Best Loved Child Site & Shop Improvement

There is nothing like getting some sales to get me motivated. I've been doing alot of reading on Search Engine Optomtimization (SEO). This is a scary bunch of words that just means that I'm trying to get my little Etsy store and thus my Arks & Stuff seen by folks that might want to buy them. As a result of this I've taken the advice of the sage experts and done the following:

1. Changed my Etsy Shop Title. I'm still Best Loved Child but the Shop title is the first line after the banner and is what Google and others use in their searches. Mine now reads "Wooden Noah's Ark Sets, Handpainted Decor".  Before it was something fluffy and irrelavant- even I can't remember what it was.

2. Changed all my listing titles. All the Ark stuff listings start with "Wooden Noah's Ark" then tell exactly what the item is.

If you're like the me I was yesterday you are saying "?" or "Who Cares" or other things less flattering. But as a result (This is the Big TA-DA) If you open our best friend Google and type in "Wooden Noah's Ark Set" I'm on the first page. (You have to do "Set", without it I'm MIA. Working on it.) On Etsy if you search Noah's Ark my listings appear easily. Big improvement. I was so excited I called the BL Hubby.  He was properly proud.

I also had an Etsy Showcase today and I wanted to feature my Wooden Noah's Ark Basic Set but  I needed new pictures as I had sold the other Basic Set.  I've been struggling with my photos.  I've never been great with the camera (always wanted to be).  The BL Kids have been some of the least photographed children in America.  Back to research.  Etsy had a blog post that was full of pointers (and made me feel better as some Etsy pros showed their early "bad" pics).  

One of the suggestions was that natural light was the best light for your photos.  Natural light is a problem for me.  When I say I live in the woods, I mean my  house is on a lot with literally a forest of trees.  It gets pretty dark in the summer with all the leaves, etc.  BL Hubby had built me some screens and some clamp on and overhead lights that I've been using but my pictures kept comming out dark - even with computer editing.  I tried to take a pic of my set-up last night but the pictures were so dark you can't see anything.  This morning I had good light from my east kitchen window so I set up my background screens and went to work.  I've been using a white cloth background but it often looks gray.  Looking at my fabric stash I chose a couple and snapped away. The how-to articles were also enlightening as to EV and White balance.  Mine were set completly wrong so I played around with them.  See what you think.

 Original Photo- This was the 2nd set of pic I'd done. I still wasn't happy with it.

This morning's Pics.  Here I used two different fabric backgrounds.  Looking here I like the green one the best but I used the blue clouds in my listing. Got me so delighted I took some more angles. 

This view I used for the listing.

This I used to redo the blog heading and I made some business cards.

Improvement is slow and hard won! Is there such a thing as a personal trainer for the camera?

Memorial Day Gratefulness

Not so many years ago I was a Cub Scout Den Mom.  We lived in Gresham, OR which is a wonderful suburb of Portland.  On the Thursday before Memorial Day it was the custom for all Cub Scouts in the area to go to Willamette National Cemetery where the boys decorated each grave with an American flag.  The day we participated was a "good" day for Portland - only a little mist.  With another mom we packed six or seven boys including my oldest son and reported for duty. The event started with some opening ceremonies that included a local politician making a speech that went too long and bored the boys (and the moms), Also presentation of flags and playing of taps.  "My" boys were well behaved but unfamilar with Military ceremonies or customs and I was deluged with wispered questions throughout the ceremony.  Fortunately, a military representative of the Cemetery focused the Scouts with brief and impressive instructions on how putting the flags on each grave neatly was a way to honor men who had served each of us in protecting our country.  We were off to work.

Our group was assigned a shady area of the cemetery where the graves had been created in the 1950's.  Some were clearly graves of veterans that had returned from WWI and died of natural causes.  One was a vetran of the Spanish American War.  Others were men who had died in battle in Korea.  The boys were reading out the names and dates on each grave and questions were still comming - "Is there really a body buried here?", "Where's Korea?", "Why did they die?".   As they happily posted a flag on each grave I was nearly in tears as I thought of these beautiful boys perhaps sometime in the future becoming soldjers and possibly ending their life in the service of their country.  I could imagine the Mothers of WWII wearing their pins with silver stars representing their sons in the military and their worry.  I imagined the sorrow of a mother who's pin had a gold star for a boy who had lost his life.   I prayed that these sweet boys would be spared the horrors of war.

I was touched to see here in the Oregonian that this is still the tradition for this cemetery.  Scouts have been decorating the gaves at Portland's National cemetery now for 42 years.  Some of the graves now are for boys who once placed flags to honor the men who went before them.  Perhaps they were with their mothers when they came to decorate the cemetery as Scouts.
 
All our gratitude cannot be enough.

Spring Overhaul

I've finished an overhaul of my Etsy shop.  I've got some great feedback and it seems that price is a barrier for many of my fans. (I have some.  Isn't that the coolest.).  Even though my Arks are priced way below the comptition I feel that the economy dictates I lower my prices a bit.  I've also posted some "Starter Sets" that will allow buyers to start with an ark and four animals and then add more animals over time.  This should make it easier to afford an heirloom quality set.  I also think this will be easier for several people to gift a new baby or a favorite Sunday School teacher or your Best Loved Child with a fabulous set that will be coveted by generations yet unborn. 

I do have some new designs that will be in the shop soon.  Some of the BLOffspring have indicated that they get my prototypes and the product improves when it goes in the shop.  It may be true.  I do tweak things after making it a few times.  In this tradiiton.  My girl in AZ is getting this set for her one and only #7 Birthday.   

It's very much a prototype.  I know I'm changing the shape of the house so I won't post pictures until I do the next one.  Happy Birthday sweet girl.

Most Unappreciated Wild Flower

I've been visitng family and while in New England the BLGrandkids wanted to take us on their favorite day trip - the Ben & Jerry's Factory Tour in Vermont.  It was a perfect day and I do love Ben and Jerry and their ice cream.  What I loved the most was the wonderful graphics the brand uses.  Everything at the site is decorated with their bright cloud and cow designs.  The factory tour is brief (and ends with ice cream) but they don't let you take pictures.  I'm sure this is less for industrial spying and more so no one will post  a picture of an employee doing something inapropriate on the internet.  This was unfortunate because all the walls in the areas you tour are covered with painted graphics.  I was so more interested in the walls then how they make the ice cream.  The tour views the factory floor from a small glassed in loft.  The hallway leading to it had yellow and pale blue graphics all showing Artic themes.  Penguins, polar bears, etc.  It was wonderfull!  They did tell us that if your favorite grocer doesn't carry the flavor you most want your grocery store can order a six pack just for your.
After the tour we had more ice cream at the Scoop Shop and let the kids blow off steam at the playground.  On this perfect day I noticed that the grassy hill before the playground was decorated with dandelions.  It looked like how you would paint the hill if you were producing a picture in the same style as Ben & Jerry's official graphics. 

They were adorable!  I swear it was as if they were planted.  Which made me wonder, why do we hate dandelions?  They are beautiful wild flowers but we hate on them fierce.  Look below. Can't think of anything prettier

.

Maybe my Ben & Jerry's socks

The temporary Joy of Flowers

A relative (ex-sister-inlaw) once commented that she hated to be given flowers because they were "dead".  I've heard this from others on occasion.  I adore flowers, and yes - they are a short lived pleasure.  So are ballons and ice cream and sunsets.  These beautys are by my front door and greet me each spring.  I sent off of the bulbs some time ago.  They are Salome variety and the attraction is that they are pink.  Do you see any pink?  They open with yellow trumpets and quickly the trumpet fades to cream with a pinkish ruffled border. I've had these for about 10 years and at best the border is peachy salmon.  Some years You would have to call it tan.  I'm learning to love them for what they are and not scold them for not being as pink as the catalog promised.

 This last year I've been going through what I think is usually called "empty nest syndrome".  My nest is really emptying out but Best Loved Youngest is moving back home for the summer.  The lure of free rent and a full fridge has won over the joys of being on his own.  Since I moved my studio into his old room I needed to fix another room for him.  He gets his sisters old room that was my studio.  He did ask if I would paint over the flowered border his sister and I had stenciled when the room was decorated for her.   I recored for posterity me painting primer on the border so I could paint the room for BL Youngest.  I admit to getting misty over it.  The terrific girl that excitedly stenciled with me so she could have "not a cutesy room but a pretty room" has grown to be a terrific woman and a great friend but while I painted out the border I did miss that little girl who had a much too adult sense of humor, a passion for reading and even then didn't tolerate fools gladly.    Seasons change. 

Studio / Workroom Redu

I've been neglecting painting in order to get the space I work in in order.  I been in the process of moving my studio/workroom to the largest guest bedroom but a visit from our oldest has galvanized me to drop everything else and get it done.  I've had a room dedicated to painting but it seemed like I always end up working on the dining room table.  I think I'm like my old kitty, I needed to be where the action is.  I'm hoping this redu will make me WANT to work here as well as making it easier to do so. 

One huge side effect of the move was that I was forced to go through all my craft stuff and I've seriously edited.  I've taken a load of stuff to the ARC thrift store and the car is loaded up again for another trip.  It's been a good thing to let go of a lot of this stuff.  I took a hard look at what I had and if I wasn't going to use it - out it went.  It's like wearing new underwear! It feels great!. 

I got so inspired I repainted the room.  I wanted a soft neutral taupe on the walls.  The plan includes painting my storage pieces white.  Then I would have pops of color from  art on the wall, quilts and my work  in process. I knew I would need at least 2 coats of paint - the room was a dark blue, a left over from BLBaby's high school colors.  I bought a gallon and I'm grateful it took two gallons.  I think I'm pretty good at picking colors but I really blew it on the first coat.  I know that color can intensify from what you think you are getting on the chip to actual practice on the wall.  Thinking of that I became too timid.  I remember the 80's too well, and the basic color everything was painted in was a cool off white usually called Navaho White.  I've painted it out everywhere I encountered it - but there it was on my wall.  I got the 2nd gallon much darker - Behr Pecan Sandie.  Much warmer, it reminded me of light chocolate milk and makes me happy. The white and my color pops will do great. 

The one piece that I have painted a robin egg blue is my sewing station and it will stay that way.  I never did a before on this but here is the after. 

My youngest moved into unfurnished student housing last fall and wanted the computer desk that Best Loved Hubby had rescued from work (got for free).  I had been using it for the sewing maching but I took pity on the Kid and let him take it. (Who am I to discourage a homework station).  I set out to replace it and hit pay dirt the first day all at my favorite Flea Market.  The bottom is a drop leaf table had lost one of the leaves but the legs were sturdy. It was $4.00.  I had a top to an entertainment center that had not worked out (another story) so I screwed it to the top of the table from the underneath with drywall screws.  This gave me a great worksurface and covered up all but a little bit of the half circle leaf of the table so I removed that side also.  The same shopping trip scored me the bookcase top for $8.00.  It was falling apart but some screws took care of it.  I had planned to just set this on the top of the table but BLHubby was concerned it would fall on me and insisted I get some angle brackets (Ace Hardware $5.00) to secure it to the table top.  A good idea.  I primed the whole thing with Glidden Gripper high adhesive primer. (I bought a whole gallon but have used it on some other stuff.  These pieces were just junk and were covered in vinyl laminate.  I was afraid that my favorite Kiltz wouldn't stick well.  The Gripper has done great.)  Top coat of paint - $13.50. 
Total cost - under $40.00.  Not exactly free but look at the results.

I still need to paint the storage pieces (all free over the years) white and hang art but we are in business.

Design Inspirations - Sam Gabriel and Sons

I have recently discovered some vintage children's books that I'm so in love with. I discovered the first one at the Crystal Hill Antique Mall in North Little Rock. They have a wonderful framing shop located there called Happenstance that has tons of already matted ephemera and prominently displayed was a large frame with five pictures and the title from "Funny Farm Friends on Vacation" and another with "Plump Piggies". I was in love. No, I wanted a baby so I could decorate a nursery around these pieces. Never mind that the Best Loved Husband may not want to start over again with diapers, the Best Loved Baby Boy is seriously planning for the LSAT and we decided to shoot the stork a long time ago. None of that matters when you see these pictures.

There are a bunch of these titles, and similar ones.  The Funny Farm Friends were copyright 1938 and published by Sam Gabriel and Sons.  The text isn't anything to get excited over, but the pictures!  It seems that Sam Gabriel and Sons did tons of these little books from the 1930's to the 1950's.  I've been able to find several series all over the internet for no more than $15.00 each.   They are about 8 x 7 inch soft cover stapled booklets made from a paper called "Linenette".  Linenette is a high quality clay coated paper that is embossed to look like it has a fabric weave.  It is tough and must have been hard to tear and has not corroded from acid. So many books I find this old are crumbling because their paper is so high acid and self distructs.  There is no author or, even more sadly, illustrator credited for any of the Sam Gabriel Books I have and I can't find any illustrator listed anywhere. 

This layout of the farm animals racing I adore.  The rabbit winning - sure, but the Pig!  I love, love these.  Love the rich colors.  love the fried egg daisy flowers everywhere.  I'm looking for more of them.  I'll post more scans when I get them.  If anyone knows of the illustrator or illustrators of these.  I think of them working in house for little wage but producing this.