If creating isn’t just a hobby for you, if you actually have a shop and items listed for sale, your answer to that question should be simply “yes,” because you should be both.

Look, it’s a risk putting your creations -yourself – out there for others to judge. It really is asking for judgment, after all. You hope someone besides you likes what you make, likes it enough to actually spend money on it.  You may wonder if you’re nuts, if you really have anything to offer.  Saying to yourself, “I have a skill, and it’s a marketable skill, and I create things other people want,” takes guts.  It takes confidence that others will judge you favorably.  So kudos for getting that far.  But that’s not the end of it.

You also need to be a real shop.  You can’t just snap a couple photos and throw stuff up online for sale.  You need good photos and good descriptions, but that’s been addressed in other posts on this blog and I won’t be addressing it here.  I merely mention it to remind you.  Today I’m talking about what else it takes to be a real shop.

First, you need real prices.  Pricing is discussed in the handmade world all the time.  Will people actually pay our prices?  Are we undercutting each other?  Are we getting paid just enough to buy the next bit of supplies, or are we actually being paid for our time and expertise and making a profit?  How do we compensate ourselves properly while still pricing competitively to draw in customers?

I’ve got news for you.  The big stores?  Those nationwide chains?  They have these same conversations!  They have entire marketing teams comprised of people whose job it is to figure this stuff out.  We don’t, but we certainly can learn from them.  We can look at those stores and decide where we fall on the spectrum.  Where we want to fall.  You may not know this, but Banana Republic, the Gap, and Old Navy are all the same company.  The wares are different and the prices are different at each shop, but all are successful.  You may think that Old Navy is the way to go; it’s less expensive than the others, still decent fashion, just not as good quality.  Or you may think that you’re more like the Gap; mainstream, not risky, mid-range.  As for me?  I think most of us are and should be Banana Republic.  The company isn’t afraid to say, “We have a higher quality product that’s made better and looks better, and we’re going to charge appropriately.”  They charge more, and they’re worth it, and people know it.  Go to your nearest mall and take a look.  They may not have as much square footage as Old Navy or as many shoppers, but I’ll let you in on a little secret:  They don’t need to sell as many pieces to make the same money!  We should learn from that.  We spend more time than factories, and take more care, and should be compensated accordingly.  Don’t be afraid!  Have confidence that customers will judge you favorably and deem you worth it.

And it takes a lot less work and effort to sell one item for $100 than ten items for $10.

So more than pricing yourself competitively, price yourself correctly.

Second, you need real policies.  Go look at the website for those shops I mentioned; they all have online shopping.  If your online shop’s Policies page isn’t filled out in detail, taking into consideration everything you can think of, you’re not a real shop.  You need this, for your own protection, and honestly, to keep customers happy.  Customers who know what to expect are much happier than customers who face surprises in dealing with you.  Surprises, changes to terms, making things up as you go along – all of that makes you look untrustworthy.  You could be the most honest person on the planet with the best intentions, but this is still what it looks like to someone who doesn’t know you.

But back to protecting yourself.  This is important, and you are entitled to it.  You need it.  The big nationwide chains have it, and you’re not even a huge corporation with a battery of attorneys at  your beck and call.  You need it even more.  You also need to recognize that just because you’re not a behemoth with a legal team doesn’t mean you’re not worthy, you’re not a real business, and you’re not entitled to stand by your decisions.  You are.  Have confidence.

We are not a flea market.

If you’ve already priced your items correctly, you’re perfectly entitled to run a sale – just like those nationwide chains do – but no one’s entitled to haggle with you.  No one’s entitled to push you around.  No one’s entitled to make you change your policies.  No one is a special snowflake.  And I guarantee you not one of the people who would make you try would go to the GAP/Old Navy/Banana Republic website, email the corporation, and say, “Hey, I really like those jeans, but I want you to discount them for me.  And by the way, I don’t like to use a credit card online, so send me the jeans and I’ll write you a personal check and send it in the mail.  And if you don’t get the check right away, don’t worry about it, just ship the jeans anyway, I promise I’ll pay.”

Why should they be able to say this to you?  Just because you’re the artist?  Because they’re dealing directly with the “manufacturer” and “designer” and you’re just one person?  Sorry, but that’s not a good enough reason.  Yes, one of the benefits to the way we work is that we have personal contact with our customers.  Our wares aren’t made by the faceless, nameless masses; they’ve got a back story and a history, which is really nifty.  Customers appreciate that they get to “meet” and deal directly with us.  But that doesn’t make us less than the big corporations, it makes us more.

So what do you do when someone tries to haggle or get you to waive your policies for him or work in a way in which you’re not comfortable?  You stick to your guns.  You stick up for yourself.  You act like a business.  You go so far as to lose the sale.  Yes, I said it.  You lose the sale.  Scary, I know.  Of course it is.  Do it anyway.  The big chains would.  Good sales, you don’t want to lose.  Bad sales you don’t need, and you’re likely to lose them anyway.  If a potential customer is refusing to adhere to your shop’s policies, making you make all the changes in the way you do business, making you jump through all the hoops, it’s not a good sale.  Run.  Because after you do all that, after you cater to the customer, after  you make yourself uncomfortable, after you jump through the hoops, after you do everything you said you’d do and more… you’re likely to lose the sale anyway.  And then what?  You’ve wasted time, money, energy, and peace of mind for nothing.  It’s just not worth it!

Have confidence.

Click on any image to learn more about the artist!

Writen by Larissa of Reef Botanicals

Did I grab your attention, aw I did indeed, so lets carry on just a little more to read. These artists and their products here are pleasantly displayed; to help spread the word and Discover Handmade.

 I am thrilled to introduce to you… a: Norma’s Bath and Body, b: Platinum Designs, c: A E beads, and d: Cowboy Palace featured artists from HandmadeArtists.

Trial Size Shea Butter Lotions:  you’ll get (5) very luscious Shea butter lotions! They will come in a variety pack, I will choose the scents! They will come in bakery, fruity, floral, relaxing etc… click > read more

Shop @ Norma’s Bath and Body

Follow:  Twitter

Personalized Custom Wedding Programs: If you have a custom monogram we can use it, or we can use a design from your invitations to make them cohesive with your other stationary items.

We can also create a custom monogram for you to… click > read more

Shop @ Platinumdesigns

Copper ’S’ Hook Clasps:  Hand shaped copper s hook clasp complete with 2 open jumprings.

Pieces are made individually by hand, tumbled for strength, hammered, then tumbled again to bring… click > read more

Shop @ aebeads

The Ocotillo - Western Hat Rack: handcrafted in western pine and finished with either a natural color or stained to enhance the beautiful wood grain.  The stain and… click > read more

Shop @ CowboyPalace

Whew!… That poem was a tricky one to write. LOL  Now for a tricky challenge question… Ready?…  OK… Here it is….

Looking at the photos above, what do these products have in common?

Do you know the answer to the question? All you have to do is leave your answer in the comment section below.  No strings attached… no spamming your email, or sending you a newsletter.  Discover Handmade is here to assist artists (from HandmadeArtists.com) by promoting their shops, products, and business.

Please take a few minutes, think long and hard about your answer… and simply leave it in the comment section.  Boom!  You are all done! Thank You!

See you all over the weekend and I will post the answer to the challenge question on Monday the 20th. Thanks for stopping by I’ll see you soon!

Cari (crochethooked)

Ever since I posted the Pantone Fall 2013 color palette, I’ve heard from readers saying they are having difficulty combining the colors in their work. I have a 3 word solution to that dilemma. “Take a Walk”.

Just glancing at the color swatches, it does look like an odd group to combine and coordinate but if you take that palette outside, you see those colors working together naturally.  Yes, it’s spring, not fall, but these hues are combined in nature all over the place.

 Head out for a walk with these color swatches and a camera (or smart phone) and see how many places you can find at least 3 of these shades together in nature. If you live in the city and you don’t have a lot of parks around, go to a conservatory and look around. Take some photos of places you find these colors in combination and then head to your bead, yarn or fabric shop. Grab a handful of whatever medium you use, combining a couple of these shades and you’ll be delighted at the outcome.

Whether you work in gemstones, wool, glass, paint or paper, I’ll bet you can come up with some pretty striking creations using this palette. When you do, please send photos and share with our readers.

Terri from Craft Biz Blog.com

Melina is a woman that has worked with her hands her entire life. As the youngest child in the family in Bosnia and Herzegovina, she was a third hand for everyone (which every artist knows comes in handy!) and was always being asked to hold this, get this, finish this, start this.  This amazing beginning fostered a creative spirit that is not just a job for Melina, but a way of life.  Her grandfather’s advice was “going to school is important, but never forget to learn at least one skill.”  Melina has taken this to heart.

Melina is the founder and president of the Association for the Preservation of Fine Crafts and Ancient Craft Skills.  She is also the organizer of a variety of organizations which promote charity work.  They organize craft fairs a few times a year, focusing on women that do not currently have full time employment as well as eco preservation, teaching skills and helping to sell their crafts.  In addition to all this, Melina still has time for her darling child.

This gifted lady is one that can’t be content with just one medium.  She says that her passion is chasing ideas, though sometimes the ideas chase her instead.  Melina has worked in everything from metals which she says is like magic to her, to polymer clay, making clothes, and even wood furniture.  She says that these things are a connection to lost family members-metal and wood reminds her of her grandfather, knitting and crochet of her grandmother, sewing from her mother, and beads of her aunt.  Each craft that she takes on is a connection that she holds dear.

When Melina was 15, she began selling her creations during the holidays at craft fairs.  She took a break from selling after a few years, but never her passion for creating.  About 6 years ago, Melina realized that finding a job was next to impossible so she fell back into what she knew she could do well to make a living.  She began selling online as well as street selling and putting her creations into local shops.  Doing all this is no easy task and she admittedly spends many hours on her business; though when she talks of street selling she compares it to a picnic day with lots of friends stopping by to say hi!  What a wonderful outlook.

While creating is definitely her passion, Melina admits that there are parts of business that she wishes were less time consuming and that is the paperwork side of things.  She is also passionate about resellers who claim to make the items that they are selling as that takes away from the artist.  In fact, Melina believes that you should never hide anything from your buyer’s eyes!  Be proud of your work, not overly harsh on yourself because what you see as an imperfection a buyer might see as a unique treasure.

Melina also tells those that are considering selling their own handmade work to keep your goal in mind and keep focused.  Work and discipline will bring you to your goal.  Respect yourself, your tools and your art and it will show in your work.

Are you ready to see what this lifelong creative soul from Bosnia can do?  Well, she is easy to find on Handmade Artists as well as on Facebook.  You can follow her on Twitter and check out her latest passion on her blog.

If you haven’t taken the time to honor your mother today, please do, if your mother has passed throw some love at her anyway, she’ll catch it, they always do. If your estranged from your mother for one reason or another, still throw some love her way. What ever love that is not received will come back to you. I learned this lesson a long time ago, forgiveness is for you, not the other person. If the other person does not receive then you will receive the benefit of your love returning.

So once again, from the bottom of our hearts, Happy Mother’s Day from all of us here as Handmade Artists and from our sister site It’s Better Handmade.

Thanks,

Andrew and Kimberly

We learn from our mistakes. We have all heard this before, but Tamara really took this to heart!

Tamera is a loving mother of two teenage boys that sees life through an artist’s eyes. She is married to her High School sweetheart…..awe! And is often surrounded by a large and loving family. She credits her strong Christian beliefs with keeping this family together through anything.  They love their life in Oregon; well all except camping, which Tamara admits is not her favorite family activity but goes along anyways.

Tamara was always a creative soul, always messing around with one craft or another, but painting held a special spot in her heart.  She studied for years to make it work but had failure after failure.  It wasn’t until she found a book on how to “fix” your watercolor mistakes that she really fell in love with the medium.  See what I mean about taking that advice to heart?  Tamara eventually created a tree painting for a friend and that set the ball rolling.  This one picture led to another and another and eventually to commissioned work.  Throughout this process, her darling husband has been her biggest supporter!  Tamara eventually got up enough confidence to approach local coffee shops and galleries and Art by Tam was born.

This creative lady has a love hate relationship with the unpredictability of watercolor and has created her own way to deal with it.  She uses pen and ink in order to “control” the medium.  This amazing idea gives a different look to her work, almost an illustration style.  This unique style is very popular during the holiday bazars that Tamara shows at.  In order to cover all price points, she even offers small versions of her work in the form of small pins and magnets.  She eventually plans on making prints to sell, but for now, you have an opportunity to buy her original art.

Tamara is honest about the work that goes into being a self-representing artist and warns others that you should only pursue this life if it is your passion and you are sure that this is what you were put on earth to do.  If the passion is not there, then maybe art is more of a hobby for you than a career.  If art is your passion you should not let anyone or anything stop you…even the impossible is possible with an attitude of action.

Are you ready to see what this talented wife and mother can do with pen and ink and watercolor?  Well, if you are not lucky enough to see her work in person you can find her on Handmade Artists as well as on Etsy.  You can browse her full line of work on her online portfolio as well as follow her days on Facebook and her blog.

Tamara is an inspiration to so many in that she knew what she wanted and didn’t let a few failures stop her dreams short.  Instead, she persevered and found a way to make it work and later make that work her own.

Stained glass inspired by a story from long ago, garters created for a special occasion, a crocheted pouch made for a keepsake, and ceramic mugs: one for her and one for him.

I proudly present Reflections, RiverRocksArt, GartersbyKristi, and AliceNeal from HandmadeArtists.

The Green Galleon and North Star Stained Glass by Reflections

Description: Using bits of scrap stained glass, The Green Galleon was designed by my 12 yr old grandson.  With emerald green, striated green & white, different blues stained glass, and the 5 stars, this unique… > read more

Unique stained glass gift ideas > Reflections’ Shop

Emerald Green BB Satin Wedding Garter Set by GartersbyKristi

Description: A stunning coordinating satin wedding garter set featuring fun and flirty hand-tied bows.  Each keepsake garter has a tiny blue bow tucked on the inside of the garter for a touch of “Something Blue.” > read more

More Adorable Garters > GartersbyKristi’s Shop

Crochet Drawstring Pouch in Emerald Green Cotton by AliceNeal

Description: Hand crocheted emerald green cotton pouch with buttercup yellow plaited drawstring.  100% supersoft cotton.  16cm square.  Custom-made also available – just tell me your colours > read more

Terrific items made with yarn > AliceNeal’s Shop

Large Dark Emerald Green Ceramic Mugs Set of 2 by RiverRockArts

Description: These large ceramic mugs are glazed with an emerald green translucent glaze layered randomly with an accenting glaze, a perfect his and hers set . The mugs hold 20 ounces and… > read more

Creative ceramic mugs, jewelry, and home décor > RiverRockArts’s Shop

Thanks everyone for your support! Discover Handmade by looking around the shops here on Handmade Artists and share your finds here in the comment section, Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. It’s a great way to support your fellow artists.

Hold on…before you go, here is my challenge question

 What do the items in todays article have in common? (hint – read the titles)

Remember to leave your answer in the comment section below. Thanks again and see you next week… Have a creative day! Cari Baker (crochethooked)

It’s May, a lot of Brides to be start preparing for an upcoming Wedding. I like to feature some of our Handmade Wedding Attire and Accessories sold here on Handmadeartists.com.

A Cinderella Flower Girl Wagon, how cute is this for your lil Flower Girls.It seats all the cute lil girls you wish to have. Made by ellen33s.

 How about something to keep your memories in, a quill-ed doves and flowers picture border Frame, handmade by YankeeBurrowCreations. Feel the joy every time you look at it.

Have to have something Classic White and Light Blue, a Lace Bridal Garter, handmade by GartersByKristi. Complete’s your Bridal outfit  every time.

Of course a Wedding band is needed, love this one for it’s simplicity, a wide Diamond and Sterling Silver Ring, handmade by BossStudiosJewelry.

Love those cards, they are always special. An Embossed Wedding Card with Paper Flower, a Best Wishes Wedding Card, handmade by Beth.

The second important part, aside from the Wedding Dress and Groom, a Crystal Button Wedding Bouquet. I think it’s beautimus and handmade by angel9.

Please check all these shops out. Handmade requires a lot of time, therefore we are talking about quality here, Designer made, one of a kind Items.  You and  your Wedding will be very special, outfitted like this with these Handmade Wedding Items. Handmade at it’s best, check us all out at Handmadeartists.com

Click on the any of the pictures above to learn more about the artist!

Submitted by Monika of Myeropeantouch

We all believe, or have had someone tell us, that handmade is better the manufactured. But why is that? Is handmade really better or is it an illusion or a myth?

What is “Handmade?”

For the purpose of this article, I’m defining handmade as something that is NOT made in a factory setting. Handmade is an item in

which the artisan has a piece of themselves invested.

Regardless of the method used to create the item, handmade is something which was created at the hand of the person who had the original idea.

So Is Handmade “Better?”

Now we have to define better.  Perhaps the first quandary is better than what?  First, let’s look at it from a quality standpoint.  We certainly all want the best quality we can get for the amount of money we want to spend.  For the same amount of money, if you buy something made in a factory, you can probably bet that the hands that touched the item during creation couldn’t have cared less about the finished product or the ultimate customer value.  The main concern of those folks is to get to the end of the shift so that they can punch out and go home!  Certainly, factories have ‘quality control,’ but their quality standards are usually that the finished product is good enough to be packed and shipped to a retail location.

An item handmade by someone is rarely good enough.  The individual creator is always their own harshest critic.  They take great pride in their work, or they wouldn’t be in the handmade arena in the first place.  They pay attention to the details, and it doesn’t get prepared for ultimate sale until the artisan is satisfied that the item can’t be any better.  Usually at this point, the artist will have a laundry list of how they will do it next time to make future versions better still.

Another way to look at it is …  when you buy a manufactured item, you’re ultimately supporting some corporate bigshot who is paying their workers as little as they can to keep them producing more and more mediocre goods.  When you send your payment for a handmade item, most of the time, you’re supporting someone who as a nook in a corner of their home and is producing things for you to use/love/admire for a very long time; at least that’s their hope.  People producing handmade are not generally the world’s great businesspeople.  Do you know anyone who got rich over handmade?  But you probably do know someone who seems to be immeasurably content who works in handmade!

Both of these words, better and handmade, are open to interpretation.  But if your want something that someone actually cared about during the creation process, and you’d rather support a person rather than a company, handmade is the clear choice!

Click on any of the images above to see more about the product and artist!

Written By iKnitQuiltSew

Chocolate Chip Mint Lip Balm

Got an ice cream craving? Not a problem here! From the amazing shop of ReefBotanicals comes this yummy Chocolate Chip Mint lip balm for those frustrating moments when a bowl of ice cream is just not appropriate.  Yummy flavors created in small batches to insure absolute quality like no other.

Wide Low Profile Black and Yellow Flower Shaped Bowl

Got chips?  Tacky to sit and scarf them out of the bag but we have that covered!  This amazing bowl is big enough for those chips or any other snack you want to serve up.  Don’t want to use it as a giant serving dish?  This beautiful piece from the talented hands of LGPotter would make an amazing wall hanging…it is that stunning!

Cinnamon Bun Charm Scented Miniature Food Mini Food Polymer Clay Food Charm

Who can resist a mouth watering cinnamon bun?  This darling little charm is not only amazingly realistic, but scented as well.  Keep your friends drooling whenever you wear this dainty piece from the hands of JunkFoodJewelry….a shop that no dieter should ever see except on this amazing day!

There has been a lot of talk lately about sales…where are they and who’s getting them. And there has been a lot of talk about the role social media plays in your on-line business. We all know that selling on line is a team effort, if only to help us keep our sanity. But cross promotion (with self-promotion) will increase your virtual presence in the super huge World Wide Web.  Looking at the rings that are offered here at Handmade Artists, there are many ways to promote, but not a lot of participation, so Pam at BeadThing and I have gotten together to brain storm ways to make all the promotion more fun and easy so more people will participate, and this is the plan…we are “combining” the blog ring, the twitter ring, and the facebook ring.  Starting this Sunday, May 5th, we will start a new thread for each ring on the forum, looking for people excited to join and have fun.  Then we will start the rings, with new “rules” as follows.

 On Sunday we will announce a “theme” that will be followed by all rings, and from that theme each blogger in the blog ring will write a post including an item from a featured shop, and item from their shop, and an item from any other artist that they choose.  

 Then the tweeters and facebookers will share the blog posts, and make their own tweets and posts that follow the theme, promoting the featured shop and their own shop.  After you have posted, tweeted, and blogged, come back to the threads to post and tweet the other links.  The theme will last 2 weeks, and there may be a surprise posted during each theme.  While there will be a signup thread for each ring, you can come and go as you please, but the featured shops will only be shops that faithfully participate.  I hope this isn’t too confusing, SEO is confusing enough…but we need to help each other get our items out there for the world to see and enjoy.  And have fun in the process.

See you all in the forums!

Click the links above to Sign Up for the various rings!

Debbi (Yankeeburrowcreations)

Posted by Rasmussen Gems and Jewelry LLC

Quartz is a very common mineral in the earth’s crust (second to feldspar in abundance), and comes in a variety of colors. Seen here is a cluster of quartz crystals. Quartz is silicon dioxide (SiO₂) and is the primary mineral in sand. Quartz has a hardness of seven on the Mohs scale which makes it a good gemstone for all styles of jewelry.  In addition, quartz comes in a wide variety of colors.  This months’ blog will be devoted to the faceted varieties.

Amethyst is the highest valued form of quartz.  Amethyst is purple and the color is produced by the presence of iron in the crystal.  In ancient times an amulet of amethyst was thought to prevent drunkenness.  Some amethysts will pale in sunlight.

Smoky Quartz has a brown to black coloring, resembling is name “smoky.”  The dark coloring is produced by artificial or natural gamma radiation.  A misnomer for smoky quartz is smoky topaz, as this is not a topaz in any way, this term should not be used.

The last form to be discussed this month is citrine.  This name is derived from the lemon yellow color of the crystal.  Most citrines are made by heat tteating amethyst.  Like amethyst citrine derives its color from the presence of iron in the crystal.

All forms of quartz are in the trigonal crystal system (hexagonal crystals) having no cleavage, the crystal fractures in a conchoidal fashion.  The refractive index is 1.544 to 1.533 with a birefringence of 0.009.  Quartz has a specific gravity of 2.65.

For more on this series from John, make sure you check out Tanzanite and Gemstones the Big Four.

Posted by Rasmussen Gems and Jewelry LLC

It is my pleasure to introduce the following talented artists: ElectronicGirl, NellsEmbroidery, TamsJewelry, and BethiesCards.

As I was browsing through their shops I had a difficult time choosing only one product to share with everyone, so lets take a closer look at their handcrafted items.

I Love Mom GlowHeart by ElectronicGirl

For a unique gift only the coolest geeky mom would love…a GlowHeart is the perfect gift to tell your mom how much you love her.  Giving a GlowHeart is the ultimate geeky way to tell that special someone how much they… read more > GlowHeart

Look at more great gifts  - click > ElectronicGirl

Embroidered Gift Box by NellsEmbroidery

This embroidered gift box is the perfect way to wrap up your special Easter gifts that the easter bunny brou. Inspired by the secret garden book this is embroidered on silk
. 
The box…       read more >Embroidered Gift Box

For more embroidery treasures – click > NellsEmbroidery

Puffed Green Glass Earrings & Necklace Set by TamsJewelry

This necklace is 18 1/2″ Long with large toggle clasp. The earrings are 2 1/4″ Long with surgical steel ear wires.It is made with puffed glass and silver plated beads.This is great for the office.This set… read more > Green Glass Jewelry Set

See more unique jewelry – click > TamsJewelry

Pink Rose Photo Card by BethiesCards

This pretty Mother’s Day Card is layered with three different colored pieces of card stock and topped with a photo I had taken back when I lived in FL.I folded a piece of very light gray card stock more >Pink Rose Photo Card

For more unique photo cards – click > Beth

I certainly enjoyed sharing these handcrafted items with you and I hope you enjoyed it as well. However, before you take off, I would like to try something different by asking a question and if you know the answer, please leave your answer in the comment section below.  Ready…

What holiday do these gift ideas represent? (hint – we celebrate in May)   I bet you got it right away… Please leave your answer in your comments.  Thanks everyone for stopping by and I hope to see you next time for Discover Handmade.

 Cari Baker (crochethooked)

So what are you doing this year to honor you mother, or mother figure in your life. Gifts are wonderful but so is a hug or a dinner. Take the time to honor these people and show your appreciation for the gifts they have given you with their experience.

Our friend Rebeca from Blue Buddha Boutique was kind enough to sponsor a giveaway with us for mothers day. She has offered a Celtic Visions kit complete with rings and color pdf instructions . It is a great way to get your feet wet with a new weave or try chainmaille for the first time.

Many of you know that my wife and I do chainmalle as well and like any good mother she has our kids weaving at a young age. Both our 11 and 13 year old have been making Byzantine for 2 years now.

To win the Celtic Visions kit just comment on this post, we’ll pick a winner using a random number generator on May 8th at 9pm EST!

To comment on our blog you have to a registered user of handmade artists, so just register here as a buyer it is free, then you can comment. Sorry for the hassle but spammers suck, so we have to do it.

So we are very grateful to Blue Buddha Boutique for offering us this prize to giveaway!

If winning one kit isn’t enough you can also enter to win the grand prize that Rebeca is giving away as well. Check out the Mother’s Day Chainmaille Starter Packs they are giving away as a Grand Prize on May 9th! So enter both giveaways one here and one on Blue Buddha’s Site.

The two projects included in the Mother’s Day Starter Packs – Shaggy Loops Bracelet with glass rings and Shaggy Loops Earrings with glass rings and anodized niobium earwire.  The packs also include instructions, two pairs of pliers and a bead mat for holding jump rings.

Those glass rings look pretty wild to me. Never used them before so I think this is very kind of Rebeca to share this with us. Remember to give your mom a big hug on mothers day! And if there is any animosity between you and your mother, maybe this mothers day can be the day that you bury the hatchet and forgive. Life is too short.

Social media sites are a very important part of online marketing. Most likely the most important because we all have free access to most of them. Facebook, Twitter, RebelMouse, Hometalk, and Pinterest have no charges for posting your work or the work of others as we all know. So why don’t more of us use these avenues of marketing?  You do? Hmmm.  Well then why do you suppose it is not of more help in your success?

One of the major reasons I believe is that we do not market for others enough.  I know this sounds like you would only be supporting your competition, however, think about this for a minute.  Let’s just take Facebook for instance, if you post your items to your personal page then only your friends get to see your beautiful things unless of course they share and then their friends get to see and after that you just don’t have a clue who else might get to see.  If you post to your business (fan) page then only the folks who have ‘liked’ your page will see it, again unless they share and then those who have ‘liked’ their page will see.  But what you may not realize is that because you may only be posting your own product, many of the people who see you in their news feed have become, shall we say ‘numb’ for lack of a better word to your products.  So therefore, unless you come up with a spectacular new design or some spectacular photography or colors, they may not even give it a second glance or perhaps it gets buried down the line in the feed that they never even see it.  However, if you post another artist work that may be completely different from your own in style, color or photography style, then your friends may click on that but will be taken to your photos where they can continue to go through and THEN, they will see everything.

I know this because I do this all the time.  I find something on my page that catches my attention, click on it and of course it comes up larger and with of course all the information and comments off to the right, but if you hover on the edge of that photo as I am sure you are aware there is this little arrow, click on it and keep clicking on it and you will see pretty much everything that has been posted to that persons timeline.  You would be amazed at what you will find and for which you will make effort to get more information on.  So, even though you posted another artists work, you may actually get more actual view on your own pieces of art.

How can I be sure you ask?  Because I just recently received an order through facebook for a bracelet that I posted on my page over a year ago and the only way she saw it was because she clicked on another photo and decided to just go through my photos.  I mean to tell you that just made my day because it was a $50 item.  I think that is amazing.

So all of that to say this.  PARTICIPATE.  It only takes a few minutes a couple times a week or even only once a week.  Write a blog, tweet an item or share to your FB page, join a ring on the forum and get the word out about other artists, but also get your own work front and center again and again.  It also brings attention to our wonderful site here that our site owners work so diligently to provide for us at such a minimal cost.  What can it hurt?  Nothing.  What can it do?  You may be very very surprised.

Written by Beadthing

Tress has always been creative but also loves to spend time watching football, though she and Randy do not root for the same team, and wrestling.  The couple was never blessed with children so she takes time to baby her darling German Shepherd, Rozie, who even gets to go to PetSmart on her birthday to pick a new toy!

Tress didn’t find her creative passion until she stumbled upon pearls, beads, and chain.  After making many presents for family and friends, she began offering necklaces for older children.  She quickly found that this was not her niche, but rather than be down and give up she changed gears and began creating newborn and toddler bracelets instead finding that creating little tiny pieces are what makes her heart sing.  After working a few Farmer’s Markets and talking with other vendors, she branched out into craft fairs and soon to online sales and Rozies Pearls was born.  Tress quickly found that the joy of a customer finding the perfect piece for their little bundle is the absolute best reward of selling her work and keeps her motivated to do more.

Online selling has turned out to be a learning process for Tress, but one that is a way of building her business.  The best advice she can offer to another artist wanting to sell their work?  Always send a thank you!  While this may not sound like much, Tress firmly believes that this little bit of personal courtesy can go a long way in the business world.  In fact, she credits this bit of kindness for her repeat customers!  Giving the best customer service you can may take your business from basic to retire worthy; at least that is what her darling husband is hoping!

Are you ready to see what this talented lady is doing with all those pearls and beads?  You can find her work on HandmadeArtists as well as on Etsy.  You can also follow her on Facebook and on Twitter.  Do you know someone about to have a baby or one that has a toddler?  You can be sure that any of Tress’ creations will become lifelong keepsakes.

Pencil Cup Fork Pencil Holder

Pencils and pens are necessary in the home and office, but that doesn’t mean you can’t display them with style!  From ForkedUpArt comes this solution to run away pencils on your desk and does it with style.  Each piece in this imaginative shop will bring a smile to your face.

Fabric Covered Pushpins

Post it notes and little scraps of paper…it is a wonder we ever find anything!  Solution, a cork board, but how boring.  From the shop of EverAndBliss comes these fabric covered push pins to keep you organized and still look good doing it.

Purple Heart and Makore Wood Rollerball Pen

Whether it is a shopping list, journal entry, or work memo; a wonderful pen makes all the difference in how you feel.  Rather than a mass produced Bic, how about a stunning Purple Heart, hand turned pen from the amazing shop of AkitaWoodWorks.  Each piece in this shop is a unique masterpiece to make you feel like you own the world!

This video discusses what shipping profiles are, how to set them up and when to use them in your online shop at HandmadeArtists.com. Shipping profiles are an integral part of every listing, so it’s important to understand what they do and how they work. I hope this video clarifies this step of shop setup and makes your life easier! The video is on YouTube; click HERE to watch it.

Written By iKnitQuiltSew

Penguin Card Animal Shaped Cards Cards for Kids

Ever sit in a card shop, reading card after card and finding nothing special.  Problem solved thanks to Bethies Cards!  This darling little penguin is perfect for anyone, young or old, and any occasion.  No more mass produced cards that get tossed aside, these cards from this talented lady are sure to get noticed.

My Geeky Penguin gift for him cool unique

Know someone that is a penguin fanatic….or maybe a computer geek….or maybe both!  This darling little guy is the perfect helper on any desk.  With his little taped glasses, he will surely bring a bit of happiness to any work day.  Made by the talented hands of ElectronicGirl, this shop is loaded with all sorts of items to make you smile.

Quilled Penguin wall art framed

QuillingBySandraWhite brings these darling birds into the world of fine art!  Beautifully done quilling brings to life this wonderful penguin.  Perfect way to bring color into any room and a smile onto any face.

Pat is a professional trainer of Miniature Horses and Shetland Ponies which she shows on both local and national levels. She has published 7 books and is currently looking for a publisher for her next line of books.  In addition, she raises Nigerian Dwarf Goats and breeds dogs.  Her sister lives with her, who lives with Downs Syndrome, on their acreage in Oklahoma.  With all this activity, Pat still finds time to create.

Pat says that as far back as she can remember she had been creative whether in training her horses or creating small works of art.  This has included working in polymer clay, fabrics, beads, oil and acrylic paints, wire, and gourds.  Her shop is loaded with her creative endeavors!  Her main love currently is polymer clay which she uses to create darling figures and amazing jewelry.

Because of her busy life, person to person selling is not in the cards.  Online selling works not only with her schedule, but for the rest of us that don’t live in Oklahoma!  She takes time every day to work a bit on her shops and the results are a wonderful array of treasures.  Pat admits that competing with others is tough but she loves the challenge of it all.

When asked what advice she would give others that are thinking of selling their own handmade work, she answered “Chase your dreams until you catch them.”  She encourages others to take the chance but first to study other shops, promote everywhere and ask advice from others.  While selling online does take time and hard work, people will find you.  Your job is to believe in yourself and keep improving.

Are you ready to see what this whirlwind artisan can create?  Well, she is easy to find on HandmadeArtists, as well as on Etsy Here, Here and Here!  I told you she was busy!

Spring is here, really truly finally here, and the primroses are all out and bobbing their smiling heads in the breeze. This months colour inspiration post brings two very different springtime colourways taken from images of this bonny little flower. The first is this warm pink and golden toned collection teamed up with a lovely off white shade. Elegant and feminine.

My second primrose palette makes use of bold primary tones combined with cool pastel blue and yellow.

Why not experiment with your digital art and draw colour inspiration for your crafting passions? Here are two brilliant sites to help get you started.

Lets chip it! & Big huge labs

Jolene x

Gallery Size Papercut Starry Night Paper Cutting Large Papercutting Large Art Gallery Size Original Art

This piece is just gorgeous the intricate detail just amazes me. “This piece has been cut from a single sheet of jet black silhouette paper with a matte finish. This premium silhouette paper is acid and lining free. All pieces are cut 100% by hand.”

Ferris Wheel Silhouette Art Ferris Wheel Paper Cutting Papercutting Ferris Wheel Papercut Black and White Art High Contrast Paper Art Papercut Paper Silhouette

This piece reminds me of a wonderful story from my wife’s childhood. I won’t go into the story but it always puts a smile on my face.  “Pieces are professionally mounted to rigid, archival quality art board. The board used is pure white for gorgeous contrast and is also acid and lignin free. This art board is 1.2mm thick (130 gsm) and is ready for framing without the need for a mat.”

For more of Jordan’s work check out her shop here Vibrant Shadows

Here is a quick snippet from her profile “Hey, Jordan here! Thank you for stopping by to find out a little more about me! My husband describes me as creative and fun… and also dorky, quirky and spunky! The following is the story of me and my inspiration.

Well, I was born and raised in Lake Havasu City, Arizona – a notorious vacation destination with a big reputation (that rhymed, ha!) – it is actually a pretty small town with temperatures regularly exceeding 120 degrees in the summertime. I believe that the town I grew up in had a great impact on my art; it was such a small town, and too hot to be outside for long periods of time, so I spent a great deal of my life dabbling in different kinds of art. ”

You’ll have to go to here shop profile to read the rest, enjoy!

Any and all of the above can and will have an impact on our sales. And since they are out of our personal control, what do you think is the best way to rise above all or any one of them?

Lately, I’ve seen so many online discussions in venue forums about low views and lack of sales and blaming it on everything under the sun.  Or saying they have tried everything and work very hard.  And when I look at the OPs’ shops, I see that there is much they could do from the inside out to improve. Without fail, they all have something they could do better.

But, as is with human nature, it’s always easier to blame external forces when things aren’t going well somewhere in our lives.

I’m not sitting on a high horse or standing on a soap box here. I feel what everyone else does. But I’m choosing to deal with it differently.

In my Etsy shop, I had one sale in February. ONE SALE!!! My average months historically have been 8-12 sales. Very low volume, but this is fairly normal for me and I’m good with that.

Having a rough post-holiday season was very, very discouraging.

Feeling sorry for myself though, was accomplishing nothing. Being angry at any or all of the above possible reasons for slow/or lack of sales was non-productive.  It felt good to put some of the blame on them, but it feels better to focus on what I can do to improve.

So for the third time in 15 months, I took a good, long hard look at my shop and inventory. When I came up empty with ideas, I consulted an Etsy friend whose marketing and business background I highly respect and trust.

She generously took the time to look at my shop and compare it to my competition who were enjoying consistent sales. Then gave me a very detailed analysis. It was quite eye opening and basically confirmed everything I knew, but even better, giving me a few new perspectives.

Based on that and some discussion with her afterwards, I made the drastic decision to empty half my shop by taking out items that didn’t fit in with my brand and vision. Things I had listed to boost my inventory.

My views took an enormous hit, going down by as much as two thirds. I’m struggling to make new product lines. I’m still trying to learn more about SEO and how to make it work to my advantage. I particularly dislike that part of it. But I know I’m on the right track and am working hard to rebuild properly. And I’ve had 5 sales the first two weeks in April. Back on my normal pace.  For now.  I also set up shop here on HAF and am learning my way around and hope to build a successful business here.

So consider the outside forces that you have no control over and how they affect your business, then turn your focus to your best resource——-YOU!  There is always room for improvement. Continually ask yourself “what more can I do?” If you’re honest, you’ll know there is a lot.

- redirect your energy from focusing on outside forces
- be open to honest constructive criticism
- keep learning SEO and maxmize it to your advantage
- analyze what your successful competition is doing if you wish to be as successful as them
- if you’re in a niche market, work to find your target audience, or
- consider a whole new line of items
- use your venue’s tools and features that can help you most
- ask for help from someone whose experience and knowledge you respect
- when you get good advice—TAKE IT!
- focus your positive energy where it will have the biggest impact
- never give up
- start over at the top of this list

There is more, I’m sure.  I just want everyone to reach their full potential, myself included. And we can help each other do that.

Written by Albina Rose

Very little is known about when and where people began to knit because knitting is made of organic fibers like wool and silk that decay rapidly. So the oldest archeological finds of knitted clothes in the Middle East originate from early post-Christian times. From the Middle East knitting techniques spread to Spain. The earliest knitted items in Europe were probably made by Muslim knitters that were employed by noble Spanish families.

From Spain knitting spread to the whole of continental Europe during the Middle Ages and by the 12^th century it was already an advanced craft. The first knitters‘ guild was founded in Paris in the 13^th century, followed by similar organizations in other European countries. Knitting was mainly a male occupation at this time and only men were admitted to the guilds. The knitters‘ apprenticeship lasted at least seven years.

It was not until the 15^th century that knitting reached Britain. During the next hundred years an active knitting industry developed here. Queen Elizabeth I, who was queen of England from 1558 until 1603, passed a large number of laws and regulations to support and protect this trade. She ordered for example that on Sundays and Holy days every male over the age of six had to wear a woolen cap made in England.

In 1589 William Lee, an English clergyman, invented the first stocking frame knitting machine. He applied for a patent from Queen Elizabeth, but she denied his request because she thought it would ruin the hand knitting industry. Nevertheless the number of knitting machines employed in different parts of the country gradually increased over the next two centuries and hand knitting could no longer compete with these.

Commercial hand-knitting only survived in the coastal areas of England, Scotland and Ireland, but in most parts of Europe and America hand-knitting became more and more a domestic and now predominantly female occupation and especially popular in the 19^th century among women of the new urban middle class.

In the 1830‘s the first women’s magazines were published which contained patterns and instructions for knitting and sewing as well as popular literature and recipes. In the Victorian era knitting was used to make all sorts of mainly decorative items. In the first half of the 20^th century and especially during the World Wars mainly practical reasons compelled women to knit. In the last third of the century, when the role of women changed considerably, knitting was seen as a stuffy hobby for grannies.

The last ten years have brought a real resurgence of knitting which is no longer considered boring. Today’s knitters sometimes use traditional techniques to create real works of art. A special form of knitted art is guerrilla knitting which started in Houston in 2005 and has since spread worldwide. It means that knitters stitch colorful cozies for everything in the streets: trees, bike racks, benches, statues and even cars and buses. The photos above show modest examples of guerrilla knitting in the small town where I live.

Written by Rapunzel Garden!

Keep Calm And Canter On Vintage Book Page Print 8 x 10

Wonderful words to live by whether or not you own a horse!  This beautiful piece comes to you compliments of Winterberry Cottage.  Printed on a vintage book page, this piece will be a wonderful reminder to stop and breath.

Anxiety Relief Essential Oil Blend

From the shop of BelleRiverNaturals comes to you a breath of release.  Using natural oil, this stress relief oil is perfect when you just need to take a second to smell the roses…um lavender.

Blue cushion striped Japanese handwoven fabric dark colours masculine mens pillow buckwheat natural filling

Handwoven, buckwheat pillow is perfect to calm your nerves.  Each pillow is handmade from start to finish and ready to help you destress any time of the day. From the shop of Octavi, you can find a pillow that is just perfect for any decor.