Wednesday Wisdom

Understand how to make the
best of your thumbnail photos

When someone views your store they usually do so in "gallery mode" this is when the images are the same size as the ones in your featured items bar at the top of your shop. To put your store in gallery mode just click the little box with 4 squares in it under your featured items. This is your store "window", the first thing your buyers see when they come to your shop. If you try to make each thumbnail look the best it can, taking into account the way your first image is cropped to fit it, this will make your shop look really great. To get the best out of your thumbnails try to take the photo you will use for the first image as a "horizontal" rectangle, aka "landscape" so that little of the composition of the photo is lost when viewed as a thumbnail.

These thumbnail photos are also how your listings are viewed in treasuries, having a great thumbnail increases your chances of making it into a treasury and therefore your chance of making it onto the Etsy Home Page. Always make sure that the first photo for your listing is the best one from your collection!

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Post a link to your Wednesday Wisdom in Mister Linkey below!

A little update

I thought I would write a little update on how we are doing. Declan is getting stronger (and fatter!) by the day. I can hardly believe he will be 8 weeks old on Saturday. I suddenly realised that I have not taken nearly enough photos, so the camera is going to be out all the time now. He has grown so much already!

Our days are speeding by in a blur of feedings, changings and naps. Although I must say I am finding motherhood a lot easier than I expected to. I think the reasons are that Declan is a very easy baby, so relaxed and chilled out. He hardly ever cries and is normally very easy to get to sleep. I am also very lucky that Mike (my husband) loves to look after Declan too, we have been known to argue over which of us will get to bath him (Declan LOVES his bath). Mike takes over from me when he gets home from work, giving me a chance to have some "me" time and also to sleep a little before Mike has to go to bed. The system works really well, because Mike still gets a good 8 hours sleep before he has to go to work, meaning he is still able to function in the office. He loves his special time with his boy, I can tell it is the highlight of his day.

The weather has been lovely here recently, so I have been enjoying taking Declan out for walks in the park with Shadow (our dog). Shadow appreciates it too, as she doesn't get as much attention as she used to now that baby is here. I know Declan will make up for it when he is old enough to play chase with Shadow, she will think he is the best thing ever then!

I still don't have many hours to myself, just finding time for this post was tricky! But the days are getting easier now that Declan sleeps well at night, so if things keep going this way I should be able to open my shop again soon.

ok, ok, just a few more photos...

I just can't help myself!

Declan and his family

I couldn't resist posting a few more photos of Declan with his family...

I'm such a proud mummy!

Our little family

Having some cuddles with Nana

A few more photos of Declan

I am really trying not to be one of those new mothers that bombards her blog readers with photos of her baby... But it is so hard. Here are 3 of the best ones I have taken - now that my proper camera works again.

I love his little expressions!

Doctor Rat

Here is a little custom rat I made last month, a doctor rat with a graduation Tam - he was a graduation present. My buyer was kind enough to send me a photo of him with his new owner, and to give me permission to post it here on my blog.

Mouse House!

I just love it when my customers send me photos of my mice in their new homes. Thank you so much to Laurie for allowing me to share her photo on my blog. All these little mice look so happy in their wonderful home!