My lovelies! I'm so excited to show you my new logo! Isn't it gorgeous??? You might be asking yourself a few questions, and I am thrilled to be able to read into your brains and know what you are thinking, and have answered all your questions below! (PS, if you have powers that prevented me from seeing the questions in YOUR brain, just leave it below in the comments and I will answer it!)

Why the change, Tania? I liked the old one!
I did too! When I was thinking about opening my online shop in 2010, I knew I needed a logo. I got all excited about getting business cards (yes, before I had even drawn out one design for anything I would sell), and hired a student graphic designer to come up with a logo. Nothing that she sent to me blew me out of the water, but I liked the flower part of the logo quite a bit. The flowers have grown on me more and more over the months and now I love them! Don't worry... I am going to keep them, and they will reappear on this site in the future, just perhaps in my new colours.

I had been thinking about a new logo since about October of last year - something that reflected me and where I wanted to take the business more than the old one. I wanted something more natural, more personal, more in tune with who I am. I entered the OMHG contest in December, and at the beginning of January found out I had won a brand new logo and branding package! The timing could not have been better!

Who came up with such a brilliant design?
Kristen Hodges of Ahoy Graphics, that's who! She sent me several questions that got at the heart of what I wanted - the feel of it, the essence, the feelings, the colours, and the qualities I wanted to portray. I talked about it being natural yet architectural, modern, whimsical, and personal. I thought I wanted a font that was more organic, but didn't like any of the script fonts out there. She suggested this lovely graphic font and I loved it instantly. I love the big A's and D's and M's and how it all bounces along on one line so very nicely.

So, what's with the giant m?
Um... I thought you guys were smart? It stands for manusmade? You know, my business name???? Anyway... Kristen came up with a sketch of the word manusmade with a script M in a circle above it. I then suggested the M could be my own M, and as soon as I wrote it out, scanned it, and sent it to her, I loved it! I love how it's my own handwritten M - inspired by my entry to the OMHG contest which I wrote out by hand. Everything that I love doing is through my hands - writing, making, designing - and as I incorporate more of my own uniqueness into my business, why not have my logo reflect that?

Why is the blue variegated?
Because it's lovely that way! I also have some one-colour flat logos that I can use if necessary, but I love the textural quality the lighter and darker tones give the circle. I call it Variation In Blue. Kristen suggested a waterpaint feel to the background and I loved that idea. After a few drafts, we found the perfectly imperfect background balance. To me, it suggests water, texture, depth, and all things organic and imperfect. Absolutely beautiful.

So. what do you think?

As a one-person business, I play a lot of different roles in order to fully run manusmade - from PR and marketing to designer to photographer and copywriter. It's great in one way in that I am learning all sorts of things about different aspects of business, but difficult in that I don't have all the knowledge all the time and I spend a lot of time on learning curves.

Photography is one of those curves for me. I love taking pictures, with composition being my favourite part of it. The technical side of digital photography? Not so good. It took me forever to figure out how to really get good white balance on my camera (Nikon D80). Lighting is difficult for me too - I don't have a ton of natural light in my house, and the times when it is light, I'm usually at my day job! Someone told me recently that many of my photos in my Etsy shop were "yellow" and dark. So. I've gradually been taking new photos for the shop.

One of the biggest changes is that I've purchased a studio light set from Henry's Photo here in Ottawa. It wasn't too much money when I think of it as an investment in my business and a tool to allow me to sell more products. It was really easy to set up, and now I've got enough good light to take photos anytime I want. Nothing beats really beautiful natural light, but now I have a great option for those times when I want to get photos up on the site and it's 10pm! The other thing I got were some pieces of whiteboard from the hardware store to use as backdrops for the wall and floor.

I temporarily set up the lights in our spare bedroom in the basement, but will have to move them to another area of the basement that is more spread out. For the smaller items, I was photographing them on the white cardboard on the floor, and my butt kept hitting the futon behind me, and there wasn't enough space to really get creative with angles. Real professional, right?

As I learn what settings work best for each product, I am 'bracketing' - basically taking the same photo a few times with different lighting settings - so, I'll take a couple of darker options, some middle options, and some lighter options. Depending on the way the photo is taken, and the colour of the fabric, some photos end up looking better than others. For example, the darker coloured linens such as red and brown actually look better with darker lighting so that the richness of the material comes through - lighter shots of the dark linens wash them out too much.

Check out these napkins, for example:

In this example, I think the middle shot has the red that is truest to the real fabric - I will probably use this one, but then lighten up the background in Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro using the Curves processing feature.

All this, to get decent shots that will look great and will give the customer a true sense of what the product will be like. It's important to really let people know what the item they are thinking of buying is going to be like when they get it in their hands.

So, now that I'm a professional photographer, what does a photo shoot look like?

• go downstairs, set up and turn on lights
• turn on heater as the basement is freezing
• turn on camera, realize the battery is mostly drained.
• wait an hour while camera battery charges
• start pulling out products to photograph
• realize they are wrinkled, turn on iron and spend an hour ironing napkins and aprons
• set up products to take photos again
• go back upstairs to kitchen to get props - cutting boards, bowls, cups and saucers, eggs, cup of coffee (for me, not for the shots)
• bring everything downstairs without actually dropping anything
• figure out which props go with which products
• bump into sofabed 45 times as I try different combinations
• make sure not to walk into reflector umbrellas, poking eye out, as I reach for different props
• finally get shot just right, take photos, do a little jump for joy
• find all the eggs that rolled out of the bowl when I did my jump for joy
• start over for each product

Finally, at the end of the day, I'm happy with some of the shots. Now, to upload them all to Etsy and write product descriptions. Talk to you next time!

Like it? Feel free to pin it! Pin It

Squirrel Sick Day Print by Doodle and Hoob

Hi guys! I guess there was too much kissing after my Valentine's lovefest - one of my loving husband's gifts to me on Tuesday was his cold :( I'll be posting more over the weekend and next week - stay tuned for behind-the-scenes picture on the recent photo shoot I did to update the store, as well as my new logo to be revealed!

Hugs and sniffles,
Tania xo

I hope you are all having a lovely Valentine's Day today! I used to be someone who bah-humbugged today (yes, it can be used as a verb), saying it was a commercial holiday, and I didn't need to have someone tell me when to tell someone else that I loved them, and that it was horrible to see people forced into buying more stuff after all the stuff that came with Christmas.

Photo from TinBarnMarket.com

I had an amazing time at Urban Craft last weekend, not because of the sales I made, but because of the connections I made. I spent some time this show and walked around talking to some of the other vendors. The people next to me were absolutely lovely - it was Michael from Michael's Dolce who makes The Most Amazing Jams Ever. Seriously, I bought three different kinds and can't pick my favourite - well, maybe the peach with cardamon, no wait, maybe the fig and blood orange... He was out of one of the jams I sampled (papaya and pink grapefruit), and was kind enough to give me the sampler jar at the end of the day, which was still about 2/3 full, knowing I was dissapointed that they were sold out! So nice. Definitely try his jams - check the website, you can buy them at a number of locations across Ottawa.

The biggest connection was with Vicki from Tin Barn Market. She started talking to me at my table about her pop-up shops that she's done in Almonte. We started chatting, and she mentioned that she and her partner are doing a show on Saturday, February 11 in a beautiful old stone farmhouse in Carleton Place, and the focus is going to be on housewares. She said she loved my tea towels and aprons and wondered if I'd like to put my things in the show! We chatted for a little longer, about everything from crafts, to theatre (she does costume design and puppet making!), to Spark Retreat. It was really strange, but it felt like we had known each other for a while. So, trusting my gut that it was going to be ok, I handed over to her (basically a stranger not 15 minutes before) half of my entire inventory for her to take. Yup! I packed up all my aprons and tea towels and gave her not only the items, but the hangers as well!

Photo from TinBarnMarket.com

It looks like Vicki and Errin have been busy bees this week based on the photos they are posting for the upcoming show. My modern aprons and tea towels look totally at home in the lovely, cozy, antique setting. I can't wait to go to Carleton Place this Saturday and check it out. I highly encourage you to as well. Check out their great website and blog for more details.

And, for any of you who are getting married soon, definitely check out Wed By Hand - Ottawa's only indie wedding show focusing on DIY, handmade, and eco-friendly vendors. There are lots of workshops lined up including doing your own wedding invitations and photo albums, and planning a wedding on a budget. I volunteered at the show last year and it was FANtastic - here's my take on last year's show if you'd like to get a sneak peek. I wished it was around when I got married 11 years ago!

Lastly, talking about going with your gut, and just trusting that you know when things are amazing - Deanna and I have launched our Indie GoGo campaign for Spark Retreat. We need to raise $1700 to pay for one woman's entry fee - yes, we want to bring one amazing lucky female entrepreneur to the retreat for FREE. We will run a contest, starting in March, to find one creative soul who may have come up against some roadblocks in connecting with her creativity. So, please, help us raise the money to make this a really special weekend for someone. Thank you my dears, you are the best readers a girl could have!!

Tania xoxo

Hello everyone! Love is in the air! We've been seeing hearts in the stores since what seems like Boxing Day, but finally looooove day is nearly upon us! Weee! Have you been secretly stocking up on chocolate? Seeing hearts in the foam art of your latte? Stealing a few extra kisses? I certainly hope so! Here are a few lovely things that might tickle the fancy of your loved one. Cuz you know that when they're tickled in just the right places, they'll likely reciprocate, right?

Enjoy, <3

Tania xo

From left to right, from top to bottom:

1. Berry Heart Wreath by Wild Ridge Design
2. Love Drift Wood by Love Embellished
3. Leather Change Purse by Gypsy Tailor

4. Black and Red Photograph by Bree Madden
5. Clink Illustration by Genevieve Santos
6. Stone Pebble by Jen Carew

7. Heart Frame Collection by TRW Painted
8. House of Love Brooch by Clayful Impressions
9. Punch Needle Pin Cushion by The Simple Quiet

10. Couples in Love Print by My Different Strokes
11. Paper Heart Garland by Jellybean Studio
12. Silver Heart Earrings by Huiyi Tan

13. Heart Grapevine Wreath by The Walnut Street House
14. Valentine's Gift Tags by Buttonlandia
15. Red Woolen Hearts by Little Red Rory

"Olive and Sebastian hold a secret connection" print by The Olive Bird

It's all about connections
All that to say, I'm a busy bee, but the underlining lesson for me this whole month has been about connections - to different people at my day job, where I'm transitioning to a new position (less traveling!), and therefore needed to build bridges with a new group of people; to staying connected with old friends and getting together for tea; to reaching out to new people, unabashedly, and just saying hello as a start to a new conversation.

Many of you know I'm a bit of an introvert. And as an introvert, I'm not a fan of smalltalk (it's really hard for me to wade through all the beginnings of relationships - I much prefer the down and dirty and digging deep conversations that come later). So, I have a history of having difficulties meeting people in new situations. I'm not exactly sure what has changed recently (age? read enough self-help books? I actually think it comes from evaluating my true value as a business woman and designer), but I feel like I'm better at meeting people - I'm less shy, I'm better at drawing out a better conversation right off the bat, and I care less about what people will think once I open my mouth. I don't mean that in an arrogant way, I just am at a point where I feel like "hey, this is me, I'm goofy and complicated and funny and emotional and crafty and neurotic and, well, that's just the beginning.... If you like me, great, if not, that's ok."

My epiphany!
And here's the biggest epiphany for me this month - even as an introvert who craves alone time, in fact needs it regularly for me to recharge - I still get a kick out of connecting with others. I learn so much about people, about myself, about life in general, and I feel more and more normal, knowing that others are going through the same things, wanting the same things out of life. I love it!

In a way, the retreat I'm planning with Deanna of Apples and Orange - the Spark Creative Retreat - is a celebration of that. It's a place for creative entrepreneurs (that's me! and maybe you too!) to go and connect, really and truly, with others who are going through the same things. Hell, Deanna and I learned a lot about connections when we invited the main speakers - we simply reached out in an authentic and respectful way and simply ASKED. It was pretty powerful for us. It'll be a place to learn about others, build yourself a support system, and even, I bet, learn something about yourself. Those connections with other people, other artists, are important - to your wellbeing and your soul.

Reach out, and look around you - are there places you can connect with others? Can you call someone you haven't talked to in a long time and reconnect with them over tea? Are there places you can step outside your comfort zone and just walk up to someone as say "Hi! Here I am!"? You might just be surprised at the outcome.

I'm thrilled to talk to you about some changes that will happen around here. You all know how passionate I am about bringing handmade goods into one's life - even more so about Useable handmade goods, objects that you love and that help make your life easier and happier. I want people to take those artisanal articles off the shelves and starting loving them every day! There is a lot of reverence placed on handmade goods - and I'm excited to really show people that it's NOT that hard to make a tea towel, or a pair of pants, or anything else. So, in an effort to help you all bring more handmade into your life, and learn some awesome crafty skillz, I'll be bringing on some contributors who will be teaching us their crafty skill, so we can all learn together. I want to let people learn in a way that's fun, welcoming, and easy.

So, are YOU crafty? Do you love to sew, to book bind, to do carpentry, to make bags? Let me know! I'd love to talk to you about doing tutorials and lessons here on the blog. Send me an email if you'd like to chat: tania (at) manusmade (dot) com!

Oh! My! Goodness!

Seriously, oh my freaking goodness!

My giant face above says it all.... I won second prize in the Oh My Handmade Goodness fabulous giveaway! I knew about this contest starting on the first day it was announced - lots of mentoring, branding, and marketing prizes - definitely things I would love to have for manusmade. I'd be a lucky girl to have any of the prizes that were being bundled into huge giveaways! I pondered for weeks on my entry, and even got down to writing down a few points - what are the things I'm proud of? what are things I have done to move my business forward? where does my creativity shine?

My list looked like a list. It bored me to tears, literally.

I let it sit for a week. I almost didn't apply, thinking my entry was crap. Then I re-read the blog post where Jessika explained the contest. I read it over and over, and something jumped out at me - I could be creative, I could write it by hand!!!!!

I LOVE writing by hand!

For my day job, I write by hand all the time - as I listen to people telling their stories, I record both the stories and my thoughts by hand. Even my day planner is by hand - I carry around a giant calendar and squish everything into each day's box by hand. The very first note I left for my supervisor at my first big girl job was written by hand.

It's how I think, and create. It's my freaking business name, for goodness sake! ['manus' is latin for 'hand']

So I thought about writing my entry by hand. And then I worried about mailing it to Jessika and it getting to her in time for the end of the contest, you know with Christmas and all. And then I remembered the scanner in my office, and laughed at myself for being so impossibly slow when it comes to technology. So I did my entry by hand, even pulled out some pencil crayons, and drew silly drawings. And then I scanned it [thrilled that I remembered how to do it....] and uploaded it to the Cloud and wished it luck and sent it on its way.

By hand, I could be personal and write from the heart. And Jessika and the sponsors of the contest saw that and were drawn to it.

I can't learn the lesson of being authentic and completely myself enough times. My inner goofball helped me out and I love her for it.

I can't wait to grow even more in 2012.

BTW, if you want to read my entry, it's here.