It's Better Handmade Guild Collections Contest

[myeuropeantouch]

The contest is up and ready to be seen by handmade fans everywhere!  So, go ahead and vote, tweet, facebook, stumble, and blog to your hearts content and let's see who created the favorite collection!  http://itsbetterhandmade.com/ibh-artfire-collections-contest/ 

[FidelaTresori]

I get really confused by all of these blogs, as I'm not familiar with them.  Is there some connection between IBH and HAF at all?  And why are all the collections from Artfire?

How does one get featured on these blogs, like TheFind, etc.  I'm assuming you have to be a 'follower' or member of these blogs?  I really don't know and it all makes my head spin. LOL

I guess I just haven't a clue how all these are linked or network. Someone please educate me? 

[myeuropeantouch]

Blogged , Facebook, Tweeted and voted....

[myeuropeantouch]

Kimberly and Andrew own the website It's Better Handmade and the Artfire Guild comes with it. And this is a Contest of Collections made by Artfire Members, you can vote on them....if you like.
On etsy they are called Treasuries....so it's something simular....

Guess the rest is better explained by Kimberly or Andrew, and Yes, IBH is connected to Haf, they have the same owners. 

The Find is a website like Google and we are at their mercy when they put our items on there....please, someone correct me if I am wrong.....

I just posted this contest, so you all can vote for what you like....BEST....   

[iKnitQuiltSew]

I get really confused by all of these blogs, as I'm not familiar with them.  Is there some connection between IBH and HAF at all?  And why are all the collections from Artfire?

How does one get featured on these blogs, like TheFind, etc.  I'm assuming you have to be a 'follower' or member of these blogs?  I really don't know and it all makes my head spin. LOL

I guess I just haven't a clue how all these are linked or network. Someone please educate me? 

I feel your pain!  There are probably millions of blogs out there that might do a feature on you.  It's a matter of finding the ones that are a good fit.  Each one has different submission guidelines and some don't allow the artisan to submit themselves at all (you have to be recommended).  Any time you get featured on a blog, it's good.  It creates a link to your shop or your blog - whichever link the sponsoring blog includes.

It's Better Handmade (IBH) was recently acquired by Kimberly and Andrew.  It's not an extension of HandmadeArtists, but a compliment.  It's another place to get your work seen.  It is easy to get your work featured on IBH.  You do have to register, but then, simply follow the submission guidelines (the link highly visible near the top of the page).

If you would like to get your feet wet on a smaller, more focused scale, there is a blog ring here, too.  You commit to participate (sign up) through a thread, then each week, you write a blog post on your blog about someone else and how wonderful they and their work is/are.  One week, it's your turn and everyone who committed features you on their blog, creating those ever-important links.  Check the Outreach Events Promotions and Contests section of the Forum for more details. 

Hope this helps!

[FidelaTresori]

Thank you, Sandi and Monika.

I don't have a blog.  Hadn't seen any reason yet to have one and I just can't imagine working that into my day, as well. LOL  (Maybe I could spend less time on FB.) I do have a page on FB under the name of my old Etsy shop name so people can still follow me there, the few people who do.  I may have to add a new one leading people to this shop.  I dunno. Lots and lots to think about right now, I guess, as I decide how I'm going to go forward with all of this as I don't want the new shop and the old connected in anyway due to some internet stalkers from some time back.   That may not be possible and I might just have to throw caution to the wind.

Appreciate the answers.

[MakinTheBest]

Guess everyone beet me to the explanation!  Yes, Andrew and I own HandmadeArtists forum, blog and shop but recently I bought ItsBetterHandmade from the person that started after she had some personal problems and couldn't run it anymore.  Basically, when the forum and blog started here we were promoting everyone from any venue and when the HAF shop opened, our promotion was more focused on our artists for the shop. I truly believe in handmade no matter where you sell and that is where IBH comes in.


IBH will promote any handmade item in much the same way we do here.  It has an Etsy team as well as an Artfire guild and a Facebook group and page where handmade is promoted.  On the IBH page you, or any artist, can go to the Submit tab and either promote a product or fill out an interview and have a featured article written about you and posted on the front page.  We get about 1000 unique views a day on the site so it is basically one more place to get your work seen.


Bottom line...well, Andrew and I are artists ourselves and know how hard it is to get seen by buyers and we will do what we can to help but when the shop opened we decided that we had to add an additional site for all those that do not sell here.  I run all of IBH and we run HAF together so what stared as a little chat forum for crafters is slowly growing into a handmade empire that we never imagined.


Hope this makes it a bit clearer for you, and if you have a chance you are welcome to check out [size=78%]http://itsbetterhandmade.com/[/size] and promote your work.  We have a lot of HAF members that promote products with me over there.

[FidelaTresori]

Okay, thanx Kimberly.  I also did some more browsing here and found the list you posted in this thread.

http://handmadeartists.com/forum/index.php/topic,7188.0.html

That's as good a place as any to start.

Sorry I hijacked this thread with these questions and do so appreciate the answers.

[MakinTheBest]

Okay, thanx Kimberly.  I also did some more browsing here and found the list you posted in this thread.

http://handmadeartists.com/forum/index.php/topic,7188.0.html

That's as good a place as any to start.

Sorry I hijacked this thread with these questions and do so appreciate the answers.

No problem...I don't think we have a single thread in the forum that has ever stayed on topic!  While you are clicking around IBH....VOTE!

[FidelaTresori]

Done! It wasn't an easy choice as there were appealing elements in each one.    LOL

[myeuropeantouch]

Kim , you might like to know that there are people coming out of the woodworks so to speak, asking to participate....now.....looks like we have to have another one in the future.  Isn't that great....

[MakinTheBest]

Kim , you might like to know that there are people coming out of the woodworks so to speak, asking to participate....now.....looks like we have to have another one in the future.  Isn't that great....

We can have this, a network ring, or a bunch of other things to get people moving.  I've had a number of Facebook messages with people that asked about the guild so we should be picking up a few more that want to get involved.  I'm going to send a newsletter this week about opportunities as well as some "check in" rules to weed out a few people.

[myeuropeantouch]

I think you are right on.....with all that.....