Dear Artists,
Last year, I saw so many artists creating beautiful ornaments and I felt lost trying to remember where I saw the ornament. Was it on Instagram? Facebook? I wished that I had a place to see them all. A collection that I could just scroll through and browse for the ones I wanted.
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Then a lightbulb came on.
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I'm good at designing webpages. What if I made this collection? On online gallery just for ornaments. And that's how the idea for The Ornament Gallery was born.
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I reached out to different groups of artists to see who would be interested. I was so happily surprised when over 75 artists wanted to join! I was even more excited when I saw the amount of people visiting the online gallery, and the reports from artists of their increase of visitors to their site. It was magical.
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I knew I had started something special. When so many artists reached out to me with gratitude and love for The Ornament Gallery, I knew I had to do it again.
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Many of you also suggested that I charge a small fee if I decided to do it again. As wonderful as it was, The Ornament Gallery was very time consuming (much more than I had realized at first). I decided that in order to be able to do it again, I needed to take their advice and charge a small participation fee. This helps me to not put a limit on how many artists can participate.
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My hope is that The Ornament Gallery becomes the place where collectors from around the world come to find their fine art ornaments every year.
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I want you to be a part of it.
The Details
The fee to participate is $15 (USD).
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Each participating artist will get a listing on The Ornament Gallery webpage plus shareable graphics.
The listing will include:
1 Image
Artist/Shop Name
A brief description
A link to the artist's website/shop
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I will not take any commissions or handle any sales.
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The order of listings will be based on the order I receive the applications and participation fee. (The sooner you submit, the higher up on the page you'll be.)
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Applications open on Saturday, October 16.
The deadline to apply is Saturday, November 13.
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The Ornament Gallery will launch on Saturday, November 20.
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Check out last year's gallery.
FAQ
This is my first time offering ornaments. Can I still participate?
Definitely! The Ornament Gallery isn't curated by judges. We have a variety of collectors that visit the gallery. Each is interested in different styles. I don't want to limit the ornaments based on one person's opinion.
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Will prices be listed?
Nope. I don't want The Ornament Gallery to become a place where people "price shop". Prices will not be allowed in the listings.
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What if I want to change info in my listing?
That's fine! I know things change. I will gladly change anything in your listing before the gallery launches on November 20th.
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What if I don't have my ornaments available by the launch date?
That's okay as long as you have all of the information for your listing (image, description, and link). I know that some artists launch later in the season. I suggest that your link has information about when you will launch. Maybe have an email signup form for interested collectors to be notified when your ornament is available.
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What if my ornaments sell out?
No problem! Your listing will still be available on The Ornament Gallery. I suggest that you have something to offer your visitors when they click the link. If you plan on making more ornaments, have a place for them to sign up and be notified when they're back in stock. If you're not making more ornaments, show them other things you offer that they may like.
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Will I get to see The Ornament Gallery before it launches?
Yes! As a participating artist, you will get early access. This allows you to double check your listing before it launches. Also, it's fun to see each other's ornaments and do a little early shopping before it goes out into the world.
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What if I decide to not participate after I apply?
The participation fee is non-refundable. You of course can request that your listing be taken down at any time.
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Have any other questions?
Listing Tips
Here are some tips on making a good listing.
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1. IMAGES
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You have only 1 image to capture the viewer’s attention. The viewer will be scrolling through multiple ornaments. Your image is what will entice them to stop and read your description.
What kind of image will work best for your ornament?
Options:
1 image with 1 ornament
This shows your work clearly. It's great for communicating exactly what you offer. It's simple and not confusing. It doesn’t matter if you offer more than that one ornament… the goal is to entice them to click on your link.
1 image with multiple ornaments
This is a great way to show what you offer. Especially if you have different options, like different ribbon colors, or shapes of ornaments, or types.
Be careful that the image isn't too busy.
1 image with multiple images
This takes a little creativity, but it can really show what you offer. There are so many options for this. You can even add text to the image - but not too small because it may not show on the mobile site. Just be sure that you’re not being too confusing. Sometimes you can have too much information.
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*Remember - the goal with your listing is to get people to click your link. Entice them, make them want to see more.
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2. DESCRIPTION
They like your image, now what do you want them to read?
Options:
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1. Short and sweet - to the point.
2. Informative - list the details
3. Tell a story - are your ornaments meaningful?
Is there something they should know right away? How can you invite them to click your link? Don’t be too click bait-y. Be genuine.
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3. LINK
They want to see more, where do you want them to go?
Options:
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1. Your holiday shop - good if you have multiple ornaments
2. The ornament listing - good if you want to make it real easy to purchase, less steps for them
Your viewer doesn’t want to take a bunch of steps to purchase your ornament. Make sure wherever you send them, it’s easy for them to buy.
Also realize that this is a good opportunity to show them other things you offer, invite them to follow you on social media, or sign up for your email list. This ornament gallery is a great way to get new traffic to your site. The only thing they know about you is your listing.
Find a good balance. Don’t send them to a page where they have to search where to buy your ornaments. But also think of ways to show them who you are and what else you offer.
I hope these tips were helpful. If you have any questions, email me: hello@karlicorr.com.