Advertising on the Kids Art car

It is a proven fact, that you really need to advertise your business. As a online store, I advertise on Google, online directories, via social media and by selling on eBay. Now it is time to get myself out there in the local environment and put some advertising on my car.

We purchased a Toyota Rav for the sole purpose of the spare wheel cover, being the perfect place to put the Kids Art logo. I printed up the designs on paper and sticky taped them to the car to see how it looked.

I asked my Facebook Fans, what they thought and for their opinions. The common thing most people said was to swap the website and the description around, and to also make the website smaller.

This was the original idea that I wanted to go with, having all the Kids Art images running along the side of the car. I left it a couple of days and then came back to the photos, and realised it was too much. What do you think?

I thought it was too much, so I went for something simpilar.
Now back from the signprinters, and here is the new look Kids Art car with all is new signage.

I am so so so happy with how the artwork has turned out. It is so bright and colourful in real life. It is amazing.
Cheers Chantelle
www.kids-art.com.au

All images are copyright of Kids Art

How I get from a pencil sketch to a stretched canvas print

Todays blog is about giving you  a glimpse behind the scenes and showing you how Kids Art gets  from a sketch on paper to a completed canvas print, like this fairy one below.

Fairy on a mushroom - watercolour print on canvas

First I start with the sketch

Sketch of fairy on mushroom drawing

 This is the first painting that Iused the medium of Watercolours, all my other paintings up until now have been acrylic, but I wanted to have a play with my watercolour pencils. You can use watercolour pencils two ways, one colour the paper in with the pencil and then wet the pencil with a wet paintbrush. Or you can dip the end of the watercolour pencil into water and paint/colour in on the paper. I like to colour in first and then wet the coloured in area with a wet paintbrush.

Starting to paint with watercolours

 Once the areas are painted, I go over each area and highlight and put shadows which helps give more a 2d effect and adds depth. After the painting has completly dried I use a water proof black tip pen and outline the painting.

Doing the finished touches on painting

 Once I am happy with the painting and feel that it is completed, I scan the painting using a scanner. This puts the image into a digital format as a jpeg or a pdf file. When you scan you need to change and adjust the contrast and brightness to get the artwork as close to the original as possible.

Scanning the finished painting

  I ended up with about 4 different digital files using the different settings during the scanning process. To see which one will be as close to the original as possible, the only way to really see this is to do some test runs on the canvas itself. In the photo below you can also see the other watercolour paintings that were painted around the same time, and I tested them all in this canvas run so that I would not waste and canvas & I wanted to see how the colours would print.

Test run - printing artwork onto canvas

 Once the artwork has been printed onto canvas it is then treated with varnish and stretched over a quality wooden frame. It is stapled at the back and picture cord is attached so that the canvas print is ready to hang when it arrives at its destination.

Stretching canvas over wooden frame

 The artwork continues around the side of the frame and around to the back. The completed canvas print is 20x25cm.

Completed stretched canvas print with other Kids Art products

 The completed canvas print is then hung onto the wall using a ordinary household picture hook. I am really happy with the result. The canvas print looks so close to the original watercolour painting, that it is hard to tell it apart from the original.

Completed Fairy on Mushroom canvas print hanging on wall.

I have decided to paint a few more fairy and mushroom drawings to match this fairy painting.

The Fairy painting is now for sale on the website - http://kids-art.com.au/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=33_83&products_id=556

Cheers Chantelle

kids-art.com.au
All artworks are the copyright of Kids Art

Alphabet Design

This week I decided it was about time to get that idea of an Alphabet collection for Kids Art into a tangible product. The thing that spurred me on was realising that my 5 year old, does not "really" know his alphabet, which for some reason I just assumed he did. I guess its that whole no 4 in line kid, where as a mum I just take it for granted that I have taught him these things.

So first step, I already have an alphabet design placemat. Available in 2 sizes an A4 & a A3 size.

Alphabet Placemat - A4 & A3 size available

 I manufactured an A3 size and got him to take it to Show and Tell ( which all his classmates call me, as my name is Chantelle, I can see that confusion, Chan & Tell). We donated the A3 placemat to his class, as they were all blown away by that fact that his mother is so talented at painting, (blush shucks, horror), how easy it is to mislead young children into your awesomeness.

So then I thought I need to get a canvas together to hang on his wall, so that he can read it every night.

Alphabet Stretched Canvas Print - 30x30cm

That has been now done, compelted and is up for sale at the Kids Art website.

Then I thought well, it needs to have a matching growth chart. Surely? Doesn't it? Well it is also now done, printed, hanging on the side of his cupboard and is also up for sale in the Kids Art website,

Alphabet Growth Chart

Now there is also a personalised version, if your heart is so inclined.

Alphabet Growth Chart - Personalised with Name and Date of Birth

Then I decided, well we have got to have a clock. Tick tock, tick tock (The Hunger Games quote for all  you fans). I could not come up with a design. I asked my fans on my FB page, their opinion. I love it, it is the perfect way to get immediate feedback, and they are always honest, upfront, and happy to help. Before FB I had to rely on either my hubby, the 4 boys, and then I had to put the product up for sale and wait to see what happened.

The 3 designs I asked the Kids Art fans for help with.

So what did I decide, well I went with Option 3 and made it available in 3 colours, black, blue and pink.

Kids Art Alphabet Clock - black border

Kids Art Alphabet Clock - BLUE border

Kids Art Alphabet Clock - PINK border

What do you think? Have I made the right decision with the clocks and the colours, come on, dont hold back, you know you want to give me your 2 cents, or pence (is that correct for UK?)

Anyway, new ideas are always brewing in my head, I have decided that I need a personalised alphabet canvas print. ie A is for Audrey, or B is for Benjamin etc etc. and I will let the customers choose the colour of the letters, (surely I am technical savvy enough to work that out on the website). By the time I post this Blog from Draft to Published there should be a photo below. If not, then I have been slack... lol

.................. SLACK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now I have another great idea, have you noticed I think all my ideas are great? This has also come about from son 4, and i think if I write it here, I will remember to design and make it. I want to type his name in that font that is like little dots and then he writes over the top. I have no idea what the font is called, but surely my FB buddies will be able to help. So the plan is to put it onto a placemat, which is laminated cardboard, and then if he using a whiteboard marker he should be able to wipe it off. I do need to test this theory and make sure that it is correct. Maybe I should also add the whole alphabet, ohhh now theres a good idea. So his name up the top. and then the alphabet all below like they have in those handwriting books. Oh oh oh, I could do his whole name, not just his first name. Oh I am on fire here, don't hold me back.

The only thing is, when am I going to find the time to do this?

Cheers Chantelle

www.kids-art.com.au

Who the hell is this Hoots & Kisses lady?

Okay, so after my extremely succesful first facebook buy on facebook from Doodlebags, I decided it was time to purchase from another favourite page. The perfect opportunity arose when a market night was being held by Hoots and Kisses.

Hoots & Kisses Bird Card

It really was perfect timing as mothers day was in a few weeks and I would need to send my mum a mothers day card, and of course get a few cards for myself to give to the kids to then give back to me. Even better still was that Hoots and Kisses is also on the Sunshine Coast so I could support a local lady. So purchase away I did like a mad woman on a mission on the Market Night. I was slapping down that SOLD word everywhere and as fast as I could onto the cards I wanted.

Hoots & Kisses Mothers Day Card

The owner of Hoots & Kisses is a lovely lady by the name of Suzie, and over a few months we have become very chatty & supportive of each others facebook page, so we decided this would be a great excuse to meet and have a cuppa and for Suzie to hand deliver the cards & see the Kids Art setup.

Hoots & Kisss Cute Pocket Invites

At first, it did not seem wierd to organise this rendeveous but as the time got close, I started to think , this is like internet dating and we are meeting for the first time on our very first date. What if she is some crazy phsyco lady, that is going to come over to the Kids Art business and become a stalker or even worse be really boring and it is like pulling teeth trying to have a conversation with her. What would I do? How would I get rid of her? Who the hell is this Hoots & Kisses lady?

Hoots & Kisses - Owl Print Framed

Then I had a more terrifying thought. What if she was thinking these crazy things about me. ME? What if she was thinking who the hell is this Kids Art lady? I mean I know I am awesome, but what if she was thinking that she was coming to some crazy ladies business and was going to end up locked up in the basement forever, never to be heard of again... aghhhhh.

Hoots & Kisses - Mothers Day card

So we met, and it was a little odd at first, not wierd, just odd. That lasted about 1 minute, then after that, we just laughed and talked, and talked and laughed, and it was just awesome. She was so lovely and she was crazy but in the same way that I am crazy, so it was great and the time just flew. Her phone never rang, so her emergency call never came, you know the one that people make when they are going on a date and someone "pretends" to ring and say that there is an emergency and they have to leave. So the "date' was a great success and  I am sure I have made a new friend in real life as well as in facebook world.

Hoots & Kisses LOGO

And after all that, 2 things happened which explains why we are as crazy as each other

• 1st Suzie forgot to bring the cards I purchased from her market night to our first "date"
• 2nd Once I got the cards, I forgot to send the Mothers Day card to my mum.

crazy, crazy, crazy

Check out Hoots & Kisses Blog
& Hoots & Kisses Facebook Page

Have a great day!!!!!

Cheers Chantelle

www.kids-art.com.au

Buying products off Facebook - Doodlebags

When I first set up a Facebook page my main aim was to keep in contact with my family and friends, I never even considered using facebook as a way of purchasing and buying goods. But as I came across business pages & clicked "like",  mostly small businesses ran by mothers trying to make an income from their hobbies and handmade crafts, I fell in love with their stories & their products. One of my favourite pages is called Doodlebags, and is own and run by a gorgeous lady called Helen, whose page is quirky and funny & she is passionate about recycling.

Helen - owner of Doodlebags

Everything Helen makes for Doodlebags is upcycled - a term which  is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value. For example Doodblebags hearts are made from old wool blankets and the lavender is grown and dried at Helens house (which must smell gorgeous).

Lavender Hearts, they smell devine

Helens bags "doodlebags" are made from curtains, bedding, fabric sample books. Helen said "I wanted Doodlebags to embrace my commitment to recycling and chose to work with textiles which had been something else in a previous life (curtains, bedding, fabric sample books). It would also be the ideal opportunity to make use of the stash of buttons and trimmings that I had removed from clothing over the years and kept in the belief that they would 'come in handy one day' "

Doodlebags

 I would see the photos of the Doodlebags craft stalls and wish I could go there and browse over their products. The main problem was that the Doodlebags craft stall is in the UK and I am in Australia,

Doodlebags Craft Stall

I decided if I needed to buy products then there is no need to get in my car and go to the chain stores and buy cheap imported goods when I can support another woman in the same situation as me by shopping at one of my favourite facebook pages. So this is how I managed to get a gorgeous Doodlebag in my possession and I love it.

I was blown away by the packaging, which was a recycled paper box, and the quality of the material, and the attention to detail in the stitching and construction of the bag. I have had so many compliments on the bag, that i cannot keep count, I will be shopping at Doodlebags again in the very near future.

Doodlebags branding

Check out the blog by Doodlebags - BLOG
and Doodlebags Facebook page

Cheers Chantelle

www.kids-art.com.au

How to change the Tab image on Facebook

You can change the default photo/ image that is on the Tab in Facebook on your fan page.

 In your facebook fan page make sure you can you see the tab that you want to change the photo / image on. Use the dropdown box at the right of the tabs if the tab you want to use is hidden.

When you hover over the photo on the tab, it comes up with a little pen (seen in above photo). Select that and a drop down box will appear. Select > Edit Settings,

It will come up with a little box, on the Cutom Tab Image select Change.

Then the image that you already have will appear, in this case the BLOG image. Over to the right select Change

Then Select Browse and find the image or photo that you want to use as your Tab.

Then you are all done and you will have a new image/photo for your tab on your facebook page.

Cheers Chantelle

Kids-Art.com.au

Get your blog to automatically load onto Facebook

The other day I worked out how to get my Blog to automatically upload onto my Facebook Fan Page.

I have been asked by a few people, how I did it, so I thought I would share, as there maybe other people wanting to know the same thing.

First I went onto Networked Blogs & registered my blog.
http://www.networkedblogs.com/

Register your blog at Networked Blog

Once you have registered the Blog on Networked Blog, you will need to go through a confirmation process, which means getting an email and

Verify your Blog

All done

How to get your blog to automatically load onto Facebook

Go to Networked Blogs & go to the Blogger Dashboard. This can be found in the top right hand corner of the screen.

Under Publish ( Manage, Promote etc) & select > Add to Facebook Page (there are 3 options to choose from.

Blogger Dashboard > Publish > Syndication

 Select the Blog that you want to automatcially update onto your facebook page. Then Select where you would like the blog to appear. In this case, we selected Add Facebook Target and for it to go to our Fan Page. You also have the option to get your blog to automatically load onto Twitter.

Then it comes up with a message and a tick, letting you know that you have been succesful. It also shows a little preview of how the blog will appear on facebook. The next time you publish a blog, it will automatically load onto your facebook page. It does not upload the blog onto facebook instantly but it does happen within half an hour. (in my experience.

Cheers Chantelle

kids-art.com.au