ADVERTORIAL
I'm sure some of you would know that before Love, Bonito was born, Viola, Rach & myself were selling clothes & accessories through our BonitoChico Livejournal platform. A little more on how it all started... I was 19 then, and it was the period after my 'A' Levels before enrolling into University. I was bored and I needed some extra pocket money. That's when I decided that instead of lugging all my used clothings etc. to a flea market to try to sell them, I'd try to put them up online instead.
This was my very first post selling my pre-loved tee shirts back in July 2006. By God's blessings, the post was surprisingly well received and I sold every single piece! After the success of the first post, I asked both Jie & Rach to join the fun in selling pre-loved items on the website too ;)
Soon enough, our customer base grew, and that's when we decided to do some wholesaling from Bangkok. At the same time, I picked up a hobby of jewellery making, and sold those pieces on BonitoChico as well!
Back then, I didn't have one bit of experience at all about Adobe Photoshop and had to learn everything from scratch through online websites/forums. I absolutely disliked using the Magnetic Lasso tool to remove the backdrop of my photos, and then dealing with layers to create the artwork that would go up online! That was definitely one of the toughest challenges for me - to make sure that the artwork's always aesthetically pleasing so that customers will keep coming back! Psst you can ask Jie & Rach how I always nag at them to do their Photoshop well ;)
Anyhoots, that was about 6 years back!! These days, technology is constantly improving and there are so many new tools in the market for us to take product pictures!
Tools like the HP TOPSHOT LASERJET PRO PRINTER, which is essentially a 'Studio in a Box'! I wish there were something like that when I first started!
It comes with a unique top mounted 8MP camera that takes sharp & consistent high-resolution 3D scans of documents and objects! Yes, 3D scans!
All you need to do is to place the objects you wanna scan or take a picture of, press the scan button, and the job's done! The top mounted camera will activate its 3LED lights for document/object illumination, to create the 3D effect. No other special lighting is needed ;) You can also do away with those cumbersome lids that get in the way every time you scan something!
This is how the scan came out! It's virtually glare-free & shadow-free, there's no backdrop to Magnetic Lasso away in Photoshop, the colours are accurate, and there's even a depth-of-focus in the photo!
Tested it out on the accessories I wore that day.. So easy to do a accessories-of-the-day entry now ;) In my opinion, this function can really helps to revolutionize your work flow! Not only can you make use of the scanner, it also has other very awesome functions.
With the HP e-Print, you can easily email documents directly to your HP printer for print, even when you're out of office!
And with the AIRPRINT function, you can print wirelessly from your iPad, iPhone or iTouch devices! All these are great tools for your business in my opinion!
So happy I have a HP TOPSHOT LASERJET PRO PRINTER tucked at the corner of my work area! It definitely makes my workflow a lot smoother, especially when I need to scan magazine pictures, or print inspirations to create my moodboards.
And I'm sure my fellow entrepreneurial friends Jessica (Shiberty Sweets), and Yina (thevelvetdolls) would agree! Am looking forward for our tea session with them & some our readers.. Will update with more details on that in the coming weeks ;)
And last but not least, to those who are thinking of starting a business, or are in already in the midst of it, here's wishing you all the very best! xx
Co-Founder of Love, Bonito; coffee addict & tea fanatic with an insatiable hunger to see the world; wife, sister, daughter, and at times a bit of a wallflower.
17 kisses:
does this work well with food dishes? it'll be great if you could do a blog post of the printer on food! TIA!
Hey Velda, a very big congratulation on getting married! Have been reading your blog ever since your engagement and have been constantly wondering when you would tie the knot (thanks to the kpo side of me). Also, would love to get hold of the Inspire book just cos' I think it will help perk me up at stressful times.
Name: Rachel
Email: softywhite@hotmail.com
The HP printer really looks awesome! Have always taken pictures of things I want to blog with a makeshift cloth and unfaltering backdrop. And because I'm sort of a perfectionist, I easily become irritated by the poor lighting that always either seem too dark or too bright. I believe having such a printer would allow me to take good photos at any time of the day. Would definitely save up for one in the future! Congrats once again and God bless :)
Hi Velda, i definitely recall the days when bonitochico was still a blogshop! It's certainly come a long way, and Viola, Rachel and yourself have certainly done an astounding job making it the success that it is today! Congrats, AND congrats on your marriage! you looked a stunning bride :)
1) Jennifer
2) lifelovecolour@gmail.com
3) i love photography and have been dabbling with it since about 5 years ago. Although my camera skills are improving (or so i hope!), i have tried using photoshop and other similar applications to try to enhance my pictures but somehow they never turn out right, and I give up in the end. I'm not a very tech-savvy person and I definitely can't stand the layers on photoshop as i can never understand them! With the HP Topshot, i can certainly change my background shades easily without the fuss of image correction on the computer. I love the other functions (remote wireless printing) and because my old printer has just been thrown out as its broken, I would definitely be looking into perhaps, getting the HP Topshot for myself!!
The inspire book looks amazing and having gone through a few rough patches myself this year, it would definitely be a good coffee table edition to my book collection to remind and inspire myself continually!
Hi Velda...congrats on your marriage!Wishing you blissful and happy always!
Name: Hazel
Email: hazel1908@gmail.com
I love to take pictures and capture the daily dose. HP Topshot would definitely be handy to change the background shades and provide a perfect overall view of the photo. It will be perfectly useful especially to take photo of products and i can upload nice perfect photos on my blog.
Name: Clarabelle
Email: clarabelle_nsh@hotmail.com
The HP TOPSHOT will definitely come in handy whenever I wanna do shots of my outfits and accessories of the day. I always have trouble with that 'cause my photos never seem to appear appealing. /:
I've always wanted to do fashion designing, own my own clothing line and boutique. I think the inspire book would do me real good 'cause the road ahead is gonna be really bumpy.
Vel, Thank you for sharing! u should come up with a book on your journey..i'm sure many young (or old) entrepreneurs would be interested and inspired! Anyhow, before I try my luck on the HP topshot, would like to ask how would u recommend one to sell old stuff these days? Particularly clothes? I mean i have absolutely no time for fleas n am not quite sure which forums/ sites r good for selling used clothes. Also, How about brand new stuff? I'm not full time selling stuff per se, but i have at hand a brand new mulberry bag which I'm trying to sell but i think i'm getting the channels wrong...can't seem to sell it :((((.. URGH! some direction would really be appreciated! HELP!
ok, here's trying my luck:
1) Janice
2) janicewong27@gmail.com
3) Being a new mommy, I've heaps of old clothes (some of which are LB pieces) which I'm unable to fit in anymore (SADLY!). With the immense amount of clothes i've amassed over the years, the wardrobe is bursting at it seams and it doesn't help that i'm a shopaholic and baby clothings are just as adorable! The hub is threatening to sell my stuff to the rag n bone man and have been warning me to only buy a new item when i've thrown out 2 pcs! I tried. i really did. I've thrown, i really did. but where's the space? It's such a waste! I have absolutely no time to stand at fleas and try to sell my stuff so tech is the way to go. Have sold some stuff long ago when Yahoo auction was still in existence. However, found it too tedious due to the photography n photoshoping. I'm no pro at photoshop. n it's just too time consuming to be learning stuff these days when i've to multitask -- feed the lil bub, change her diapers, wash her laundry etc n to top it off, WORK full time! Thus, by having the HP topshot seems to be my answer to making things more seamless! PS: if only the give away was the HP topshot, then i'm able to tell the hub that i did not buy it! (yes i've a rather naggy hubby)
PPS: Where did you get the book of inspiration? Author? Was just lamenting that i need something to up my drive..so in case i'm not as creative as the other ladies, i could perhaps get my hands on the book myself =)
Lastly, Congrats on getting hitched. May it be a wonderful journey for u and Fred. My hub n I have been married for 6 yrs now and we known each other like forever (seriously, it has been a good 14/15/16 yrs? oh geez, who's counting?) Bliss aLways =)
Its really inspiring to read about how Bonito Chico first came about. I'm considering starting a business but I think I am still financially lacking in that criteria. Fashion has always been my favourite, and I dream about travelling to soak in all the inspirations and art of the fashion industry. The HP TOPSHOT is definitely a great invention for those ppl like me who likes creating artwork from the newest trends or inspirational pieces to mood boards or simply just for decoration. It can also help me to customize blogskins by scanning various tangible objects to photoshop.
-Shin Yee, Seek_chance@hotmail.com
Hello Ms Velda! I’ve been stalking your
blog for quite some time now but I chanced upon this post and boy do I love
quotes! They always make me happy! ^^ and sometimes they make me laugh too!!!
:D
Anyway I saw your wedding photos on
instagram and you looked amazing, but most importantly, you looked radiantly
happy J All the best for your future and may you have an amazing marriage
filled with laughter, joy and lots of food. Cuz food is love, no? :D
Well so here goes:
1)
yanning
2)
yanningxu707@gmail.com
3)
I’m currently in JC1 now and
really almost fainting with stress and exhaustion, I think you can relate. My
life is kinda dull and stressful (Promos URGH I should be studying but oh
well)! To cheer myself up, I always try to find amusement in the littlest
things. Like I found out that my paper clips could be manipulated to take the
shape of a phospholipid! (I am a bio student and a very bad one at that so I
have to use these things to help me understand hehehe^^) Then I also found out
that my markers can be laid down to take the form of collagen! So when I’m
bored I play with my stationery (no I am not mentally ill it’s JC.. haha!) Well
if I were to have the HP topshot, I would take photos of these little things
that amuse me and post them up online, for people to laugh at, learn from and
see the world with my eyes. I actually have a blog (shall not disclose here!)
and I would love to take pictures with the HP topshot to post up. For example
my little doodles on my foolscap papers are sometimes too adorable to throw
away so I just HAVE to take a picture of them and post it up! I’m also addicted
to instagram, baking and shopping and having the HP topshot would make taking
pictures of these various aspects of my life so much more aesthetically
pleasing! J Learning to sell off my clothes via livejournal would be great fun!
Basically, I probably wouldn’t have a set purpose for the HP topshot, but if I
had it, the world (or maybe just the people online) would view the little
highlights of my life, in great detail and quality!!! I’d also probably find
more uses to it, maybe after my examinations (oh gosh they’re horrible I
probably need the inspirational quotes to cheer me up more than the HP topshot to be honest :) ). Basically
with the HP topshot I would have loads of fun with it! Who knows? I could even use
it to take photos of my dogs, hamster and terrapins!!! ^^ Well that was a nice
break from the monotony of studying! Have fun at your honeymoon!!! :D
oh thanks for making such a fun blog that reminds me that Happiness is a reality :)
I leave you with one of my favorite quotes by Mary Kay Ash: Aerodynamically the bumblebee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumblebee doesn't know so it goes flying anyway.
Bye! :D
1. Ng Yu Ting
2. youthlnk95@gmail.com
3. HP TOPSHOT is perfect for making gifts for friends with just a little DIY! For example, my Mom loves baking and baking, and she'd always ask me to help her capture photos of the pastries she makes or the food she cooks. With the help of HP TOPSHOT, I can easily gather all the photos I've helped to capture and make her a very personal recipe book or a mini gallery by printing them out! I can also easily make a photo book for my friends for their birthdays. If I need a gift card, I can print one using the HP TOPSHOT any time. Photos are the most memorable gift anybody can ask for. The scanning function is also convenient for everyone to capture pictures of things they'd like to show people without worrying so much about the lighting and positioning.
Congratulations on getting married by the way! :)
Hi Vel,
Tracy
tracy.nkt@gmail.com
My father would certainly love such a printer! He is in the paper and office supplies industry and needs to take pictures of his products regularly. However, he neither knows how to use a good camera nor photoshop. Hiring a professional photographer is not possible as well as it is too costly. Thanks for this post, it gave me an idea on what to get him for Christmas! ;D
Hello Velda
I think the HP Topshot sounds too good to be true and I would love to land on my hands on it if I were to start a business! But for now, as a student, the e-print/air print function would suit me perfectly! I can't imagine being able to print my school notes on my way home, and when I reach home, they'll be there ready for me to start my work. How amazing would that be! Especially on days when I'm running late for school and realizing that I've not printed my notes, it would again make printing a breeze without having to switch on my laptop just for a few pages of printing! :D
I'm Anna, email - anna@ker.sg :)
Thank you!
1. Ong Yu Xiang
2. mokozismissing@hotmail.com
3. How you think the HP TOPSHOT will apply to your daily life ?
Well , I'm not sure how would it apply to my daily life but it would definitely be advantageous for me to own a HP TOPSHOT . For example , if I were to sell my handicrafts , or DIY shorts/shirts or even bracelets , HP TOPSHOT can help me to capture the most detailed picture of the certain object . I would not need to find a pretty good camera and take shots at different angles but the results of the image is still not the kind of standard I wanted .
I owned a scanner but it wasn't effective as I want to scan my artworks online , (my artworks were drawn in a large and thick sketchbook) there would be black "shadows" and little white spots (dust particles) on my artwork itself . I would have to edit and crop the image multiple times before it can be published D: IT'S A HASSLE :(
I also love drawing ^-^ Graffiti art on paper is cool yet it is unable to capture the most significant part of the graffiti in the image itself using the camera . The camera is unable to capture details in the graffiti and would not be able to create the "look" I wanted my viewers/friends to see . With HP TOPSHOT , it is able to capture the image clearly as it has 8 megapixels and 600 x 600 dpi for resolution color .
I would definitely want to own the INSPIRE book as I really love inspiring quotes that would motivate me in my studies :) I had also created my own "quotes" books and it was really nice . I hope to add the INSPIRE book into my collection :)
thanks xoxo .
Is this giveaway still on?!?! :)
Anyway! You are SUCH an inspiration. I've followed BC from way back and I am still here! :) And congratulations on your wedding!!! Africa sure looks fun.
1. Pamela
2. somethingpamela@gmail.com
3. I used to put blank A4 paper behind my lomo cameras to create a lovely "backdrop" and take photos with it, because like you, I worked with photoshop from scratch, and I would want my lomo cameras to come out looking great. Plus it's really difficult to put words on it if there are too many things in the background!
The wall didn't act like a good backdrop either. So I pretty much stuck with using A4 paper! Also, these photos come out really sharp! Guess I don't have a need for that anymore! ;)
Hi Velda, I'm very inspired by your blog post on your entrepreneurial journey! Thanks for sharing with us :)
Name: Jacklyn
Email: karwen.choy@gmail.com
This is my first time commenting on your blog and hope to win the book as it is interesting and I'd love to know what's in store for me to be more encouraged on how to live a better life!
The HP topshot will actually improve my daily life as it has an AIRPRINT function! How convenient!! I don't have to be in front or near the printer to print my stuff and it produces really quality print. I also love how it can 'scan' objects without having the objects to be flatten on the scanner. I can actually share some of the accessories of my daily outfit and share it on my blog :)
Thanks for sharing with us this awesome HP topshot and hope to hear from you! Have an awesome day :)
Hi Velda,
i'm Rachel Lum
email: splitchick@gmail.com
i love buying shoes, and i keep these shoes in similar looking boxes for neatness but I often have to open up many boxes before finding 'the' pair of sandals. I'm been finding a way to make photo labels for the boxes the shoes are put into, and I think the HP TOPSHOT will enable me to do that without the cost of a polaroid film. With the HP TOPSHOT, I can take a top down scan of the new pair of funky heels I've bought, and print the photo out and stick them onto the box. Brilliant!
Hey Velda!
Congrats on you wedding!The preparations are probably tiring but cheers to a wonderful marriage! :)
Carissa
carissa781@hotmail.com
I love how convenient this printer is. It will certainly be an awesome addition at home. Being a foodie, I love to venture around Singapore with a camera in-hand. After snapping loads of photos of my food adventure, I will like to share them with my friends. What better way to do this with this printer? Scanning images across cant get any better, clearer and faster. There will be those days when i'm feeling a bit adventurous and decide to try out a new recipe. Rather than having to use a camera and depressing over the shadows created in the photo, I could do with the printer's help. Furthermore, there will be no obstructions with the elevated camera, making it easier to take photos of food on plates. Finally, juggling with being a student, one has to face the fact that there are countless readings in university. Being able to print from my phone while on the go and have the readings waiting for me when i reach home, I say, the printer will do a splendid job in being a handy friend.
Hi Velda, I just started reading your blog not long ago! It's my first time participating in your giveaway, quite exciting :) But anyway,
Name: Joan Faith
Email: joanfaithy@gmail.com
I'm currently studying for my A levels in just 1 month time and I always wanted to start a little blogshop! Really think HP TOPSHOT will help me so much in the process + I can take my time playing with it during my 8 months break after A levels, I really can't wait! This is gonna be a really short message because I only gave myself a 5 minutes break. Don't think it's creative in anyway but I wish you a happy marriage :)
May Jesus always be in the center of your marriage :)
Thanks for reading :)
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