upcoming designs and how they inspire me.
Starting at the top left corner and moving clockwise:

I like the photo of the gal leaning against the pole because of the warm sky and sand. I know it's probably colder where you are, but Florida has a way of being the coldest place on Earth (for Floridians).

Next you'll see some individual cut outs. There's nothing really sublime about any of these. I just found a few things I liked over the last few months and posted them. It's kind of like highlighting in a textbook.

The Banner Pilot 'thing' is actually a hand screened LP sleeve that was given to me by Brian at Kiss of Death records. I cut it to about seven inches and stapled around the sides and now use it to hold important papers - I took the papers out for the photo because they looked kind of messy.

Next, in the top right corner is the rotating color wheel. I don't care how well you know your contrast and analogous colors, this is a very useful tool - get one.

Below the color wheel are a couple of Jo-Ann's coupons. You never know when you're gonna need a new pair of scissors and 40-50% off will sure help. Keeping them on the board reminds me that I have them.

Under the coupons is a free pamphlet on grommets I got at Jo-Anns. It's free knowledge, why not grab one? I've also got a bunch of pins jumbled up there and a few fabric swatches from my Fall collection.

The pattern is really cool. It's from the 60's. I generally don't use patterns, but I really liked this one. I tried using it and, like many commercial patterns, it didn't fit me right. One of these days I'll make the necessary changes.

You can just barely see a postcard from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Some people like the pyramids, some like France, I like South America.

Next you'll see some sheet music. You might have guessed, from all the guitars in my pictures, that we're pretty musical over here. I've started playing the fiddle. Some people call it a violin, but I play the fiddle. The sheet music is a popular Irish jig called the Swallow Tail Jig.

At the bottom left you'll see more pics that I like. I mostly like the lighting. I'm always doing photoshoots, and am in no way a photographer, but I like to try to add a little something extra to my pics.

Finally, in the middle, you can see a set of my own illustrations. They're nothing fancy, but in school you gotta learn to do it, so I try to draw stuff out from time to time.

There you have it. That's what's making me tick at this moment. I change this thing all the time. I'm always looking for new things and ideas. If you design anything I recommend you try using one of these things.

Funny thing about burgundy

It seems like burgundy and olive green are the two most unpredictable colors. I've been making my rounds to the local shops and none of them want to take anything in olive green. Ironically, I think olive green is one of my best selling colors. It has also happened (more than not) that when I drop off a batch of olive green pieces (against the boutique owners' advisement) they sell out.

Even stranger is the response to anything I make in burgundy. People ask for burgundy non-stop: they want everything in burgundy, but when I give them what they want in burgundy no one buys it - go figure. Case in point are my burgundy wine dresses with lace trim. A couple weeks ago I made a run of these dresses for Etsy and they disappeared. I even had to list one as a custom listing and do a special order for another. I also brought a batch in to my local shops and they sold just as well. This week when I put a new run up on Etsy they're just not moving.

Similarly, my inbox has been flooded with emails asking for my butterfly top in burgundy. Someone even went so far as to sketch it out and ask for it. So I made a size run for the locals. They did pretty good here in town. Keep in mind, no one locally asked for these. I just made them and put them out and they sold. Conversely, they have not been selling online, despite all the requests. This could be due to the photo, but I can't be sure. I might re-shoot on a live girl to see what happens. As of right now I'm calling it the burgundy mystery. I hate to put it that way since it's such a nice color and so many people look so good in it. It really should be a sure thing.


I kinda did some poking around and found that burgundy was one of the top selling colors for cars in the 1990's - yuck! I feel like burgundy interior gets hotter and dirtier than any other color. The pigments in dark red paints fade much quicker than other colors when exposed to excessive sunlight. Maybe I should have tried selling these pieces back in the 90's.

Regardless of popularity, mystery, or anything else, I really like burgundy. I'll probably continue to work with it for a long time. If you have any thoughts or observations on the color as it relates to clothing or anything else feel free to contact me.

1960's Swatch Book Turned Into Recyced Purses

I just got my hands on a big book of swatches from the 1960's. The swatches are split between coarse burlap and light cotton shirting. Each piece is now about 10 x 10 inches - I'll get to that in a moment. As you can see from the pics they are too cool to let them go to waste - no matter how small. There are about 50 squares in the batch, and of those about 40 will work for small clutches and purses. I'm dying to get these made, but at the same time I wanted to show you that inspiration can come from the most unexpected places.

The woman who gave these to me thought they were trash. When I took them I didn't have any ideas. It wasn't until my boyfriend did me the "favor" of washing them - which frayed the edges, and shrunk them to 10 x 10 that I got the idea for small clutches.

I can't wait to get started on these. If you plan on going to the Atomic Holiday Bazaar in Sarasota this weekend Dec 12-13 look for them at my table. Otherwise you'll just have to wait 'til I get back for me to put them up on Etsy.

Holiday Shopping Ideas For Those Of Us Who Are Broke

If you're like me you probably have more people on your shopping list than dollars in your pocket. The last thing you want is to look like a cheapskate when someone gives you a great present and all you have for them is a calendar - or worse, you have nothing for them in return. Below are some ideas that will help you get through the holidays and keep you looking sharp and thoughtful.

OLD BOOKS
The key to giving a good gift is not in the price, it's in the thoughtfulness. Old books are great for thoughtfulness points. Many libraries have small bookstores in them and the prices usually range from 25 cents to $1.00. The key to pulling this off is that the book has to be vintage and not just an old paperback from the 90's. Just last week I found a huge stack of comic books from the 50's - 60's. They were in great shape, and the whole stack (about 100 comics) was only $5.00. For all I know they're worth $1,000. I'm not into comics and don't know anyone who is so I left them.

THRIFT STORE FINDS
Generally speaking I think thrift store's are kind of crusty. Most of what you'll find is pretty gross, but every once in a while there is a treasure to be found - especially if you're crafty. The key to giving a thrift store gift is to say you got it at an antique shop. The idea of perusing the cluttered shelves of a quaint little shop on a cute street is the total antithesis of the pail neon lights and filth of a thrift store. My best friend found an old lamp from the 20's for $3.00. She cleaned it and instantly had an antique lamp for her dad's office. When she gives it to him all she has to do is come up with a quick story about her search through the antique district and how lucky she was to find it and she's set. This principle works for yard sale finds too.

COMBINED GIFTS
Do you know couples? I have lots of friends and young relatives that are couples. Why not kill two birds with one stone and get them a combined gift. Anything from quirky his & hers towels to a bottle of wine. The idea is to find something that will apply to both of them and run with it. Last year I got my brother and his new wife a Blue-Ray player. I know it sounds expensive, but instead of me AND my boyfriend each getting them individual present we combined our funds for one big one and saved a few bucks in the process.

THE OTHER COMBINED GIFT
Go in with someone else on a present. Siblings can go in together on mom & dad's present. Co-workers or friends can go in together. The idea here is that you double your shopping power. This year everyone in my house is thinking about pitching in to get my parents tickets to Argentina. Since I have a big family we only have to contribute a few bucks each instead of $50 a piece for mom and $50 for dad.

GRAB BAG GIFT
This is a good one!! Last year my brother got my boyfriend a huge bag full of all kinds of candy and my boyfriend loved it. They stuck in a little of everything.in the bag and it was great. You can apply the same concept to anything. Do you know someone who is obsessed with a band or movie? Fill a small stylish bag with stickers, buttons, patches, and a CD. Stick in a Burt's Bees chapstick and you're set.

DO YOU BAKE?
If you're good, and I mean really good, you can give cookies, cakes, or just about anything homemade and be the star of the gift exchange. The key to success here is presentation. You'll have to spring for a cute plate or container and maybe some festive sprinkles, but it will be worth it. Remember to make lots of it so there's enough to go around. Everyone loves baked stuff so everyone will love what you give them.

HANDMADE, LIMITED, AND ONE OF A KIND
Just because it's handmade or one of a kind doesn't mean it's expensive. There's a local semi-famous artist here in Orlando who will paint a light switch cover with his trademark art for $10.00. We also have a do it yourself pottery workshop in town. For $20.00 you can make and fire your own pottery piece. There are pros on hand so you're sure to get good results.

As for limited, check out the indie record label websites for colored vinyl releases for the music buff on your list. Colored vinyl is always a rarity and it's not usually much more than standard black.

Local flea markets and farmer's markets are also great places for finding rare gifts. I found locally made art, homemade pasta, home brewed iced tea, and other locally produced things that come in clever packaging. All of these things make great gifts not only because they are inexpensive, but also because these are things people rarely buy for themselves.

Getting ready for Atomic Holiday Bazaar

This year I'll be setting up a table at the Atomic Holiday Bazaar in Sarasota, FL. Generally, I wouldn't do a large show or convention this close to the holidays, but I've been planning for this one. Planning is the make or break factor in running a (really) small business.

Too many people play it by ear and cross each bridge when they come to it, but they don't plan for the next bridge. I usually try to look waaaay into the future when it comes to events.

Here's what I've done this year to get ready for the show: several months ago, when I was invited I immediately came up with a plan, even before I submitted my application - think about it, there's no use applying if you're just going to throw something together at the last minute. My plan was to start saving remnant fabrics and begin using them to make limited and one of a kind pieces for the show. Normally I use solids that I buy in large rolls and combine with style lines. But for the show I thought I'd go the recycled route. I've been collecting pieces of fabric for months now. I began making samples about two months ago.

Since I'd be selling pieces made from recycled fabric I then started putting some remnant and recycled items on Etsy to help get myself out there with the kind of people I might find at the show. In a sense I have building brand recognition.

The show is now less than two weeks away and I have a huge batch of stuff to bring. Lots of it is made from the same fabrics as items currently posted in my etsy shop. This way, when people walk by my table there's a chance they'll recognize something they see - at least part of it.

Here are a few pics of the items I've recently made. These are pretty much all made from 100% remnant fabrics.