I only found one little box of stuff left from my office at Classic Elite. It's pretty hard to think about 16 years of my creative life bundled up into one little box of barely anything. But when I left, I was so ready to be done. I think that's a normal thing for anyone when they leave a job and start a new chapter of their life. I just wanted to leave it all behind and get on with doing the best job I could do with our daughter Julia. At that point in her life, everything was very precarious for her - so many surgeries - and we just didn't know how she would do.
Now it is almost ten years since Julia was born and she is thriving in her own little way. Her hydrocephalus hasn't been a surgical problem in many years. We just keep our fingers crossed and deal with the other challenges she has with as much patience and understanding that we can find within us.
I'm going to the TNNA Show in Columbus for the whole weekend. Leaving The Farmer and The Farmer's Daughter to entertain themselves for a few days all by their lonesome. I'll be setting up a section of a booth that the kind folks at Westminster have rented for me to display my wares. It's funny to be going back and doing the whole trade show - dog and pony show - thing again. It's also sad to know that Pat Chew won't be there ever again.
When I was digging through my stuff, I came upon this little gouache I did of socks on a clothesline. For awhile I've been toying with putting some of my illustrations up on Cafe Press to be put on bags or t-shirts. I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with this and if it is even worth my time. I've got lots of little paintings I've done - some are yarn related and some aren't - and I'm wondering if there is a way to market them on the web. Etsy maybe? Anything to generate a little cash.
I would appreciate any feedback anyone has for this. I don't have a lot of time in my life for researching and experimenting so I'm opening this up for ideas. Thanks so much. You can find my email address at the left.
At any rate, if you will be at TNNA, I'm doing a booksigning Sunday afternoon (I think it is at 2 p.m.). Westminster is giving out tickets for the books and you have to come then to have it signed and pick it up. First come, first serve. Hope to see some of you in Columbus.
15 comments:
So sorry for your loss. Our loss.
As to the socks on the line image: It is fabulous, sorry no clue where you would have it done, but I would love to see that image on a small project bag. Simple, with a working yarn loop inside. I think a cotton blend...stiff enough that the image shows. Snap together under the handles?
Looking forward to your next trip to the Twin Cities..loved your talk on color last winter at the Textile Center. You really got our rods and cones firing!
It seems that one successful model at etsy is to sell laser prints of original art for around $20 each, this is in addition to original pieces. Little Black Apple and Elsita are two examples of this. Elsita somehow spans the traditional artist world and the bloggy craft world. Elsita has a post on her blog about what kind of printer she uses, and it's quite nice. I have a print and it's on good paper with a nice matte ink. Hope this helps.
I'll echo the last commenter's suggestion for prints. When I decorated my knitting room, I looked for knitting-related art online, but only found one source, besides the vintage art. I settled for a watercolor of goats (meat goats, yet!) and some vintage postcards of actresses knitting.
There's not much knitting art out there.
I love the idea of having KN illustrations available - I think that Cafe Press would be a fantastic route-it would give people the opportunity to choose what item they would like the illustration placed...tote bag,T-shirt,mug...I can see an entire line of Kristin Nicholas dinnerware- complete with linens...but that's me and my love of everything KN! I too have searched for knitting art but didn't really find anything out there- I do have some KN post cards that I received at the Creative Stitches workshop so I framed them and put them in my room- the yarn in the egg carton is my all time favorite- can you imagine that in poster size or
8x10. Or some of your fabulous photographs of the farm- the sunflowers, and sheep! I think you would have much success. Good Luck.
I would buy a whole set of mugs with that sock painting in a flash!
Your sox are wonderful! I ditto all the comments, and would add that if you can use some of the amazing photos of your work in your books, they would also be interesting images to have on things or just as prints on paper. Your pallette is quite inspiring, and I can imagine it enlivening so many spots in homes, on arms (totes), etc. Cafe Press has been fun for me to work with for my (not fiber related) business swag; easy, cost effective and fast.
I am still voting for your photographs too! Would love to have them as prints or cards or art...
You take gorgeous photos.
I would love that print on notecards. Would buy them in a heartbeat. I like the mug idea too. It's a great print!
My husband is a printer and I believe that it has gotten a lot easier to print bags and t-shirts with original artwork. I love your stuff and I am sure I am not alone. I have to check out your Cafe Press!!!
Theresa
It's Inside the Black Apple. I wrote it incorrectly previously. She's etsy's top seller.
We use Cafe Press to sell things related to the writing workshop that I am now running. The quality on the items is good and we've made some money on it. Esty is specifically geared for selling handmade items, and they take around 3.5% of the selling price, and have low fees. This is far better than ebay.
Have a good time at TNNA. It is hard to imagine CE without Pat being there.
I don't know anything about marketing, but I do like the socks picture~ It looks perfect for a bag or tshirt!
I have the postcards you so kindly sent with your book that I ordered directly from you. I rotate them on my dressing table and am thinking of framing them.
I think you could sell prints through etsy or directly from your blog. Please include kittens!
Kristin,
I think it would be worth your time to sell your artwork somehow. I would buy prints to frame and t-shirts or bags with your prints on them...I'll be the first in line.
I can't remember if I commented on this before but that is so cool on the Emmy nomination. Whoo hoo! Congratulations.
Again, I am so sorry about you losing your friend. That is terribly sad and such a loss. Kathy and Steve Elkins of Webs did a great podcast memorial to her. I enjoyed hearing about her.
Hi Kristin,
I have no helpful suggestions about how or whether it would be worth it, but I did just want to make my little plea for cards/stationary again. I am rarely in the market for bags or t-shirts, and I can buy more designs and share them with more people if I buy cards. Then maybe they'll buy your t-shirts :-)
Cricket
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