Making Stickers from Your Artwork

Stickers seem to be such a small thing and I realize most artists wouldn't even bother with them but I actually enjoy designing them.  Especially when I'm using my own original artwork in that design. Surprisingly, there are many individuals that really love to purchase and collect stickers and the space needed to store you inventory is really small.  

It was actually my desire to learn to make stickers that was the driving force for me to take the time to teach myself a little Photoshop.  That determination to make myself familiar with this software and the use of Layers, Magic Erasers, Lasso Tools, Magic Wands and  Spot Healing Brush Tools has been instrumental in opening the doors of possibility wide open for my artwork.  

Another BIG advantage that I found with offering up stickers was when it came to the opening of my Etsy Shop.  For your shop to even have a chance at being found in the ETSY SEO searches I'm told you have to have at least 100 listings.  Also, buyers often rely heavily on other customer ratings and the history of sales in a particular shop.  When you are first starting out as an ETSY seller, both of these statistic benchmarks maybe difficult to achieve.  I even read the suggestion that you consider padding your numbers by giving your friends money to purchase inexpensive items on your shop and then give you 5 start reviews just to get you over that "NEW SHOP HUMP".  

Creating stickers was a way for me to increase my number of listings and I found that a buyer was more apt to be comfortable spending $3.50 for an item on my brand new shop then forking over the money to purchase one of my original artworks or even a print from me.  Also, those small sales do add up over time.  For example, I have had $494 in sticker sales on my Etsy Shop from the period of January to May 2020.  There you have it!  One of my ETSY tips for you to consider if you're thinking of trying your artistic hand at opening your own ETSY Shop.

I need to get this post back on track here.  Yesterday, we had the privilege of keeping our 3 darling grandchildren (we now have 11 total).  Little Miss J is 5 years old and loves to spend time with me in my studio.  I jokingly call her my studio assistant in training and so I followed through on a previous promise that I had made to her  that we would turn her artwork into stickers so she could see my Cricut Explore Air 2 in action.

The original art scan after it was cleaned up in Photoshop

She carefully used watercolors to paint these 3 little flower doodles that I helped her create.  They turned out really cute.  When the watercolors were dry, she placed her master piece on the flatbed scanner and we scanned them into Photoshop.  I showed her how to clean up her images using the eraser tool and she did a lot of the editing herself.  Here are the 3 edited flowers.

Next, I created a new Photoshop file that was 6.75 inches x 9.25 inches and had a transparent background. (This is the standard size of the Cricut cut files)  Using the Lasso tool, I selected each flower and brought them over into the new file.  Using the "Stroke" edit function, I created a "white stroke" around each file that was 52 in size.  This gives the white border that all stickers have.   Then using "Ctrl J" (she liked that because her name begins with a J) we copied each flower 2 more times.  I then arranged them on the file so they were not touching.  The result is a sheet full of beautiful stickers.

6.75 x 9.25 PNG file with a transparent background

I then opened  up my Cricut Design Space on my computer and uploaded the PNG image to my projects.  You then select "MAKE IT" and  "Complex" and then create the project.  Now it is time to print out the stickers on matte sticker paper.  For my stickers I'm going to sell on my shop I use a paper made by ROCK.  Here is the Amazon link:  MATTE STICKER PAPER for my ETSY Shop  If I am printing out stickers for my own use (shipping stickers to decorate my orders) I use this less expensive sticker paper.  Here is the Amazon link for that paper also:  SHIPPING STICKER PAPER

I then sent the file to print.  We attached the printed stickers to a cutting matte and loaded them next into my Cricut with the cut setting on "PAPER" so that it would just kiss cut around each sticker.  As you can see by the BIG smile on my Granddaughter's face, she was very pleased and I think I helped make a memory.   

From Cowbells to Classic English Literature

So far this past week I have stayed busy, yet I seem to lack focus.  Oh, I do have some deadlines looming that should motivate me to stay on task.  I can't help but look at the calendar start counting down the days left until the Galleria Art Expo coming on March 2nd and 3rd.  Then there is the Clark County Fair and Rodeo in Logandale, Nevada on April 10-14th and that is followed closely by the Elk's Club Helldorado Art Show.  All of which require me to produce a number of new pieces of art and yet, here I sit at the computer and not in front of my easel.

Yeah...maybe I will start all that tomorrow.  In the mean time, let me show you some of the project I have been working on this week.

Last summer, while we were vacationing in Ely, Nevada, we came across a large deposit of discarded slate during one of our exploring day trips.  This was near the ghost town area of Cherry Creek.  It was such a fascinating area that we actually drove back there several times during that month.

I managed to fill up a box of medium size pieces with the idea of painting on them.  I tried to get a selection that not only gave me a nice flat painting surface, but that had bright appealing colors.  This particular piece stood out to me and it has been lying on my drawing desk for sometime now.

I finished painting this rooster on that piece of slate yesterday and have decided that it will need to be mounted on some weathered wood we had lying around.  I took this picture before we started the mounting process today.  I will try to share photos with you of the finished piece in my next blog post.

I love the contrast of the white painted feathers against the gold and rust tones of the slate.  The piece is rather thin and therefore fragile.  I will be glad to get it mounted on the boards tomorrow for fear I might chip or break it.

Today, I managed to paint a second bunny cowbell.  The first one I painted 2 weeks ago actually sold before I could even finished it.  I decided to have this bell be a Beatrix Potter themed bell and so you will find on the back a sign that says "McGregor's Garden, Keep Out" and nailed to the sign is my rendition of a little blue jacket just like the one Peter would have worn.  I am pleased with how the bell turned out and I'm sure that it will make some new collector very happy.

Last month, you will recall that I took the plunge and purchased a Cricut Explore Air 2 for the studio.  I have wanted to learn how to use one for quite sometime and knew that it would be helpful with my sticker sales.  NO MORE HAND CUTTING STICKERS!  I also was anxious to step up my greeting card game.  In 2018 I sold almost $800 worth of cards and would LOVE to see that number grow.  I feel that the Cricut is just the tool I need to see that become a reality.  


I spent part of yesterday playing around with some designs and just learning how to work in Design Space.  Here are a couple of my first attempts.   I really like that I printed the artwork out on a thick watercolor paper.  That gives such a texture and rich feel to this little 4 x 6 prints.  They are mini art prints and would be worthy of a matting  and a frame after the cards are used.

I decided to use both the black cardstock and the kraft paper cards.
To make the inside of the cards easier to write in and to add to their appeal, I decided to create a cute sunflower insert that really makes this card stand out in my opinion.  I finished it off by attaching a matching sunflower embellishment to the envelope.  It was so much fun to put these together.  They combine both my original artwork and colorful country charms that I can now make with Cricut proficiency.  I've added this greeting card style as a new listing my Etsy Shop where I hope to begin selling note cards online on a regular basis.



You can find the link to my Etsy Shop by selecting the tab at the top of this blog or by searching for Julie Townsend Studio.




I will end this blog post today with my Verse of the Week meme.  Be encouraged in this promise today.  I'm thankful that I know where my strength comes from.  Feel free to share this image on your own social media accounts as long as you leave my studio watermark visible.

Have a blessed day and remember to do something creative.  You will feel better if you do.

Soon to be Cricut Crazy

I have a total of 24 Etsy listings that are for stickers.  I know many would think it is a waste of my time to make stickers but truth be told, I find the whole process fun.  From the design, the printing and even the cutting them out with scissors.  Well maybe not the cutting part so much.

I love taking my artwork and adapting it to fit onto different formats.  Another benefit is that I am able to have multiple Etsy listings and it has given my shop statistically a number of sales and good ratings.  That is a really good thing in the world of Etsy Shops.  I believe that it will eventually result in the increase of sales of my prints and original art.  Well at least that is my hope.

This year I have added several new items to my home studio and one of them is the addition of a Cricut Explore Air 2.  Of course I have no clue how to use it at the moment but I'm sure I will have fun learning the process.  I anticipate not only using it to cut out my stickers more quickly and professionally but I am anxious to create some new greeting card designs that feature not only my artwork but some fancy scroll cuts.  In 2018 I had $788 in greeting card sales and $104 in Sticker sales.  With the investment of cutting machine, I hope to at least triple my sales in both categories for 2019. 

Here are just a few of my stickers available on my Etsy Shop- Julie Townsend Studio on Etsy

Stickers really are a lot of fun.  They just brighten up any surface that you put them on.  This calf licking his nose is my number one sticker seller, followed closely by the little chickadee.