Friday 15 March 2013

An idea to promote Etsy and a bit of progress on my painting

Lately, because I'm so busy with other things, I've limited my painting to one day a week. Which doesn't mean I don't paint on the other days. I do, but I don't work on my bigger paintings. Because I don't have a studio and work in the kitchen, I need to cover everything before I can start dribbling and spraying, so before I do that I need to know that I have at least a few hours to keep working.

Yesterday, I started too late. So by the time I was really getting into it, I had to get the kids from school. I wished I'd done more, but I'm afraid it has to wait again till next week. Kinda frustrating.

Nevermind. This is where I got last week:


After looking at it for a whole week, I felt it was a bit too dark in some places and could do with some brightening up. And then my eye fell on my spray inks. Aha. What if I used those ...?


Oops! The colour was stronger than I'd expected. But since yellow is one of my absolute favorite colours, I didn't mind.


Decided not to use the face that was there beside the tree, and paint a bird instead...


And this is where I got. Not much further, but at least now I know which way I want to go with it. Looking forward to next Thursday!

And now for something else (read on if you have an Etsyshop please ....):
As I mentioned in my last post, I've been brooding on an idea how we can help eachother promote our Etsyshops. I started thinking about it after Maria was so kind to feature my Etsyshop on her blog. A lot of us have an Etsyhop, and most of us would be happy with more sales, right? And we usually have blogs and Facebook and Twitter (well, not me ....) too, all with different followers and also "people from the outside world" .... Meaning: people who are not artists themselves. Before I started a blog last year I had no idea there was such a thing as Etsy. And I think a lot of people in our environment don't know it either. Now that I have been studying Etsy a bit more I'm really amazed by all the beautiful and unique things you can find on there.

Sooo, to make a long story short: I think in order to make more sales, it's not enough to promote our shops on Etsy, we need to get the word out in the world. And we can help eachother with this so that it's a win-win-situation for all.

How do I want to do that? Well, the idea I have in my head, is that I create a separate page on my blog with a Mr Linky. The linkylist will stay up until the 31st of March, and in that time you can add the link to your etsyshop. On the first of April (and no, this is no April fool's day ☺), I will send you the links to 4 etsyshops from other participants. You commit to doing a separate feature on each of these shops during the month of April. One a week preferably. Meanwhile, 4 other participants will be featuring your shop on their blog during the month of April. I will let you know the links to their blogs.

Hmmm, I'm not sure I'm explaining this the right way. This is one of the times that I'm having trouble with English not being my motherlanguage. If only I could explain it in Dutch ... ;-)

But anyway, I guess you get the idea. So what I would like to know is whether you would be interested in something like this. It's free promotion for your shop, you have something to talk about on your blog, and who knows how many interesting shops you'll discover by participating..... Please let me know what you think.

I'll end this very long post with another oneliner


Linking this to Paint Party Friday. This week is the Paint Party Friday Auction Blog Hop, to benefit the Sandy Hook Elementary School. So you really need to go and have a look there!

Hope you're having a lovely Friday, and will enjoy a beautiful weekend. Thanks for being here! ♥ ♥ ♥

40 comments:

  1. So wonderful artwork.

    Have a nice weekend and Happy PPF

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  2. I love your work, wonderful colours and flow. Valerie

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  3. Your new painting is awesome. I am one of those people who know very little about etsy, I must research it!

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  4. Je schilderij begint al aardig vormen aan te nemen; ik kan al zien wat er ongeveer uit gaat komen. Wat de Etsy shops betreft... helaas heb ik die niet, maar ik begrijp je idee. Hoop dat er veel mee gaan doen om elkaar een beetje te promoten.
    Ik ben inderdaad al aan de lentekaarten begonnen; het is een samenzwering :-0 Als we allemaal lentekaartjes maken dan wordt het eerder lente hahaha.
    Je one liner is ook weer helemaal raak!! Leuk gezichtje ook.
    Liefs en stay creative!
    Marianne

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  5. That's a good idea for Etsy promotion. I'm game. :) Love your progress shots!

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  6. Good Luck with your Etsy idea. The little I know of it is that you do need to promote yourself to get sales on there but then again that applies to any online selling forum. Anyway love your artwork here. Great belends of colours.

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  7. Nice work on your WIP! Lovely one liner, awesome quote! :)

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  8. Nice work on your piece so far, and good luck with Etsy!

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  9. I love seeing your progression on a piece-there's so much delight in them! Love the yellow addition. I'm really not familiar with Etsy so perhaps it's time I read up on it.Good luck with your Etsy shop!

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  10. Your artwork is magnificent and love hearing about the process ~ Divine! ~ Enjoy ^_^

    ps. Great etsy idea ~ yet I have nothing in there at the moment

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  11. I like the way you have white areas and lines in your work. Wishing you luck with your Etsy sales.
    Xxxx

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  12. The painting is looking great and I love the one liner. I gave up on my Etsy shop quite a while back but I think your idea is a good one. It seems that mostly only other creative people even know about Etsy. Of course, those are also the only kind of people who read my blog but I'm sure others have a more diverse following.

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  13. This is gorgeous. I liked it before the yellow, but I like it even better now and with the bird head. Gorgeous blend of colors.

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  14. I absolutely love your paintings, compositions and colors on them. Well done with etsy project!! Thank you for sharing your thoughts, your 'etsy' ideas and for being so positive and open in your art and words. Have a great weekend.

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  15. Love the progress on your work. It's amazing all you see on the canvas. Great work. Good luck with Etsy.:)

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  16. Nice progression on your painting Denthe. Love seeing how you decide on the intensity of color. HPPF!

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  17. absolu fantastic Denthe! WOW!

    happy PPF and happy weekend
    Susi from
    ART-JOURNAL-JOURNEY

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  18. brilliant progress on the painting...and excellent idea to promote your etsy shops....maybe I should be considering opening one.

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  19. Hi Denthe, am so in love with the way your painting is developing. I love seeing your work on Facebook and wish you all the very best with selling your work on Etsy. Have heard that more paintings are sold via Facebook than on Etsy, so it would be worth a try am sure. Happy PPF, Annette x
    http://nettysartadventures.blogspot.co.uk/

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  20. I love how this painting is progressing. it is frustrating not having a separate studio so you can just leave work out all the time. i like your idea on promoting the etsy shops. i really have given up on mine-i maybe sell one card every few months so not really making back all the listing fees and then once you take etsy commission and paypal commission off it hardly seems worthwhile! i'll maybe give it one last shot and if so count me in!

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  21. Love the development of your painting and its brilliant colors!
    I would love to add my Etsy link to your linky party!
    ♥♥♥
    Happy PPF!!
    Mary
    Mixed-Media Map Art

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  22. I am not too sure I understand it all, but with some help, I would love to 'play' too. Happy PPF.

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  23. Hi there! First of all, I SO TOTALLY get the "how much can I do on this one day I have to art before the kids get home" thing. And before I choose to kick guests out entirely (to create a "studio") I was at the kitchen too. Having said that, one painting a week is truly doable and a good approach as the kids are young. GORGEOUS painting here - love the white and layers.
    Now, I LOVE your Etsy / promotion idea. I opened mine before Christmas last year and have also found it slow going to start. Great suggestion - count me in! xoxo

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  24. :D oh how wonderful!!!!!!!I really love the colours and the way things flow and work together in your paintings.

    I will help and feature! I love to feature artists! :D I feel special. thank you for mentioning me.
    I will for sure participate in your wonderful promotion! :D YAY! Supporting each other is a wonderful and positive thing!
    xoxoxo

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  25. Hi Honey fab idea and I love how you create your art. I thankful I have a studio because I am such a messy person ;) Love your boxes and must buy one one day. I saw this (link bellow) the other day but could not help but think of you! http://jetdtsetters.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/shes-like-rainbow.html

    ManonXX

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  26. Social media is the only way to go....do you have instagram? I don't yet but it's the newest way to promote and hashtag your art!! With a phone though! You could put your etsy shop on there too!! It's a larger spectrum once you gather followers!!

    Your artwork and one lined lady are as always spectacular!!

    Hugs Giggles

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  27. I love where you painting is going! It is frustrating when youre in your grove and you have to stop!

    And I love your etsy idea (it made total sense to me!) I struggle to find the right people to promote to, but I love the idea of promoting others shops. X

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  28. Wonderful progress on a wonderful painting. I think your idea is terrific. Unfortunately my Etsy shop (which does exist) is on the back burner right now - hope in the future to make it active again. The idea would be such a help to Etsy sellers. It's a great thought to have us help each other

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  30. Ups, again..

    Now I know who reminded me to work on my Etsy shop!! YOU!!! I love your Idea, but I'm bad on a lot of the new technology things. I don't know nothing about mr Link. But I think what I can do is just use one day a week to promote an Etsy Shop on my blog.... Or is someone explains me better Mr Link and how it works & how to play with your idea I would love to participate.


    Love, love your piece. Your reminded me at myself about working on big canvases at the kitchen. No place to work and no time with the kids taking them and picking them at school. :

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    1. Hey Nora, no problem! Once I work it out I'll explain it very clearly (at least I'll try ... ☺)Mr. Linky is just the same as when you sign up for Paint Party Friday, so nothing new there :-)

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  31. This is so beautiful! The colors are amazing...I can't even describe how much I like your work. I found you via the creative every day linky list, and I am in love!

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  32. Your painting is wonderful. Love how the bird evolved from the shape.

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  33. You are SO SO clever Denise... that is such a wonderful idea with Etsy... yes please... sounds wonderful... and love your gorgeous painting... a stunning piece in progress... and darling One Liner...

    Jenny ♥

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  34. Love to see your painting progress painting Denise. I have neglected my etsy shop for a while. I have only had 2 sales in a year but also the cost of Australia post is so high it can cost nearly as much as the artwork!! I will be happy to join in with your promotion idea though. I think half the problem is getting 'seen' on etsy as it's so big alot of great work gets missed

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  35. It is wonderful that you are dreaming up ways to help artists friends with etsy shops thrive! April is not a month that I would be able to share that way. Maybe another time if you do it again.

    your painting is wonderful
    love the spray ink idea
    wishing you time to paint ~

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  36. You have brought the faces to the forefront of the picture. I like where it is going. Blessings, Janet PPF

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  37. great WIP progress Denise! you've got a tree in there this time. i love trees too. Great Etsy promo idea, but i have no items in my shop at the moment, otherwise i would join in.

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  38. I would definitely love to take part in this - I'm happy with whatever dates you decide :)

    Sarah @ A Cat-Like Curiosity

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  39. Connections. It is very important in Etsy that you are social, if I must say so. Building relationships with other shop owners is necessary since cross-promotion is very common between etsy business owners. And as I see it, it is a very effective way of marketing. Kristofer@Reach For Freedom

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Thanks for taking the time to comment! I love hearing your thoughts about my work. Because I am getting too many spammer comments, l have to use Captcha, sorry. Hope this is not a problem for you !