Search results (tags) for: "printmaking"

Handmade Weddings: Creating Custom Letterpress Wedding Invitations with Pistachio Press

2009-04-07T17:00:00-05:00

Letterpress printer pistachiopress walks us through the process of getting custom made invitations. Check out some of the other Handmade Wedding posts we've done on invites: Invitation Options with Moontreepress, Pushing the Envelope with Calligraphy, Invitations and Papergoods by Poppytalk.

As a printmaker, I have always loved the tactility of prints on good cotton papers. Naturally, this led me to letterpress printing and eventually to working with brides and grooms on custom wedding invitations. I know that the idea of working with a printer on custom invitations can be a bit overwhelming, but I hope this piece will clarify the process and make the experience a bit less daunting.

[Left: save-the-date booklets, Right: wedding stationery designed by Alexander Cheek and printed by Pistachio Press]

For custom letterpress wedding invitations, I think it’s best to start with a printer whose work you love, even if that work isn’t exclusively wedding stationery. There are a lot of great letterpress printers on Etsy who also make and design wedding invitations. Etsy’s Alchemy feature is another way to find a printer who will work with you on custom designs. My favorite part about Alchemy is the option to send a private request to a seller whose work you already love. (You can also contact a seller by sending her a "convo" message.) I suggest purchasing a sample of the printer’s work to get an idea about the quality of the papers and printing offered.

For most of the history of letterpress printing, the inked type just lightly kissed the page and didn’t create an impression. In contemporary letterpress printing, the tactility of a deep impression on cotton paper is often desired to set the piece apart from other forms of printing. Many printers now use photopolymer plates instead of lead type, which allow more options for typefaces and illustration elements (see more about how this works here). It’s a good idea to talk to the printer if you would like a very specific impression.

[Left: photopolymer plates, Right: detail of machine stitched invitation]

Letterpress printing is generally a bit more expensive than other forms of printing because the labor involved is often much greater. The paper must be fed through the press separately for every color printed, which will be a large factor in your pricing quote. To keep costs down, many couples opt to go with a two-color invitation and one-color response cards, thank you notes, and menus.

[Left: eyelet lace cards, Right: recent invitation and response card]

Depending on the complexity of the illustration you want and how many pieces are being designed, complete custom design work can range from $300-$800 in addition to the cost for printing, which can range from $500-$2000. This generally includes one design direction and about three rounds of revisions. For custom work, it’s especially helpful to have a clear idea of what you would like the finished product to look like because additional revisions can increase your overall price.

Having a solid idea about the kind of wedding you’re planning is key when you start looking for invitations. Are you going to have a large, traditional wedding or a smaller wedding at a park? Your invitations are the first indication your guests will have about the wedding and they help to set the tone. The more information you can give to your designer, the better! I love knowing where a client is getting married or what colors the bridesmaid dresses will be and incorporating these details into the invitations.

[Left: hand-drawn invitation, Right: detail of a response card]

Many letterpress printers have several options available for customizing handmade invitations without having a complete custom design created from scratch. For all of my pre-designed pieces, the couple always has the option of changing ink colors, paper stock, wording, and typefaces. I have a list of available typefaces that I provide to my clients and I often custom-mix the ink colors for the invitations to match a swatch of fabric from a tie or a dress. If the designer already has a card with a design you like, you may want to ask if that specific element can be incorporated into your wedding invitations. This may also cut down on the cost of custom design because the illustration and plate have already been created.

[Left: mixing the perfect shade of green ink, Right: green swirl cards]

The timeframe for custom invitations is generally 4-6 weeks for design work and 4-6 weeks for the printing. The process may be shorter if you know exactly what you want, or longer if you make a lot of changes to the design. I would suggest building in a bit of a cushion in your timeline for addressing the invitations. Many printers will mail you the envelopes early so that you can start the process of addressing or give them to a calligrapher.

[Both images: custom design by Tara Hogan (tarahogan.etsy.com) and printed by Pistachio Press]

If you’re in love with the work of a designer who isn’t also a letterpress printer, you may want to ask the designer and the printer if they would be willing to work with you on the invitations. I have printed for a few clients who either designed their own invitations or worked with another designer and the process was a lot of fun.

Further Resources:
Pistachio Press (www.pistachiopress.com)

Handpicked Wedding Items | Wedding Category | Wedding Showcase

Paper Goods Category | Letterpress Wedding Invitations

More Handmade Wedding Posts

Etsy Finds Decor: Playful Loft Living with Something's Hiding In Here

2009-03-15T10:17:00-05:00

This weekend's Get the Look: Decor is inspired by the amazing Philadelphia, PA loft of Shauna and Stephen from somethingshidinghere. Their enormous apartment (over 2700 square feet!) is filled with collections of vintage treasures, artwork and weekend DIY projects. The duo calculates good craftsmanship and day-to-day functionality into every aspect of the design.

While they may not always agree on every detail, their collaborations have resulted in an amazing home where every aspect of the décor looks well thought out and handcrafted. Much like the items they make and sell, their home has captured the playful and thoughtful spirits of its inhabitants.

Today I am going to show you how to add a bit of Shauna and Stephen's playful, art-inspired look to your own home using elements found on Etsy. As an added bonus be sure to check out Shauna and Stephen's house tour from the video series, There's No Place Like Here. Click on the image below to watch the movie:

Painted Forest Pillow

This pillow is a clever twist on the vintage paint by number artwork Shauna and Stephen collect. By norajane, $22.

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Large Fat Coper Vase in Man Ray Pattern Viscous Colorway

This colorful vase, inspired by the simple forms of my favorite ceramicist Hans Coper, is the perfect complement to a bouquet of fresh spring flowers. By jillrosenwald, $90.

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tree stump floor pillow

Add a playful touch of faux bois to your living room or bedroom with a stump floor pillow. By bebemoon, $75.

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Wood Porch Swing

This handcrafted swing would add a romantic touch to any room, indoors or out. By ron987red, $148.

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Flock of Crows Wall Decals

The vintage forest mural in Shauna and Stephen's kitchen is a fun way to escape the stress of city living. Create your own indoor nature adventure with a set of removable wall decals. By WilsonGraphics, $30.

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X2 Vintage Brass Deer from Pudding

The shelf built into the headboard of the couple's bed is a genius way to display a large collection of small objects, such as Shauna and Stephen's collection of deer figurines. This is one of my favorite parts of their apartment. By thepuddingstorevint, $28.

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Green and Natural Striped Frame

The recycled wood elements throughout Shauna and Stephen's home bring to mind memories of days gone by, much like these picture frames made from salvaged wood from Hurricane Katrina. By
SecondLineFrames, $75.

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YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE OVERSIZED POSTCARD LETTERPRESS HAND PRINTED

Sweet reminders of happy times past are everywhere in Shauna and Stephen's home. I especially love the many thoughtful gifts of art and other handmade objects that express their love for one another displayed in subtle places throughout their home. By YeeHaw, $12.

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Vintage Cram's Midcentury Globe

Whether displayed in groups or all alone, vintage globes are a great way to add a playful reminder of childhood school days. (Or maybe you want to contemplate all the places you one day hope to visit.) From crikito, $75.

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Did you watch the amazing video showing off Shauna and Stephen's space? Make sure to check out the guided tour!

Looking for more styles and interiors? Check out our new video series, There's No Place Like Here, where creative types show us their unique spaces — infused with their aesthetic and filled with the treasures they collect. Get involved and show us your amazing space in this flickr pool.

Check out other Get the Look - Home Decor Editions.

Cozy at Home Gift Guide | Housewares Category | Vintage Housewares

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Etsy Finds: Emerging Artists You Ought to Know

2009-03-05T10:19:00-05:00

I fancied myself a curator this week and put together a collection of art from some of the newest sellers on Etsy. If you have wine and cheese nearby, feel free to sip and snack while you stroll through my virtual gallery opening. Check out the rest of the Artistic Endeavors series (and our Art Gift Guides!) for more curated art selections.

Nicky Arnstein

Portrait of a dashing fellow by pathamou, $30.

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Mini Paper Mache 010

Creatures by Kawasaki artist mumbreeze, $25.

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Built to Spill show poster

Screenprinted Built to Spill concert posters by theclearancesale, $35.

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painting

Navajo inspired works by nightwoodny, $40.

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Infanta holding a bunny. Ceramic sculpture, bell

Sculptures that ring by Berlin artist yalonetski, $50.

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Rolling Contrivance by Merijn Hos

Limited edition, letterpressed print, a collaboration between Dutch illustrator Merijn Hos and Australian printmakers Wilkintie, $60.

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We Are Not Two We Are One screen print by Christopher Bettig

Inspired by the band, The Kinks, and their song entitled "Strangers". By Chris Bettig aka themountainlabel, $40.

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Green Electric Company

Original watercolors by Colt J Bowden aka nourishingflourish, $50.

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one,two,tee

Handpainted shirts by aitchmade, $65.

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I hope you enjoyed my newbie art exhibit. Want to share your own favorites with the Etsy community? Hand pick your own collection of work in Etsy's Treasury!

Till next time,

Danielle

Looking for more Etsy Finds? Try these links:

Art Gift Guides | Artwork for Every Room Showcase

Artistic Endeavors Series | Guest Curators | Art Category | Fresh Shops

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Artistic Endeavors: Art Buyers’ Guide to Printmaking

2009-03-04T14:08:00-05:00

Etsy shoppers are often on the lookout for affordable original art, and hand-pulled prints are a great place for art lovers to start building a collection. I won’t delve into too much detail regarding the different techniques, but if you’re interested in learning more, please take a look at the links listed below.

Put simply, printmaking is the process of making an artwork by transferring an image from a surface on which ink is applied – a plate, block, screen or stone – to another (usually paper). Often multiples are printed, which is known as an edition, but each impression is an original artwork, handmade by the artist. Limited editions are signed and numbered by the artist, which makes the print more valuable.

Monoprints

Sometimes only one print is made, called a monoprint or monotype.

Letterpress printed monoprint by FatCrowPress

"Woman King" trace monoprint by fadefade

"Lyretail" gyotaku monoprint by orchidstreetstudio

Find more monoprints and monotypes in the Etsy Art Category.

What determines the different types of printmaking, such as an engraving, etching, lithograph, linocut, woodcut or screen print, is the material the inked surface is made from, the way the image is created on its surface, and the way the ink is applied and transferred.

Relief Prints

For example, with relief prints, such as linocuts and woodcuts, the block is carved away by the artist until the image is left in relief, then the ink is applied to the surface with a roller (called a brayer), and pressure is applied — by using a baren, a press, or even the back of a humble spoon — to transfer the ink to paper (or sometimes fabric, or other surfaces).

"Where the Wild Iris Grow" Linocut by PeterMcLean

"ThreadBear" Woodblock print by VIZArt

"Tyger" Linocut by blueoakart

Find more linocuts and woodblock prints on Etsy.

Mixed Media Prints

Artists also like to mix it up by using different printmaking techniques in the one artwork, or applying other media such as paint or collage, to create something truly unique.

"Beards of the World" Linocut and Screen Print by linocutboy

"Butterflies" Xerox transfer lithograph and collage on wood panel by loadedhipspress

"A Windy Disposition" Reduction woodcut and collagraph by studioegk

Find collographs in the Etsy Art Category.

Intaglio Prints

With intaglio printmaking, the image is carved into the plate. The intaglio printmaker can make her markings through various methods, such as engraving or etching. After the artist inks the plate, she wipes off the excess ink so that only the marked areas will transfer ink to the paper (or fabric, or other surface).

"Equus" Etching by NancyRyan

"Allure" Engraving by danieldishman

"Japanese Koi" Etching with aquatint by williamholt

Find more intaglio prints on Etsy.

Screen Prints

Serigraph and silkscreening are other words for screenprinting, the technique of forcing ink through a screen with an image burned into an emulsion layer. (For an in-depth look, check out this Screenprinting and You video). Gocco is a Japanese machine using the screenprinting technique with a built in flash bulb (see a How-To video Etsy made about Gocco printing).

"A Rose for Emily" Screen print by lanydevening

"Four Post-It Prints No.5" Gocco prints by ChrisKeegan

"Cottonwood Spring" Hand-cut serigraph by HarmstonArts

Search for screenprints, gocco, silkscreen, and serigraph on Etsy.

Can all prints be defined as printmaking? The short answer is no. While browsing original prints on Etsy, you may also stumble on reproduction prints. Reproductions are copies of original artworks, such as paintings and drawings. They are not printed by hand, and most often printed digitally, such as inkjet or giclée prints. To add to the confusion, digital art and photography fall into distinct categories of their own. Although they are often printed digitally, they are not reproductions because they are not copies of existing artwork, and yet they don’t fit within the printmaking category either. Confusing? Luckily, most Etsy sellers are very friendly and helpful, and will happily answer your questions about the techniques and printing processes they use, so please don’t hesitate to contact the artist for clarification.

Enough details! Luckily, you don’t need to be an expert to appreciate the beauty of an original print. And even better, you don’t need to be a millionaire to start a collection of original art – printmaking is the perfect place to start!

Further Resources:

Wikipedia entry for printmaking

Glossary of printmaking terms

Printmaking techniques explained

Difference between original prints and reproductions explained

Artistic Endeavors series | Artwork for Every Room Showcase

Printmaking Gift Guide | Art from the Printsy Team

Artistic Endeavors: Groundwork's Favorite Prints

2009-01-19T16:37:00-05:00

Today begins the Etsy blog's week-long focus on artwork, Artistic Endeavors. This series will focus on the many different mediums of art on Etsy, the best ways to showcase it and how best to ascertain what your particular style may be — get in touch with your inner curator! This is but a preview of an ongoing series (more to come), so get a taste and come back for more. The first to contribute to the series is the wonderful and talented Danna Ray of groundwork.

As an artist, I often find it difficult to decide what to paint. I either seem to suffer from too few ideas, or too many to decide between. In the end, I'm always happiest when I choose the ideas I have the strongest emotional connection with. I also try to keep this in mind when it comes to buying art. There's so much incredible work out there... and it can be so tough to choose! I like to pick pieces that I have some sense of connection with — whether it's a place I'd like to be, a bit of nostalgia, or just something that would make me smile each time I passed by. I'm so happy to share some of my favorites!

Lagris

The bright color combinations in Essimar's shop always make me happy. I think the saturated colors in this screenprint are particularly lovely on earthy brown chipboard. By essimar, $65. Look for more screenprints.

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Der hohe Pfad III - 8 x 10 Polaroid Print

I'd love to hang this ethereal Polaroid print in my home as a daily reminder that such places actually exist. I was even fonder of this print when I read the artist's description: "The Polaroids were taken on a mountain in the Bavarian Alps, on a chilly and foggy day in May. Come as it must, we got lost in the thick fog and found ourselves clinging to some roots above an abyss shortly after." By blaubeermund, $28. Look for more photography prints.

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Pool Side Divided (diptych) - limited edition giclee print 21/100

This is such a nice diptych by Leah Giberson. I especially like the visible layering and heavy paint texture. Also, when I was a kid we used to pass by a slide just like this one each day on the way to school. It looked like a dream... and I always wished we would stop there. By leahgiberson, $50. Look for more giclee prints. ("Giclee" is a fine art print made with an inkjet print process. The name comes from the French word for "nozzle" according to Wikipedia.)

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Star Mapper

I'm always a fan of Maxwell Loren Holyoke-Hirsch's scratchy linework and interesting characters. They seem to have elaborate stories to tell. By TheSmallFactory, $20. Look for more art prints.

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Diamond Pullovers - Print Set

I am totally delighted with the intensity of the well dressed kitties in this print set. I'd like to think their eyes would follow you around a room like they're listening intently to every word. By myfolklover, $20. Look for more illustration prints.

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Maybe We Can Hide in Here Print

The layered patterns and fresh colors in Betsy Walton's work are so striking. I'm really drawn to the lush plant life in this one. By betsywalton, $35. Look for more giclee prints.

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heart the hearth

Isn't this the sweetest little stove?! It reminds me of all things cozy and delicious. By loveallaround, $20. Look for more watercolor prints.

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California Redwood-Signed Archival Print

I love this iconic redwood print by Lisa Congdon. It has such a nice well-worn feeling to it...as though it has been around as long as the tree itself. By lisacongdon, $35. Look for more digital prints.

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Horsewoman

This horse is pretty much the greatest. I love its awkward shape and thoughtful expression! By irisschwarz, $25. Look for more illustration prints.

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Darkness, Sea Maze print set 01

The meticulous detail in this gocco print set (and all of Yu I Chan's work) is so amazing...I could just stare and stare. By yuizdan168, $13. Look for more gocco prints.

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Looking for more artwork? Stay tuned for the rest of the Artistic Endeavors series.

Art Category | Print Category | More Art Related Posts | More Print Related Posts

Print Gocco | Art for Every Room Showcase

News from the Etsy Labs: 12/22 Craft Night

2008-12-17T12:23:00-05:00

Have plans on Monday night? Well, you do now! Dust off your crafty pants and come join us for our weekly Craft Night at the Etsy Labs in Brooklyn. Each craft night is also broadcast live into in the Treehouse room of the Virtual Labs. All demos will be shown both in the Labs in Brooklyn and in the Treehouse online.

Craft Night occurs every Monday from 4-8pm EST at 325 Gold Street, 3rd floor in Brooklyn, New York. Each week the Etsy Labs organize a skill-sharing project. We provide supplies, tools, snacks, and know-how. Participants are also welcome to bring their own projects to work on independently. Craft night is a time to make things, learn new skills, and hang out.

This week, on Monday, December 22, we'll be creating gift wrap. We will demonstrate how to carve linoleum and rubber stamp material, since we had such a great time blockprinting last time! You can use your carved blocks to print up some lovely handmade gift wrap just in time for the holidays. We will also pull out all of our pre-existing stamps, ink, pens, and mark making tools of all kinds, for you to use to decorate wrapping paper. This project is open to people with all levels of printmaking experience. Please come with image ideas for your stamp. If you have a particular paper you'd like to print upon, please bring that along too. We will be providing supplies as well.

Also, for those of you who don't have stage fright, Etsy admin and videographer Tara aka weirdwolf will be shooting some Handmade Confessionals with you! Email her at tara@etsy.com if you're interested. We'd need you to come early, so as not to interrupt your crafting activities!

If you are joining us virtually for Craft Night this week and would like to print along with us, you'll need a few supplies:

pen/pencil
linoleum carving tools
newspaper (for protecting the workspace from the mess)
blockprinting inks
surface for rolling inks (such as plexiglass)
brayer
wooden spoon or wooden doorknob for burnishing
paper of fabric to print upon
linoleum blocks or E-Z Cut or Mastercarve or a similar type of printing block

Or, just be ready to take some notes and see if this is a project you'd like to try out later on.

Upcoming Craft Night Projects:

12/29: Open Craft Night

2009 Craft Night to be announced soon!

Would you like to lead a craft night project? Send your ideas to labs@etsy.com with "Craft Night idea" as the subject line. Have you participated in Craft Night? Share your photos with the Etsy Labs Show and Tell Flickr group!Want to learn more about the Labs? Check out our FAQs. If you'd like to receive email updates, join our Etsy Labs mailing list.

Will we see you this Monday? Let us know in the comments!

News from the Etsy Labs: 11/3 Craft Night

2008-10-29T15:00:00-05:00

Have plans on Monday night? Well, you do now! Dust off your crafty pants and come join us for our weekly Craft Night at the
Etsy Labs in Brooklyn. Each craft night is also broadcast live into in the Treehouse room of the Virtual Labs. All demos will be shown both in the Labs in Brooklyn and in the Treehouse online.

Craft Night occurs every Monday from 4-8pm EDT at 325 Gold Street, 3rd floor in Brooklyn, New York. Each week the Etsy Labs organize a skill-sharing project. We provide supplies, tools, snacks, and know-how. Participants are also welcome to bring their own projects to work on independently. Craft night is a time to make things, learn new skills, and hang out.

This week, on Monday, November 3, we'll be creating our own rubber stamps. This technique is great for printing your own notecards, art prints, fabric, and more. We will demonstrate how to carve linoleum and rubber stamp material. This project is open to people with all levels of printmaking experience. Please come with image ideas for your stamp. If you have a particular paper or fabric you'd like to print upon, please bring that along too. All other supplies will be provided.

If you are joining us virtually for Craft Night this week and would like to sew along with us, you'll need a few supplies:

pen/pencil
linoleum carving tools
newspaper (for under workspace)
blockprinting inks
surface for rolling inks (such as plexiglass)
brayer
wooden spoon or wooden doorknob for burnishing
paper of fabric to print upon
linoleum blocks or E-Z Cut or Mastercarve or a similar type of printing block

Or, just be ready to take some notes and see if this is a project you'd like to try out later on.

Upcoming Craft Night Projects:

11/10: Recycled Envelopes and Mini Notebooks with Wendy

11/17: Making Lip Balm

Will we see you this Monday? Let us know in the comments!

Making Stencil and Yam Prints with Lotta Jansdotter

2008-06-12T17:49:00-05:00

Lotta Jansdotter just came out with a book about printing called Lotta Prints. I caught up with her at her Brooklyn studio and she showed me some tips and tricks for using stencils and yams to make prints!

MP4 | Blip.tv | Youtube | Howcast | Subscribe in iTunes

Lotta has created a bunch of stencils that you can rip out of her book and use right away or you can make up your own!

If you've got any yams or potatoes around, you can use them to make prints, too! Upload photos to flickr and post the links in the comments below.

Lotta is having a printmaking workshop this Friday, June 13. If you're in the NYC area, check it out!

Get to know Lotta better with this video we made with her last fall.

Art and Science Converge: The Periodic Table Printmaking Project

2008-01-10T17:04:00-05:00

Ever imagined a periodic table of artwork? It's not a fantasy! Etsy user AzureGrackle coordinated a periodic table art project, outlined on her blog and visible in the Periodic Table flickr group. According to her site, "Ninety-six printmakers of all experience levels, have joined together to produce 118 prints in any medium; woodcut, linocut, monotype, etching, lithograph, silkscreen, or any combination. The end result is a periodic table of elements intended to promote both science and the arts."

We talked to AzureGrackle and got a little background on this fascinating project.

How did this project originate?
It came from an afternoon last March when I spread all my prints out on the floor of my apartment and thought "Gee, they look like the periodic table." I was chatting with my friend/coproduction artist Nathan Cannon of Procyonidae and he dared me to see if I could do it for real. So we set up the basic guidelines and sent out a call for artists. I posted it on Etsy and the BarenForum.org (a group for printmakers, primarily woodcut artists), and it spread from there.

How many Etsy users contributed to the project?
I'll have to go through my list and check and get back to you on this one, but a lot!*

How did you decide who to include?
I wanted it to be as inclusive as possible, so there are some very experienced artists and some who had never done a print before, and everything in between.

What was the intention behind this project?
The original intention was just to see what would happen. Now I hope to get it published as a coffee table book, datebook, calendar, poster, deck of flash cards, and also shown in a gallery. So many people have told me they wished they had something like this when they were in high school chemistry class. This visual interpretation makes it easier to remember information about the elements, gives you a story or a tidbit or fact to hang onto. I know far more about a lot elements now than I did a year ago or in 10th grade.

Anything else you'd like to add?
The secondary inspiration for the project comes from my Mom. She just retired from teaching high school chemistry and physics for 30 years. While I never wanted to be a scientist, she made learning about science fun and approachable because her love for it is infectious. Knowing how the world around you works makes life so much richer. So the connection of art and science is an important one to me.

*All 63 Etsy users involved:

procyonidae, azuregrackle, mlee, paperedtogether, histand, kshanks, dcutter, beeczarcardsandgifts, carenloebelfried, stacysaurusshop, cpierson, tatsuko, osoazuldesign, moonshinebluebirds, pygletwhispers, camillastacey, ellenshipley, nydampress, fustian, spindlecatstudio, pistolespress, anniefitt, bbmowery, spponergregory, lookability, estasketch, floatingpalace, serendipityartist, fiskandfern, readdevine, sarahridgley, papastudios, goodfeets, wingedlion, tepimade, tofunutloaf, Mizudesigns, Crumpart, rosevasquezcastillo, pillowhead, spoonergregory, novembermoon, redhydrant, spudnikpress, heftart, vizart, sweetanniejeanne, lynnm, mummus, abitabite, piebirdpress, bluesnailpapers, ghostdeer, meringue, smushie, muttsywonder, almapottery, amyb13, gneural, magprint, knitsonya, deequeen, anadecora

Etsy How-to: Screenprinting and You

2008-01-08T12:17:00-05:00

We made this video how-to for the pop-up community space we participated in with Good Magazine over the holidays. It's a fun how-to that introduces you to the art and science of screenprinting. Matt and Pete are completely charming in it, so check it out!

See another video how-to on screenprinting with Matt and Bre of MAKE. This one involves LEDs and scary sound effects. Or, learn how to make screenprinted wrapping paper on recycled grocery bags!

How-Tuesday | Printmaking Posts

Screenprint Art for sale on Etsy or All Other Screenprinted Items

Etsy Success Stories: paperedtogether

2007-12-10T12:50:00-05:00

You've seen those big sellers on Etsy who seem to be making sales left and right. You have to wonder how they've made it to where they are: can they actually be FOR REAL? What's their recipe for success? And just how do they do it?

This week's installment of our Etsy Success Story series features Krista Stout of paperedtogether. In little under a year and a half of selling on Etsy, Krista has made over 1,100 sales and is going stong. She resides in Minneapolis and comes from generations of printers, even though she claims to have never thought of herself as following in their footsteps! Well, it sure seems she made the right choice!

How did you first hear about Etsy, and what made you decide to open a shop on the site?
Hmmm… I think I first heard about Etsy in Bust magazine…Boy, it’s hard to imagine a time before Etsy! This whole paperedtogether thing was purely a whim - I made some stationery for a neighbor and woke up the next morning thinking I’d give selling it a try. I certainly never expected it to become an actual business. I loved the clean design of the site and it couldn’t have been easier to set up shop. I realize now how lucky I am to have created this business with no start-up costs, no advertising expenses and a built-in audience.

What do you think your key to success for selling on Etsy has been?
Well, listing frequently is undoubtedly a key element, and customer service is always important. I do think photographs are very important, but I also admit mine could use a lot of work (one of my goals for the new year). I love packaging orders and I think customers really appreciate the little extras. It only takes a minute or two extra to transform an order into a special little present.

How do you promote your shop?
I’m so thankful for the features I’ve had on various design blogs, and even some real life magazines! I really don’t have time for much promoting, so I always feel really lucky to be noticed by the lovely blogging community. Word-of-mouth is by far my biggest marketing tool. I’d love to one day be organized enough to maintain a mailing list.

How do you handle such a large volume of sales in your shop? What systems have you created to manage the orders?
I tend to be really hard on myself, and have just recently come to grips with the fact that I can’t ship daily. My process right now goes something like this: print out a list of my sold items, walk out through the foot of snow to my studio, package up all the orders, write the buyer’s name on the package, trudge back in, cross reference all the addresses (Paypal vs. Etsy), then weigh packages and print shipping labels, ticking the “shipped” box as I go. I set aside international orders and take those to the local post office. My process is far from perfect, and I look forward to the day when every job and each business decision stops being a learning experience. I’d also like to start making dinner for my family again.

Are your orders mostly from repeat buyers or new buyers? What do you do to gain repeat buyers?
I think I have a pretty even mix of both. I suppose a combination of good quality, nice customer service and lovely packaging brings them back. Also, the seasonal nature of the paper goods business keeps things fresh.

How do you stay motivated? Does it come naturally?
I’m honestly never content unless I’m doing something and I have some serious issues with sitting still. In the olden days (pre-Etsy), I would sew, read, bake, clean the house, etc. Now, I generally just work all of the time. I always have more work to do than there are hours in the day, so even if I’m not printing or working on orders, I am thinking of new designs, working on a catalog, or planning for a show (generally NOT cleaning the house). Of course, that doesn’t mean I necessarily love working all the time: I guess it’s just in my nature.

Do you "Etsy" full time or do you have another job too?
Well…I have three kids - twelve, nine, and three. I stay at home full time with my youngest, a sweet boy with more energy than anyone in the entire world should ever be allowed to have. I also have an additional full-time job. I go to the office three evenings a week and try to get the rest done from home. I have thirty or so wholesale accounts and do custom work when I can.

If you "Etsy" full time, were you able to quit your day job due to your success selling on Etsy?
Etsy has been amazing. I wholeheartedly recommend it to every artist/crafter I meet, and fully credit Etsy as the foundation of it all. Cutting back or quitting my day job altogether is definitely on the horizon!

What is your favorite current Etsy Feature?
I love the “paid” and “shipped” boxes, and reading feedback makes me really happy! The Storque is a great read when I feel like I’ve been out in the studio for weeks at a time and need to catch up on the wider world.

What features do you use most on Etsy?
Definitely the ‘relist’ button! When I get a chance to browse, I love the Time Machine.

What goals do you have for your Etsy shop one year from now?
My long-term goal is of course to quit my day job. Design-wise I’d like to work on more prints and a variety of new gift-type items and somehow magically produce amazing photographs of my work! My personal goal is to get organized and learn how to gracefully balance work with my family life.

Anything else you want to add?
Thank you, Etsy! I’m often so caught up in the process of designing and printing and packaging and shipping and parenting that I don’t have enough perspective to think of myself as a ‘success story.' Thanks for making all this possible!

Check out paperedtogether's top Etsy picks are in the gallery below: