Author: Katie Oskin

Etsy Shop Makeover: Building Your Brand

Posted on by — 5 Comments

Etsy Shop Makeover Series: Branding with Kelly Sorenson on KatersAcres Blog https://katersacres.com

Etsy Shop MakeOver:

Finding & Building Your Brand

Etsy Shop Makeover Series: Branding with Kelly Sorenson on KatersAcres Blog https://katersacres.comIt is my honor to have guest blogger Kelly Sorenson join me today for this post.  Kelly has personally branded all of Kater’s Acres: from colors, designs, fonts … and the best part she make Parker & Lolly come to life in digital graphics (see their adorable faces all over my website).  Kelly is a top notch graphic design artist that wants to help you brand your Etsy business.  I have known Kelly for 3 years now and every time I work with her it just gets better and better.  Without any further ado … let’s talk about business branding &  your Etsy store!

Continue reading Etsy Shop Makeover: Building Your Brand

How to Find a Brand of Polymer Clay that Works for You

Posted on by — 9 Comments
Polymer Clay on KatersAcres Blog https://katersacres.etsy.com

Polymer Clay on KatersAcres Blog http://katersacres.etsy.com

Polymer Clay Brands & You

Finding the right brand of polymer clay can be a challenge for anyone, but especially new clayers.  As I began the journey of the Friesen Project, I didn’t realize how many new clayers would be joining us.  This week I have been bombarded by requests asking what kind of polymer clay I use in my studio and how to find a brand of polymer clay that will work for you.  So, without further ado, let’s find a brand of polymer clay that will work for you, your hands, and your climate.

Continue reading How to Find a Brand of Polymer Clay that Works for You

Friesen Fridays: Dragon Sculpture for the Final Week of Book 1

Posted on by — 2 Comments
Make Your Own Christi Friesen Style Dragon Tutorial on Kater's Acres Polymer Clay Blog https://katersacres.com

Make Your Own Christi Friesen Style Dragon Tutorial on Kater's Acres Polymer Clay Blog https://katersacres.com

Make Your Own Polymer Clay Dragon Sculpture

If you are like me, you’ve spent the month falling in love with dragons.  You’ve probably made more than 2 by now and you’re loving every minute of it! Why? Because when you read through Christi’s books and learn her style, her humor and love for the inconsistencies in claying inspire you to be more creative than you thought you could be!

Last week you were challenged to create a dragon with arms and legs.

Continue reading Friesen Fridays: Dragon Sculpture for the Final Week of Book 1

Etsy Shop MakeOver Series: Product Photography with Crystal Zacharias

Posted on by — 18 Comments
Etsy Shop Makeover - Photography Tips by Crystal Zacharias on KatersAcres Blog Build Your Brand Series https://katersacres.com

Etsy Shop Makeover - Photography Tips by Crystal Zacharias on KatersAcres Blog Build Your Brand Series https://katersacres.com

I love having guest bloggers come and share their knowledge and skill with you.  Today I introduce my first guest blogger of 2013, Crystal Zacharias of Crystal Gayle Photography.  Crystal is joining us today to talk about product photography, the importance of taking good photos and how to do it like a professional, even when you are not.  It’s my joy to have her join us today!

Continue reading Etsy Shop MakeOver Series: Product Photography with Crystal Zacharias

How to Properly Bake Polymer Clay

Posted on by — 36 Comments
How to Bake Polymer Clay Tutorial on KatersAcres Blog https://katersacres.com

All you have to do is search the internet for help on how to bake polymer clay.  You will see a lot of wrong and incorrect instructions on how to do this.  But let’s be honest: every artist does this differently and every artist has their own system that works for them.  What works for me, may not work for you.  And the biggest thing with polymer clay … the baking times are different for almost every brand of clay and oven.  Today I’m going to give you a few tips on how to bake polymer clay items at home in your own toaster oven.

Continue reading How to Properly Bake Polymer Clay

Make Your Own Friesen Style Polymer Clay Dragon – How to Make Arms & Legs Tutorial

Posted on by — 2 Comments
How to Make Dragon Arms & Legs Tutorial by KatersAcres https://katersacres.com

Make Your Own Christi Friesen Style Dragon Tutorial on Kater's Acres Polymer Clay Blog https://katersacres.com

Well, it’s finally here … the second week of Tutorials for the 2013 Friesen Project. I have loved seeing all of your work and dragons that you have made over the past week since we began this project.  Here are two of my personal favorites…both done as an offspring of the Wendyll dragon from the first tutorial.

Continue reading Make Your Own Friesen Style Polymer Clay Dragon – How to Make Arms & Legs Tutorial

Etsy Shop MakeOver Series: All About You and Your Etsy Store

Posted on by — 13 Comments
Etsy Shop Makeover Series - All About You and Your Etsy Shop

Build Your Brand - Tips for marketing your Etsy store by KatersAcres

This week on our Etsy Shop Makeover series, we are going to talk about you…that’s right, you.  We are going to talk about what you need in your About Page, Shop Announcement, and Your Public Profile.  So are you ready to talk about you and nothing but you today?  I hope so … let’s get started!

Continue reading Etsy Shop MakeOver Series: All About You and Your Etsy Store

How to Add a Patina to a Polymer Clay Item

Posted on by — 10 Comments
How to Give a Finished Polymer Clay Piece an Antique Finish on Kater's Acres Blog https://katersacres.com

Sometimes your polymer clay pieces need an extra something, just a touch of something special to bring out the details that you have embedded into the clay.  When you have carved or engraved your clay, you will often want to accent those pieces after they have finished baking.  Many artists call this adding a patina to polymer clay.  Other artists call it antiquing an item.  For today’s mini-tutorial, we’re going to call it an “antique finish.”  There are many ways to do this, but this is the way that I find the easiest…

Continue reading How to Add a Patina to a Polymer Clay Item

Christi Friesen’s Book 1 Dragons: Tutorial to Create Your Own Wendyll Dragon

Posted on by — 15 Comments
Make Your Own Christi Friesen Style Dragon Tutorial on Kater's Acres Polymer Clay Blog https://katersacres.com

Well, it’s finally here … the first week of Tutorials for the 2013 Friesen Project.  Are you excited? I know that I am! After last week’s Friesen Friday and reading your book, some of you just couldn’t wait to dive right in and have already created your dragon.  That’s fine, no big deal!  But throughout this month there will be several different “specific components” you are going to need to work on for each project.  Without any further ado however, let’s get started!

PLEASE NOTE: In order to do this dragon tutorial, you will need Christi Friesen’s Dragon book that is available for purchase here.  Due to copyright, exact details and process have been minimalized to protect Christi’s art and design.  Polymer clay is the most shared community in the world, please do not ruin that by going against US copyright laws.

Continue reading Christi Friesen’s Book 1 Dragons: Tutorial to Create Your Own Wendyll Dragon

Etsy Shop MakeOver: Store Cohesiveness

Posted on by — 13 Comments
Etsy Shop Makeover - Cohesiveness - Build Your Brand and Experience Etsy Success with KatersAcres

 

Build Your Brand - Tips for marketing your Etsy store by KatersAcres

Welcome 2013! Last week AWeber wrote an awesome guest post about how you can send emails using their services to help boost your business. If you missed this article, go back and read it.

All throughout January & February we are going to help you turn your small Etsy store into a powerhouse.  It’s going to take a LOT of work on your part.  And you are going to have to ask yourself a lot of hard questions…but if you are up to the challenge and want to improve your store, sales, & eventually quit your day job, I can help you.

Today we are going to focus on your stores cohesiveness.  From your graphics to your listings to the types of things you sell.  Are you ready to start?  Ready…Set…Etsy Shop Makeover!

Continue reading Etsy Shop MakeOver: Store Cohesiveness

How to Embed a Bead into Polymer Clay

Posted on by — 7 Comments
Mini-Tutorial How To Embed a Bead Into Polymer Clay by KatersAcres

 How to Embed a Bead Into Polymer Clay

Sometimes It’s NOT as Easy As It Looks

For anyone who’s a self taught polymer clay artist, you’ve already made some critical mistakes in claying.  You tried a shortcut (that didn’t work) or tried a way to do something that ended up ruining your piece.  It’s okay, don’t worry, we’ve all been there.  This month we are going “back to basics” in creating with polymer clay.  So for today’s mini tutorial we’re going to go over the proper way to embed a bead into polymer clay.

Continue reading How to Embed a Bead into Polymer Clay

Christi Friesen’s Beyond Projects Sculpture Series – Book 1, Dragons

Posted on by — 9 Comments
Friesen Fridays - Book 1 DRAGONS Review

Friesen Fridays - Book 1 DRAGONS Review

Christi Friesen Dragon Book

YAY! It’s Friesen Friday!

Do you know what this means?  This means we’re about to talk about Christi, Christi Friesen that is!  Ok, well maybe not about her….but we are definitely going to talk about Christi Friesen books.  You see, today is the first Friday, in a year of Friday’s, for the Friesen Project.  This means that every Friday for the next year, we will be talking about Christi Friesen and begining to explore her style, unique designs, and transformative journey into the polymer clay world and using mixed media elements to enhance our work.  I am so excited to be joining with you in this journey.  If you have not yet signed up to receive the polymer clay & Friesen Project emails, please do so now.  This will ensure that no matter what you are doing, you never miss anything!  But without further ado, let’s dive in, shall we?!

Continue reading Christi Friesen’s Beyond Projects Sculpture Series – Book 1, Dragons

Build Your Brand Through Email Marketing – A Guest Post from AWeber

Posted on by — 1 Comment
Build Your Brand with Email Marketing for Your Etsy Store by AWeber


Build Your Brand - Tips for marketing your Etsy store by KatersAcres
Build Your Brand with Email Marketing for Your Etsy Store by AWeberWith 2013 comes renewed goals, focus, vision, and purpose for your personal life.  But what about your Etsy store?  Today it is my privilege to introduce you to a new idea for you and your Etsy store, email marketing.  Today’s post is brought to you by Rebekah Henson from AWeber.

Continue reading Build Your Brand Through Email Marketing – A Guest Post from AWeber

How to Properly Condition Your Polymer Clay

Posted on by — 9 Comments
Polymer Clay on KatersAcres Blog https://katersacres.etsy.com

How to Condition Polymer Clay Blocks the Right Way on KatersAcres Blog

How to Condition Polymer Clay

There is a lot of information on the internet about how to condition polymer clay.  There are even people saying that there’s no need to condition clay if it is soft (gasp)!  2013 is going to bring lots of talk of polymer clay and all things sculpting to Kater’s Acres blog, the biggest of which is The Friesen Project.  Because of this, all during the month of January, I am going to talk about some of the basics of polymer clay.  With so much incorrect information on the web, it’s really hard to know what it correct.

Continue reading How to Properly Condition Your Polymer Clay