#plushie maker problems

[whiteantcrawls]

It’s that time of year again, where we get to play endless rounds of “Thread wad, Minky fluff, or Scorpion?” This time? It’s a scorpion.

[whiteantcrawls]

If you’re going to use your home environment to photograph your plushes, to show your work off and/or advertise them for sale, please, take some time to look around at what your photo background is, and ask yourself:

--is the background busy? Does it distract from the plush? (bookshelves, plants, clutter, windows with glare, TV on, etc.)

--Is the lighting adequate, so the photos aren’t too dark, too over-exposed, and the colors show well, without lots of shadows?

--Is the environment/background clean? Is the carpet clean? Is the table/counter dusty and full of dirty dishes? Are the windows grimy? Are the bedsheet rumpled and visibly dirty? If you’re sitting your plush on the carpet or your bed, and that carpet/bed is visibly dirty, stained, covered in cat food, hair/fur, threads, general grossness, is that going to make someone want to buy this plush? 

--Is the plush itself clean? Is it covered in loose fluff, car hair, threads, dust, etc.?

--If take photos outside, are you sitting the plush directly on dirt? In a tree? On the grass? Are you going to spot and steam clean it, before you sell it someone with allergies?

If you’re selling plushes, strive to show a clean, professional environment in your photos. Take a minute to clear your work surface, vacuum your carpet, drape a clean sheet, pull over an extra lamp, lint-roll the plush. There’s soooo much competition in the plush world. Tt makes no sense to shoot yourself in the foot from the get-go with photos that not only don’t show the plush to advantage, but actively discourage a buyer from paying for something you made.

[whiteantcrawls]

Had something similar happen to me on 4chan. Posted a picture of my beary pink plushes. Was told to credit the photo to the plush maker and stop trying to steal/take credit for their work. LOL’d for days.

[whiteantcrawls]

Playing another round of "Minky Fluff? or Scorpion?" this morning in the sewing room. I won this round. Scorpion lost.

[whiteantcrawls]

>Novice plushie maker asks for help correcting a pattern

>give detailed directions on how to fix the design issue

>novice plushie maker releases original uncorrected pattern for sale

>everybody claps

[whiteantcrawls]

>tfw the General Manager of Shannon Fabrics (who makes Minky) "wow"s your camel picture post

[whiteantcrawls]

Was taking portfolio shots of the camel spider plushes, and walked away for a second to grab a stand. Photo ASSistant Cat (not to be confused with Sewing ASSistant Cat) decided to step in and take over. Glamor shots ensued.

@half-a-league​  Your boi is annoying.

[whiteantcrawls]

I’ve decided I’m going to take this year off from doing plushie commissions, and focus on making plushes I want to make, for the fun of it. If they sell, great! If they don’t, no problem. I’ll just do a bunch of giveaways. I have such a long list of things I’ve been wanting to do, that I know I’ll never get to all of them, but I do want to get to as many as I can.

finish the babbie gondola pattern (because I promised @fancy-fancy one!

submarines

more shotgun shells

bullets

airplanes

grenades (the old pineapple ones)

capybara

Ebil girl (because @ozarkaflash needs a matched set)

blimps

Spike Dog

Spurdo

nightmare Spurdo pony

rework my Apu plush, so I can do insane Apu animals

the snibbety crab

a good sitting cat pattern

whales. lots of whales in funny hats

a gondola bear

donkey foals

a zonkey

panorama fail animals

an okapi

a sitting camel

crazy eyed jackalopes

yaks, buffalo, and bison

a Tasmanian tiger (thylacine)

William the Met hippo

opossums

ravens and crows

a Russia pony, to go with the Ukraine pony I made

A Granny Smith MLP pony--with her knobby knees and walker

The list just goes on and on.

I think I’ll still do gondolas, though, since those are fun, and relatively quick.

So expect to see some new things from me over the next year. If you want a gondola, or the babbie, once I’m happy with the pattern, message or email me.