Does your Etsy business or your Etsy store slow down in the summer months? The majority of Etsy stores experience a significant slow down in sales (not in traffic) over the summer months. But this year, you are canceling that summer slump – yep – summer slump … Cancelled! Continue reading Cancel Your Summer Slump
A new month is here with new projects, new fun, and awesome adventures in store for us! Christi once again takes us on a new adventure, this time “Down Under” with this fresh and fun Beyond Sculpture Series Book. Step inside and lets see what’s in store for us this month as we do a brief polymer clay book review, overview of projects, and a surprise free project you won’t find anywhere else, but here. Continue reading Polymer Clay Book Review: Down Under by Christi Friesen
Still figuring out how to add that splendid little “watermark” on your photos to help identify them as yours and establish your branding across multiple venues, including Etsy, Facebook, & Pinterest? Are you opening up photo shop, messing with vector images and trying to get it to look just right and taking at least 5 minutes a picture to do it? Don’t struggle with this anymore. I’m going to introduce you to an awesome application for your computer that will quickly, easily, and seamlessly allow you to watermark your photos and send them directly to iPhoto. How long does it take? About 1 minute. Sound easy? It is using this great watermark app. Continue reading Easy Watermarking App for Your Etsy Photos
Well it’s here … the final project in Christi Friesen’s “Cats” book. *insert tears here* As we have gone through these tutorials, I have tried to save the biggest or best projects for last with the idea that after 2-3 weeks of practice you have worked yourself up to the “bigger” item. I hope that this has helped many of you succeed in creating your final projects for each month. Last month I received a lot of “kudos” for having a PDF tutorial that you could download, print, and take into your studios to do your final project. This month I think I’ve given you a little taste of everything: standard tutorials, a video tutorial, and a PDF tutorial. If there’s something else that you are craving, let me know and I’ll see what I can do.
Continue reading Polymer Clay Trinket Box Tutorial
Now before you think I’m being mean … there’s a point to this lesson, I promise. The point is this, in order to “Build Your Brand” and experience Etsy success you must remember that your Etsy store IS a business. Most people don’t treat their Etsy store like a business and this is why they don’t experience success … they don’t take it seriously. So today, we’re going to talk about how YOU can begin to achieve Etsy success and prayerfully even quit your day job!
Welcome back Friesen Project participants … and non-Friesen project participants too! I hope that you all had fun making kitties this past week. In case you’ve gotten behind, don’t miss the cat bead tutorial here or the cat figurine video tutorial here. This week’s project is just a simple one – kitty cat lump beads! Don’t miss the project and all Christi’s cats on pages 25-28 in the Beyond Sculpture, Cats Book. Continue reading The Friesen Project: Lump Cat Tutorial
Do you know those days when your “to-do” list is longer than you are tall?! Sometimes I have them too. They are tiring, frustrating, and down right exhausting. Last week I received an email from one of my Build Your Brand readers wondering how in the world I was able to get it all done. I do have a few secrets, some of which I shared here. But today I’ll tell you the best way to be “Etsy-fficient” and still get your normal “life” things done AND have time to get in your studio to create…that secret: always have and use a to-do list! Continue reading YES! You Do Need a To-Do List
A new tutorial just for each of you. This tutorial is in conjunction with the Friesen Project (yes, please clap and applaud, I stayed up all night to write this for you). Last week we made kitty cat beads, but today we’re going to make a cat figurine. I did something fun and special for you … I made you a video! Click below to watch the video and don’t forget to give it a thumbs up! Now let’s go … it’s a polymer clay cat figurine tutorial …
It’s the first tutorial from the “Cats” book by Christi Friesen (insert shouts of acclamation here)! Today’s project is just a simple tutorial for a kitty cat bead or ornament. Full directions for the kitty cat bead, figurine, or decoration are available in the front sections of Christi’s “Cats” book. The “cat body” tutorial will come on the blog as a bonus Friesen project post on Tuesday – cool huh? Are you ready to get started? Let’s begin making your own cat bead tutorial. Continue reading Make Your Own Christi Friesen Style Kitty Bead
I have written two separate posts on polymer clay tools. The first post was an overview of some of the tools that I use daily, feel free to check out that post here. The second was just a few weeks ago and was a “tool review” of what tools every sculptor (or clayer) should have in their toolbox. Today I’m going to review the very first set of tools that I ever purchase for myself: Studio by Sculpey Tools, the 5 piece set.
It’s once again Friday! Let the party begin! For the first Friday of the month let’s gear up for Christi Friesen’s “Cats” book review. This book is perfect for cat lovers of all kinds: domestic cats, big cats, wild cats, and prairie cats too! Continue reading Christi Friesen Beyond Sculptures Book 4: Cats for the 2013 Friesen Project
I love reading reviews about products before I buy them. In fact, most of the time I don’t buy a product unless I’ve read a review. This doesn’t just apply to my purchases for my studio but also to other purchases like Kindle books. So, let’s just say that reviewing products by looking over the customer reviews is a necessary evil (for me) before I purchase something. So, this being said, I have been asked by several of you my opinions as well as to do a Fimo Deco Gel review. So today, that’s exactly what we’re going to do! Continue reading Fimo Deco Gel Product Review
Well, today’s the final challenge of Book 3: Under the Sea. Like the other books before it, I am going to be very sad closing this one up for now and moving on. Although, I must say that next month’s book “Cats” is going to be lots of fun too! But for today’s project, we are focusing on our Under the Sea Sculptures (insert wild applause here).
Please remember that these books are not going to be reprinted again. This being said, when they are sold out, they are sold out and there will be no more. Christi is going to be publishing many new books and in order for this to happen, her older books are retiring and will not be published again.
2016 EDITOR’S NOTE: Christi has released some of her retired books as “eBooks” in her online store.
Two weeks ago I re-introduced everyone to the awesome Meg Newberg. In invited each of you to check out her blog and subscribe to her brand new “Cane Builder” eMagazine. I have been so impressed and I am blown away by how utterly understandable she makes caning. This being said, I had several of you write to me and ask me how to get started caning. So … I thought I’d introduce you to an old (but good) favorite polymer clay book of mine that has basic caning and color blending techniques; without further ado, let’s get to the book review, shall we?
Continue reading Polymer Clay Book Review “Clay Techniques…” by Maureen Carlson
STOP LAUGHING AT MY FUNNY FISH! Okay, seriously, I know she looks funny … but there’s a reason this fish looks this way. You see, I wanted to recreate the “flying fish” from the Flying Fish Market (Pike’s Place Market) in Seattle. So this fish is made to look like she’s just been “flung” through the air and of course you can’t be flung through the air without your tongue falling out of your mouth, I mean really, I don’t think that’s possible … do you?! Okay … never mind, onto the polymer clay fish tutorial then, shall we?
Continue reading The Friesen Project: Polymer Clay Fish Tutorial
Today it is my joy to introduce you to a awesome Etsy shop that contains oodles of adorable polymer clay sculptures … but not just any polymer clay sculptures … awesomely geeky robot sculptures. Today we are going to spend some time with RobotsAreAwesome and her adorably unique polymer clay sculptured robots. The adorably cute, futuristic, & friendly robots are so cute and make great gifts and most especially cake toppers. Without any further ado … let’s meet HerArtSheLoves! Continue reading Meet HerArtSheLoves Polymer Robot Sculptor
