Being My Own Model

I alway see such nice photos on etsy and bonanzle. These are the sites where I sell my product.

The photos that I love have models showcasing the product.

I felt that some of my items needed that touch, so I searched my mind for the perfect model. I have a niece who is absolutely beautiful and she was my #1 choice. But, alas, asking a young, vibrant girl to give up her time to model her aunt's product produced no results. In her favor, she does work hard - two jobs! In fact no one wanted to actually do it, not for love or money! Actually, not much money was offered, mostly just the chance at fame on the internet!

On to plan B. I could try to do it. I have never felt photogenic, in fact I hate having my picture taken. My photographer (my husband) sighed and tried to get out of the job. I had to trust that he could focus the camera. Doesn't sound to good for plan B!!

So, one morning, with the makeup and curling iron ready and waiting, I primped for my photo shoot. When I felt ready, I found my photographer, up to his elbows in dirt, pulling weeds in the garden.

We were very stiff at first. Me with my gut sucked in and him asking how to turn the camera on. We took many pictures with the hope of getting one that was OK. Fat chance.

Days later we were having a bit more fun with this project. I loosend up and he was more familar with the camera. We joked like we were on a real photo shoot, with him telling me "To work it, Baby."

I still feel that there is much room for improvement, but it is a fun expierence!

Hope you give it a try. And don't worry about knobby knees, wrinkles, age spots or thin hair, that's what photoshop is for!

New Babies

Etsy, Bonanzle, Artfire

One of the things I love on a Saturday morning is to hop in the car and go estate and garage saling.
Etsy is a wonderful site, but with the 20 year vintage rule many of the neat things I find do not qualify for my AgelessThings store.
I have an ebay account, but with the fees they charge it did not meet my needs.
I found bonanzle. I opened what they call a booth. I can list anything there. I am still finding my way around. It is alot like etsy, with forums and favorites and their form of front page treasury. But there are significant differences too. They have what is called a bonanza, where you can have a sale once a month. Haven't tried that yet. You can also hold an auction, haven't tried that either.
After much thought about both my AgelessThings on etsy and my AgelessThings on bonanzle I decided to concentrate on clothing. I love purses and shoes. I also find great designer clothing now and then.
The thing I find about clothing is that it is hard to photograph without a beautiful model. Although I am beautiful in many ways, I am older and starting to show signs of wear. Also that would leave my husband to take all the pictures. He is a great guy, but he already invests enough time to my projects. A man needs his space.
I have another store on etsy called BusyBeadLady. In it I sell the handmade jewelry that I make in my spare time. I really love doing this, but with all the competition on the internet it is a full time job promoting. I also list any vintage jewelry I find in my travels.
I also have a store on Artfire called BusyBeadLady. I started as a paying member, then downgraded to a free membership. I feel that having this store is kind of a waste of my time. It's not that artfire is a bad site, I only can list 10 items for free and nobody really visits and I have not made a sale in almost a year. I do not invest much here and therefore don't get much back.
So on a nice Saturday morning, I hop in the car and I go to the local thrift stores, estate sales and garage sales. It is a nice break from the business of selling online. But then I get home, take pictures, list, double check for sales, promote, ect., ect.
Gosh I love doing this.