Guinea art. I need honest opinions

[BennieAnTheJets]

I really like the feather idea, too, by the way!

Yeah, selling to the public is a hassel. You have to be aware of taxes and shipping etc. The easiest way I found so far is having an Etsy store (for handmade or vintage items). There is no monthly fee, like on ebay, and Etsy charges 20 cents per listing, you upload the photos and wirte the description, they take care of taxes and colelcting payment - you still have to worry about paying your income taxes, but at least the sales tax and payment collection is taken care of by Etsy and you can focus on making and selling your beautiful art work or vintage collectibles. A good deal, I thought.

Oh, Etsy also charges 5% if you sell something, and 5% on shipping, I think, but overall very reasonable for the exposure/advertising and platform you get, I think.

 

[RainbowHen]

I love it! Gorgeous!

 

[Sydney65]

I wanted to post here instead of the hobby forum because you all know guineas the best

I’ve always been big into a wide range of crafts and ways to be artistic without drawing or painting because I suck at it
I refer to myself as a jack of all trades and master of none type. That said, I can handle harsh criticism and highly respect it. So total honesty please.

This weekend is my husbands grandma’s birthday and his grandparents anniversary. So big day!
I wanted to make something for her because she is a wonderful, kind, gracious woman who has the biggest ❤ They have always had a working farm and guess what they keep on the farm? That’s right! Guineas! She is the one that got me thinking about guineas in the first place.
Going off of the guinea connection I wanted to make her something “guinea”.
This is what I came up with
View attachment 2335786
Does it look recognizable as a guinea?
It’s a light catcher ment to hang on a window. Though, I think the hanging crystals make it look like a Dreamcatcher

That's adorable!

 

[My2butterflies]

Let me know if you decide to sell some! I really do love the idea of catching some good vibes for our guineas... I even know right where I’d put it...

Haha☺ Will do!

I really like the feather idea, too, by the way!

Yeah, selling to the public is a hassel. You have to be aware of taxes and shipping etc. The easiest way I found so far is having an Etsy store (for handmade or vintage items). There is no monthly fee, like on ebay, and Etsy charges 20 cents per listing, you upload the photos and wirte the description, they take care of taxes and colelcting payment - you still have to worry about paying your income taxes, but at least the sales tax and payment collection is taken care of by Etsy and you can focus on making and selling your beautiful art work or vintage collectibles. A good deal, I thought.

I’ll look into Etsy. I hear about it on and off, but haven’t taken the time to read up on it.



I gave the heart idea a try and I’m loving it! It makes a lot more sense I think. And I just happen to have a heart bead that matches the hanging beads. It still needs feet and then I’ll swap it with the current guinea. Thank you @BennieAnTheJets for the idea!

 

[Kiki]

Very cute!

 

[Sapphire Sebright]

Haha☺ Will do!

I’ll look into Etsy. I hear about it on and off, but haven’t taken the time to read up on it.



I gave the heart idea a try and I’m loving it! It makes a lot more sense I think. And I just happen to have a heart bead that matches the hanging beads. It still needs feet and then I’ll swap it with the current guinea. Thank you @BennieAnTheJets for the idea! View attachment 2336088

I love the one on the bottom -- the heart is so cute!
You have great talent!

 

[CindyinSD]

You've done a wonderful job capturing the essence of the bird. That's a kind of oriental thing, I believe; using the minimum of strokes to describe the animal. Very pleasing design. I like the swirl version best, but then I'm a big fan of swirls.

One thing I love about it is the simplicity. The more you decorate the edges, the more you risk losing the purity. I'm not saying don't add anything; just be careful not to lose your elegant lines in fussiness.

Really, really beautifully done!

 

[My2butterflies]

You've done a wonderful job capturing the essence of the bird. That's a kind of oriental thing, I believe; using the minimum of strokes to describe the animal. Very pleasing design. I like the swirl version best, but then I'm a big fan of swirls.

One thing I love about it is the simplicity. The more you decorate the edges, the more you risk losing the purity. I'm not saying don't add anything; just be careful not to lose your elegant lines in fussiness.

Really, really beautifully done!

Thank you. The simplicity is definitely what I was going for.
My first idea was to make a bigger, beaded and wrapped bird. It was not working out at all! So I wanted something much smaller and simpler.
I have finished it now. I swapped out the original bird with the heart one.
I am really happy with it because it is ment to be a light catcher and I feel the addition of the heart bead makes it catch more light and tie it all together
The all wire one I think would be good in a dreamcatcher

**Please excuse the tape, I need to pick up a window suction hook.

 

[CindyinSD]

Thank you. The simplicity is definitely what I was going for.
My first idea was to make a bigger, beaded and wrapped bird. It was not working out at all! So I wanted something much smaller and simpler.
I have finished it now. I swapped out the original bird with the heart one.
I am really happy with it because it is ment to be a light catcher and I feel the addition of the heart bead makes it catch more light and tie it all together
The all wire one I think would be good in a dreamcatcher
View attachment 2336827
**Please excuse the tape, I need to pick up a window suction hook.

Absolutely lovely! She'll be so pleased!

 

[BennieAnTheJets]

OMG! This is so perfect!!!
Love the color you picked for the heart crystal, too - it is the Pearl Gray Guinea neck color - purple sheen - at least it looks that way from here, ha ha.
You nailed it!

Two more ideas, but it really doesn't matter: tie the tip of the beak to the reef instead of the chest. Use fishing line that is clear to hang it from the top, instead of a suction cup, to avoid taking away from the perfect light catcher.

Can you sell these to us on the Guinea forum? E-mail your price, get a check and the address. Drool...

But I think @CindyinSD had the right idea: "She'll be so pleased." This is a truely remarkable and lovely gift for your husband's grandma or grandparents for her birthday and their anniversary. You can tell them how everyone loved it on the forum and that they will be the envy of many Guinea farmers.