New Mini Print: Sponsored by my Pinterest Addiction

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My Etsy Christmas List - No. 9 Three Red Apples

I do love apples, and I undoubtedly get apples every year in my stocking.

But I'm talking about a different sort of Three Red Apples:

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Buy it here

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Buy the small one here

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Delicious, delectable home decor at Three Red Apples.

So much more in store.

My Etsy Christmas List - No. 27 Mary Kate McDevitt

I need quotes to keep me going on days like this.

I've been staying up an extra 2 hours every night preparing for a craft show.

I just remembered this print from Mary Kate McDevitt:

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More on that later. 

For now let's just enjoy the show.

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I sometimes wish I could put this up digitally where my Etsy store is :)

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I hope I dream about these tonight, and then wake up to them Christmas morning!

Meet the Artist and Giveaway: Kit from trafalgar's square

Hey ya'll, it's time for another giveaway!

Kit over at trafalgar's square has graciously agreed to giveaway 

this adorable print to one lucky winner:

Buy it here

I fell in love with Kit's work the moment I saw this amazing drawing:

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I don't know if I could adequately describe that something special I see in Kit's work. 

The characters are magical yet believable, as in the classic Disney fair tales.

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The first time I looked through trafalgar's square
 it must have taken me an hour to look at each print.
And that was just the first time!

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When it came down to choosing a print to review, I'd narrowed it down to 2, 

the one she's giving away, and this amazing print. 

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Both combine my favorites subjects, books and owls! 

All of my children have grown to love reading. 

The oldest begs me every night, "just 5 more minutes Mom?" 

My toddler does the same (in his own little way) when I read to him before nap time. 

And the baby just stares and stares at the pages while his big brother goes on and on about the pictures. 

Buy it here

Here I am going on about me, but that's what a great print does, isn't it? 

It transports you to another time and place, reminds you of the things you hold dear. 

I couldn't think of anything I'd rather put on my wall!

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I just know you are dying to get one of your own!

Here are the details:

How to Enter the Giveaway:

1. Follow this blog (Mandatory)

and leave a comment here saying you did.

2. Heart trafalgar's square on Etsy or an item from Kit's shop

and leave a separate comment here about your favorite item(s).


3. Facebook, Blog and/or Tweet about trafalgar's square
and leave a seperate comment here saying you did.

Make sure to bookmark my giveaways page if you haven't already, 
and READ THE FINE PRINT

Fine Print:

Only 3 entries per household please
Giveaway ends October 21st at midnight PST
Winner will be chosen by random.org
Entries will be validated
Winner will be announced here
Winner will have 3 days to contact me, 

after which a new winner will be chosen

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter

P.S. Over the last month I have had to choose a second winner for too many giveaways due to lack of an email response from my winners. If you really want to win, check your SPAM folders often, or better yet 

add moderntypography@aol.com to your address book. Good luck!

Meet the Artists and Giveaway: Melissa and JW from Little Friends of Printmaking

I feel like I'm on a giveaway freenze, not that I'm complaining. 

In fact, I couldn't be more excited about the opportunity to offer

one lucky reader the print of their choice 

from my new favorite Etsy shop,

Little Friends of Printmaking!

Buy it here

Melissa let me pick out a print, and I think it took me over an hour to devour every amazing image on their website. Still, I knew EXACTLY which one I was going to pick because I fell in love with it the moment I saw it. The funtastic Flight of the Conchords print is a must have! Check out the amazing detail.

I don't always talk about the great customer service I get from my sponsors, and I've had some pretty good experiences, but this one is just over-the-top outstanding. Melissa sent me a print and unfortunately the post office crushed it (a rare occasion for lfop). I sheepishly reported it to Melissa and she immediately offered to resend it. That just didn't seem fair! Reluctantly I asked if she could send one to my newly married sister-in-law, a screen printer as well as Flight of the Conchords fan (perfect wedding gift, right?) Without hesitation Melissa sent it. You won't believe what happened next. I gave her the wrong address! It hadn't arrived after a few weeks and she offered to send ANOTHER! I simply couldn't take advantage. Well, it ended coming back to lfop, and Melissa resent it with the correct address! BEST customer service EVER. 

And I don't have to tell you how amazing the art is, you can see for yourself! Don't get lost on their website, make sure you come back when you're done shopping! Get to know the talented creators of these unique creations:

Q: Tell us a little about yourself.

A: We're The Little Friends of Printmaking (or LFOP), a husband-and-wife team of illustrator/designers living in Milwaukee. We're known primarily for designing concert posters, which is how we got our start, but it's become a sort of ill-fitting definition—These days, we mostly do editorial illustration, graphic design work, and make and sell art prints.

Q: How did LFOP come to be?

A: We met in art school and were collaborating on everything, back when that could more accurately be called "cheating." But, in printmaking, you need a buddy and so people mostly looked the other way. Working together was so natural, and as a team we could accomplish so much more, that it was almost like waking up with super-powers. We had all this energy. Eventually, we were hired by a concert promoter to make some posters, and we were blown away by the genuine thrill of making something that people would see and talk about and have an opinion on (and we were getting paid, no less). Up to then, art for us existed in the classroom or the gallery, and the only people who saw it were other artists. That experience transformed us, it recalibrated our ambitions.

Q: I could spend hours looking at your prints! Tell us a little about the creative process behind the art.

A: Thanks! There are prints of ours that we're assigned to make by a client (or a gallery), and I say assigned, because it's not unlike an assignment in school—We're looking for the most novel, most apt solution that fulfils their needs. The assignment is like a puzzle that need solving. And, to be sure, there's an element of creative expression, the application of our own visual style, but our approach is to come up with a killer concept that we know will work before we ever put pen to paper (or cursor to artboard, as it were).

Then, there are other prints that are self-initiated, and with those, the process is to just make something we'd like to see. Our art prints, more than anything, are our opportunity to try things out and advance our aesthetic. Clients and art directors see our art prints and use them as a point of reference for new design work. Those prints are more likely to start from a sketch or a doodle, to evolve visually.

Q: What design has received the most attention?

A: Maybe "Tastee Treats" or "Pacific Jammzzz," which are art prints that have sold hundreds (or thousands) of copies. The Flight of the Conchords poster we sent you just won a design award, so maybe it sort of qualifies? [Definitely!]

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Q: What piece holds the most personal meaning?

A: Probably our "Rescue Pets Will Love You Better" poster, because we love our cats.

Buy it here

Q: What are you currently working on?

A: We've been doing a series of posters for Columbia Records artists; Over the summer, we designed a cheese label (cross that one off the ol' Designers' Bucket List); We're heading out to Maine soon to do an artists' residency thing; We're designing the promo stuff for our great hometown hipster craft fair, Art vs. Craft; We're doing some super-secret prints for one of our very favorite TV shows (hopefully those turn out well); And we're making a bunch of new art prints for the holidays, so be sure to check into the shop.

Buy it here

Q: Where do you promote your shop?

A: Nowhere! Really, we should be better about that. While it's not an advisable business strategy, in our experience, good work leads to more opportunities to make good work, which leads to attention and more people discovering our work (and so on and so forth). Frankly, it's a minor miracle that people end up in our webstore or our Etsy shop at all, but the internet works in mysterious ways.

Q: Just for fun, what are your favorite Etsy stores to window shop?

A: Our favorites are somethingshidinghere, whimsyandspice, thesmallobject, and yokoo. 

Alright, now go ahead, go get lost in their amazing work! Then head on back over here and enter win your pick of the litter :)

How to Enter the Giveaway:

1. Follow this blog (Mandatory)

and leave a comment here saying you did.

2. Visit lfop on Etsy or their website

and leave a separate comment here 

about your favorite print(s).

3. "Tweet" about the lfop giveaway

and leave a separate comment here saying you did.

Fine Print:

Only 3 entries per household please
1 winner will be chosen October 3rd at midnight PST
Winner will be chosen by random.org
Entries will be validated
Winner will be announced here
Winner will have 3 days to contact me, 

after which a new winner will be chosen

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter 

Girly Giveaway Sponsor #6: gingiber

I can't wait to see what ya'll have to say about the art from gingiber! I was delighted when Stacie told me she'd send me these:

Buy it here

As a new artist I am completely in awe of the intricacies of Stacies art. Like this one:

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 I most likely originally stumbled upon gingiber when searching for owls. Have I already mentioned that I love that each owl "created" has a unique personality? Well, not only did Stacie create one or two, but a whole alphabetful of OOAK owls! 

Buy it here

Here's a little orientation to Stacie 101:

Q:Where did you learn your craft?
A: I am a mix of being self taught and also have a degree in graphic design. 


Q: Who (on Etsy) inspires you?

A:  AshleyG, BlackoutWell, SparklePower

Q: What do you find most challenging about running your shop, and how do you overcome it?
A: The most challenging thing about running a shop is staying positive and focused, even during the slow times. Also, you have to be at least a season a head in your new product design to be ready for busy times like the holiday rush!


Q: What has been your biggest success so far?
A: Biggest success: my 2011 Owl Calendar! I kinda just doodled it up and listed it last year, thinking I would sell 1 or 2, and ended up selling 200+!


Q: What is the last thing you bought yourself on Etsy?
A: I bought 2 AmyMarcella Prints! So beautiful and botanical!


Stacie is offering an exclusive coupon code for my blog readers! Enjoy 10% off a purchase from her shop using the code MODERN10 at checkout. 

You can read more about Stacie on her blog or follow her on Facebook. I know I will!

I feel so inspired! Thanks so much for taking the time to do this Stacie! Best of luck with gingiber :)

-Melanie

Giveaway Sponsor #4: Whimsydream

I just know you are going to love my next New Beginnings Giveaway sponsor, April from Whimsydream!

She donated this adorable little hand-stitched premium felt whale:

Buy it here

When this came in the mail and I saw it for the first time I just couldn't wipe the grin off my face! It is super soft and light as a feather. The modern polka dot fin gives it just the right touch.

April also makes decadent felt desserts. The sugar vanilla cream tarts and petit fours run neck and neck as the most popular sellers. These look good enough to eat:

Buy it here

April is truly a jack of all trades. In addition to her funtastic felt items you will also find original artwork, paper creations, magnets, paperworks and more! 

April's favorite item in her shop is an acrylic on canvas called "First Love"

Buy it here

Let's see what else April had to say:

Q:  Use 3 words to describe yourself/your style:

A: Whimsical, Eclectic and One-Hot-Mess

Q: Who inspires you?

A: forgivingworks; The heart and soul that she puts in to each of her pieces is beyond extraordinary.

Q: What is the best business decision you ever made? Worst?

A: Best:  Making the choice to pursue a 3-tier career in writing, photography and art/craft.

Worst:  Staying in the Corporate World for as long as I did.

Q:What are your future plans for your Etsy shop?

A: I plan to continue with what I've been doing up to this point.  I'm also beginning to show my work locally as a way of supporting and funneling business to my Etsy shop.  Quality of life is important to me, so I'm careful to balance Etsy and family.  Stress does not sell well!

Q: What advice do you have for new sellers?

A: Do NOT be discouraged!  It's easy to give up in the beginning because you feel no one is interested in your creations.  But if you believe in yourself and your craft, take every opportunity you can to promote yourself and your shop.  That's the most important thing.  Exposure.

Reminder: ALL of our sponsors are offering 10% off purchases during the giveaway! Use the coupon code MODERN10 at checkout to take advantage of this offer. 

To find out more about April or sweetKM and her work check out her website or portfolio.

Thank you so much April for your fun and fanciful creations and for taking the time to work with me. I'm feeling inspired!

-Melanie

Gift Registry on Etsy

I'm hoping one of these days the Etsy team will come up with a wish list app. In the mean time I have discovered a few ways for buyers to let their friends and family know what they have had their eye on. When my friends decided to give me a baby shower for my 3rd child I thought, what do I register for? I have both boy and girl clothing, I have most of the things I need for the nursery, and people are always giving me hand-me-downs. I realized the things I enjoy getting the most are handmade items. I spend more time browsing Etsy than I do any other "store." 

At that time I was a novice at Etsy and came up with the simplest way I could think of to make a baby registry. When I found items I wanted I gave them a heart. When the evite went out for my baby shower a link was sent to my hearts. You can only imagine the excitement I had when I received my first Etsy gift! It was a framed print of a family of owls called "The night belongs to us" by Lauren Alexander. It is even more brilliant in person than the picture shown in the listing. I love the rich blues and greens. Every owl has a unique personality. 

I have since thought of another way to "register" for Etsy listings. The problem with using the hearts list is that I have more than just baby items I love on it. What I recommend doing instead is creating a treasury. Treasuries let buyers group together items they like. In addition to letting your friends and family know exactly what you like, they'll be able to see an overall theme with all the listings shown together. Tags will also give them an idea of what you are looking for. As I didn't know what gender my baby would be, I was drawn to woodland creatures, owls, warm browns and greens, neutral vintage type fabrics. When my baby boy arrived, I searched the pages of Etsy for rocket ships and robots. To my delight my Mom has given me many of these items to cherish. 

Have you "registered" on Etsy? Have you come up with another way? Let me know what you think!

-Melanie