Stephanie Fizer Illustration

This Artsy Life: Alessandra Fusi

I'm back this weekend with a new installment of This Artsy Life, this time featuring lovely Italian illustrator Alessandra Fusi:  

 Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do:

Well…I like to define myself as a children book illustrator and author, I’m publishing here in Italy and in France…But I’ve published my first book only a year ago (I got my degree in illustration in 2006), and so I’m yet not so famous to be able to live only of “illustration”…So I try to do some other creative things!

First of all, I work as a painter, showcasing my work in galleries and other artsy places (cafès, winebars, bookshops, etc..).

I’ve started to exhibit my work as a painter by chance: I showcased my work for the first time in a collective exhibition in a train station, organized by a friend of my friend who studied arts.

In that occasion I realized my first (and last for the moment) very huge painting, “Sherezade last dance”, who caught the attention of the right audience…And that’s how, step by step, I ended up exhibiting in Paris♥

Here is Sherezade in a tea room, it is large 100 x 150cm:

Then I also organize creative labs, book presentations and painting courses for children …I adore working with them!!

Sometimes when there are more than 20 children asking for a drawing in a very small room (creative lab rooms in bookshops are often very tiny) they totally overwhelm me..It can be a bit stressful, but that’s so funny!!

And last but not least, I’m slowly developing my little crafting business…I started just for fun and for myself, then I tried to bring some pins to one of my artshow openings…And they were over in a few minutes!!

So I decided to go on…And actually I like it so much that I have to be careful not to steal too much time to my first work: illustration.

Walk us through your average day as an artist:

Mmmh…I wake up late.

Yes, maybe I shouldn’t admit it but the truth is that I always try to sleep 8 hours each night if I can...And the fact is that I work late at night so my day starts not so early in the morning!

Then I have my breakfast with Tea, biscuits and six meowing voices, I make up myself and turn on my pc to check e-mails and things like that.

Even if I don’t like it so much, part of my work is on the web: I am a one-man-band, so I am my only agent and promoter, that’s why I spend part of my day in front of the pc, and I do it in the morning because my little sister is at school, and I don’t have to fight for the place on our desk!! Yayy!!

Then I dedicate the rest of my day to painting, drawing, crafting, etc…

I like to do it in the garden when the sun is out, because I like the light of the day, and the company of my six cats…Even when they step on my drawings!!

I work at home, because I still don’t have a studio of my own…Sometimes I feel the need of a place all mine where I can keep all my stuff in disorder as I like, without losing  my time in cleaning all the mess I create, where I do not have all these distracting stuff I have at home, and where I can welcome the curious people in and introduce them into my world…

But then again I’m a bit afraid of loneliness.

I like to be surrounded by people when I work, I paint much more when I have other people around me that distract me sometimes: I need to turn off my attention for a second because if I concentrate too much I can get tired soon. It’s contradicting, I know!

Anyway, I’m sure I will have my atelier someday, and I can’t wait to decorate it all!

As I told you, I usually work till late at night, after dinner, I don’t know why but that’s the part of the day when my mind relaxes and likes to define the ideas I had in the morning down into the smallest details.

What’s your best business tip for those who are just starting out?

Mmmh…Never give up!

Try to evaluate if you really-deeply-truly want to do it and then, if the answer is positive, put all your energy into it.

Prepare yourself to find loads and loads of locked doors and bad critics, they all will help you to improve and grow up. Try to be your most severe critic and never take yourself too seriously acting like an experienced artist: the day you’ll think you have reached the top is the day your art will die.

You always have to improve your skills day by day, if you look at your yesterday’s work and you don’t like it anymore you must be happy, because it means that today you’ve grown even better!

And then, be curious! Look around, discover new things, new artists, new colours, put them all in your cauldron and create something “yours”…Maybe curiosity killed the cat: but look at where it lead

Alice

to!!

 What inspires you and how do you maintain your creative flow? How do you handle not feeling inspired?

Well…I read a lot. I do it just because I like stories and I always want to read another one, but I feel this also helps me to keep my imagination active.

Moreover, I’m inspired by almost everything around me: my cats, my music, dresses in the windows, tv commercials, art fairs, book fairs, fruits…You never know when and how an image can come into your mind!

That’s why I always try to keep my sketchbook with me, so I can draw that image down and keep it for the right day.

The lack of inspiration is such an awful thing!! What I hate the most is the fact that I basically always have something to create in mind, but sometimes it’s not that thing that I must do it that right moment. It happens quite often when I have to work on a storyboard: I hate storyboards (god bless my French editor who gave me total freedom for my next book, so I don’t have to do it this time, yayyy!!).

Last time I had to draw a storyboard about a Lemur and I remained blocked for more than a week: I had no idea at all. The only thing you have to do in this case is accept that it’s just not meant to be now and concentrate on something else (yes, that something that you really want to do now, instead of that boring storyboard). So I just picked up a huge canvas and painted a big elephant!!

Aaaah! I really needed it!

Now I have both my elephant painting and my Lemur storyboard done.

Et voilà!

Alessandra, thanks for allowing us a little glimpe into your artsy life! 

To check out Alessandra's work, please visit her Etsy shop or read a bit more about her life on her blog.   Or you can also catch up with her on Twitter and Facebook!

  

Refreshed: Animal ABC Prints

Thanks for all the positive responses and emails about the facelift the Animal Alphabet Prints are receiving!  I've been thinking and dreaming and working on them for a few days and here they are:  

So what do you think?  I'm loving the bright new color scheme!  And because the new prints are 5x7 inches, they should be a bit easier to mat and frame.

I've also introduced a new Letter ABC Print as well:  

Of course, for those who had their heart set on the old versions, they will still be available for special order via e-mail :) 

Enjoy!  

Oh and be sure to check back tomorrow for a new interview for This Artsy Life!  

Freebie: Printable Stress Relief Tips

It's been nearly a year since I quit my day job to dedicate my time to my little illustration business.  I'm finally getting into a groove with a lot of good things regarding my business, but I'm having some issues with stress management these days.  

There are brief periods of respite when I have everything under control but then suddenly the stress monster rears its not so attractive head and I'm drowning in worry again.  I say drowning, because it's not just business related stress that gets me, it's every day stress that nails me too.  

I have a tendency to worry about everything little thing, a lot of which I can't even control.  

But over the last few months, I've made great strides in calming down but with my growing business and the prospect of home ownership, I've been sliding back down the slope.  

So with the help of WebMD, I made a little list of stress management tips to post by my desk, just a few friendly little reminders:  

Download, print and enjoy your own little version of this print!  

Download Stress Management.pdf (2148.5K)

As always, this is for personal use only!  

New Animal Alphabet Print Design

The Animal Alphabet Series has proven to be among my most popular work since its release.  And I so proud to know that little ones around the world are growing up looking at my illustrations!  

But I've been tinkering around with the idea of releasing a new, redesigned version of the set.  Something a bit more dynamic and possibly in an easier-to-frame 5x7 size instead of the old 5x5 size.  

Here's one of the original illustrations:  

And here is the tinkered with version I've been toying around with this morning:  

So tell me what you think!  Should I leave well enough alone or march ahead with a fresh new version?  

A Few Tidbits on Customer Service

On the list of jobs-that-I-hated-before-I-quit-my-dayjob-for-good is a stint of several years working customer service for Amazon.com.  Although I certainly never loved that job and actually did a little happy dance on my last day there, I was able to glean some valuable tips and tidbits that I put to use every day now that I run my own tiny industry.  

Following my Quit Your Day Job interview on Etsy back on November, I started getting scads of emails every week from aspiring artists and crafters with tons of questions, among them how to handle custom service issues.  

So here is a very tiny little collection of customer service tidbits that I use in my own little business.  

Communication is key.  

The great thing about buying handmade is knowing that you are buying from a person who made something that contains a bit of heart and soul.  You can make that connection even more special for your buyers just by communicating with them.  

Don't count on auto-reponder messages from Etsy with a brief Message to Buyer as your sole order confirmation email to your buyers.  Chances are most people won't read the confirmation email from Etsy, or won't see the Message to Buyer section which is towards the bottom of the email.  

Take a few seconds to send a personalized confirmation email to thank them for their order, confirm the items they ordered and let them know when their items will ship.  

A little email makes a big difference.  

Personally, when I place an order and Etsy and DON'T get a confirmation from the seller, I find myself wondering if something is wrong or if they haven't gotten my order.  Save your buyers some stress and send a short email :)  

I'm not going to lie, I've been so busy I've missed sending confirmation emails to a few customers here and here, it's bound to happen.  But for the most part, I've developed a habit of sending a confirmation as soon as I see that I have a new order. 

I have several different variations of my confirmation email that I keep saved on my desktop, so when I get an order, I can quickly send off a confirmation.  I like the keep the tone a bit friendly, not overly friendly, but maybe the sort of tone you would use with an acquaintance you've met a couple of times.  

Once you've sent an order confirmation email, you CAN rely on Stamps.com, Endicia or Paypal shipping to send off a shipping confirmation for you.

Be Straightforward.

Etsy provides a Shop Policies section right in your shop and I fully suggest taking just a few minutes to fill in each section.  

Be straightforward with your buyers about your shop policies: 

What payments do you accept?  

How soon do most orders ship?  

What are you return, exchange and refund policies?  

Do you ship internationally?  

Honestly, most people probably won't read your Shop Policies, but it's nice to have it available if someone asks or is curious. 

Package orders with love.  

Don't waste a ton of money on expensive tissue paper and other goodies to include with packages.  But do spend time including a personal little something extra with your packages:  a bookmark, a mini print, a handwritten note.  And a couple of cute stickers to the outside of the package.  Receiving snail mail is the bees knees, but receiving cute snail mail is even better!  

Be Honest. 

Just like your mom as always, honesty IS the best policy.  If you're going to be late in shipping an order, let a customer know.  If you can't make an item for x amount of dollars, then say so.  

Don't blur the details of your item descriptions to make yourself look better.  If you're not proud of your item, don't sell it.  Be honest about the materials used, the size and other pertinent information.  

Don't Be Afraid to Say No.

This is regarding custom requests and people who ask for too much information.  If you don't have time to make a custom order, just say so.  If you can't met a customer's deadline, just say no.  If someone is asking you specific questions about how you make whatever it is you and you don't feel comfortable answering, then just say no.  

Say it tactfully, of course!  But don't be afraid to say no.  

Handling Returns and Exchanges.  

I got my very first returned item about a month ago and I swear, I was heartbroken.  When you run your own business and put so much love into what you do, it almost feels like a personal affront to have something returned.  

It's not.  

But it is important to realize that you can't please everyone all the time.  

That said, be nice to customers who are returning something because they might just come back to buy something new.  

Here are my general return guidelines:  

-If something gets lost in the mail, I replace it free of charge.  

-If a person doesn't like something, they can return it within a reasonable timeframe, but they have to pay return shipping.  And the amount of original shipping is not refunded either.  

-Exchanges are fine, with the stipulation that the customer pay the additional shipping charges.  

-If something arrives damaged, I replace it free of charge or offer a full refund including shipping charges.  

-Or if something arrives damaged, I offer a small discount if the customer just wants to keep the item anyway.  

Handling Difficult or Unhappy People.

So when you receive a mean-spirited email or a ridiculous request that really just makes you kind of mad or upset, the best policy is to walk away from it before responding.  

If you respond right away, you are apt to say something you might regret.  

Even if a person is being ridiculous, think about how your response reflects on your company.  Think about how many friends and family members an offended customer will be telling of the terrible things you said to them ;)  

Be tactful.  

For difficult situations, explain it as you would to your grandmother or a 10 year old child.  Don't be condescending, but don't make assumptions about what a person may or may not know.  Just explain the situation thoroughly; I find this is especially helpful when telling someone that you CAN'T do something.  

Do Unto Others. . .

When dealing with my customers, I always just try to think about how I would want to be treated.  

Providing a pleasant customer service experience will help you build a base of repeat buyers who will oftern refer more buyers to you.  Customer service in itself is a splendid marketing tool!  

Do you have any questions about customer service?  Do you have a specific situation you'd like help with?  If so, feel free to comment below!  

Mmmm Morning Tea

Good morning, blog loves!  I know, not a very interesting photo today--just a quick glance at my morning green tea.  My grandma picked up this mug for me a few years ago and I drink my morning tea from it every day; she lives halfway across the country, so this mug keeps her in my thoughts :)  

Happy Memorial Day to the folks in the United States, I hope everyone gets a chance to enjoy some beautiful weather and spend time cooking out with family and friends!  

For those who missed it, my new This Kitchen Is For the Birds series was featured on Scoutie Girl on Friday, thanks Jan!  

On my plate for today:  finishing up some Save the Date cards, working on a business logo design for a new client, updating my portfolio, printing some orders to be shipped tomorrow, ordering more printing supplies and tinkering around with a new illustration that is being pesky.  

Oh and a cookout with my family at 4pm!  I am supergirl, I can get it all done today ;)  

I hope your day is joyous and fun!

It's Time to Write A Letter

Today, I'm making a personal pledge to write more notes and letters.  

As a young girl, I maintained a constant stream of letters to friends and family the world over.  And in return, I had a constant stream of letters and cards finding their way to my mail box.  

These days, I stay in touch with quick emails here and there.  Maybe a short phone call.  Perhaps a message on Facebook.  It's all so easy, but sort of impersonal.  

There is just something a bit special about taking a few minutes out of the day write a sweet note to someone far away.  Or even a friends who lives just down the street from you.  

So I'm making a personal pledge to write more letters and notes.  Maybe even pick up a penpal or two ;)  

And what better aid to my efforts then three sweet new mini letterhead sets from my shop:  

I Heart Books Mini Letterhead Set.  You might recognize this illustration from me free print over at Indie Fixx a couple of months ago.  

Kokeshi Dolls Mini Letterhead Set.  

Teacup Fairy Mini Letterhead Set.

Each set includes 5 sheets of 5x7 lined letter paper which fold to fit into 3.5 x 5 envelopes which can be sealed with included round stickers.  Printed on a delicate matte finish stock that your pen will just glide across.  

Now I'm off to write a short letter and I hope you will do the same! 

Do you have any personal goals for writing more letters or just communicating more in general?  

New and Shiny

Hi all!  

The next shop update will be scheduled for tomorrow afternoon 2pm EST and it will feature 2 new mini Kokeshi dolls, a couple of sweet new stationery sets, and 4 new prints including these:  

Drink.  And:  

Sweeten.  

Both from the "This Kitchen is for the Birds" series.  All 4 prints from the series will be released on 8.5 x 11 paper although you can request smaller sizes as well.  

I hope to have more mini Kokeshi dolls painted up in the next couple of weeks and I will be taking custom requests for the them as well.  They measure 2.5 inches and will be $15 each, so feel free to contact me if you'd like to request a custom design :)  

And, I can't believe I forgot to mention this but I had TWO new stamp sets released with MFT Stamps at the beginning of this month:  

Owls and Bluebells. And:  

Cuddle Bunnies.

Oh and one last thing:  Since prices have gone up a bit in the shop, I have added some new print bundles to save you a few dollars :)  

Enjoy!  

This Artsy Life: Jessica Rose of Vol. 25

      Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do:

      My name is Jessica Rose and I am the artist behind vol.25 I am mommy to 2 girls ( 4 and 9 mos.) and a wife of 5 years. I've always enjoyed drawing but it wasnt until a couple years ago that I tried my hand at the digital aspect of drawing... and I have been hooked ever since. I am a stay at home mommy, and when I opened my shop I had no idea that so many people would connect with my art. I was thrilled to see vol.25 evolve from a hobby to a part time business I can run from the comfort of my home. 

Walk us through your average day as an artist: 

       It seems as though I am having a hard time really defining an average day. I think the fact that I have a toddler and baby roaming the house makes for a different day every day. :) I usually sleep in as late as possible (my 9 month old is still waking me up at least once a night) the rest of the day is generally spent cleaning, shipping orders from the previous day, answering e-mails, working on new prints, and playing with the girls. I do generally try to get the girls laid down for they're nap at 12:00. They sleep anywhere from 1-3 hours so I can generally get the bulk of my etsy stuff done during that time. 

What’s your best business tip for those who are 

just starting out?

      "It takes money to make money" is the best advice I could possibly give. Last year I spent 1,700.00 on advertising and I feel it really paid off. I would suggest trying to save up some money, buy yourself a sidebar spot on your favorite blog, then be sure to keep back a portion from all sales made for future advertising.

  I also participated in quite a few giveaways, donating a print and gaining a bunch of exposure in the process. In order for the advertising to pay off you really need to do your research. I mainly advertised with home decor/design blogs (decor8, creature comforts, modish, poppytalk, indielove, purplepinkandorange, coveiter, makingitlovely to name a few really good ones!) but I made sure that they're reader base would be a good fit for my art. If your unsure it certainly doesnt hurt to ask the blog owner if you think they have your target audience.

        What inspires you and how do you maintain your creative flow? 

How do you handle not feeling inspired?

     It seems like there are soo many sources of inspiration, and they all leave me feeling so inspired but its so hard to find time to create! A few of my favorite sources are: clothing magazines for patterns and funky color combinations, quotes can inspire a completely new print, design blogs for more color combinations, and last but not least my blog is a big source of inspiration. Readers are always leaving me ideas for future prints! :) Often I'll have the beginnings of a print sketched out, but something just doesnt feel right so I'll post it on my blog, and my lovely readers steer me in the right direction! :) This new print of the typewriter(see below) is a prime example, I was looking for text, quotes or any ideas/inspiration for the blank piece of paper. I posted it on my blog, and instantly had 4 ideas that worked perfectly! :)

i heart typewriters print

remember happiness print

moving postcards

hope is only print

       Thanks for sharing Jessica! 

 For more on Jessica's work visit her blog or her shop.

Happy Etsy-versary to me!

So guess what today is?  The 2 year anniversary of my little Etsy shop!  

And for today only, a little special for you:  All orders over $20 will receive a free 4x6 print of their choice.  Just place your order and provide the name of the free print in the Message to Seller section of the order form.  

Note:  any prints are eligible for the free 4x6 print offer, but please note if you choose a print that is square format, it will be printed as a 4x4 on a 4x6 sheet so their will be a white border for framing.  

Enjoy!