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Tuesday, October 12, 2010

My time of year!

If you were around here last year, you know my affinity for Fall. Some people love summer's heat, some love January as a new beginning, some can't wait for the first snow... but for me it is when the leaves change and the cool breezes flow all night!!

Sunday we had one of those perfect fall days. Warm weather you know that you don't deserve and blue sky that sets off every color with a vibrancy that contain just a drop of orange in every highlight and violet in every shadow.

I took a long walk and brought my camera with me... here are some shots of the things that inspire me and the reconstructed garments that are a result of this inspiration. They were all recently posted in my Sweater section on jill2day. Hope that you enjoy this brief look through my eyes.

For those of you who don't get to walk through the woods kicking the leaves as you go, here is a short video (be sure to have your sound on if you want the full leaf kicking experience!) of my trail:

Monday, October 11, 2010

Do you FACEBOOK?

I have found facebook to be so much easier to post in than this blog, that I am afraid I have been derelict here. It takes just a second to say "hi" or post something there, and I am on my personal page everyday keeping up with kids, grandkids and friends (real ones!).

I am just letting you know, that you are welcome to join the fun on my Facebook fan page (facebook.com/jill2dayfans). I will continue to post here too - I know that some people just do not like using Facebook, and I understand that.

I would really like some feedback from you about this... do you do both? Prefer the blog? I want you to be well informed and in contact! Thanks! Jill

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Chasing the light!

Photography is always a challenge for on-line sales! It requires lots of photos, and they have to be well lit and show the product well. That would be so easy if one could hire professional photographers, but alas, that is not financially feasible for one-of-a-kind products. So that means it is a DIY project!

I am fortunate to have photo direction experience, but what that really means is that I have lots of experience telling experts what to do with all their professional equipment in their studios... not doing it myself. So Sasha, my mannequin and I have a good time struggling with where and when to shoot. Natural lighting is by far the best for shooting, but my house doesn't rotate with the sun.

That means that at one time of year, the loft area is perfect, but as the sun gets higher, Sasha, my tripod and I move to take over the bedroom. In the fall, the sun lowers, and all of the wonderfully indirect light there becomes flood lighting.

Last week, we decided to look for a new spot. At one point we found our desperate selves nestled in the bathroom!!! The lighting was great - we have solar tubes in there that create perfectly diffused light (maybe a bit too straight down though). After a shot or two, neither Sasha or I could take the humiliation anymore. It is one thing to have the pile of bills and printer just out of the shot (loft) or even the laundry basket or bed just behind the tripod (bedroom). Fighting the wind is also not too bad when we decide to shoot outside. But, neither of us thought the bathroom was dignified enough for jill2day photos, so we headed back to the bedroom armed with huge mirrors and smaller time frames...but I did take this shot to commemorate the try!

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Virginia Beach Neptune Festival

I just got back from showing at the Virginia Beach Neptune Festival... It was great!
   Those of us in the Midwest don't get to watch the waves too often, so that combined with a full moon, wonderful customers, dolphins jumping, a hotel right across from my booth and great (even if hot) weather, made for a very enjoyable four days.
   The show was along the boardwalk of the beach, so with the back flap open, I could watch "the waves roll in and then watch them roll away again" as Otis would say! There were many artists there, and I got to meet a few of them. One of the heartening things was how many people had both heard of and go on to Etsy to shop! I met a person who was familiar with my blog ("hi") and best friends of one of my great customers.
   I was thrilled that even in 95+ degree weather people were open to the purchase of sweaters and scarves! It is so much fun to see people try on and discover jill2day garments. That is another thing I don't get to see too often because of the on-line shop. It is such a great way to get feedback on how I can make things better, or just what I should make more of for you all!!
 So now that I am home, I will apply all that learning to my new items!!