Charm update #12

Etsy restock info

This is going to be the biggest restock I have done so far, so I thought it might be helpful to put some important info in the same place.

So, first of all.. prices. I have taken a "group picture" where you can see all the chibis that will be available today (21st of feb / 6 pm ITALIAN TIME - you can use this link to see it http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/italy/rome ) on my Etsy shop ( https://www.etsy.com/it/shop/mondoinundito )

1. Each chibi comes as a necklace (even the ones you see as single charms here). 

2. Every single doll you see requires at least three hours of work and they are aaaall handmade. 

3. No molds were used; 

4. Some details are painted (such as the eyes, the red shoes, the gold accents and the gold dots). 

5. These are mainly unique pieces, which means it won't be possible for you to request them as custom orders (but I will probably re-use some of these color schemes in the future).

6. Please, notice they are tiny so you can easily use them as jewels.

Important: I have taken the picture for the etsy shop BEFORE I decided to paint some gold details on the dolls so please, if you want to see the "updated" version of these fairies and mermies, make sure to check the charm update video out, it will also help you to see their size, comparing them with my hand: https://youtu.be/AhZG-agZU6U

If you have any other question, feel free to take a look at my FAQ post: http://mondoinundito.blogspot.it/2015/09/mondoinundito-faq-all-you-have-always.html

About shipping: please, make sure to select the traceable shipping if you're planning to purchase more than one doll.

Charm update #6 phone case 6s review

Mondoinundito trying out Activa products - making of the nightmare before christmas setting!

Hi everyone, it's been a while since my last post, but I'm back again, and this time I'll show you something that's definitely out from my comfort zone: a 3d setting inspired by Tim Burton's "Nightmare before Christmas". 

But let's go back to the beginning: Activa Products has sent me Hearty clay and Color Plus to try out. As you may know, I mainly work with polymer clay, so it's been really interesting to try something different and new, such as Air dry clay is to me.
(Check the video out! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LV-qe34_4qU )

What I can say about Hearty air dry clay is that it is extremely soft, fluffy and light. It is perfect to create any kind of sweets but, in my opinion, it is very good to create magical landscapes/settings too and that's exactly what I did. Take a look at this work in progress!

If you want to see part of the process, you can check my latest youtube video out. 

You find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LV-qe34_4qU 

So, to make the smaller hills, the trees on the very background and the sky (yeah, the sky) I used the Hearty air dry clay:

The technique is really simple: grab the clay, add the acrylic color you like/need and mix everything until you get the uniform color you're looking for. If the clay becomes too dry in the process, just add water and it will return soft and smooth. The time it takes to dry may change according to the humidity you have in the room but for my experience, it was really hard to work with/apply changes after and hour and definitely dry after 5/6 hours.

Another thing I really appreciated is that this clay is super easy to texture, which means you can get multiple and different effects according to what you need. Last but not least, both clays I received from Activa Products are perfect to be colored with acrylics (which is exactly what I did here: there is a "background color" and then i made everything uniform by adding the colors I wanted to after the clay had dried.)

I used Color Plus air dry clay to make tiny details and the hill where Jack walks on. This type of clay is a little bit less soft than the Hearty one, so it's been way easier for me to make the tiny details (such as the pumpkins).

So yeah, if you're looking for an amazing and huge variety of clay products, I suggest checking Activa products website out, HERE. They also are on Instagram, if you prefer!

Well, I guess it's now for the moment. Let me know what you think about this project if you want or stop by and say hello here:

✿ SHOP_Etsy * https://www.etsy.com/it/shop/mondoinundito

✿ SHOP_Redbubble * http://www.redbubble.com/people/mondoinundito
✿ SHOP_Society6 * https://society6.com/mondoinunditonew
✿ Facebook * http://facebook.com/mondoinunditocreations
✿ Instagram * http://instagram.com/mondoinundito
✿ Blogspot * http://mondoinundito.blogspot.it/
✿ Tumblr * http://mondoinundito.tumblr.com/
✿ Deviantart * http://mondoinundito.deviantart.com/
✿ Youtube * https://www.youtube.com/channel/UColcTf0z8EnwTCIfybweEfw

Mondoinundito F.A.Q - everything you have always wanted to know.

{

Here you can find all the links related to Mondoinundito. Feel free to stop by and say hello!

ETSY: (where you can find my polymer clay creations): https://www.etsy.com/it/shop/mondoinundito 

REDBUBBLE and SOCIETY6: where you can purchase super awesome items - see the picture below - with my original illustrations on them: http://www.redbubble.com/people/mondonew  https://society6.com/mondoinunditonew

INSTAGRAM: (stay tuned with any Mondoinundito update, wip or giveaway! https://instagram.com/mondoinundito/

FACEBOOK FAN PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/mondoinunditocreations

YOUTUBE CHANNEL: (where I am used to share charm updates, tutorials, collabs, opening box videos and so much more! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UColcTf0z8EnwTCIfybweEfw

DEVIANTART: http://mondoinundito.deviantart.com/

}

UPDATE: Now you can purchase my polymer clay creations and other cool stuff on storenvy too: http://mondoinundito.storenvy.com/
Let's start with easy things.

Hi guys! This community is growing so fast and I felt it was the moment to answer some of the most common questions I receive basically everyday on my instagram, or youtube or.. well, you got it. 

Do remember I'm italian, so if you find mistakes well, ops. I'll try to be as clear as possible though. If you have any question you can't find here, feel free to send me an email at mondoinundito@gmail.com

One last thing: I am open to ANY kind of SUGGESTION. What I am not open to is rudeness. If you are here to be rude, well, this is the very wrong place. BYE BYE.

So let's get started!

About the etsy shop:

1. Do you sell your creations?

YES, I DO sell my creations and you can purchase them HERE which is my etsy shop. (To be clear: this is the only place where you can find my art. If you see my creations on another website, THAT IS NOT ME, and, to be precise, I would be very grateful if you could report it to me, so I can properly handle the thing).

For digital art instead, you can purchase a series of awesome items on my very new RedBubble website, and this is the link: http://www.redbubble.com/people/mondoinundito

Items like these ones, for example:

2. Do you ship to my country?

As a general rule, I ship worldwide, but if you want to be sure or you have questions, you can convo me on my etsy. Also I am based in Italy and I only sell online.

3. What shipping methods do you offer?

- REGULAR SHIPPING: 

This is the standard and cheapest way to get your purchase (price on my etsy shop is set on that).
1. The mail is NOT traceable;
2. It generally takes more or less 10/14 days to arrive (it may be less, it may be more depending on where you precisely live, the weather conditions and stuff like that);
3. The shop owner, for law, is not responsible if the mail gets lost. 

- TRACEABLE SHIPPING: 

Feel free to choose the best option for you, but if you have a 50+ euro order, I would suggest you to choose this shipping method.
1. Tracking costs more;
2. It generally takes more time to get to your country 
3. (IMPORTANT!!!) Someone needs to be at home when it arrives as you need to confirm you have received it by signing the receipt. If you are not at home when the mail gets to you, you'll have to go to the post-office and take it from there. 
4. If you choose this shipping method, you'll get a code after I ship the mail out. This code can be used on the italian post service website to track the parcel while it's in Italy (HERE) AND you can use it on Usps website too: please notice that you won't be able to use the code on your post service website until the the parcel gets to your country. If you live outside the US, you'll have to put the code just the way it is in your post service website.
5. All you have to do to get this shipping method, is to select this option on etsy before the check out.

What if your order gets lost?
I have been shipping worldwide since 2013 and until now, only 2 parcels got lost. Just for you to know, 90% of the customers request non traceable shipping.

Said this, if you order more than one thing/doll, I would highly recommend to choose the traceable shipping, as it allows you to know where your mail is.

If the parcel gets lost (to say it's lost you need to wait at least two months), I can't remake the doll/s you have purchased as each one is a unique piece, but if you chose traceable shipping (ONLY if you choose traceable one), I can refund you at 100%, shipping costs included.

Instead, if the mail gets lost and you chose regular shipping, I can't really help you as I'm not responsible for the loss, but make sure to contact me and I'm sure we'll figure something out.

The best you can do, if you have the chance to, is to split shipping costs with a friend, purchasing more than one creation together.

Do you accept custom orders?
As a general rule, I do, but at the moment they are closed and they will be until mid-march. Feel free to convo me on etsy for any additional info.

How can I place a custom order?When they are open, you can contact me on etsy, letting me know what kind of creation/s you'd like me to make so I can tell you the price of the item you're requesting for. Then I will prepare a custom listing, that looks like this and after the payment is cleared, I will start making it (according to the turnaround, which is generally 2/3 weeks)

About the dolls / How do you..?:

What are your dolls made out of? Are they flat back?

Polymer clay! And yes, unless stated otherwise. They're meant to be charms, that's the reason why they are flat-back. I mainly use FIMO, but I also use some colors from CERNIT and recently I started using Premo.

How do you blend your colors?

I use the skinner blend technique. Youtube has a lot of amazing tutorials!

How do you not leave fingerprints/dust?
It's kinda hard to explain but I just smooth it with the finger until I am happy with the result. About dust well.. I try to have my hands as clean as possible, I roll in my hands a junk piece of clay to take away the peels and if some end on the clay, I just remove them one by one with the cutter xD

How long does it take to make your dolls?
It really depends on how complex they are.. I'll just give you some examples.

- 6/8 hours of work

- 4/5 hours of work

- 3 hours of work

How do you make the clay so thin?
The pasta machine is my best friend xD

What do you use to paint?
Acrylics and very tiny brushes.

What tools do you use to sculpt?
It may be weird but I only use 2 tools: toothpick and a cutter.

What do you use to film your videos? What program do you use to edit them?

It depends.. I mainly use my iphone 4s, but i also use my professional camera Nikon D3100. The program I use to edit the videos is Imovie.

How do you take picture of your creations?

Well, it's pretty easy, take a look at this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6fnHEvLyAE + I always go outside to take my pictures as the natural light is the best tool you can ask for.

Personal questions:
Is Mondoinundito your main/only job?

"Unfortunately" not. I work as a pre-press employee for a big company that prints stickers, comics and mangas (yes, that's cool), named Panini. That's my main job, the one I am supposed to pay the bills with, for now, but I'm working hard to make a living on Mondoinundito, which is, actually my main goal.

Do you have any other hobbies?

Absolutely yes! I'm quite an active person, I guess. My main love is swimming. I have been doing it since i was like.. 5. I think it is very relaxing, especially for my nerves. I also like roller blading, playing beach volley, ping-pong. I also enjoy photography, drawing, listening to music and hanging out. Of course, I guess, as I am 25 yo xD

What's your favorite color?

What's your favorite animal?

I mean, isn't it the most beautiful thing on Earth?

What music do you listen to?
Basically everything.. More or less.. Just to mention some of my favorites: Queen, Phil Collins/Genesis, Eagles, Micheal Bublè, Ed Sheeran and so many others. I can't stand rap though, Justin Bieber, Eminem, One Direction, etc.

Do you play any videogames?
I was used to when I was younger and I still love them very much (my favorite one was Final Fantasy X - omggggg -) but at the moment nope, I seriously don't have time for that anymore and I definitely enjoy more doing other things.

How did you start or what inspired you making clay stuff?
I don't even know how it began, honestly. I just remember I started doing some horrible cupcake, pizza, sweets etc. and charms and I thought it was kind of funny. At a certain point, some of my friends showed interest in my creations and started purchasing from me; that made me think I may enlarge the thing to the Internet, until when I created an Instagram profile and an Etsy shop, back in 2013. I have never stopped ever since, practicing from 3 up to 10 hours a day (when I had the chance to).

(this is part of a little thing I was asked to write about mondoinundito, you can read the full article here: http://www.makerheart.com/articles/get-to-know-mondoinundito-creations

What is your favorite: mermaids, fairies, merflies?
MERMAIDS, always, absolutely and forever.

Can you make a watch me craft video?
Nope! 

Favorite artists?
I have so many I will probably forget someone but..

Polymer clay artists:
Mabelstory, Thelittlemew, Gingerbouf, Daniela Pupa Kawaii..

Crocheting / Needle felting:
Anyazoe / Delana

Illustration:
Claire Keane (above all, she truly inspires me so much I can't even), Brittney Lee, Glenn Keane, Lorelay Bovè, Skottie Young, Winklebeebee, Punziella 


What does Mondoinundito mean?

It means world in a finger and here you can find the whole explanation behind the name: https://instagram.com/p/6kVjCDEsiN/?taken-by=mondoinundito but also I have always been a person with a very strong imagination and polymer clay is the medium that allows me to bring to life my inner world. That's why I called my small business "mondoinundito" (which means world in a finger in Italian): as fairytale creatures don't exist, I created a place where they could live and be seen by other people as well. 

Can I draw your dolls?YES, YOU CAN. As long as you give credits wherever you post it, of course and you don't sell it - again, of course -.So the best thing you could do is saying something like this: "this is an original character from @Mondoinundito etcetcetc". I LOVE to see how illustrators translate into drawings my dolls! *-* That's a pleasure for my eyes and for my fangirl heart!

Do you want to trade with me?
WELL, this is already a quite complicated question xD This year I have had the chance to trade with so many talented people and each time I have felt so blessed!

So YEAH I do am open for trades BUT (as the requests are increasing, I need to specify this), from now on, I will only trade with crafters - of course - (which means people that use materials such as polymer clay, air dry clay, resin, needle felt, amigrumi,.. etc), or illustrators as well but, most important, people that I have been knowing for a while, or, to be precise, with crafters I know, people I consider something like "friends". People that have been supporting me for quite a long time, people I have shared things/opinion/ideas with.

Trading is a pleasure, and I do mean it, but from the point of view of someone that runs a small business that is still -slowly- growing, it is also a cost (mainly because of shipping costs which are pretty high here in Italy) and as any crafter of this world, I have custom orders to finish, orders to prepare and ship out AND, most important, new creations to design, which is something that requires a HUGE amount of time. The thing is that unfortunately, I can't afford as many trades as I would like to, so I need to put a "limit" and tell you how I usually decide whether to trade or not. Hope you can understand!

Can you please film a tutorial on your dolls/doll's hair/clothes?

Guys, the answer is no. If you are a crafter, I guess you already know the reason why of my answer. If you aren't, and you keep wondering why I don't do that, I'll explain it to you once and for all (even if I had already introduced the thing here: https://instagram.com/p/4q9i2KksmU/?taken-by=mondoinundito especially in the comments).

It may be quite long, but.. whatever. I have started using clay back in 2011. At the beginning it was just something i did sometimes, like horrible miniature food charms or something like that. In 2012 I started taking it a little bit more seriously and I also started struggling about the fact that I couldn't make things the way I imagined them to be. Do you know the feeling of deep depression? When you think you don't have any skill, you can't do anything good and you're definitely wasting your time doing something it will never lead you anywhere? WELL, GUYS, that was me, Serena, in 2012. It was a very bad year for me, like.. seriously. I felt I had no talent at all and for someone who is as competitive and perfectionist as much as I am, I can ensure you it is the worst thing it can happen. What did I do? I started staying less in front of the computer (read: I started wasting less time) and I started working HARD with polymer clay (and when I say "hard", it means I started using polymer clay every. single. day. for at least 3 hours a day.

Pff, what are three hours, you're probably thinking. Well, in the meantime I had to travel by train 2 hours to get to Verona, where I was studying, and two hours to get back home. Every single day. If you are a student, I guess I don't need to tell you what it means. If you have a job, you probably know it even better.

And we get to 2013. That year i realized I wanted to become good with polymer clay, I wanted to make it a real job to show people that wanted to take me down, that my dream was strong enough to face their stupidity, that I didn't fear them because I HAD to succeed. So, again, I increased my hours with polymer clay, I made TONS of dolls (they were all disney inspired at the time, because i hadn't developed my very own style yet), I opened my etsy shop, I started my instagram and I started to be a little bit more positive about my skills. I know where I wanted to get and I was determined to get there, no matter what. I wanted to find my style, I wanted to be happy with the things I was making. That was my 2013. In the meantime, first satisfactions started arriving thanks to YOU and thanks to the IG community. People that didn't know me AT ALL, somehow were always there to support me, to share kind words about my silly creations. That was the "power" I used to go on. Nothing more powerful than that.

Now we are in 2014, the year of the changing. I developed my new own style (after THREE YEARS of struggling), I started making my own original characters, I developed a new packaging, new business cards. Are you starting to understand what's the point? No?

Well, it's pretty simple: I have NEVER watched tutorials while I was building my dolls. N E V E R. I couldn't draw (seriously, I sucked at it) and before starting with polymer clay I had NEVER made something crafty. Yet, I have been able to develop my very own style, to grow as a crafter and as a person and somehow it has tested me because I could just let it all go, but I knew what my goals were, and i fought for them, literally.

That's the reason why I won't share the process of my dolls, for now: it took me four not-easy-years to get here and I am not better than you, which means that if you make practice, if you really want to become a polymer clay artist/crafter/whatever, you can find you own style too. I repeat: IF you really want to do this, there aren't any short ways. Secondly, yes, that's my style, and I am not very comfortable with the idea that people start copying it.

If and when I ever feel comfortable sharing a video tutorial like that, you'll be the first to know that. Until that moment, I would like you to respect my decision.

In short, the reason why I don't want to share that process, is that I want to keep my original characters and the way I make them for me, something like a "magical trick" that I have been working hard to get. 

If you need tips, suggestions, anything, I am there for you, but i want to push you making experiments, experimenting your OWN PERSONAL STYLE, because, like I have already said, like I always say: if I could do that, YOU can do that. 

The rest is an excuse. Crafting requires time, passion, PATIENCE. If you don't have these three things, I'm afraid polymer clay is not for you. Plus, I can ensure you that the satisfaction that comes from being able to make something on your own, is one of the best feelings in this world, I can promise you that.

I know for sure there are so many crafters that have to face people yelling "why don't you make a tutorial? Ah?" and at the beginning, you, crafter, may feel a little bit guilty, but do listen to me: if you got to the point you're in, after hours and hours of struggling, failed experiments, sadness because you couldn't make anything the way you wanted to, well, let me say YOU HAVE ALL THE RIGHTS TO KEEP IT FOR YOU. That's your little world, you can rule it the way you prefer to, because that's a creations of yours. That's the place you've worked so hard for, so rule it the way you want to and never beg for anyone's pardon. You're not doing anything wrong. 

If people invented copyrights and "industrial secrets", it means you're not the first (and probably the last either) that wants to keep something just for himself. Be proud of your "dirty little secrets", because they make you unique.

"But other crafters have shared their process, why shouldn't you?" 

Because each one of us rules the things the way she/he prefers to, and, to be honest, you'll probably see they don't share tutorials on the things they sell. It's like you go to Coca Cola's industries and you get angry because they don't want to share with you the receipt of Coca Cola. It sounds crazy, doesn't it?

Can I copy your dolls/original characters?

And again, the answer is NO! Amba (from TheLittleMew) explained this VERY WELL, and she also explained what she thinks about the copy/be inspired thing. If you want to read it, this is the link: http://thelittlemew.blogspot.it/2015/08/copying-creating-inspired-work-or-using.html

But in short, and to say it with my own words, the reason why I'm telling you that no, you can't copy my dolls, is basically the same of questions 3.: 

Mondoinundito's dolls are the result of a very long process (and if you have read the whole 3. point, you know what I mean when I say "LONG") so if you copy them, it's like you're stealing something from the person that has worked hard on that. It doesn't matter if you credit me or not. 

Try to think this: you have had a very awesome idea, like.. WOAH, awesome! An idea you have been thinking about for.. just say a month.. It's finally there, bright and brilliant and you're going to tell it to the teacher for your school project. But before telling it to the teacher, you're so excited you want to share it with your very best friend. Which, you'll find it out later, is not very "best", as he has gone to the same teacher first, telling her the same idea pretending he was the one that thought about it. 

Now, how would you feel about that? Do you like the feeling? Doesn't it drive you nuts? Personally, I would be mad about that. Well, that's how someone may feel when you copy her/his idea (no matter if it is a crafter, an illustrator or a science genius): you're taking an idea someone else has worked hard for and you're just stealing it. So please, don't do that.

Oh, and if you're thinking "it's on internet, I can do whatever I want (1.), plus, you must be happy that people are inspired by you (2.)". 

(1.) True, but not true. What kind of person do you want to be? Someone that people like because has stolen someone else's idea? I really don't think so. And if your answer is yes, well, that's quite sad, isn't it? (2.) Being inspired and copy are two very different things, and to mention Amba's amazing post, I'll quote what she said:

"First I would just like to clear up my definitions of copied vs inspired.

(again, you can find this here: http://thelittlemew.blogspot.it/2015/08/copying-creating-inspired-work-or-using.html)
Inspired: To make something inspired by someone is a subtle thing in which you quite often don't see the original source. You can be inspired by multiple things and collaborate the ideas you get into one finished piece. For example, last night I was staring at my bathmat and saw the fluffy waves of duck egg blue and imagined the texture of a soft animal with turquoise, blue and pink fur swirling like little waves. When you are inspired by something, there is a process of interpretation where you take an idea and evolve it or mix it with something else to create something new! To take it a step further to include fan art, I think even when you create your own representation of a character, like the adorable work of artist @birduyen,  it involves interpretation and can be called 'inspired.'  If someone does a drawing, painting, needle felt or food art of my figures or charms it involves a process of interpretation, so it is inspired too.
Copied: You try to replicate something as close to the original as you can. 
If a tutorial is used to make something, it is also a copy as you are trying to emulate the end result of the tutorial. For example when I first started polymer clay I did my very best to recreate Lilacsprinkles' creations from her tutorials. I even took screenshots of her videos and printed them out to try to make pieces exactly the way she did. I failed miserably but my intention was to copy her work as closely as I could >.<"

Like she said, inspiration is something different. For example, I am SO inspired by Art Nouveau. So I used interpretation to give my creations a art nouveau taste. You can find it in the colors, in the shape of the hair, in the nature details I always add to my dolls. I didn't copy Mucha's ladies. I used the beauty he shared in his amazing and stunning art pieces and tried to put it (like I said, I tried X°D) in my creations. Be original guys, because art, any form of it, is an expression of yourself, of what you have inside and I'm sure you have so much more to share with your supporters than just copying what other people do. It may take a little bit of time, but again, crafting is not about talent, but it's ALL ABOUT PATIENCE.

Okay guys, I think it's everything for the moment. It is such a very long post and I guess nobody will ever be brave enough to get at this point, but at least now I have a place I can send you to if you want the answer to one of this questions xD

As always, thank you for your support, for being the awesome community you are and for willing to stay with me in this special craft journey I'm doing.

Have a beautiful day!

Sere

Trade with Amy from Littlesurprises!

Trade with Mima - Opening box video! #1

Hello world!

It's been a while since the last post where I have actually written anything, but here we are!


I have been lucky enough to have the chance to trade with such a fantastic crafter named Mima. She is from Oman and she's such a a lovely person to talk to.

So this are the charms she sent me:

And this is the picture she took with the charms I sent her:

https://instagram.com/p/3LfjKwjTgu/?taken-by=charmima



If you want to see these amazing charms "in person", you can check this video out, on my youtube channel:







Enjoy it!