How I Make Mockups

 

What a rabbit hole that mockups can be for me.  I can spend hours just looking at all the thousands of photo options that pixabay.com or unsplash.com (my 2 favorite reference photo sites) have to offer.  So many choices.  I find it very mesmerizing and a huge time sucker. 

I've recently made the commitment to step up my game when it comes to my listing photos.  Every Etsy expert on YouTube mentions that your photos are one of the most important aspects of your shop's success.  To get fresh eyes on the subject, I bumped up my monthly membership on Erank.com to the Pro account level so that I could compare more of my competitor shops to my own.  I sell a variety of items so I really had to find a couple of shops for each category so that I could see what a successful sticker shop or say a bookmark seller looks like.  It has been rather an eye-opening experience because they have SO MANY more sales on a weekly basis than I do.  Now you can't let that discourage you, but rather use that information to help you set higher goals for yourself.  Erank.com allows you to track your competition and to see what keywords they use in their listings.  It a wonderful research tool and I can't recommend it enough.  It's an essential tool for any online business, especially in the current economic environment we are navigating through as small business owners.

I mentioned before that I could spend hours finding just the right background photo to use as a mockup and so recently, I've actually purchased some mockup sets from other Etsy Shops.  I've not been disappointed, especially when you can find them on sale for just a few dollars.  I'm going to show you what I've done with mockups that I've purchased and with those that I have created completely on my own.

Let's take a look at a framed art print mockup with a Christmas holiday theme.  Here is one of my favorite ones this year that I on unsplash.com for free and I absolutely love it.  It matches my art style very well and at the same time the artwork is the well seen. It's a perfect 8 x 10-inch frame with no objects that are interfering with the framed area.  Most of my artwork is at a vertical orientation so this is perfect.  But for those few pieces that are at a horizontal layout, this wasn't a difficult to adjust.  I simply rotated the whole picture 90 degrees counterclockwise, and I've accomplished maintaining a cohesiveness to my listing photos that I love.  This is my primary listing photo for all my Christmas art this year.  I love it!  Let me show you how it turned out.

This is my adorable highland cow drawing I did earlier in 2023.  I've put sunflowers on her head but here I've given her a Christmas doo.  She is just the sweetest and I'm in love with that shy expression on her face.  I have so many favorite Christmas pieces this year, but little "Sunshine" is way up there on the list.  All I did was add the photo inside the frame and put my branded watermark on the bottom.  Be sure you save all your photos that you are going to use on your listings at a lower resolution so that you don't make it easy on all those Gypsie's, pirates and thieves that are out there that are lurking in the cyber shadows.  If you don't you will find your artwork all over the place faster than you can say, "Bobs your uncle."

I mentioned that some of my Christmas artwork has a horizontal orientation and so I just wanted to show you an example of how I took this same photo and flipped it on its side to make another great mockup option.  You can't do that with every mockup but this one was perfect.  This piece is called "Christmas on the Farm" and it a compilation of all the cute Christmas Critters in my 2022 collection.  It is SO cute!  I just love how this one turned out. 

I can talk about mockups all day but let me show you another example of one that I purchased and why I decided to do that.  Recipe cards are a good seller for me, and I love all the cards I have designed in the past few years.  In order for them to stand out on any online platform that first primary listing photo has to be stunning and honestly, I've struggled with that, but that struggle is now a thing of the past.  Here is my newest recipe card mockup that I purchased from the Esty Shop- Studio 163.  Just how cute is that?  Simple, bright and yet very eye catching.  I paid about $2.50 for this mockup and let me tell you that is a real bargain if you factor in all the time, I will have to spend trying to find something that is even close to this.  I actually purchased 2 mockups from this shop for my recipe cards and I think this $5 investment will pay for itself hundreds of times over.  In this mockup I just added a little text at the top right corner to clearly explain that you are getting a set of cards and their size.  Finally, I just added my branded watermark, and I was done.  Of course, I had to do this like 40 times so that all my recipe card listings had a fresh new look. 

 I do sell one 3 x 5 card so all I did for that was add a white rectangle to the easel to cover up the predetermined 4 x 6 size.  I then just added my recipe card design and just made it appear a bit smaller on the easel.  It is amazing what you can accomplish if you just learn a little Photoshop.

I hope you weren't too bored with all this mockup mumbo jumbo, but I can't stress just how important good photos are.  I do hope to start actually taking a lot of my own product photos and videos in the next year and I'm sure I will be blogging lots about that journey so follow my blog for more content like this.  Let me know if there are any questions you have.  I LOVE sharing my limited knowledge with other artists.  

My art makes great gifts so hop on over to my website and check out all my cute critters.  JULIE TOWNSEND STUDIO

Set Up Your Own Website Shop Yesterday!

Do you have an online shop?  Maybe you have an Etsy Shop like I do.  I actually have been working hard to gain a presence on several new online marketplaces along with my own website shop.  The internet is full of Etsy horror stories.  That old adage, "Don't put all your eggs in one basket" has never been truer.  If you don't have a website up and running yet, then I strongly suggest that you get started today setting it up.  

I've actually had a website for years through Weebly.com.  I used it mostly like an artist's resume, but about two years ago, I decided rather than just directing the traffic from my website to my purchases on my Etsy Shop, that I needed to set up my own store and sell my art myself.  There were two events that occurred around that time that brought a real urgency to this decision.  One, I had discovered that the images of my art had been stolen from my Etsy Shop and were all over the internet, especially on Amazon.  I found some even on other Etsy Shops too.  I was devastated to say the least.  In most of the pirated images they didn't even bother to remove my name from the art.  These thieves were so lazy that in many cases they just threw up the images and even stole the mockup photos I had created. 

Months of work went into reporting them and getting their listing taken down with Amazon.  I had an attorney write a cease-and-desist letter for those listings that were not on Amazon.  I went back into each of my listings and recreated the mockups by adding a watermark and lowering the photo resolution to less than 1mb.  I was no longer just handing over my work to these unscrupulous thieves but making them really work for it. 

Here's that Naughty Pig

The second instance was that I received a trademark infringement letter from Etsy regarding one of my listings.  I was in complete shock because I am very careful to create all my own artwork.  It wasn't that I had stolen an image or had something Disney or Taylor Swift in my shop like so many other products for sale on Etsy that you find.  I had unknowingly titled one of my little nursery art drawings "Percy Pig".   I just wanted a cute name that started with a "P" and Percy popped into my head.  What I didn't know, was that Percy Pig was a trademarked candy company based in England.  I think I would have been okay if I hadn't used the name of the artwork in the searchable title in my Etsy listing.  

I contacted the individual via email that had brought up the claim with Etsy and apologized for my mistake and assured them I had already renamed the artwork.  This should have resolved the issue, in my mind, but this company refused to remove the complaint with Etsy. 

Me in the Hoosegow

I was placed in what I call "Etsy Jail" for 90 days on account reserve where a large percentage of my money was held until I could provide a tracking number for each of my orders.  That shouldn't have been much of an issue for me because I mail out my orders within one day and I use the Etsy mailing label option even for my 1st class postage orders. There is a tracking number assigned to every order I ship out. However, Etsy had a glitch in the process and none of my 1st class postage orders were processed as delivered with the USPS.  A month into this account reserve issue, they were holding over $200 of my money and refused to release it even after I proved the item had been received.  It was a nightmare and one I NEVER want to repeat.  

What is clear to me is that I already have that one strike on my account and therefore I feel they could close my shop down for basically no reason.  I can't depend on Etsy to treat my shop in a professional manner because they rely heavily on botts and not a human with reasoning capabilities.  I felt like I'm out there skating on thin ice that will never be solid again.

That was a real wakeup call and so once, again, I combed through all of my listings looking for any keyword or searchable term that might cause me an issue.  Hours and hours spent, once again not creating new content but rather covering my butt.  It is exhausting.

It was that moment that I made some real changes in my business plan.  Market myself by directing all my social media traffic to my website rather than to Etsy.  That includes all my Pinterest pins going forward.  Also, to create as many selling options as possible so that I can have my art appear all over the Google search engine.  In the past few months, I've worked to open Julie Townsend Studio shops on the following marketplaces -Tedooo.com, Goimagine.com and the new Michaels marketplace called MakerPlace.com.  There is a lot of work involved and I have yet to see many fruits, but I hope these shops will start producing sales during the upcoming holiday season.  That is my goal, at least.  

My closing advice is to get a website TODAY! I've got a great idea! Why not check out my website and follow this blog for more of my old lady art journey. Julie Townsend Studio

Razzle Zazzle Don't Get in a Frazzle

I've been selling on Etsy now for sometime.  I actually opened the shop in 2010 but that was just the beginning of my artist journey.  Back then I hadn't developed my skills or found my niche as an artist so the shop just set there until 2017. I had to work to create a brand and build an online following first.   In 2020 I opened a 2nd Etsy Shop so that I could add downloadable art and print on demand gift items.  

I had high hopes for both these shops and my partnership with Etsy.  I've done all the right things to get my shops off the ground and to sell my art on this platform. I made the decision to open and push my website shop and in 2022 put in the hard work to get all my listings up there.   This year of 2023 has been a tough one.  Etsy sales have slowed way down and just sort of trickle in.  I think it is the economy and the fact that the country is back open after the 2 year crazy COVID time.  

Whatever the reason, I've decided to reevaluate my time and focus. I spend far too many hours creating the art and marketing myself for such little monetary rewards.  I can't have all my eggs in one or two Etsy baskets.  Afterall, Etsy just isn't the only platform out there.  

This past month or so, I've gotten kind of excited about creating designs on the Zazzle marketplace.  I opened a Zazzle shop many years ago but found it not to be very user friendly and I quickly shut the door on that shop and let the cobwebs take over. The exciting thing about Zazzle is that they have over 1500 cute products that you can put designs on and they can all be personalized.  It's a go to site for fun gifts and invitations.  

Now with over 1500 products it is easy to go down a rabbit hole and waste a lot of time designing random products that just collect dust on the shelves of your Zazzle store.  I did some thinking at the beginning about what I'm passionate about and I just kept coming back to office supplies.  This girl walks into a store and heads straight to the office supply aisles.   I love looking at all the paper, pens and file folders.  I decided to focus right now on creating collections of desk accessories.  I mean, who wouldn't want all my cute critters hanging out with them at the office?  I think your desk could quickly become the envy of all your co-workers or the fascination of your students in the classroom.  I've got some pretty cute ideas.  

So far my focus has been on notepads, sticky notes, file folders and large desk mats but there are so many more things I can add to each of the collections.  I also want to expand to party supplies and garden decorations down the road.  

Go on a head and check out what I've been working on this past little while and be sure and follow my Zazzle store so you can keep up with all my new designs. Let me know what you think!

Julie Townsend Studio on Zazzle

Studio on the Go

It seems as if I have spoken about our purchase of 5 acres in Ely, Nevada last fall many times already.  Well here I am, talking about Ely once again.  For you that don't know, Ely is a small mining community about 240 miles northeast of Las Vegas and has been a wonderful summer retreat for us in the past.  A few years ago, pre-pandemic, we spent a whole 2 months enjoying the cooler temperatures, the beautiful sunsets and all the wildlife. Because the town of Ely is at about 6500 feet in elevation, the summer temperatures are always 20 degrees cooler than in Las Vegas.  Even on the hottest days the evenings cool right down and are wonderful.  

The 4 separate summers we have spent extended time there, I've always referred to them as my "Art Sabbatical". It is such a inspiring place, that even stuffed in a tiny camper, I felt a surge in my creativity while we stayed there.  Now we have options and can actually work towards moving there and maybe only coming back to Las Vegas for a visit or to load up on supplies. It's going to be a big adjustment year for sure.

One thing I know is that I don't want to loose any momentum as a small business owner.  I've worked so hard and enjoy my time sharing my little critters with you all.  My old laptop was just unacceptable and since I needed an upgrade, I decided now was the time to take that plunge.  I really wanted a MacBook but decided that would just have to wait.  This is an HP and I'm already impressed with just how quickly it turns on and how fast it is. You can't see this but the laptop is a dark teal color and so I had to splurge and get a aqua keyboard and mouse.  I also invested in a nice teal microphone. I'm still committed to growing a video audience in this next year and the microphone will just add validity to that goal.  To complete my set up I have a large screen monitor on order and it will be here soon. 

The unknown now is just how reliable the Verizon network will be for me.  They assure me that there is a strong 5G service there and that I should be able to work without any issues using my phone as a hotspot.  I guess if I run into issues, I can always go the Elon Musk's Starlink route.  I know that I have seen many Ely residents raving about that service but it's a big initial investment and another monthly bill to pay.  

I'm sure you will be seeing lots of photos and videos in the future of my little studio set up.  I'm planning on sharing our journey with you.  It feels like we are going to be little pioneers.  I might even get some chickens and grow some vegetables.

    

 

I Couldn't Let a Cute Design Go To Waste

Yesterday, I wrote that I had started drawing some graduation designs but realized that I was really too late to be working on them since it was already the first of May.  I was kicking myself once again for not having a well mapped out plan for my art for the year.  Instead, there is LOTS OF LABOR and LITTLE FRUIT at times and this has to be changed.  I need to work smarter BUT I couldn't just waste this adorable graduation cap that I had drawn.  I spent a little time yesterday coming up with these 6 super cute graduation card designs.  They are now on my website shop and maybe someone out there is just starting to shop for cards.  Graduation Card Collection

Let me know which design is your favorite

    

I've been gone far too long

Writing has always been a part of my creative process but in the past few years I have neglected this very important step.  To write your thoughts on paper requires extra concentration and focus that just isn't there for me on a normal day.  I feel strongly that I need to start fresh giving my gray matter a daily workout here on this blog.  I'm hoping it will help me become more focused and purposeful with my creative efforts.  I feel as though I've gotten into such a runt of just throwing the proverbial "Paint" on the wall to see if it will stick. 

One day it's "I've got to start this shop" or "I need to create this design or listing" or "Print on demand has to be my future."  I find myself running around in circles so much these days that I'm making myself sick.  It has become increasingly clear to me that as an artist I need to slow down and have my work become more carefully planned and researched out.  I can't completely forget about the numbers but I have to change my focus to be more on the "creating process" and not so much numbers driven.

So with those two rambling paragraphs out of the way, I can get to the good part.  What I'm working on right now on my iPad.  I started sketching elements with graduation coming but now that I look at the calendar I realize that I'm really too late to work on that.  This is the lack of planning and researching that I was talking about earlier.  I guess I can change that "3" to a 4 on the gold charm and have a head start for next year. 

This week I was told that one of the best places to do trend research is the Target.com website.  I personally don't shop at Target but many of my friends do.  I didn't realize this but the creators at Target.com are really good at predicting what will be popular with their styles and colors.  So earlier this week I was checking that lead out.  I saw they had a denim collection and I was immediately overjoyed at that prospect.  I've always loved denim as a fabric and adore those little denim flowers made from scraps. Let's not forget just how amazing embroidery on denim looks.  So the other night I just started working on my first denim flower clip art.  I plan on adding a number of single flowers that I can then arrange together in Photoshop to make pretty patterns with. This should be a lot of fun.  I will be sure to share more of my progress in the next few days.        

my current sketch page I'm working on in Procreate