WhatTheCraft & Handmade Pricing

Lex from WhatTheCraft is one of my favorite bloggers and a great inspiration to me.  After reading this post on Etsy pricing, I realized I DON'T want to make clothes to sell to other people anymore...because they can't appreciate them the way I can (since I'm the one who made it).  I don't have time for it, anyways.
Lex of WhatTheCraft's article: Why handmade is "so expensive"

I'd really rather just make them for myself!  I still love sewing, btw.  I just haven't done a lot of it lately...

Etsy: HereInSmallTownUSA

This might be the weirdest shop ever on Etsy.  Dried baby mice, rattlesnake rattlers, and pheasant feet are only some of the strange items for sale at HereInSmallTownUSA. 

Now, I know what you're thinking--"Who buys that stuff?!"  Being an amateur psychologist, I am also very curious.  But don't think this unique Etsian isn't successful in his/her business endeavors!  HereInSmallTownUSA has hundreds of sales.  What a genius to tap into a market I didn't even know existed.  What I have learned from this shop is that you have to find your niche--the more specific, the better.  Man, do I have a lot of work to do in that area!

What niche shops would you like to see on Etsy?

Thrift Store Find: Feraud Pencil Skirt

I'm piecing together the history of a lonely cream pencil skirt I found at Salvation Army a couple of weeks ago...

My Chicano studies class was dismissed early, and on the trolley ride home I decided to take a detour.  I had always wanted to visit the thrift stores hidden in Point Loma--today was perfect because I was itching to get out of the house.  I got off the bus at an unfamiliar station, and made my way to the Salvation Army entrance, feeling unsure of myself.  I thought of all the beautiful vintage stuff for sale on Etsy--would I be lucky enough to spot a gem?
I looked through my usual sections--dresses, blouses, skirts--for any unusual prints or bright colors [love].  But what I found was soft cream wool.  The moment I felt that fabric, I knew it was a quality garment I was touching.  This is one reason why I love vintage--every piece has a history, a story to tell. In this case, I didn't have to just imagine its history.
I looked up Louis Feraud on Google and found that he was a couture designer who had begun creating pieces in France in the 1950's. He met Brigitte Bardot and designed some of the costumes for her movies. He presented his couture collections in Paris, alongside Balenciaga and Lanvin.
I feel honored to have one of his pieces in my vintage collection! I don't know what year the skirt is from, but it says Made in West Germany, which indicates that it was made before the destruction of the Berlin Wall. The skirt is made of a lightweight wool and is fully lined with cream satin. There is a small 3.5" slit in the left side at the bottom. It zips and buttons in the back, and it's in beautiful condition.
Waist: 26"
Hips: 35"
Length: 26"
Width at Bottom: 38"
Zipper Length: 8"
You can buy it in my Etsy shop .

Indie Designer: Showpony

I found independent designer Showpony on a great website that is similar to Etsy, SupermarketHQ.com.  Emma, the creator, lives in Scotland and mainly has screenprinted stuff in her shop.  I like her idea of screenprinting a fancy bag onto a tote bag--I have always thought that juxtaposition of rough/refined or pretty/messy was intriguing. 

Since I love t-shirts so much, I have always wanted to try screenprinting something lacy onto a plain cotton tee.

DIY T-Shirt Transformation

I got this awesome Dick Dale tee when I went to his show at The Belly Up [in San Diego] last year.  It says "Dick Dale for President", which makes me smile.  Here's a pic of me and The King of Surf Guitar:

 

 Here's the transformed tee:

 

I'm really happy with how it turned out.  I used this tutorial from fellow Etsy-seller Lex's website, WhatTheCraft.com.  As I've mentioned before, Lex has many easy written tutorials, and has even made some videos recently.  She's a great teacher!  [I pretty much idolize her and I hope she doesn't find it creepy!]  I love taking a simple, soft tee and turning it into something of my own.  

Etsy Shop Banner Using Gimp

It's time I finally had a nice banner for my Etsy shop.  This one is pretty dumb:

I'm not even sure that it's accurate...  I already know that Gimp is a free graphics manipulation program that many people use, so I downloaded it and tried it out.  I played around with it for a while, but I was so overwhelmed by all the buttons and I just didn't know what the eff I was doing!  Then I saw this article:   Etsy Seller How-To: Banner Tips that had the following simple tutorial to get me started on Gimp.

Ah, the awesomeness that is Etsy!

I opened up Gimp and prepared for the challenge.  Everything about my Etsy shop seems to take so long!  I searched Google for a "heart attack ekg" -type image...

This was kind of a basic idea I was going for.  I changed the background to pink after some mindless clicking and messing up, and then I searched for an awesome font.

Attack of the Craft!

As you may have guessed, I have just joined Attack of the Craft.  I am trying to get to know some crafty people whose stuff I like, since I don't know many in real life...  I am excited because I know it will help in promoting my Etsy shop, Heart Attack Couture.  I don't know how to make banners, or links, or do a lot of stuff that would make my biz a lot better, so maybe these people can help me.  Plus, they make really cute stuff!

For my logo I have finally come up with an idea and it looks something like this:

But I can't just steal this image from someone else, can I?  I didn't make it.  And how would I modify it to suit my needs?  I guess I will post about this when I find out the answer.

GET CHO KICKS

GET CHO KICKS by taylorsays on Etsy
She hand paints the underside of her shoes!  Why haven't we thought of this before?

She also does t-shirts...

...and paintings in the traditional sense.

It was really hard to pick only a few of her pieces.

ruffeoheartslilsnoty on Etsy

Ruffeoheartslilsnoty is a random seller I stumbled across on Etsy.  It's like stuff I would wear in my "nu-rave" phase.  Or like what MIA might wear to the grocery store.  Bright, comfy, sexy, cute.  Awesome.

Here's some of my faves:

It's pure amazingness!  Sharp construction, clashing colors, beautiful models...even the descriptions are entertaining.  They need to be famous and sell their shit on like Karmaloop or something.

Sweater Top Red w/ Black Sparkly Bow Vintage by heartattackcouture

Sweater Top Red w/ Black Sparkly Bow Vintage by heartattackcouture

I just listed this new item on Etsy! If you love me, you will at least check it out so I can feel good about myself when I check my Google Analytics.

Denim Love

Lily Denim Top by attiladesign --Normally I hate denim, but this is a cool top. http://ping.fm/IgGqD

Job Hunting

Well, obviously I'm not going to become rich selling on Etsy and eBay any time soon, so now I'm looking for a job.  Oh yeah, my financial aid ran out, too.  Since my last disastrous job as a "cocktail waitress," I'm terrified of getting a real job where I have to dress nice and show up on time.  And I might even have to work in the morning--ugh!  I'm terrible at sales, so I figured that some kind of clerical job would be best for me. 

Searching for jobs is frustrating.  I browse Craigslist and Monster, sending my resume to all kinds of places, but I haven't heard anything yet.  I guess it just takes time...  My boyfriend is supporting me right now, which makes me feel kinda lame since I was raised with the idea that women are supposed to be independent. 

Progress

Goal-achieving has been bad, bad, bad.  I haven't sold anything in weeks, and I'm starting to think my stuff is really lame.  Worse, I can't buy new materials until I sell stuff because I just don't have the money.  I keep hoping that something of mine will end up on Regretsy for being so ridiculous--I don't care if they laugh at my stuff because it sells!  And it's actually pretty funny...

Set of 3 small rosettes made of hair custom to by Puppycatmeow

Set of 3 small rosettes made of hair custom to by Puppycatmeow

This girl makes AMAZING custom hair pieces for CHEAP! This is only $18. It would be fun for parties or going out--I would totally buy this one if I had the extra $$$, but I just bought some T.U.K.'s to go see The Murder City Devils at the end of this month. They just got back together after a 10-year hiatus! Can you believe that?!

 

 Beautiful pics too.

Here are the shoes I bought to see the Murder City Devils:

LOVE!!  Comfy for concerts, yet still super cute.

Royal Blue latex/rubber sailor dress with white ruffles by Kaorimg

Royal Blue latex/rubber sailor dress with white ruffles by Kaorimg

This is an interesting take on the popular pinup style, which I happen to love. The latex breathes new life into a classic style.

Tiger Toy Mini SkirtNeon Yellow with Black by heartattackcouture

Tiger Toy Mini SkirtNeon Yellow with Black by heartattackcouture

"Out for the kill, stalking her prey/ The fortunate ones never get away/ They say it's all fair in love, but it's not true/ You'll be chasing her tail til the night is through." (Electrocute)

This mini skirt is made from cotton-rayon jersey, very light and soft to the touch. Bold black stripes are painted onto a neon yellow background. Because the fabric is so lightweight, I lined the skirt with the same material to avoid the notorious VPL. The exposed zipper is thick with plastic tracks and nylon/polyester edges. It is sewn on the outside of skirt for an edgy look, and can be worn front or back. Also adding to the edgy look is a raw, unhemmed bottom edge. (This is not sloppiness--the rest of the garment is well-sewn.)

I have plenty of this fabric and can make this skirt in any size at your request. The skirt pictured is about a medium or large, and would fit about a size 7. When worn at the hips, the skirt hits just below your bum and is form-fitting. If you would like a custom size, it would be helpful to convo me the measurements around your hips where you would like the skirt to sit, around your bum, and the length you would like.

Measurements:
hips--36 in (92.5 cm)
length--11 in (28 cm)

I recently put this up on Etsy. I would have to say that this is the one thing up for sale that I would most like to keep. I have a few yards of this fabric and plan on making various things out of it...definitely a tank top tunic, but not sure what else.

Etsy :: Honeycomb Mini-Dress Lavender Aqua Cream with Gold Belt M Unique

I sold another thing! 

Hello!

Here I will track my daily thinkings, which will mostly be about fashion and sewing. I am an aspiring Etsy seller, and I am hoping that a blog will help me get my name out there. Plus, I like telling people stuff whether or not they're actually listening--just nod and smile! ;D

I have been doing A LOT of blog reading lately: Susie Bubble, Charlotte Taylor, Tavi, The Stroque...and last night I discovered Antimony & Lace. This has to do with "goth and dark fashion," which I am inspired by. I also love the fact that, perhaps even just for practical reasons, a goth would make her own clothes. She probably can't find exactly what she wants in stores, or if she does, it's waaaaay out of her budget--so she gets creative and customizes her wardrobe with her own size and colors!

This, in turn, relates to one of the big reasons I love Etsy: people creating one-of-a-kind clothing, much like wearable art! I can't begin to wonder why I'm obsessed with fashion, sewing, crafts, etc...but I CAN talk about it all day.