So you want to be in an Etsy Treasury? Don't kill your chance!

I've been curating about five Etsy Treasuries a week lately. It's fun, and I get to see many wonderful items. You've probably been told on many occasions that top quality photos are a must, both for selling and for getting featured in Treasuries. There are lots of great post available with outstanding photography tips. But I feel compelled to mention the following because I've not seen it posted before. The picture of your item that shows up in a Treasury is the thumbnail of the first picture you placed when you listed/edited your item. Etsy uses a 1000px x 1000px image for the main or enlarged image in your shop. But the thumbnail it generates is smaller and rectangular (the top and bottom of the image gets clipped). What may be a great image when enlarged and un-clipped may not be suitable for a treasury. I'll use one of my sculptures to demonstrate. If the image I placed in the first spot in my Etsy shop was cropped like the image on the left, the thumbnail would appear something like the image on the right. The primary object in the photo barely appears in the thumbnail. That may keep curators from using you item even if they like it, and it suits the Treasury they are creating.

One solution is to use a detail shot of your item for the first picture. If you've already got a detail shot in among your images, you can just drag it to the first position when you edit your item. As a curator, my objective is to get a front page Treasury, so I'm looking for great pictures, and that means the thumbnail has to be great too.
Thanks for reading this post, and good luck with your Etsy Treasuries.

My ArtFire Store: http://www.artfire.com/users/lunarskies

My Etsy Store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/LunarSkiesJewelry?ref=pr_shop
My Jewelry: http://www.lunarskies.com
My Sculpture: http://www.lunarskies.com/pages1/fineart.html
My Cabochons: http://www.gemalchemy.com
Creating The Hive Artisans Group: http://www.creatingthehive.com
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http://www.facebook.com/Lunarskiesjewelry.quentin.eckman?sk=app_106171216118819

Butterflies Have Made Front Page News!

OK, so it's not the New York Times, it's still pretty cool. This beautiful collection is on Artfire's front page, and one of my sculptures in in the top row. Check it out, and if you want to tell everyone you know that will be alright with me.
http://www.artfire.com/

 

My ArtFire Store: http://www.artfire.com/users/lunarskies

My Etsy Store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/LunarSkiesJewelry?ref=pr_shop
My Jewelry: http://www.lunarskies.com
My Sculpture: http://www.lunarskies.com/pages1/fineart.html
My Cabochons: http://www.gemalchemy.com
Creating The Hive Artisans Group: http://www.creatingthehive.com

Dragonflies and Roses? I supposez!

These are my latest copper and cholla wood sculptures. I've never seen a dragonfly land on a rose bush, but I like the two together. This one is called Dragonflies and Roses (OK, not such an original title). More views at:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/86700716/dragonflies-and-roses-sculpture-copper

The two below are called Dragonfly at Rest, and Dragonfly & Rose (Variation on a theme). But I think these types of titles get found easier on web searches, so there is method to my madness.
More views: http://www.etsy.com/listing/86699684/dragonfly-sculpture-copper-and-cholla?ref=v1_other_2
http://www.etsy.com/listing/86700250/dragonfly-and-rose-sculpture-copper-and?ref=v1_other_2

My ArtFire Store: http://www.artfire.com/users/lunarskies

My Etsy Store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/LunarSkiesJewelry?ref=pr_shop
My Jewelry: http://www.lunarskies.com
My Sculpture: http://www.lunarskies.com/pages1/fineart.html
My Cabochons: http://www.gemalchemy.com
Creating The Hive Artisans Group: http://www.creatingthehive.com

Kindred Spirits, Fairy Sculpture is completed

This one took a while to complete, but I've got to say it's my favorite so far. The fairy sits upon a pokadot mushroom and beckons to an elusive butterfly whose wing pattern matches her own.

 All the finished copper pieces

The wood pieces

The finished work assembled (more views below)

 

She'll be going to her new home very shortly. I hope you've enjoyed viewing the process.

My ArtFire Store: http://www.artfire.com/users/lunarskies

My Etsy Store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/LunarSkiesJewelry?ref=pr_shop
My Jewelry: http://www.lunarskies.com
My Sculpture: http://www.lunarskies.com/pages1/fineart.html
My Cabochons: http://www.gemalchemy.com
Creating The Hive Artisans Group: http://www.creatingthehive.com

I am the victim of a crime!

I think theft is one of the worst crimes of which to fall victim. Recently I've noticed small items disappearing from my shop. I've just identified the thief.
I don't like to single out any specific group, but these little guys have a well earned reputation for this very type of activity. That's right! I'm talkin' about pack rats.

 

I was out of the shop for a couple of days, and one of these little guys was VERY busy while I was gone. I guess I'm just going to have to lock everything up. I thought this stuff was over when my children grew up.

OK, back to my fairy project. It's getting closer to completion. I got the wings cut out. I start with the wing pattern glued to plates of copper.

 

Drill a hole for each opening

 

And saw out the opening along the pattern line (forgive the fuzzy pic)

 

For the butterfly body I start with a piece of round copper stock and carve until I get the final shape

 

Here's a view from the top

 

The mushroom top required a lot of hammer work

 

The body parts are about ready for assembly

 

And the hair is coming along nicely

 

So now it's just about time to select the pieces of cholla I'll use to complete the piece. Thanks for looking.

My ArtFire Store: http://www.artfire.com/users/lunarskies

My Etsy Store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/LunarSkiesJewelry?ref=pr_shop
My Jewelry: http://www.lunarskies.com
My Sculpture: http://www.lunarskies.com/pages1/fineart.html
My Cabochons: http://www.gemalchemy.com
Creating The Hive Artisans Group: http://www.creatingthehive.com

Lunar Skies "Paisley Butterfly" is featured on Artfire Daily Collecton!

http://us1.campaign-archive1.com/?u=98fbd55a1d5bdaf9e1d296c27&id=bb3af0ba2b&e=69f5cba8fb

I keep hoping I'll win the $100.00 prize, but this is pretty cool too! One of my sculptures is featured in the Copper Age Daily Collection.

 

My ArtFire Store: http://www.artfire.com/users/lunarskies

My Etsy Store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/LunarSkiesJewelry?ref=pr_shop
My Jewelry: http://www.lunarskies.com
My Sculpture: http://www.lunarskies.com/pages1/fineart.html
My Cabochons: http://www.gemalchemy.com
Creating The Hive Artisans Group: http://www.creatingthehive.com

Kindred Spirits, Fairy Sculpture Work in Progress

This is blog number two as this project continues. I've got the body parts of the fairy rough shaped, and now I'm beginning to work on some of the details.

 

Above & Below: One leg shaped except for the foot which looks like long swim fin at this point

I like the feeling that the piece is already inside the metal and I'm just freeing it

Both legs shaped except for feet, the body is in good shape to except for the head which still needs a considerable amount of work

 

One arm shaped except for the hand

 

Both arms shaped, the arms and legs need to be mirror images. My method allows me to compare the pieces as I work. It's all subtraction of material and hand work, so it's imperfect by nature, but I can manage to get pretty close. Since the final pieces will be bent into different positions, any imperfections seem to disappear.

 

Body, arms and legs rough shaped and ready for some details. Right now it looks like there's been a terrible accident

My ArtFire Store: http://www.artfire.com/users/lunarskies

My Etsy Store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/LunarSkiesJewelry?ref=pr_shop
My Jewelry: http://www.lunarskies.com
My Sculpture: http://www.lunarskies.com/pages1/fineart.html
My Cabochons: http://www.gemalchemy.com
Creating The Hive Artisans Group: http://www.creatingthehive.com

My Newest Fairy Sculpture is now a Work in Progress

Now and the I get a request from someone to create a work specifically for them. I enjoy this type of collaboration. This request was for a copper fairy on a poka-dot mushroom. Working with the client we came up with the following Photoshop version of the design. Now the challenge for me is to see how close I can come with the actual work.

 

The piece will be titled "Kindred Spirits"

I start these sculptures with some pieces of copper. I need a pretty big piece for the body so I have to cut it from a thick copper block (not really an ad for DeWalt tools)

 

These pieces will  be the fairy's body, arms and legs

 

Then I start the rough grinding

 

Each step gets a little closer to the finished component

The metal gets pretty hot during grinding. That discoloring is the result, but it's just on the surface

She's starting to take shape

 

I leave quite a bit of material for the head since I have to subtract the material (math was never my strong suit). She has a bit of an alien quality at this stage

She's in there; stay tuned.

My ArtFire Store: http://www.artfire.com/users/lunarskies
My Etsy Store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/LunarSkiesJewelry?ref=pr_shop
My Jewelry: http://www.lunarskies.com
My Sculpture: http://www.lunarskies.com/pages1/fineart.html
My Cabochons: http://www.gemalchemy.com
Creating The Hive Artisans Group: http://www.creatingthehive.com

The fairy is awake!

Waking Fairy, Copper and Cholla Cactus Wood Sculpture

I just completed my latest sculpture. Handcrafted Copper and Cholla Cactus Wood Sculpture on Oak Base; approx. 7" high x 9-1/4" wide. Hand cut and forged free-standing art.

On warm summer nights fairies like to sleep in cool, fragrant flower beds where they can gaze at the stars and moon. This fairy found a nice cholla log to curl up in, and now she is waking up to start her day. http://www.lunarskies.com/pages1/wakingfairy1.html

My ArtFire Store: http://www.artfire.com/users/lunarskies

My Etsy Store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/LunarSkiesJewelry?ref=pr_shop
My Jewelry: http://www.lunarskies.com
My Sculpture: http://www.lunarskies.com/pages1/fineart.html
My Cabochons: http://www.gemalchemy.com

Creating The Hive Artisans Group: http://www.creatingthehive.com

 

Another Fairy, A Work In Progress

This time it's going to be a sculpture. I started with an idea and these items: a piece or cholla cactus wood and a chunk of copper. There will be more pieces but you've got to start somewhere.

 

Then I started grinding and carving the chunk of copper.

 

More grinding and more elements.

 

It's starting to look like something now, but I've still got a lot to do. You may have heard the rumor that copper will turn some people's skin green . . . It's true!

 

That's all for now. Thanks for stopping by!

My ArtFire Store: http://www.artfire.com/users/lunarskies

My Etsy Store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/LunarSkiesJewelry?ref=pr_shop
My Jewelry: http://www.lunarskies.com
My Sculpture: http://www.lunarskies.com/pages1/fineart.html
My Cabochons: http://www.gemalchemy.com

Creating The Hive Artisans Group: http://www.creatingthehive.com

Butterflies Galore!

I've recently finished four new butterfly sculptures I previewed as works in progress at Creating the Hive
These pieces are now listed on the fine art link of my web site: http://www.lunarskies.com/pages1/fineart.html
also on my etsy and Artfire stores: http://www.etsy.com/shop/LunarSkiesJewelry
http://www.artfire.com/users/lunarskies




Butterfly and Rose Free-standing Copper Sculpture
Copper butterfly and rose with cholla cactus wood and oak base, approximately 9-1/4" high x 6-1/2" wide. Features a Swallowtail butterfly that nearly flutters above a blooming Rose.








Butterfly and Trumpet Flower Wall Hanging Sculpture
Copper butterflies and trumpet bush flowers with cholla cactus wood and oak base, approximately 14" high x 5-1/2" wide. Features recessed wire hanger in back which allows art to hang flush against the wall.


(Below left) Butterfly and Poppy Copper Wall Hanging Sculpture
Copper butterfly and poppy with cholla cactus wood and oak base, approximately 7" high x 3" wide. Features recessed wire hanger in back which allows art to hang flush against the wall.

(Below right) Butterfly and Baby Rose Wall Hanging Sculpture
Copper butterfly and rose with cholla cactus wood and oak base, 6-5/8" high x 2-3/4" wide. Features recessed wire hanger in back which allows art to hang flush against the wall.

Dragonfly Sculpture Feaured on Artfire

"As the weather warms, the insects begin to take flight. This collection celebrates the insects that are attracted to the garden."
That's the theme of this very cool collection. Drop on by and leave a comment:
http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=collections&op=details&cid=15919

 

Or visit the Fine Art page of my web site to see more of my sculptures:
http://www.lunarskies.com/pages1/fineart.html