Colour Crush: Duck Egg

Quack! The gentle tones of duck egg blue are really soothing, and when combined with brown and white, make one of my favourite combinations (although I always say that!)

With the weather being so hot, i'm sure we'd all like a dip in the pool, so you can join the ducks with these lovely inspired items:

Ribbonreal  /  BiancaSnow

Ecetera  /  Three Eggs Design

Random Button  /  Felted House

Shazzas Knits  /  A Crooked Sixpence

Silk Purse Sow's Ear  /  UkrainianEasterEggs

With all the Olympic water sports on, this colour is rather appropriate!

We've chosen from a range of sites again so please pop over if something catches your eye ;)

x x

5 Reasons To Love Negative Feedback

No, that title is not wrong! Negative feedback is one of the worst things you can deal with as a crafter/maker/designer. It crushes us and in one instant, makes us doubt everything we've ever made.

I recently got my first bout of negative feedback and it hurt unbelievably as you can imagine and I felt out of sorts all day.

As you can't please everyone, it has probably happened/will happen to every crafter at some stage, but you can always turn it around and here are some reason to actually love negative feedback.

Made By Giftsandbobs

1. It Keeps You Grounded

I've not had 1 negative feedback in over a year, so it took me by surprise when I got not just 1, but 2 in the space of a couple of weeks. At first, I was angry and thought "How can they say that!?" but after sleeping on it, I thought "I'd rather people say what they feel, even if its bad".

Getting praise is great, but now and again its nice for someone to say something negative, as its so easy to get caught up in praise, but the reality is your products are not going to be to everyones tastes.

2. It Helps You To Improve

Some people can be seriously harsh in their feedback and while you might feel its the customers fault for say, not reading the listing information properly, you can always stop this from happening again by changing your listings to add more prominent info. 

You probably won't feel like this at first as you're understandably angry and upset, but you should look at the feedback and say "Ok, why did they feel that way? How can I make sure it doesn't happen again?"

Made By jo lucksted ceramics

3. It Tests Your Professionalism

It's so easy to turn around and be rude to someone who left you negative feedback, especially if its completely wrong, but if you think about it, this could have an effect on future sales.

Most sites show a feedback rating or have a feedback system of some sorts. If a problem is not handled with professionalism and someone reads your rude feedback, it can deter people from buying from you. 

If you're going to reply to negative feedback, i'd advise leaving it a day or two so you'll hopefully be in a better frame of mind about the whole thing, don't just charge in!

4. It Puts Things In Perspective

It's very easy to doubt yourself over 1 negative feedback, but comparing it to your good feedback, is it so bad? 1 neutral or negative from 100 sales is pretty good, right?

Some people do like 100% feedback when buying, but if you've handled the issue in a professional manner, I can't see how you'd stop having sales because of 1 bad review. Some people don't look at feedback anyway - so long as they like the item!

From Joe and Flo

5. It Prepares You For The Worst

Getting negative feedback the first time should in theory, prepare you for the second time (not that you want it to happen ever again)

Even if you've never had a single negative comment, preparing yourself incase it does actually happen will probably help in the long run. As mentioned at the beginning, your products may not be to everyone's tastes so you can never assume you'll always get great feedback, although in a perfect world that would be nice!


And that's it! The tips above won't stop the hurt and worry that negative feedback causes, but hopefully it'll help you pick yourself up and to show that something bad can be turned into something good :)

x x

A Guide To Product Photography Backgrounds

Photography is one of, if not the most, important aspects of selling online. Customers only have your photos to go by and good photos may be the tipping point between a sale or no sale.

Here we'll be looking at the different types of backgrounds you can give to your products to show them off to their fullest.

White or Clean Backgrounds

honeypips  /  Mountain Girl Soap

White or clean backgrounds show off your products without any fancy backdrops or other items that might distract from it. 

It is a very simple approach and shows exactly what the buyer is getting. This look can be achieved using a light tent or by playing around with your original photos using a site called Fotofuze.

They give the photo a professional air, which could lead them to being featured in blogs, treasuries or magazines more than others, although this isn't always the case.

Wooden Backgrounds

PromisePottery  /  TidalCreations

If your items are rustic or perhaps too light for white/clean backgrounds, then a wooden background may suit you.

Wooden backgrounds give a natural feel so are perfect for items that are shabby chic inspired and give an outdoorsy feel to your products. There are lots of types of wood, so choose one that compliments your items well.

You don't have to spend a lot to achieve this look and if wood isn't working for you, there are other natural backgrounds you can use such as grass, rocks, slate and bark.

Real Life Models

EngramClothing  /  Cut Copy Create

This isn't so much a background, but rather a way to display your products. Some products such as clothes and bags for example, might be more appealing to a buyer if seen on a real life model, so they can imagine the sizings better.

Real life models can have many backgrounds, such as a professional white or colour backdrop or a outdoor background, showing how they might use your product during day to day life.

Models can also work for badges, jewellery and baby clothing just to name a few. Maybe experiment with plastic models and real people to see what works best.

Framed vs Unframed

Diary Of A Design Queen  /  Kiki Mood

Most sellers usually show a framed and unframed picture of their prints now anyway, but the way you display both can be done in different ways.

Where will the frame be located? In a living room, bedroom, kitchen or bathroom? Maybe the location depends on the print or colours?

If unframed, will it be photographed flat or propped up? Will you use a dark or light background? There's lots to consider!

Overall

There are many other types of backgrounds and display methods depending on what you're selling, so a lot of it is down to experimenting.

Try to use the Macro setting on your camera to get a clearer shot and if you've got a nice day, try using natural light instead of artificial. 

Don't be afraid to ask others which photos they prefer and although it can be frustrating and time consuming, it should be worth it in the end :)

x x