etsy

You Can Never Have Too Many Throw Pillows!

Hi there. How are you?

I must admit, I have a little love affair with throw pillows. I've got quite a collection and I change them out with the seasons. They give a pop of color and personality to our neutral tan sofas.

Pillows on the couch
Pillows by Jennifer Johansson

Connections are Cool!

About a year ago, I started making my own pillows. I was working at a company here in Carbondale that produces dye-sublimated fabric graphics. I was able to take advantage of their state-of-the-art fabric printer and turn ten of my favorite illustrations into soft ultra-suede printed pillows.

Envelope Style Pillow Back

It's a "Family Affair"

This pillow-making adventure is actually a collaborative effort between me and my talented mother, Carla Mullin. She's does all of the sewing of these pillows and I couldn't have pulled this off without her!

Sewn with an envelope style back, each pillow features a different complementary fabric, many of which are vintage. I have fun hitting garage sales and thrift stores in search of vintage fabrics, tablecloths and even sheets.

Pillow product photos before and after editing

Sprucing up My Listings

Lately, I've been sprucing up my pillow listings on Etsy. By Photoshopping out the background of the photos entirely, I gave them an even brighter look and more clean look. 

On the suggestion of Etsy guru Danielle Spurge-Swavely, I also optimized my pillow images for  Etsy search and Pinterest, by adding text and making them vertical in orientation.

The Data

I haven't collected any definitive data yet to determine if the listing changes and updates I've made have positively effecting my stats. Anecdotally, it does seem like my optimized listing are getting more action and I'm really happy with the fresh look. Now let's just hope that translates to more sales!

Let's Have a Summer Sale!

I've taken 20% off all of my in-stock pillows. Yahoo! But you have to act fast. The sale price is only good until Monday, July 20th!  My pillows make lovely gifts. Yeah, I know it's July, but I've already started my holiday shopping!

That's it for now friends. Go shop! Ta-Ta!

Procrastinators Win! 2015 Calendar Sale

Half Off 2015 Bird Calendars - jenniferjohansson.etsy.com
Half Off 2015 Bird Calendars - jenniferjohansson.etsy.com

Hi there. How are you? 

I got a few of my 2015 bird calendars back from one of my retail accounts. I want them all to have homes, so they are now HALF OFF! For just $12.50 you get 12 months of birdie goodness. Procrastinators win!

Quick! I've only got 2 more calendars left, so head on over to my

etsy shop

and snag one NOW!

Happy Weekend friends. Ta-ta!

Be My Valentine - A Valentine's Day Card Roundup

Hi there. How are you?

Valentine's Day is no big deal at our house. No cards, no presents. It really just another day for us. We even used to host an Anti-Valentine's Day party when we lived in Rockford.

I don't do Valentine's day, but I must admit that I love paper valentines and always have. I have fond memories of decorating the shoe box to bring to school and exchanging goofy E.T., Care Bear and Rainbow Brite themed cards with all the kids in my class. As an adult, I'd send out homemade Valentines to friends and family instead of sending Christmas cards.

I've designed a new valentine this year featuring my sweet little fairy wrens. I've always thought they looked like they were talking to each other, and this is what I imagine they'd say.

Do you send/give valentines? There are so many artful, irreverent, and quirky Valentines available these days. I've pulled together a selection of my personal faves I've found on Etsy.  Enjoy!

  1. You Make Me Happy by Meg Gleason/Moglea

  2. You're Doing it Wrong by JulieAnnArt

  3. Foxy Valentine by Michele Maule

  4. There is Nobody Else by Emily McDowell

  5. Capture my Heart by Jenipher Lyn/Nightly Doodles

  6. You're Cute by Me!

If you'd like to see more of my Valentine finds, check out this Pinterest board.

That's all for now friends. Ta-Ta!