FAQs

An interview with me. The interviewer is also me.

Why did you start writing this blog?
My plan was to become a millionaire by selling handmade things on Etsy.com, and this blog was going to be a self-promotion tool. Except that I learned it's super tedious to make handmade things to sell on etsy, so I go back and forth about maintaining a shop. But it turns out I enjoyed blogging. Who knew?

What's fun about blogging? Doesn't it waste hours and hours of time?
You betcha. But even though it takes some time, it's fun to post things that might be helpful to people. I used to have "Girls' Nights" at my house weekly, and I'd invite non-arty buddies over and suggest some kind of project to make. I loved seeing how proud people were when they liked what they'd made. Everybody has creativity inside somewhere, and it's gratifying to help people tap into it—especially if they don't consider themselves artistic or creative. So I try to post simple projects that anyone could do, as well as useful tips or inspiring ideas or things that are delightful. Pretty much anything that's fun.

What's your favorite adjective?
Fun.

Why do you like orange so much?
Because it's the best color, duh.

You post a new blog entry almost every week day. How do you do that and get any work done?
Here's a secret: I write most of the entries at night or on the weekend, save the drafts, and then it's just a matter of clicking the Publish button whenever I want to post one! Ssshh! Don't tell!

Where do you find cool stuff to put on your blog?
Google. Or sometimes I come across things on other blogs. I try to credit the source, in that case.

Do you get paid to write about any of the products or websites you feature in your posts?
Nope.

If I send you an email about my product or service, will you feature it?
Only if I really, truly like it, find it kind of novel, or would use it or buy it myself if I had the money. So you're at the mercy of my taste. Sorry about that. If I pass up the opportunity to write about your thing, you should conclude that I was not astute enough to recognize the beauty of it. It's me, not you.

What if I offer to send you a free sample of my product? Then will you write about it?
You're welcome to send me stuff (who doesn't love free stuff?), but the same rules apply. You might be out one sample.

Your photos of things sometimes turn out half-way decent. What kind of camera do you have, and what's your method for taking pictures of objects?
I have a Canon Powershot S2 IS. I set a chair next to a north window. I lay a white piece of foam board on it and place the object on top. I turn off the flash on my camera because the flash makes everything look disgusting. I push the macro button (or hold it down for super macro) and shoot away. Then I wave at the neighbors across the courtyard who wonder what I'm doing. Sometimes I open the photo in Photoshop, make a clipping path around it, and delete the background, keeping the cast shadows.

I see you design fabric now. How did you get started?
See this post about that.

What kind of conditioner do you use, and how often?
I buy a different brand every time in the hopes that the next one will make my hair sleek, gleaming, and TV-commercial worthy. And then I try to remember to use it every day, but sometimes I'm in a hurry so I skip it. I guess that's why my hair doesn't look like a Pantene ad yet.

Will you write me a tutorial on how to use Photoshop?
Heck no. It's too complicated. They have manuals for that. Go to your local bookstore, browse Amazon.com, poke around Lynda.com (a great site filled with video tutorials), or best of all, sign up for classes. How did I learn? Four years in college plus years of working as a designer.

If I email you an interesting question, will you add it to this FAQ list, even if it's not Frequently Asked?
Try it! Put FAQ in your subject line, and if I get some good ones, I'll answer them here.