A Bloggy, Octoberry, Festivally Fest!
Well, I've gone mad. Officially. But this is what happens when Sharon's out mowing the back lawn and I'm left inside to my own devices.

Now, I'm about to tell you something, but you can't tell Sharon. She'll pop. Why? Well, we returned from overseas the day before yesterday. We settle on our new land in early December. Between now and then, we have to renovate our house, sell it, and organise for accommodation to be built on our new property (the little details, you know?).

Oh, and we also have to run these two businesses I happen to own, get ready for and be at no less than eight markets, and do the other 117 things on our to-do list. No, that is not a number I pulled out of my hoo-ha. We actually have that many things to do, according to the very sexy spreadsheet I've created (go on, bring on the nerd comments!).

So that is why this thing that I've done is madness, absolute madness. I've (cover your eyes, Sharon) signed up for Blogtoberfest.

Blogtoberfest! A Blogging Party! An October Party! A festival of all things blogging and craft-related. What this means for you is that every single day in October, you will be spoilt with a treat from Pepperberry & Co. It may mean a giveaway; it may mean a tutorial; it may mean some fun crafty links; it may mean a gorgeous photo. But I make no promises that it will be anything more than a ramble from me, and a potentially nonsensical ramble at that!

I have so many new followers now (Hi! And welcome!) that I'm actually looking forward to using this as a way of getting to know you all. So please, don't be shy- leave a comment! Tell me what you think about what I've posted, or a new crafty project you're working on, or the bad day you're having. Blogtoberfest to me is an opportunity to connect with my fellow crafters and bloggers, so speak up!

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P.S. Thanks to the super-talented Tinniegirl for her Blogtoberfest organising!
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2:31 PM | Category: , | 11 Pepperberrians Said...

Miss Ning's Gai Pat Met Mamua
What do you get when you combine World Vegetarian Day with a whole group of Etsy craft fanatics?

Delicious recipes, handmade heaven, and stupendous savings, that's what!

As some of you may know, today is World Vegetarian Day- and it's also the start of World Vegetarian Month. My gorgeous EtsyVeg Team and I are celebrating with special sales and a collective sharing of vegetarian and vegan recipes on the web.

Today, I wanted to share with you a special recipe I learnt how to cook whilst living in Thailand- Gai Pat Met Mamua. It was taught to me by one of my favourite ladies of all time, Miss Ning, who looked after Sharon and I whilst we were living with her as though we were her own daughters. May the delicious flavours and scents of Miss Ning's food bring joy to your home also!


MISS NING'S GAI PAT MET MAMUA

Preparation: 15 minutes ~ Cooking: 10 minutes ~ Serves: 4-6


INGREDIENTS
6 tablespoons Mushroom Sauce
2 tablespoons Medium-Hot Chilli Sauce
2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
1 tablespoon Corn Flour
1/4 cup of Olive Oil
1 large Red Onion, chopped roughly
3 cloves of Garlic, skinned and crushed
1 large Carrot, sliced or julienned
2 cups of Mushrooms, sliced (Oyster, Shitake, and Straw Mushrooms are particularly good)
1 packet Firm Silken Tofu, sliced into chunks
3 medium Capsicums/Bell Peppers (one red, one yellow and one green), chopped roughly
1 cup of roasted/fried cashew nuts
1 cup of water
6 cups of steamed rice


METHOD
1. In a bowl, thoroughly mix Mushroom Sauce, Chilli Sauce, Brown Sugar and Corn Flour. Set aside.

2. Place Olive Oil, Onions and Garlic in a wok or a large frying pan and toss until the Onion and Garlic are translucent and a pale golden-brown.

3. Add a Tablespoon of water and the Carrots to the pan and continue tossing all the vegetables until the Carrots begin to soften.

4. Add the Mushrooms to the mix, and another tablespoon of water if the pan is dry. Cook until Mushrooms begin to shrink and turn brown.

5. Add Tofu and toss the mixture until the Tofu begins to brown.

6. Add another tablespoon of water and all of the Capsicums/Bell Peppers. Cook until the Peppers begin to soften.

7. Add a further tablespoon of water and pour in the Mushroom/Chilli sauce combination. Stir through thoroughly until all of the vegetables are coated.

8. Add cashew nuts and continue cooking for a further two minutes.

9. Remove from heat and serve over steamed rice.

10. Enjoy!


While you're munching away, you can head over to my handmade store, Pepperberry & Co., and my beautiful paper store, Papers By Pepperberry, where I'm celebrating World Vegetarian Day by offering 10% off all of my items from now until the end of this weekend (Sunday, 4th of October). Simply add 'World Veg Day' in the Message to Seller during checkout and I'll refund you via PayPal!

You can also head to the EtsyVeg blog for the yummy details of today's celebrations, including links to original recipes and a list of all the crafty shops offering great savings. Oh, and don't forget to hug every Vegetarian/Vegan you know and thank them for doing the world a favour!

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8:38 PM | Category: , , , , | 7 Pepperberrians Said...

An Inspiring Interview & Giveaway from Happy Bee!

It's Tuesday again- can you believe it? Tuesday means only one thing in the world of Pepperberry & Co.- an interview with an inspiring artist through Tuesday Tales. Today we meet with Daniela, the self-confessed 'crafty girl since forever' who is behind the gorgeous goodies at Italian Craft and Quilt shop Happy Bee.

'I remember being a kid,' Daniela reminisces, 'and every Summer, Nuns would come to our small village and teach us how to sew and embroider.' The first thing that Daniela learned how to do was cross stitch, and since then she has 'always loved all things handmade and unique.'

Her Mother and Grandmothers inspired her to further explore craft, as 'one of my Grandmothers was great at knitting, the other one crocheted wonderful shawls, slippers, and scarves, and my Mom was a dressmaker,' Daniela explains. 'I grew up surrounded by crafty people!'

Years after first gaining some crafty skills, Daniela fell in love with the beautiful quilts that she saw in American movies. 'I particularly loved the oldest ones, so I decided to try to make them too,' she tells me. 'I took a class and learned basic quilt-making skills, and once I started… well, I couldn't stop!' she laughs.

Once she had the skills, Daniela began making quilts, table runners and wall hangings for herself, her family and her friends. It wasn't long until she expanded her repertoire and began sewing small items such as pouches, cases and key chains to give away as gifts on special occasions, and, she exclaims with modest surprise, 'people seemed to appreciate them!'

Once she realised that there was a market for her creativity, Daniela 'finally' decided to try to sell her things. 'When I found Etsy, I thought it was the perfect place for sell my crafts,' she smiles. 'It's so full of wonderful international artists selling their awesome items. So I decided to try this challenge!'

One of the first things Daniela had to do was come up with a name for her store. 'When I was thinking about the perfect name for my shop, my mind immediately went to bees,' she says. 'They are always so busy, doing lots of things in their lives; but they never seem tired and are always so proud and happy in their work,' she smiles. 'They really inspired me!'

Since starting her business, Daniella has found it easy to stay motivated. 'The main thing that motivates me to craft is the fact that I love to create new things,' she explains. 'I love to start with a few pieces of fabric and end up with a quilt!' she grins. 'It’s amazing what you can create with just some fabric and thread… the possibilities are endless. The only thing that limits you is your creativity!'

Daniela dreams of one day owning her ideal craft studio. 'My favourite place in the world is a little wood cottage I found during a trip to Colorado in the United States,' she recalls. 'It looked so amazing, all surrounded by woods and situated in front of a beautiful lake. All around it were mountains,' Daniela sighs happily. 'I immediately fell in love with it and thought that it would be the perfect place for my crafts, and especially to make my quilts, because it was so peaceful and relaxing!'

To follow Daniela's adventures through craft, make sure to check out her blog and Etsy shop. But wait, it's not over yet! The lovely Daniela has generously offered to host a giveaway for readers of Tuesday Tales, and the winner will receive their choice of a 4-in-1 Case from her Etsy Shop. To enter, simply become a follower of Dany's Happy Bee blog and leave a comment here letting me know which 4-in-1 case you would choose and why. Tweet, Facebook or blog about the giveaway and receive an extra entry for each!


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P.S. Sincere apologies for the delay in posting last week's giveaway winner! We fly out of Bangkok and back to Melbourne today after having lived here for 3 months, so as you can imagine, it's been a bit hectic.

Without further ado, the lucky winner of Jennifer's gorgeous Pink Lily Press giveaway is Monique from Your Cheeky Monkey, who said she would choose to have poppies printed as her custom notecards because it's 'a simple classic design that's just lovely'. Thank you for all of your entries- I was most inspired by some of your wonderful suggestions!
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5:46 PM | Category: , , , , | 65 Pepperberrians Said...

An Interview & a Giveaway from Pink Lily Press
Welcome to another Tuesday Tale! Today we chat with Jennifer from Pink Lily Press in Washington. As is the tale of many crafters, Jennifer first began selling her work as a way to make money to buy more crafting supplies. "A few friends that I was taking a jewelry making course with introduced me to Etsy, and I thought it was the perfect opportunity to make some money to buy more beads!" she laughs.

It didn't take long, however, for Jennifer to realise that jewelry is a challenging market to jump into on Etsy. "There are so many talented jewelry makers out there that it's difficult to stand out," she laments. Luckily, Jennifer had a back up set of skills: "I had been making greeting cards using scrapbook paper since college and I decided it would be fun to start selling cards."

After playing around with designing some of her own cards, Jennifer realised how few wedding invitation designers there were on Etsy. "As soon as I started designing wedding invitations, my business took off," she recalls. "I left my job in the mortgage industry in May of 2008 to focus on Pink Lily Press full time and have not looked back since!"

Through Pink Lily Press, Jennifer primarily designs and prints wedding invitations and personalized stationery. "I also make any paper items necessary for weddings such as favour tags, menus, programs, and other fun paper goodies like recipe cards and personal calling cards," she explains. Jennifer creates all of her designs by scanning in her own drawings and digitally enhancing them, or by manipulating her own photos.

"I love being creative," Jennifer grins. "I have always enjoyed drawing, doodling and learning new crafts, as well as things like cooking, baking, and decorating my home." She finds inspiration in the world around her, whether it's browsing through decorating magazines, going for a walk through the neighbourhood, or taking photos while on vacation. Add this inspiration to her love of computers and paper, and you have the perfect recipe for a stationery business.

Like many crafters and small business owners, Jennifer admits that she has a hard time sitting and doing nothing. "If I have the luxury of sitting on the couch to watch TV in the evening, I usually have a pencil and pad of paper on my lap!" she laughs. When she is taking time out, Jennifer adores spending time with her family ("the older we get, the more we enjoy spending time together!") and is passionate about her home. "Home has always been a very important place to me and making home feel like a warm and welcoming place is essential, as is entertaining family and friends."

Her business is also her passion, although Jennifer acknowledges that running a business by herself is incredibly challenging. "Not only am I responsible for the actual design/production aspect of the business, but also record keeping, tax filing, and all of the other nitty-gritty responsibilities that accompany running a business." She is still learning how best to balance all that is required of her, and thinks it will continue to be a learning process for as long as she runs Pink Lily Press.

That's not to say Jennifer doesn't adore every moment of her journey. "The best piece of advice I can give someone looking to start their own business is to do what you love," she smiles, "because in the end, that's what keeps you going on a daily basis when you're so busy that you don’t have time for anything else."

The key elements that Jennifer sees in running her business are time, a lot of trial and error, and being prepared to make mistakes and learn from them rather than letting them get her down. She also recommends a willingness to create custom items, as she has found that they have given her some of the best ideas for new products. Finally, she says, "Be prepared to evolve. As your business grows, you may discover that a different product is more likely to bring in more customers."

To continue following Jennifer's journey, you can find her at her blog, on Facebook and on Twitter. To check out her gorgeous goodies, head across to her Etsy shop, 1000 Markets shop, or her website.

Jennifer has generously offered a giveaway prize to readers of Pepperberry & Co.'s Tuesday Tales. The winner will receive a set of 10 Notecards of their choice, with the option to have them customised!

To enter, you must be a follower of Pepperberry & Co. and leave a comment letting Jennifer know what your ideal custom Pink Lily Press design would be.

If you blog, Facebook or Tweet about this giveaway, simply leave an extra comment for each to receive up to 3 extra entries. Good luck- I'm so jealous (as always!) that I can't enter!

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11:41 PM | Category: , , , , | 57 Pepperberrians Said...

When A Paper Addiction Grows Up...
~ CHAPTER .1. ~

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived a little girl with a penchant for paper.

This little girl loved paper of all sorts... handmade paper, textured paper, fibrous paper, coloured paper, flower paper, Japanese paper... any and every piece of paper made her very happy indeed.


She would collect whatever paper she could, hide each piece in a special, secret place, and treasure it as though it were gold.

She would touch the paper, sniff the paper, pat the paper, and longingly stare at the paper all day long. On very, very special occasions, she would pull out just one piece of paper from her collection and make something beautiful for someone very, very special.


One of the reasons she so loved each and every bit of paper so very much was that she and her mother were very poor. This meant that to get just one piece of precious paper, she had to work very hard and save up all of her little coins.

As she stared at all those little coins in her hand, she promised herself that one day, she would find a way to share her beautiful paper with the whole world, not just with those who could afford it.

 And so it was that this little girl grew up. She got a job and started earning money, and as she did, her treasured paper collection grew.

No matter how many pieces of paper she had, however, she never forgot the many times she had stared longingly through shop windows at all the beautiful paper that inspired her so, but that she couldn't take home with her.


As she travelled the world, she found that magical, handmade paper was tucked away in every corner of the globe. She added and added to her own collection, and as it grew, she remembered the promise she had made to herself: the promise to share this beauty and inspiration with the whole wide world.


And so, her childhood dream became a reality, and Papers By Pepperberry was born. She filled her little shop lovingly with every bit of treasured, special and beautiful paper she could find. In her heart, she hoped that somewhere out there, another little girl with a paper addiction would find her and realise she could now afford to fill her treasured collection and make many very, very special things for many very, very special people.



~ CHAPTER .3. ~

I hope you enjoy my new store, and this new chapter in my Pepperberry & Co. journey. Thank you all for believing in me since the very beginning and encouraging me to follow my dreams!

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2:29 PM | Category: , , | 11 Pepperberrians Said...

How To Take And Edit Great Product Photos: A Tutorial (Part 1)
One of the things that I've found the hardest about having my own Etsy shop is the taking and editing of product photos. When I first started on this journey, I had never taken a good photo on purpose; my good shots were limited to holiday snaps that had turned out beautifully... by accident!

It didn't take me very long to develop a serious case of Etsy Photo Envy, so I started researching. Over time, I have learnt about light boxes, natural light, white balance, and the tools I couldn't live without in Photoshop to edit my product photos. Today, I'd like to share that knowledge with you in the hopes that you won't have to go through the same pain in the butt process as I have!


Allow me to begin with my disclaimer- I am in no way a great photographer, nor a great photo editor, and I know that there are many people in the world who probably use far better techniques than these! But if you, like me, are a newbie at a loss of how to match some of the incredible photography on Etsy, and you like the types of product photos I take, then hopefully you'll like some of what I have to share with you.

Today, I'm going to show you how to photograph a product in this way:

And, next week, I'll show you how to edit it so that it becomes this photo:

Are you ready? Let's go!
STEP 1: THE LIGHTING DECISION

LIGHT BOXES VS. NATURAL LIGHT
If you've ever researched product photography, then you will have come across a discussion about Light Boxes. Some people swear by them; others have sworn off them. I'm of the opinion that if you do it right, light boxes can be brilliant (especially in the chilly Melbourne winter!); however, I've recently started using natural light and actually prefer that. Try both, and see what works for you and your gorgeous goodies!

LIGHT BOX TIPS
In a nutshell, a light box is a cardboard box with translucent walls that strong light can shine through, and it looks something like this:

 They are reasonably cheap to create, and here are two tutorials to help you do just that.

If you do choose to create and try a light box, here are the tips that I learnt (the hard way!):

- Use smooth, large white paper as the background; any creases will show up and have to be edited out. I found that using white fabric as a background is far more difficult than paper, as it's extremely hard to find pure white fabric and every little fold, crease and bump shows up.

- Find the brightest, whitest light globes you can. Low wattage globes don't provide enough light, and anything with a 'natural' or 'fluorescent' tint will give you yellow and blue shading respectively. Energy efficient globes at a high wattage are particularly good.

- Use the same light source from every angle! I originally used the lamps that I had around the house, only to find that I had three different hues in my highlights and shadows once I got to the editing of each photo. Not good!

NATURAL LIGHT TIPS
Indirect sunlight is your best friend, and this is the only light you want to be taking your photographs in. To find indirect sunlight on a day with clear skies, simply hunt for a shadow of something larger than your products; the shading that trees, verandas and fences produce work well. On an overcast day, you can take your photos almost anywhere.

I've noticed that taking photos is best in the morning or late afternoon, as the light is too intense in the middle of the day.


STEP 2: PREPARING TO TAKE THE PHOTO

SELECT YOUR BACKGROUND
If you're using natural light, find a solid, low-key background and base such as a wooden fence, decking or planks. I've found that paving, grass and concrete make for horrible backgrounds in terms of editing, but you may find otherwise!

If you're using a light box, the background question is already answered!

SET YOUR WHITE BALANCE
Setting your white balance is one of the most important steps you will take. Never heard of it? Neither had I until I discovered that it's the greatest thing every introduced to the world of amateur photography!

Basically, white balance is a tool on your camera that allows you to tell it what pure white looks like at that exact moment and in the exact lighting conditions you're in. Once it knows this, it can automatically readjust all other colours so that they look as natural and true-to-life as possible.

To set it, you usually find and select the 'White Balance' option in your camera's menu, focus your lens on a piece of plain white paper and press the 'Select' button. Of course, each camera will be different, so hunt out your camera manual (now!) and follow the specific instructions.


STEP 3: TAKING THE PHOTO

POINT AND SHOOT
I use a very basic point-and-shoot camera, but I still manage to take some reasonable (I hope!) photos. I believe you don't need anything fancier, so just use the camera you've got, point it and shoot!

WHAT TO PHOTOGRAPH
If you have a store on a site like Etsy, you can have up to 5 photos of each product. Depending on what you make, you'll need to make sure that the photos you take show your customers the key sides or elements of your product (such as the front, the back, the sides, the top and bottom, the inside, and any specific detailing).

GET CREATIVE WITH ANGLES
It is possible to show these elements of your product in a creative way. Whilst photographing:

- walk around so that you can take photos from varying angles;

- pick up your product and move it so that you can get interesting shots; and

- get in close so that you can show the details in creative ways.
TAKE 10 PHOTOS OF EACH PRODUCT
I take no less than 10 photos of each product, and only end up using 5. Why? Well, it's surprising how many times the photo lighting, angle or style just doesn't look that good once it's on a computer screen.

Further, some photos are more difficult to edit than others, and I don't want to be stuck on a single snap for half an hour when I could simply choose another one.

Finally, seeing all 10 photos and angles that you've taken together will help you decide which ones are best; if you only take 5 shots and are forced to use every one, you may be doing your products an injustice by not using the best possible photographs.


I hope you've enjoyed and learnt something from this tutorial! As I said, these are all tips from my personal experience, but I've learnt such an amazing amount from other crafters' experiences that I really hope I can offer you something from my knowledge base. Stay tuned for Part 2 of the tutorial next Wednesday, where I'll show you how to edit the gorgeous photos that you now have!

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P.S. A huge thank you to my gorgeous partner Sharon, who has spent months patiently making my light boxes, taking my product photos and comforting me when I've had major spack-attacks over how difficult the photography thing can be.

P.P.S I was on the phone to Laos yesterday, and managed to source wholesale rates for that gorgeous, vegetable dyed, hand woven, fair trade organic cotton I was telling you about. The prices are now cheaper- as is postage because I now know specific weights- so check it out here!
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11:58 AM | Category: , | 26 Pepperberrians Said...

Tuesday Tales: An Interview With... Um... Me?
Hmm. Due to some technical difficulties, today's Tuesday Tale interview needs to be postponed until next week- sincere apologies. But I have something... er... unexpected for you instead.

A few weeks ago, I applied for the Cruelty Free Etsy Team. As with most Etsy teams, I had to fill out an application form about myself, my goodies and my reason for wanting to join. Thinking it was just going to be read by the lovely Team Leader, I filled it out in true Sandra fashion- you know, waving my arms around, getting excited and putting in way too many exclamation marks.

Imagine my surprise, then, when I received an email saying my 'interview' had been 'published'. Say what?! I followed the link, and there it was... my squeal-filled, rambling rant. Oh, dear.

Should you... um... be interested in reading this instead of your regular Tuesday Tale, you can find it here. Thanks in advance for not commenting on how excitable a person I am!

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10:25 PM | Category: , , , , | 6 Pepperberrians Said...