Monday, November 16, 2009

SEO ... Yes, I said it.

I'm wondering how many people have actually gone through the SEO, as I come across so many bundles and bundles of people who looked at it and gave up on page 2. (No fault of theirs, IMO. The guide was written as if we were all web developers.) I've found myself helping more and more people with their SEO recently, and am being told that apparently the way I explain it makes perfect logical sense (and isn't confusing.)

So, I may put aside the time to copy & paste different convos and emails I've had with people to the blog. I know there's SEO newb guides already made, but it makes me feel better when I help someone instead of refer them to another link (although I'll post the links I have as well, because these other guides are great, too).

I'm not sure if I feel let down by the guide, or what. Everyone was so anxious and ready for it to come, and then they threw us this giant file full of confusing examples and language that a LOT of people do not understand. If we still have people who can't figure out how to use the back button to return to a shop they were in, how the hell do they expect people to understand META tags? Sometimes things are better explained just by telling a person what they need to do and why, without all the extra bits in-between.

Don't get me wrong, the guide was great - but I understand programming languages and web design because I went to school for it for a few years (and I can't even count how many sites I've been a part of developing for friends, etc.). It just upsets me how many people were all for it until it happened. And then they all backed away with their tails between their legs. This is no fault of their own, of course - but they really could have made the guide much more simple, with plenty of optional reading information. Read the simple guide, and if you understand it and want more info, read the addendum or something.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Patchwork Origami - The Secret Project

Alright, I've been making patterns (yes, patterns) for these things and I'm starting to bundle up my paper scraps and pick out some designs for these guys. What are they? Well...for now I'm calling them patchwork origami, because that's pretty much what they are. Oodles of little paper scraps stitched together to make one square sheet, and then folded into something. Right now I'm doing cranes. Because I love cranes. I love cranes. I imagine I'll do this with other things someday, but I'm in love with how these are turning out.




Ta da!

And there it is. I have no idea how on earth I got this idea, but it just clicked in my head one day when I was sorting scraps. I have a box full of them ... and some are too small to fold, so they go into the "future handmade paper" box to be recycled by hand. But some scraps are odd-shaped or still seem a little too large for me to not use. I did a few experiments (without patterns), and quickly learned that in order to make this work as intended, it was necessary to step back and use the crease pattern of an origami crane to make sure that the stitching isn't too bunched up in some areas. So, after I created a reference to use, I made a bundle of patterns for these guys using cardstock. This made them much easier to fold.




A little stitching detail.

A few problems I ran into on my test pieces:

1. Too much stitching, caused by trying to put way too many different sheets together. Depending on the desired size, I find that 4-7 pieces is ideal. The larger the final crane, the more sheets you can add.

2. Not paying attention to what I was punching ... and either punching a hole "off" the edge of the paper, or overlapping holes on adjacent pieces. I solved this by leaving a wider margin at certain types of angles. It adds to the desired look.

3. Tearing through the guide holes while stitching. I simply moved them a fraction of a centimeter back, so that I could make sure the stitches were tight enough not to come loose, but without worry of tearing the paper.

4. Stitching that wound up in horrible spots. As I said above, I made some patterns that would put more alternating paper in the visible areas, and less in the hidden areas of the model. This is to make them easier to put together as well as making them look much better than the totally random test-runs I made.

5. My stupid needle was too small for the thickness of the string (maybe it's considered yarn at that point? I dunno...). Simple fix, went out and bought a larger set of needles! (Because they were taking me 3 minutes to thread...lol.)





The belly stitching.

So, I was thinking of ways this would make a great gift and I came up with a few:

Someone you know could have, say, broke a leg, had a surgery, been sick, etc. recently. It would be a great get-well present as these guys have been recently stitched up as well! (I know, some people find gifts like that offensive, but if I broke an arm and three ribs I would laugh at the irony of getting something like this, lol.) A different type of "Get Well" gift.

You're looking for a gift for someone who truly is one-of-a-kind. (Of course, we all are OOAK.) They're spazzy, they're calm, they're funky, they're happy, they're sad. All different aspects of a personality can be represented by individual patterns and/or colors.

You know someone who has everything. I think all of us know at least one of those.

Well, let me know what you think! I keep the first one I made right next to me on my desk at all times. He turned out well, although not as "patched" as the newer ones. He looks more like he just scraped his elbow and broke his neck and tail, lol. Oh, and some closing shots:





From the right and left sides.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

What do I want for Christmas? Part 1.

Oh boy, there are so many things I could list. But I am going to narrow this down to a short, sweet list. Many of these items were nominated for the gift guides yesterday (if you really want to go digging, my post was on page 254, lol).

Alright! Let's get this party started. I am sure I will go through this again as I read tweets and do more searches in the month and a half to come, so we'll just call this Round 1.



This. Freakin. Scarf.

It's green. It's soft. It's long!! (97 inches!) I am a very small person, so I tend to love things that are ridiculously overkill on size. With 97 inches of scarf, I could wrap my entire body up three times and guarantee I'd never be cold. I've wanted this scarf since I came across it while looking for treasury items about a month or so ago. For a green-fanatic, this thing is crazy awesome. If I get absolutely nothing else this year, please someone get me this, LOL. Made by TrendyTrimmingsByTT.



Don't these look WARM?

Now, I realize that this is a gift that is not likely to come my way unless I buy it for myself. Why? Well, we're all on a tight budget this year, and these carry a larger price tag. Are they worth it? I believe they are. But I don't know a whole lof of people willing to spend $90 on arm warmers besides me, LOL. But they are a great color and look fantastic. Once again, they are extra long. This would surely solve my "I love to wear tank tops around the house" ordeal when the house refuses to warm up this winter. I wonder if I could request matching socks? These are made by JohnlozDesign.



I know, I know: Goggles? What the...

Tracy Aardsma 101: I don't care how ridiculous something seems, if I like it I will wear it. I dye my hair the reddest (natural...ish) red my local salon can find. I will run errands wearing plaid pajama pants and a striped shirt if that's what I want to wear. My glasses have bright aqua blue plastic frames. (I get so many compliments on them!) I will admit, I would start wearing my contacts again if I had a pair of these goggles. I've wanted some of these since looooong before steampunk was a huge trend. I'd say...mid 90's? If you, or anyone you know (son, daughter, neice, nephew, brother, sister, etc.) ever played Final Fantasy VII, there was a character in that game called Cid Highwind. He was my favorite character, and he had awesome goggles like these. Since then, I've wanted some. Yesterday someone tweeted a different pair that they had listed on eBay, and it never even occurred to me that people are actually making these. So I did some searching, and this pair right here (made by BoilerGoth) is totally my style. I'd probably sleep with them on...I don't need cosplay as an excuse to use them, LOL.



Are these not the cutest plants you've ever seen?

janejoss makes all sorts of these little fabric plants. They look so soft and lovely, and they come in so many colors, it's hard for me to pick a favorite. But I tend to revert back to the things I know - so I have had my eyes on this green beauty for awhile. I have no idea where I would put it, as I hardly have room to drag out paper to fold these days, but I would certainly find a place for it!! She has mini plants, too, and if I had an unlimited budget I imagine this would become a recurrence of the first time I saw super-mini clay flowers at a craft fair. I bought...$250 worth? I had them everywhere. On shelves, in the windows, on tables, everywhere. I love plants. I. Love. Plants. But I also tend to kill them. So...I'd much rather take care of something that's immune to my plant-killing abilities. Like these.



Okay, this isn't for me, but...

I told my sister I was getting my nephew a santa hat for Christmas. Last year I made blankets for my daughter, for him, and for one of my greatest friends. As I am so busy this year, I think I will let someone else do the making of things, lol. Problem is, he's almost 2 years old, and most of the ones I find are for infants-12 mos. So I am thinking this will probably be an alchemy find. Which means I need to find the money...yesterday. (Or make some sales, LOL.) My nephew is so damn cute, and this is coming from a person who isn't usually very child-friendly. I want a picture of him wearing one of these, and maybe some ridiculously cute red outfit. I think last year he had one of those pajamas with his name across his butt flap, but I'm sure he's way too big for that this year!

I'll limit this first round to my top 5. I could keep going, but the post would be ridiculously long!! I am still working on my directory idea, but I have to find the time to sit down and alphabetize something like 200 shop names that I scribbled in a notebook. (So yeah, it's gonna be a little while...things are hectic right now.) I would love to see your wish lists or things you have picked out for others (well, if they are safe to share, that is)!

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

An Origami Directory?

Okay, so I've been thinking about this one for awhile. There are quite a few of us on Etsy (and elsewhere) who are selling either origami, or origami-related and/or inspired products. I find new ones every week, since I actively go searching for them to see all the neat things. There aren't a lot of teams for origami...well, none specifically for it. A lot of the paper teams are for cardmakers and scrapbookers only. I am an aspiring Etsy Paper street team member, and a member of the Lab Rats team.

Now, I in no way/shape/form/fashion have any sort of the time required to start, run, or maintain a team. Would I love to? Absolutely. But it's just not feasible. Maybe someday in the future, but not now. However, I am thinking of keeping a directory here in the blog of the origami artists I have found. Just a short and sweet listing containing their shop address, and whatever other information they have available. I have noticed that a lot of the people who shop at origami shops tend to buy LOTS of origami. I look at their feedback. It's origami everywhere, and the occasional soap (lol).

Anyway, I know I haven't updated in awhile, but I've had a lot on my mind. Most of it is useless nonsense that I'm sure nobody wants to hear! LOL! I just think origami artists on Etsy need a little more love!