Now for Something Completely
Different...
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Artwork suitable for framing from BrushScape, on Etsy
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For economic, environmental, ethical and artistic reasons, more and more people are looking to handmade gifts, clothing, food, and household items in lieu of mass-produced alternatives. So what if you can't hold a pair of scissors, or have never seen a sewing machine in your life, but want to give that special someone a custom-made necklace, or put a one-of-a-kind sculpture in your garden?
That's where Etsy.com comes in. Whether you're a artist or crafter yourself, or someone who will never paint a stroke, Etsy brings the handmade revolution to you. For a small fee, artists and crafters all over the world can show and sell their goods online. It's a virtual world-market of handcrafted treasures that's open 24/7, accessible anywhere. Etsy describes their purpose:
"Our mission is to enable people to make a living making things, and to reconnect makers with buyers.
Our vision is to build a new economy and present a better choice: Buy, Sell, and Live Handmade."
For the buyer, Etsy offers innovative and intuitive ways to browse and shop for goods including:
Time Machine - photos of recently-posted items spiral up towards you. Ooo what fun!
Shop Local - sellers near you show their wares. Who knew the Monkey Travel Club was right here in San Rafael? Support your local artists!
Geolocator - the 100 most recently posted items are placed on a map of the world.
Pounce - features items from sellers that have recently sold or are still undiscovered.
Alchemy - allows buyers to post requests for custom handmade items, and sellers to bid on the opportunity to make the goods.
Etsy also features a community area with forums, workshops and classes, plus chat rooms, a weekly live online craft night, and of course a blog.
 And hey, while you're on Etsy, have a peek inside the store, BrushScape, for Andrew's original oil and acrylic paintings. Enjoy!
Keep it Simple (Even if it's Technical)
Complex systems are often much easier to explain and understand through visuals. For years, companies like Adobe Systems have been coming to afstudio for technical illustrations of processes and systems. We've developed a clean look and simple style to help bring challenging concepts into focus, and easy to understand at a glance.
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Detail of a technical Illustration by afstudio design |
As the old proverb goes, "it's not what you say, it's how you say it!" And that makes all the difference. |
